Globalization | Outreach | Advocacy | Leadership | Scholarship
Student National Pharmaceutical Association
Acute Care, Long- Lasting Experience
It's Springtime!
Eating Disorders: Are You At Risk?
Signatura
SNPhA Champions Advocate to Vaccinate pg 4
Sarah reflects on her APPE Acute Care Rotation pg 7
April 2016
G.O.A.L.S.
SNPhA Takes A Shot @ Life
Find out who is the 2016 SNPhA Signatura Student pg 8
The
Disease Dialogue on Anorexia Nervosa pg 6
OPERATION: SIGNATURA STUDENT - COMPLETE!
"Bloom where you are planted..."
Dear SNPhAm, We meet you again in the season of Spring, which symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings. With that being said, we are excited to share with you in this new season a new issue of the Signatura! This Signatura issue is dedicated to the letter "L" of our presidential theme for leadership. Leadership can be best described as "the capacity to translate a vision into reality" -Warren Dennis. Throughout the year you all have displayed this action in upholding our organization's mission by creating all of your activities and service events to raise awareness and to educate and serve people in your communities while being stellar student pharmacists. As leaders, you have presented an example for others to emulate in your absence. Continue to strive towards the goal of serving and inspiring through leadership. In this issue, we share experiences from our SNPhA Champions who attended the Shot @ Life Champion Summit in Washington, D.C. back in February, briefly discuss anorexia nervosa in our "Disease Dialogue" section, share one of our SNPhAm's APPE Rotation experiences, and introduce the 2016 SNPhA Signatura Student. We would like to see more of your unique chapter events and programs in our next issue in June, so please send your chapter submissions by 11:59 PM ET via C.I.C. 2.0 website by May 31st. Thank you for your continuous contributions to the Signatura! Please let me know if you have any questions. Always stay involved and informed. Sincerely, Kharmen P. Gray, PharmD National Public Relations Liaison, 2015-2016
G.O.A.L.S.| Globalization | Outreach | Advocacy | Leadership | Scholarship
The Signatura
Table of Contents SNPhA Takes A Shot @ Life 4 Disease Dialogue: Anorexia Nervosa 6 P4 APPE Rotation Spotlight 7 The 2016 Signatura Student Spotlight 8 Chapter Submissions 16
Initiative Spotlight: Operation Immunization
Pictured are all of our Shot@life attendees – 20 students attendees and Liz Clapp, Shot@life Partner Development Associate
Shot @ Life
Takes A
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From February 29th through March 2nd, twenty SNPhA members attended the Shot@life Summit in Washington, DC to advocate for global childhood vaccinations. Coming together with vaccine champions from all over the United States, students met with ambassadors, members of congress, and prominent vaccine advocates. Members heard talks from leaders at the CDC, Global Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, and survivors of polio. This summit served to better educate us on the need for vaccine funding and advocacy on a global scale, and we took away from the summit many invaluable connections and a renewed passion for the cause. The Summit also had a first-ever special SNPhA student session at the United Nations’ Headquarters in Washington, DC where we brainstormed future collaborative ideas between SNPhA and Shot@life. I was honored to witness the passion and progress made by these student members and cannot wait to see what plans that our members have for their home states and future Operation Immunization events.
