Four named Distinguished Fellows of National Academics of Practice

Four Augusta University faculty members and one alumni were recently named Distinguished Fellows of the National Academies of Practice at the NAP Annual Meeting and Forum held in Washington, D.C. in March.

AU was represented by Kim Capehart, DDS, associate dean of Academic Affairs and Advanced Education and the interim associate dean of Finance and Business at AU’s Dental College of Georgia; Pamela R. Cromer, DNP, a professor and director of the College of Nursing’s Community Outreach; Joann Denemark, assistant professor and program director of AU’s Speech-Language Pathology program in the College of Allied Health Sciences; and Daniel Hannah, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in AU’s Medical College of Georgia and the Department of Physical Therapy. They were joined by AU alumnus Abiodun Akinwuntan, PhD.

The induction ceremony recognized each Fellow’s exemplary career and commitment to interprofessional practice and accessible, affordable health care for all.

NAP firmly believes that close collaboration and coordination of different health care professions, aligned through a common vision, can advocate for patients and model excellence in interprofessional and preventive care. Distinguished practitioners are elected by their peers across multiple health professions, ranging from nursing or pharmacy to veterinary medicine.

Kim Capehart, DDS, DBA, MBA, FNAP; Oral Health Academy

Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Advanced Education, Dental College of Georgia
Interim Associate Dean, Finance and Business, DCG

The associate dean of Academic Affairs and Advanced Education and the interim associate dean of Finance and Business at DCG, Capehart previously served as chair of the Department of General Dentistry for five years and in private practice as a general dentist for 16 years.

“I’ve learned with my private practice, working at DCG and working with non-profits for over 20 years, all of that has enabled me to recognize the importance of working with multiple health care disciplines to create real impact on our communities,” Capehart said. “I look forward to working with our health care colleagues from across the nation through the NAP. I’m honored to be named a Fellow and proud to be from the Dental College of Georgia and Augusta University.”

Throughout his professional career, Capehart has been involved in interprofessional work working with the Peace Corp as a medical/dental screener and working with the medical team to clear potential volunteers working with allied health professions to help evaluate and screen individuals in the community and world-wide in places like Southeast Asia, Western Africa and American Indian Reservations. He has worked with Doctors Without Borders, Health Volunteers Overseas and the US Indian Health Tribune.

Recently, he has worked to create a symposium connecting medicine and dentistry and all the allied health providers.

Pamela R. Cromer, DNP, FNP-BC, MSN, FAANP, FAAN, FNAP; Nursing Academy

Professor and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Community Clinical Coordinator, College of Nursing
Director, Costa Layman International Outreach and Community Engagement Projects

Already a fellow of two other prestigious organizations, the American Academy of Nursing and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Cromer has received widespread regional, national and international media attention for her work as director of Costa Layman International Outreach for Hispanic farmworkers in the southeast since 2006. With a coalition of academic and community stakeholders, this work has helped to transform rural health service access and health care delivery costs.

“The NAP fellowship has special significance for my continued leadership as the director of the College of Nursing’s Community Outreach and my role with the university’s Community Engagement Leadership Council to help achieve Carnegie status,” said Cromer. “This credential will be an important factor in my efforts for continued expansion and service to our broader communities and the legacy of our college and university.”

Cromer is the principal investigator for the College of Nursing’s Healthy Grandparents Program, which aims to provide physical, emotional and social support to grandparents and great-grandparents raising their grandchildren in parent-absent homes. Services provided by the program meet the unique needs of this population by providing a wide range of home and integrated community-based services and networks that increase families’ access to resources and broadens the support services array for intergenerational families and grandparent caregivers, while supporting the education and training of Augusta University health care disciplines in “real world experiences.” Services provided by the program are designed to strengthen grandparent caregiver families, improve family functioning, prevent child abuse and neglect, and provide stability and permanency in children’s lives while maintaining their family ties and culture.

With over twenty years as an advanced practice registered nurse, interprofessional training is an area Cromer emphasizes in her faculty practice and work. Her collaborations and works include regional, national and international presentations, publications and media presence.   

