Auburn Pharmacy faculty earn national honor for elevating interprofessional education

For two Auburn University faculty members, being inducted as Distinguished Fellows in the National Academies of Practice (NAP) is more than a personal accolade. It is proof of the transformative work happening at the Harrison College of Pharmacy.

Kimberly Braxton Lloyd, the Gilliland Professor and associate dean of clinical affairs and outreach, and Jeanna Sewell, a clinical associate professor and director of interprofessional education (IPE), were humbled to receive the lifetime recognition. 

Both said they look forward to helping shape the future of health care education nationwide, while shining a light on the Harrison College of Pharmacy (HCOP).  

“This recognition shows that Auburn values interprofessional collaboration, and the way we do IPE sets us apart,” Sewell said. “It’s rewarding to see our work making a difference, not just for our students, but for the future of health care.” 

Braxton Lloyd and Sewell agreed that the college’s willingness to empower faculty at all career stages to lead and innovate is a point of pride. They credit Dean Leigh Ann Ross for championing national engagement and visibility throughout the college. 

“We’ve become much more engaged with the National Academies of Practice,” Braxton Lloyd said. “I’m really proud to see the Harrison College of Pharmacy getting the visibility it deserves.”

NAP, which was formed in 1981 to advise governmental bodies on health care, is an interprofessional group of practitioners and scholars from across the country. Its Distinguished Fellows designation is reserved for leaders with significant and enduring contributions to interprofessional practice, scholarship and policy. There are 17 academies from audiology to veterinary medicine. 

NAP’s annual meetings and advocacy events provide a platform for fellows to unite their voices, pushing for improvements in both practice and education. 

Braxton Lloyd has spent years building clinics and fostering interprofessional collaboration. Her efforts have shaped environments where physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals work side by side, learning from and with each other. 

“My work has always focused on developing opportunities for interprofessional collaboration,” she said, citing initiatives like the State Wellness Center in Montgomery, Alabama, and the Boykin Clinic in Auburn, where students from multiple disciplines train together to deliver patient-centered care. 

Sewell received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Auburn 20 years after Braxton Lloyd. Soon after joining the Department of Pharmacy Practice, Sewell was asked to direct the college’s IPE. It was a challenge, but one she embraced. 

“I really love collaboration, and I knew that it would give me an opportunity to work with others,” Sewell said. 

When she’s not in the classroom or practicing at East Alabama Health, Sewell coordinates learning experiences that bring together pharmacy, nursing, social work, nutrition and other disciplines across campus, ensuring Auburn students learn to work as a team from their very first weeks in the program. This work also involves medical students from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Auburn. 

Braxton Lloyd’s and Sewell’s shared commitment to IPE is at the heart of HCOP. Both emphasized that the pharmacy profession is not just about medications but ensuring the best outcomes for patients through teamwork. 

“We reinforce it with our students all the time,” Sewell said. "We’re all on the same team. We all want the same thing. We want what is best for the patient.” 

The college’s practice-ready curriculum is designed so that students interact with peers from other health professions throughout their education, building confidence and skills that will serve them and their future patients well. 

“When we work together for patient care, we see better outcomes,” Sewell said. “When we work together for change, we also see better outcomes.”