SNPhA
“The biggest thing I took away from the summit is the idea that my voice truly does matter and people in Congress are listening. It instilled in me a sense of purpose and gave me great ideas of how I can personally make a difference. While I am more introverted, there is still so much I can do to advocate and rally fellow students and people in the community for this worthwhile cause. It also made me really appreciate the importance of voting and being an active member of the community. While I’ve probably heard some of these ideas before, listening to all the speakers and actually going out there and doing it made it seem real and attainable. The summit opened my eyes to a portion of the process of what goes on in Congress and how to make your voice heard among the crowd. Overall, it was a very rewarding experience to see firsthand the impact a group of people can have in making this world a better place to live in. I am thrilled to be a part of this group.” Leslie Esparagoza, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy
“Shot@Life is an incredible campaign to raise awareness for global immunizations, but it is also an opportunity to congregate with highly motivated individuals from various backgrounds. Not only did I meet with several SNPhA members from across the nation, I met with people that have devoted their lives to service for this cause as well as community betterment. I found myself invigorated with new ideas and a source of pure energy that I'm taking back home as a support group. I cannot quantify this experience and cannot wait to implement the plans we've made together. The next Summit can't come soon enough!” Sonia Adtani, PharmD Candidate at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
Pictured L to R: Leslie Esparagoza, Gevorg Martirosyan, Amy Yanicak, Jessie Hwang, Sonia Adtani
This April, all SNPhA chapters are encouraged to participate in Shot@life’s “Advocate to Vaccinate” events that include meeting locally with members of congress, letter writing, call campaigns, and community awareness events surrounding vaccines to protect children against pneumonia, rotavirus, polio, and measles. World Immunization Week takes place April 24th – 30th, so start planning events TODAY. This issue of the Signatura is about Leadership. As students, we can best serve others and live out the message of SNPhA – to “serve the underserved” -- by being leaders in our communities. Reach out to a new group in your community – a student organization, after-school program, senior center, foster parents group, church societies – and hold a session to talk to them about vaccines! Please contact me for more information on these events! Amy Joy Yanicak National SNPhA Operation Immunization Chair
"Disease Dialogue: Eating Disorders- Anorexia Nervosa" Submitted by: Lauren Latten, Signatura Subcommittee Member
(n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2016, from http://www.webmd.com/drugs/condition-1010-Anorexia Nervosa.aspx?diseaseid=1010&diseasename=Anorexia Nervosa&source=0 A Conversation with Allegra Broft, CUMC Eating Disorder Expert - Columbia University Medical Center. (2014, March 1). Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://newsroom.cumc.columbia.edu/blog/2014/02/24/a-conversation-with-allegra-broft-cumc-eating-disorder-expert/ Eating Disorders. (2016, February). Retrieved May 02, 2016, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml Nedawareness.org. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from http://nedawareness.org/
Many people are misinformed about the seriousness of eating disorders. Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and bulimia nervosa are commonly thought to be a lifestyle choice but they are actually mental disorders that affect millions of people. Of the aforementioned, anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder. Anorexia can be fatal by way of suicide or complications related to starvation. Anorexia Nervosa is hard to diagnose. Common symptoms include emaciation, phobia of gaining weight, low self-esteem, distorted body image, and very restricted eating. Complications that may arise as a result of malnutrition include osteoporosis, anemia, lanugo, organ failure, lethargy, infertility and heart and brain damage. Reducing excessive exercise, receiving proper nutrition by making diet adjustments, and discontinuing purging behavior are ways that anorexia can be treated. Other methods includes psychotherapy, counseling, medical care and various medications like antidepressants and atypical antipsychotics. The most common medications prescribed to anorexic patients are Prozac, Fluoxetine, and Sarafem. Eating disorders should be taken seriously. It is important to get screened. You can complete the eating disorder screening at www.NedAwareness.org.
Submitted by: Sarah Hendrick, University of New England College of Pharmacy , Region I
P4 APPE Rotation Spotlight
Location: Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME
With the last week of my Block 7 APPE rotation nearing its end, I can't help but reflect on my experiences here at the Maine Medical Center Emergency Department. I began this rotation with little knowledge or experience in an acute care setting, which houses such a diverse group of patients at any given time. This is something that has made Emergency Medicine so appealing to me now; patients from all walks of life presenting with vastly different cases and comorbidities. It was almost overwhelming at first, being exposed to ailments that I had not seen before, from adolescents presenting with drug overdoses, to elderly patients experiencing cardiac arrest. However, it was amazing to see the different roles a pharmacist holds in this setting and the collaboration with fellow healthcare professionals required to provide high quality patient care. Being a longitudinal student at Maine Medical Center and having the opportunity to complete all of my APPE rotations at this institution had benefit me in that I did not require orientation to the hospital when my block began. This allowed me to quickly incorporate myself into this rotation. Additionally, my current preceptor was a professor of mine during didactic years of pharmacy school. This was also helpful in reinforcing academic teaching that I received from my preceptor in years prior, through clinical experiences. We had many meaningful topic discussions that allowed me to review and apply concepts clinically. An example of this would be management of ischemic stroke, something that is seen much more frequently in the emergency department than I had expected. The importance of the time to assessment, imaging, and receiving treatment was reiterated to me and is now information I will not forget due to my experiences. Another experience that greatly impacted me was my first priority one medical patient. That patient came in following a cardiac arrest and required rapid sequence intubation, fluid resuscitation and vasopressor support emergently. As soon as the patient arrived, the team worked quickly and efficiently with unbelievable communication in order to optimize patient outcomes. I gained a new appreciation for nursing that day, and their importance within the process. It was also amazing to see my preceptor and his anticipation of the next medication that would be requested. This was the first time I had seen such a hands on role as a pharmacist in providing direct patient care. This experience also taught me a lot about myself. In reflecting on my growth over the last 6 weeks, I realize how much experience truly teaches you. This confirms to me that pursuing a residency, where I will be able to gain more knowledge through experience, is the correct path for me. Another important lesson this rotation taught me is how to deal with the unfortunate cases of loss, that often cannot be avoided. Providing the best patient care is always the goal, but this does not always result in an ideal outcome. Overall, I learned so much on this rotation and value the clinical experiences I was able to obtain here.