“There is no higher calling, and I share this sentiment with all faculty, staff, students and teams within the university,” Cromer said. “I am truly grateful, realizing my achievements are because of the opportunities of so many people here at the university.” 

Cromer is the third current member of CON to achieve this distinction. She joins Dean Beth NeSmith, PhD, and Terri Marin, PhD, in the honor. The college now boasts a total of eight national fellowships across faculty members.

Joann Denemark, CCC-SLP, FNAP; Speech-Language Pathology Academy

Program Director, Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology
Assistant Professor, College of Allied Health Sciences

Denemark brings a wealth of experience to her role as program director for AU’s new Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology program. With 22 years of clinical experience spanning outpatient rehabilitation, clinical and school-based settings, she offers a well-rounded and insightful perspective on both the practical and academic sides of the SLP profession.

Her pivotal role in developing the new program, which starts in fall 2025, highlights her leadership and dedication to advancing the field. Central to her philosophy is a focus on patient advocacy, which is deeply embedded in her approach to teaching and clinical practice.

“Being nominated as an NAP Fellow by executive leadership was an incredibly humbling and unexpected honor,” Denemark said. “It is a deeply meaningful recognition of all my hard work and dedication to the SLP profession and my commitment to improve patient care.”

Denemark’s advocacy is not just about ensuring patients receive the best care, but that the next generation of SLPs is not only clinically competent, but also equipped to advocate for their patients, collaborate across disciplines and make a meaningful impact in their professional roles.

Her integration of interprofessional education into the program is a critical aspect of her vision. By promoting collaboration among different academic programs and active participation in College of Nursing community health fairs, interprofessional education ensures that students are prepared for real-world team-based environments. This approach aligns with current trends in health care, where complex patient needs require coordinated care from multiple disciplines.

In addition to her leadership in education, Denemark’s dissertation in practice, A Narrative Inquiry Research Study: Interprofessional Education Through the Stories of Pre-professional Healthcare Students, further demonstrates her commitment to advancing interprofessional education. Through her research, she investigates how interprofessional education develops and transforms a graduate health care student’s dual-role identity. Her research as a doctoral candidate at Augusta University reflects her dedication to continuous learning and to cultivating interprofessional collaboration in health care education.

Daniel Hannah, PhD, ATC, FNAP; Athletic Training Academy

Assistant Professor, Medical College of Georgia and College of Allied Health Sciences

Hannah is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Medical College of Georgia, and the Department of Physical Therapy in the College of Allied Health Sciences at Augusta University. With over 25 years of experience in both academic and clinical settings, Hannah has made significant contributions to health care education, with a particular interest in interprofessional education and practice.

“It was an honor to be recognized for my 25 years of dedication to the athletic training profession and commitment to advancing health care through interprofessional collaboration,” Hannah said. “I have always believed in its power to improve patient outcomes, and through fostering interdisciplinary teamwork, I have witnessed its positive impact on student learning, patient care, and health care access.”

Currently, he serves as a medical educator with research and teaching interests in gross anatomy, orthopaedics, sports medicine and point-of-care ultrasound. Through his dedication, Hannah continues to inspire and mentor the next generation of medical professionals.

Abiodun Akinwuntan, PhD, MPH, MBA, MIH, FASAHP, FACRM, FAMedS, FNAP; Public Health Academy

Dean, KU School of Health Professions
Professor, KU School of Health Professions and School of Medicine

Akinwuntan currently serves as the dean of the School of Health Professions in the University of Kansas Medical Center and is a professor in the KU School of Medicine. He earned a master’s degree in public health in 2012 and a master’s degree in business administration in 2015, both from Augusta University. He received his doctoral degree in neurological rehabilitation from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, in 2004.

Akinwuntan’s research is on the use of virtual-reality technologies to improve daily living activities in neurologically impaired persons. He has published more than 110 peer-reviewed scholarly works and received funded grants totaling more than $15 million. He is a three-time recipient of the prestigious United States Fulbright Awards, a Fellow of three professional organizations and serves on the board of directors of three professional bodies.