Brother Ignatius Perkins, OP, PhD, RN, ANEF, FRSM, FNYAM, FNCBC, FAAN, is Director, St. Martin De Porres Center for Health and Human Dignity, Providence College, School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

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Brother Perkins is a transformative figure in nursing, ethics, and faithbased health care whose six-decade career exemplifies the integration of science, compassion, and moral leadership. A Dominican Friar, nurse, educator, administrator, ethicist, and humanitarian, Brother Perkins is widely recognized for his lifelong commitment to human dignity, social justice, and the advancement of nursing education and health equity both nationally and globally.

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Brother Perkins currently serves as Professor of Nursing and Founding Director of the St. Martin de Porres, OP Center for Health and Human Dignity at Providence College in Rhode Island. He is also Coordinator of the Safeguarding Program for the Dominican Order’s Eastern Province. His Trilogy of Health Care model, anchored in Human Dignity, Human Freedom, and Human Flourishing, provides a foundational ethical framework that has influenced generations of clinicians, health care institutions, and academic leaders. Brother Perkins has held major academic leadership roles, including Chair of Nursing at Spalding University, Mount St. Joseph University, and Aquinas College, as well as Dean of the College of Health and Natural Sciences at Spalding. His visionary leadership has been instrumental in founding and reforming over ten academic and clinical programs, often during times of institutional crisis. Notably, he was a driving force behind the National League for Nursing’s Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation, which now accredits over 200 nursing schools globally.

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A prolific scholar, Brother Perkins has delivered over 300 presentations and authored more than 60 publications. His research and advocacy center on vulnerable populations, including older adults, individuals with HIV/AIDS, people experiencing homelessness, and abuse survivors. His work aims to absolve critical issues like structural racism, health disparities, and ethical decision-making in end-of-life care. He has served as a consultant to bishops, dioceses, and health systems, offering guidance on complex issues such as mental illness, addiction, clergy misconduct, and patient autonomy. In 1987, long before public reckoning, he established a groundbreaking program within his religious community to protect individuals from abuse, which remains in operation today. He further honed his expertise during a prestigious National Institutes of Health fellowship in Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown University, conducting a landmark study on personhood among homeless individuals with AIDS. This study was the first to apply the Pellegrino Healing Relationship Model in practice. His courage and integrity have earned him deep respect in both secular and faith-based communities.

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Brother Perkins holds fellowships from leading organizations, including the American Academy of Nursing, the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education, the National Catholic Bioethics Center, the New York Academy of Medicine, and the Royal Society of Medicine. His numerous honors include the NLN Presidential Award, Spalding University’s Caritas Medal, and Providence College’s Honorary Doctorate in 2025.

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Brother Perkins’ academic background includes degrees in nursing and education from Jefferson Community College, Spalding University, and the Catholic University of America, where he earned his PhD in Gerontology and Higher Education Administration. He was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2004. Known for his humility, honesty, and strategic brilliance, Brother Perkins is a living embodiment of ethical leadership in nursing. His legacy continues to inspire a more just, compassionate, and human-centered health care system.

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