CONGRATULATIONS! You have completed the TOP SECRET MISSION Code Name: 2016 SNPhA Signatura Student Your mission was to help us recognize an extraordinary SNPhA member who is a role model for students and demonstrates effective leadership and commitment to serving the underserved.
Turn to the next page to see who is the 2016 SNPhA Signatura Student...
CONFIDENTIAL
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Johnny Yoko-Uzomah, Howard University, Region I #RegionOneGetsItDone
Tell us why this candidate should be the 2016 Signatura Student. Johnny is an incredibly passionate member. He uses every one of his talents to contribute to his chapter and SNPhA as an organization. Johnny has exceeded the requirements of his role to make an impact on the chapter and organization as a whole. Johnny is also interested in running for national positions and being an even larger public figure for SNPhA. Johnny's excitement and love for SNPhA holds no bounds and he frequently shows his dedication. He is always seen talking to his peers about ways for members to get involved with SNPhA and coming up with new ideas. He is an exemplary leader and always seeks to exceed expectations. He is a true model to the SNPhA theme of G.O.A.L.S. Johnny deserves to be the 2016 Signatura Student because of his willingness to surpass the required tasks of his position. He has created different innovative ways for our members to become more involved and encouraged our initiative chairs to complete the tasks set forth by our national executive board. He is willing to go above and beyond in ensuring the success of our chapter, and his dedication has been evident during his time in SNPhA. Johnny has also been involved in composing our chapter’s submissions for the Signatura. After his first submission, he wanted to give other first year members the opportunity to have involvement in SNPhA. He actively recruits interested members to write submissions for the monthly Signatura. His dedication to ensuring that all SNPhA members are involved at each and every level is just one of the reasons he should be the 2016 Signatura Student.
The Signatura Student
How has the nominee contributed towards the objective and mission of SNPhA? Johnny Yoko is one of the most passionate students to work within the organization. He currently serves as the CIC Program Director for the Howard University Chapter, and he continues to innovate ways to uphold the objectives and mission of SNPhA. In this role Johnny has developed ways for our chapter to maximize our CIC points through community involvement. Johnny has assisted in the planning and implementation of two of our community wide events that bring all of his chapter Initiative Chairs together. This past semester, Johnny created the “HU SNPhA CIC Point Challenge” as a way to encourage more collaboration between our members and initiative chairs. He wanted to find various ways to get our members to get more involved, motivated, and also create more innovative programs. Each initiative chair was instructed to recruit up to eight general body members for their respective team. The challenge awarded points to each initiative chair for completing national set initiatives, successfully submitting CIC reports, regional conference registration, and creating their own programs. As an incentive, he rewarded the winning team with a prize such as a breakfast during finals week, pharmacy student resources, gift cards, etc. One of the issues we struggled with at the beginning of the year was submitting our CIC reports in a timely fashion, but Johnny saw this weakness as an opportunity to create a new dynamic program, which has truly been a success so far this semester. His ability to take leadership in an area where his chapter was needing improvement is a true example of his contribution to the mission of SNPhA. Johnny planned their Mt Zion Baptist Chuch community service event and the high school health fair event. Coming into this role Johnny has developed his own CIC committee that works with the various initiative chairs to raise awareness about the particular disease states that SNPhA focuses on. How did the nominee implement an innovative way of reaching out to patients within the community? Johnny worked to develop his own CIC points committee and lead them towards working hand in hand with each initiative chair. Johnny also developed an idea about having an internal chapter CIC points competition. With this competition our chapter members had the opportunity to select one of our initiative committees to be on. Johnny established a point system to this competition and lastly a prize to be given away to each member. Johnny has also developed the High School outreach health fair. He believes that with this initiative we can target members to promote the profession of pharmacy while promoting health awareness towards various disease states. This past month, Johnny created a dynamic program for reaching out to patients within the Washington D.C. community. During this recent month, he coordinated a health fair to celebrate Black History Month which was truly a success. The health fair was held at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, a historically black church in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The community health fair was a