DCHS Faculty Member Named Distinguished Fellow and Inaugural Chair of Athletic Training Academy in the National Academies of Practice

The National Academies of Practice (NAP) held their 2021 Virtual Forum on March 18-20 and as part of this momentous 40th anniversary event, welcomed their newest Academy – Athletic Training. In addition, Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program Director Anthony Breitbach, Ph.D., ATC, FASAHP, FNAP who spent two years leading the team that organized and prepared the proposal to include Athletic Training as an academy in the NAP, was honored as a Distinguished Fellow of the NAP and elected as the inaugural chairperson for the Athletic Training Academy. Dr. Breitbach co-wrote the article Athletic training: The journey to becoming the newest NAP academy with NAP President Jody Frost chronicling the process in the March 2021 issue of the Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice.

Dr. Breitbach was excited about the potential impact expanding the NAP to include Athletic Training could have on health care research and education in the future.

“It is such a privilege to help establish an Athletic Training Academy with our peers in the National Academies of Practice,” Dr. Breitbach said. “We look forward to collaborating through the NAP to enhance the health of persons and communities through interprofessional education and advocacy.”

Founded in 1981, the NAP is an interprofessional, nonprofit organization, with membership representing 14 health care professions willing to serve as distinguished advisors to health care policy makers in Congress and elsewhere. The 14 academies of practice within the NAP include: Allopathic and Osteopathic Medicine, Athletic Training, Audiology, Dentistry, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Podiatric Medicine, Psychology, Social Work, Speech‐Language Pathology and Veterinary Medicine.

For a profession to be included in the NAP as an academy, a group must submit detail information on how that specific profession: demonstrates evidence of being a collaborative profession; enables professionals to make decisions independently that affect the health and/or well-being of individuals and/or communities; has a code of ethics; has a defined minimum level of professional education; utilizes a recognized accreditation process and maintains high educational standards; uses an established process of licensing, registration or certification to ensure colleagues are qualified and in good standing; and professionally disseminates peer-reviewed scholarly activity.

For an individual to become a Distinguished Fellow of the NAP, individuals must be nominated by a colleague, have their application reviewed by the academy of their profession and then receive a majority vote of the members of the NAP Council. Nominees must be citizens of the United States who have an exemplary career of ten years or more and are committed to interprofessional practice and accessible, affordable health care for all.

Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit institution that values academic excellence, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service. Founded in 1818, the University fosters the intellectual and character development of nearly 13,000 students on two campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Building on a legacy of more than 200 years, Saint Louis University continues to move forward with an unwavering commitment to a higher purpose, a greater good.