Dr. Victor J. Dzau, Distinguished President of National Academy of Medicine, Set as Keynote Speaker for NLN Education Summit
Dr. Victor J. Dzau, Distinguished President of National Academy of Medicine, Set as Keynote Speaker for NLN Education Summit
Address to Open Nation’s Leading Nursing Education Event on Thursday, September 28, at National Harbor Near Washington, DC
Washington, DC — The National League for Nursing welcomes Victor J. Dzau, MD, the distinguished president of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), to present the Keynote Address at the NLN Education Summit on Thursday, September 28. This annual gathering of more than 1,000 nurse educators, nursing education leaders and scholars, and other leading health professionals takes place this year at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor near Washington, DC.
Dr. Dzau will speak about the significant threats of climate change to human health and equity; NAM’s commitment and initiative to providing solutions resulting in decarbonization of the environment; and the role of nurses and nurse educators in addressing these issues. During his tenure, NAM has advanced efforts to improve health equity and address racism throughout its programmatic activities.
Most recently, NAM launched a Grand Challenge in Climate Change and Human Health & Equity to reverse the negative effects of climate change on health and social equity by activating the entire biomedical community, communicating with and educating the public about climate change and health, driving changes through research, innovation and policy, and leading bold action to decarbonize the health care sector. The NAM Global Grand Challenge for Healthy Longevity represents his vision to inspire across disciplines and sectors to coalesce around shared priorities and audacious goals.
“We are thrilled to have one of the world’s renowned medical and public health professionals join us to share his wisdom and perspective on the challenge of climate change facing all levels of medical education and policymaking in health care today,” said NLN Chair Kathleen Poindexter, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, assistant dean of undergraduate programs at Michigan State University in Lansing.
“I can think of no better person to open the NLN Summit. An inspiring speaker, he will direct our attention to the climate challenges we face and the many possibilities for action,” said NLN President and CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN.
For more information about the NLN Education Summit, visit Summit.NLN.org.
About Victor J. Dzau, MD
Victor Dzau is president of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), vice chair of the National Research Council, chancellor emeritus of Duke University, and past CEO of Duke Health System. Previously, he was professor and Chair of Medicine at both Harvard and Stanford Universities. Dzau is recognized globally for a long and highly decorated career as a scientist, administrator and leader. His seminal research in cardiovascular medicine and genetics laid the foundation for development of the class of lifesaving drugs known as ACE inhibitors, used globally to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.
As the first immigrant and the first person of color to lead any of the three Academies that make up the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Dzau brings a global perspective and activist orientation to the NAM. He believes health and science leaders should be engaged in developing solutions to broad-reaching social challenges that affect us all. Dzau designed and leads important NAM initiatives including Culture of Health, Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework, Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity, Vital Directions for Health and Health Care, and the Action Collaborative on Countering the US Opioid Epidemic. In 2020, the NAM launched a Grand Challenge in Climate Change and Health, aimed at reversing the effects of climate on health by mobilizing the biomedical community to drive change through research, communication, and policy and taking actions to decarbonize the health sector.
Dzau has been a strong proponent of the role of nurses in reducing health disparities and promoting equity while maintaining patient and family-focused care. NAM’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience has highlighted the voices of nurses and the importance of upholding clinician well-being as a fundamental value essential to the fulfillment of their missions. In 2021, under Dzau’s guidance, the NAM released The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity, a consensus report done in follow up to the 2011 IOM report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. The same year, the National Academies also released a report on Implementing High Value Primary Care, which highlighted the crucial role of nurses in primary care. In 2015, Dzau was awarded the McGovern Medal for the Association of American Colleges of Nursing for his efforts to remove barriers to practice, increase training opportunities, and expand leadership training for nurses as part of NAM’s continuation of the 2011 Future of Nursing efforts.
Among Dzau’s many honors and recognitions are Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and 50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders, the Gustav Nylin Medal from the Swedish Royal College of Medicine, the Research Achievement Award from the American Heart Association, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Poulzer Prize of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Henry Freisen International Prize, and the Porter Prize of the University of Pittsburgh. Dzau has received 18 honorary doctorates and was made an honorary Citizen of Singapore, the highest honor bestowed to a foreign individual.#####
About the National League for Nursing
Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers professional development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its nearly 45,000 individual and 1,000 institutional members, comprising nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education and health care organizations. Learn more at NLN.org.