great collaborative event between all of our initiative chairs and the church’s own programs. It was open to all members of the community and it allowed our members the opportunity to provide our services and share our knowledge in a variety of ways. Our members provided blood pressure screenings, brown bag reviews, and patient education through each of SNPhA’s initiatives. The members of the church also provided Zumba classes, an open forum about coping with stress, and even ballroom dancing lessons. Johnny’s dedication to providing service to our community and highlighting Black History Month was a very innovative opportunity for our members to serve our community. Our chapter received great feedback from the church and nearby community members. Johnny’s vision of celebrating Black History Month while also providing patient services was a great way to incorporate the mission and objectives of SNPhA.
The Signatura Student: Johnny Yoko-Uzomah, Howard University, Region I
Describe this candidate's current and previous involvement as a SNPhA member in your chapter. Johnny has been an active member since his first semester at Howard University College of Pharmacy and continues to be involved. As a first-year student, Johnny grew interested in the organization and wanted to know what he could do to make SNPhA better. He scheduled a meeting with chapter officers who provided information about all of the various initiatives SNPhA has to offer and what leadership opportunities are available for him. He has attended last year’s regional conference, and joined our chapter e-board during his second year serving as CIC Program Coordinator. He has been an active participant in our various community outreach events such our Brown Bag Review Event, and Walgreens Flu Clinic. Johnny has also been a part of the winning team for our chapter Clinical Skills Competition for the past two years! Johnny is the "self-proclaimed DJ" for all SNPhA events. Last year when we won the SNPhA Prescription for Service event, Johnny elected himself to be the DJ for the event and "set the mood" for all participants. He is always trying to use whatever talents he has to contribute to SNPhA's success and has expanded his current role of CIC Point Coordinator. Johnny’s dedication to SNPhA has definitely contributed to our chapter’s success this school year and the chapter has truly enjoyed having him on board.
Congratulations to Johnny Yoko-Uzomah from Howard University for being the recipient of this recognition! Not only we have recognized him as the 2016 SNPhA Signatura Student, but we also have recognized two additional nominated students who have been exemplary SNPhA members of their Chapters.
Kayla Harris, Mercer University, Region II #RegionTwoTheEliteFew Throughout her term as secretary Kayla Harris has done an exceptional job at recording our progress and communicating the objectives set by the national board. More than this, she has acted in ways that are beyond her role as secretary and has led the Mercer Chapter to realize our potential. This year, not only has she submitted a project for the Prescription for Service competition but she participated in the Ready, Set Action video competition (which the Mercer chapter won), helped organized our first High school recruitment event, participated in video challenges with the other committee chairs and set up our display case on campus. Chapter members have worked closely with Kayla in February in planning their events for Black History Month. They had a poster board displayed every Tuesday for the month of February in which they addressed a different issue relating the minorities, and more specifically African-Americans (i.e. Advancements in Science, Leaders in Healthcare and Disparities in Health). Every week Kayla made the display board and wrote for topics to be presented on the board. She was also involved in the planning of the Panel Discussion they had organized for the last week of Black History Month. Without her leadership and hard work none of these ideas would have come to fruition.
Michaela Smith, Chicago State University, Region III #RegionThreeIsThePlaceToBe Michaela Smith has been heavily active in Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) since her first-year within the organization. Although she has not served on the executive board within her chapter, she has shown leadership in various ways. During her first through third years, she has led events such as "Strut for Stroke" during our CSU SNPhA week and has participated in events related to all of the initiatives they serve (Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Stroke). Also, she has received two student book scholarship awards nationally with SNPhA during her first and third years. During her fourth year, she has continued to be very active with our chapter despite her rotational experiences in-and-out-of-state. She has participated in organizational walks, helped organize our 2016 SNPhA Campus-Wide Health Fair, and is currently working two outreach events for our chapter. As someone who is courageous, passionate, and gives selflessly to the community, her chapter believes the honored recognition for the 2016 SNPhA Signatura Student should be someone of this stature, and they wholeheartedly believe that person is Miss Michaela Smith.
Thank you for making a contribution to the Signatura!
Submissions
Region I Howard University Hampton University Northeastern University University of Pittsburgh University of New England Virginia Commonwealth University
Region III St. Louis College of Pharmacy
Chapter
Region V Loma Linda University California Northstate University
Region IV Texas A&M University University of Oklahoma Xavier University of Louisiana University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Region II Mercer University Belmont University Wingate University University of South Florida University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Chapter Submissions
"Leadership in Pharmacy" Wingate University As future pharmacists, it is imperative that we begin to take on our roles as leaders in our community. It is our duty to use the knowledge we’ve gained to educate others. At the recent student senate health fair, SNPhA participated with 5 booths. The health fair was held at the local men’s shelter. These men were educated on awareness, prevention, and maintenance of diabetes, stroke, HIV, chronic kidney disease and the importance of receiving immunizations. Each booth did a tremendous job. There were people who did not believe in immunizations. The chairs explained the myths and facts there are surrounding immunizations. The HIV booth assisted many of the patients with local locations to get tested free of charge. The stroke chair talked to patients about the signs to look for (FAST) and the importance to get treated as soon as possible. The diabetes booth performed point of care blood glucose readings. The CKD chair informed patients about risk factors, detection, and treatment. This was a subject a great deal of the men were unfamiliar with. Participating in the health fair was our obligation as leaders in the community. We will continue to bring awareness to these conditions to work for a healthier society.
"Namibian Spring Break Study Trip" University of Pittsburgh In lieu of the traditional college spring break, several SNPhA members and our new chapter advisor decided to venture across the big Atlantic pond to the beautiful country of Namibia. Not only was it a chance for our members to experience a different culture, but also learn about how the field of pharmacy in another country. One of the main distinctions our members saw was the fact that pharmacy interns in Namibia already graduated pharmacy school prior to their internship. By law, a graduate pharmacist must complete a one-year internship at a public hospital. Since these interns were graduated student pharmacists, their extensive pharmaceutical knowledge posed as a challenge for our Pitt SNPhA members given the lesser amount of time in school. The exposure allowed our students to expand their knowledge and experiences that otherwise would not have been possible. An example of this was a visit to the tuberculosis ward at the central hospital in Windhoek (Namibia’s capital). Assessing patients’ charts along with fourth year Namibian pharmacy students and observing the progression of the disease to accurately treat those in need were some notable tasks the Pitt SNPhA members participated in. Not only did they round at the hospital, but also dedicated a day to talk to the University of Namibia’s pharmacy students about the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. The eye-opening experience challenged our student pharmacist members but allowed for them to gain a wider, real-life knowledge in a country with unique treatments and a different healthcare system. Not only did this trip leave a lasting impression on our SNPhA student pharmacists, but also a glimpse into what the field of pharmacy can be like on a global scale.
"#AnotherHealthFair, #AnotherLeader" Xavier University of Louisiana On Friday, March 11th, 2016, eight XULA SNPhA members set out to Cleveland, Ohio for the Regions III, IV, V Conference. Among these members were our President, Vice-President, President-Elect, Treasurer, and Delegate. On this same day back in New Orleans, XULA SNPhA members took the lead in hosting #AnotherHealthFair at H&W Drugs to end off #SNPhAWeek2016 #RoadToTheLand the right way. This health fair was also on a day where school was cancelled due to inclement weather. Devoted members Jasmin Eugene and Taylor Parker whom facilitated this endeavor showed great leadership on March 11th. For this event XULA SNPhA was able to work in conjunction with Xavier’s chapter of Kappa Epsilon Professional Pharmacy Fraternity in an effort to relay the importance of practicing healthy lifestyle habits and nutrition to both children and adults. Free blood pressure checks were available for all, as part of the health fair. Upon receiving their test results, community members had the opportunity to be counseled by Xavier pharmacy students regarding their measurements, what they mean, and the significance behind regular testing. In addition to the blood pressure checks, several informative health-related documents concerning nutrition (MyPlate) were available, highlighting recommended portion sizes for specific foods/food groups. A wealth of information spanning several disease states, from diabetes to stroke, were also available for review. Health-related literature concerning CKD such as the “National Chronic Kidney Disease Fact Sheet, 2014” (CDC) helped us reinforce ideas of the importance of maintaining healthy habits and lifestyles while explaining the impact that CKD has among minority communities in a way that is simple to understand. Information regarding diabetes included both a brief diabetes risk factor questionnaire and a document containing tips for diabetes prevention. All this was done without the head leaders of our chapter. We are truly proud!
"For the Love of Leadership" Loma Lima University On Wednesday, December 2, 2015, San Bernardino was faced with a tragedy of a mass shooting. Immediately, health professionals of Loma Linda came together to show their support for the community at the Love Is All Clinic. The LLU Chapter of SNPhA was ready to extend a helping hand in any way and anywhere. This clinic was needed more than ever and we were truly fortunate to have this kind opportunity to not only offer our clinical skills but also offer morale to the people of San Bernardino. We provided diabetes education along with dispensing and counseling on various medications. It was in this moment we understood the value in becoming leaders and fighters for our city and for our community. We were in company of a powerful team spirit, which showed the world we are strong, and we only hope to continue to spread the love to all!
"CNU Takes Over the SAHA Clinic" California Northstate University Leadership is a very important aspect of our journeys to becoming pharmacists. Although all of our members have the opportunity to participate in a number of health fairs, choosing to go to the SAHA Clinic is one of the unique events that our chapter organizes. This event, in particular, helps attendees develop their leadership in our field by learning the importance of being a part of the healthcare team. At this clinic, our members were able to work alongside physicians, medical students, and nursing students to evaluate underserved individuals from our community. Working with these other vital members of the healthcare team allowed our members to learn how to communicate with other professionals, as well as, to learn what our roles, as pharmacists, is in the healthcare system. Volunteers were able to observe physicians undergo their diagnostic processes, run drug-drug interactions, and counsel patients on their newly prescribed medications. One of the particular aspects that make this clinic special is that the physicians incorporate the students into decisions made about patientts' treatment. Our volunteers were able to test and develop their clinical skills by providing the supervising physicians with their recommendations on how to guide each patient's treatment and improve their quality of life. The attendees also had an opportunity to practice their skills and interact with the patients by using a glucose monitor to measure their blood sugar levels. Overall, the SAHA Clinic is a great way for pharmacy students to apply the clinical skills that we have learned in school to patients. This opportunity is invaluable because it allows attendees to learn the importance of being a leader in the healthcare team. As our members were able to see, it requires many different professionals to ensure that patients are receiving quality care. This clinic is a good demonstration of the interdependence of members of the healthcare team. We look forward to continue to send our members to this clinic to become leaders in pharmacy.
"What I Learned from My Leadership Experience" Hampton University Assuming a leadership position was never a priority for me. It was only after coming across the phrase – “If you are not a leader, you are a follower” that the importance of being a leader struck me, and I became passionate about acquiring a leadership position. The Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) Chapter of Hampton University gave me an opportunity to serve as the Chairperson of the Power To End Stroke (PTES) Committee for the term of 2015 – 2016 and thereby, provided me the platform through which I can gain leadership experience. Through this position, along with the help of other SNPhA members, we participated in various community outreach events such as hands-on CPR demonstration event, heart walk, medication adherence event, “Know Stroke” presentation event, and an event to promote awareness about healthy eating during SNPhA health fair. We also fundraised $103 for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. My definition of leadership kept evolving and expanding throughout my experiences, and I learned that leadership does not simply mean to lead. Leadership is an art of learning to work with others and work for others. Leadership means helping others achieve their goals. Leadership also means having a vision and fulfilling that vision with the help of others. When I was given the opportunity to serve as the Chairperson of the PTES Committee of SNPhA, I had a vision of serving the community by promoting awareness about stroke and positively impacting the lives of people in any possible way that I can. Knowing that the knowledge we share and the events we organize are making a difference in the lives of others motivates me and encourages me to continue doing what I do.
"Moving Mountains" University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Pilot Mountain CAPS event was a social event with neighboring SNPhA chapters (Wingate University and East Tennessee State University) that encouraged fellowship and innovative ideas. The UNC, Wingate and East Tennessee State University chapters were able to network and brainstorm ideas to further improve each other's chapters, share successful events that we had in the past, and newer programs that we have established such as CAARE Clinic and our after school tutoring program. CAARE clinic focuses on hypertension and diabetes management to the underserved in the Durham area. This was not only a fun and unique opportunity to network, but we were also able to enjoy hiking in the scenic mountains of North Carolina. We were able to indulge in a potluck picnic that included cultural dishes to celebrate the diversity within SNPhA. This was a great fellowship experience in which we each learned a lot from one another -we hope to continue the momentum in the near future. Stay tuned for the plans that we have next year! In our Asheville campus we hosted, Minority Medical Mentee Visit, an event for high school interns. They were introduced to pharmacy practice by discussing pharmacy school, the various facets a pharmacist role/practice may entail, and then applying this to our pharmacy school. Our interns toured the campus, compounded, and sat in a few classes. Hopefully they too will become SNPhA members!
"Leading by Example" St. Louis College of Pharmacy Leadership is often demonstrated in our chapter. Most recently we had our very own SNPhA week at our school. We had each of our initiative chairs hold their own events in order to demonstrate SNPhA’s mission. Kicking off SNPhA week, we had a meet and greet with our e-board and our initiative chairs. We wanted to reach out to students and give them the opportunity to get to know us better. The initiative chairs were able to tell students about what their specific initiative does and about upcoming events. We were able to recruit some new SNPhA members and tell the student community about our G.O.A.L.S. Our second event of SNPhA week was a blood pressure and blood glucose clinical skills workshop held by our PTES and Diabetes initiative chairs. We offered students the opportunity to practice or learn how to administer blood pressure and blood glucose screenings. These are important skills to have and practice especially for health fairs. Our initiative chairs were able to offer helpful advice for the students that were learning these skills. Next, our RTR Co-Chairs held a bake sale where all the proceeds went to Doorways AIDS Housing and Services. There was also the option to receive red ribbons and HIV facts. We were helping spread awareness and letting our community know about nearby testing centers. After the bake sale, our Legislative Chair held a Know Your Future and Voter Registration Drive. We wanted to let the students know that they can have a say in the legislative process. Our last event was a dual event by our CKD and Immunization initiative chairs. Our initiative chairs gave out water bottles with CKD facts and free Jell-O shots with immunization facts. Giving out facts and being able to speak with students helped spread awareness while promoting our mission.
"World Kidney Day" University of South Florida On March 10th, World Kidney Day is celebrated globally. Our SNPhA chapter wore orange to raise awareness about kidney health and kidney disease. Flyers from the World Kidney Day website were passed out as well as Fast facts from the National Kidney Foundation were posted on our College Facebook page.
"UAMS Has The Rx for Service" University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Our chapter recently won Prescription for Service for our region. We have begun our preparations for our project, and through this experience I have seen members of our team show leadership throughout this process. Our first big undertaking to complete our project included building a garden on our campus. The planning for this garden took tremendous leadership. We had one member of our team in charge of buying supplies, we had another team member in charge of the delivery of the materials. We had wood coming in, loads of dirt, and power tools delivered. We are all leaders on this team, because we all bring a different leadership component to the table. The next phase of the project was actually building the garden. Nobody in our team had actually built a box garden. Although we are leaders, we needed assistance in the actual building of the garden. We had a team of volunteers with experience help us build this garden and plant seeds. This was a rewarding experience because we were able to see the results of a hard days work. After building the garden we planted broccoli, spinach, peas, carrots, mustard greens, cilantro, and other vegetables. The last phase of our Prescription for Service project is planning programs that will focus on a different disease states hosted every two months. These programs will be titled FIGHT NIGHTS which stands for Fighting Illness and Getting Healthy Together. These programs will be help at our student led clinic, 12th Street Health and Wellness Center. During these programs we will use the fruits and vegetable from our garden to prepare healthy meals for the patients. We will also provide them with the vegetables we harvest each week. The program will also have a exercise component and education component on the disease we are focusing on that day. Within our group we have delegated the task to complete our program. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with each of the team members and observing their leadership style.
"NU 'Springs' Into Leadership" Northeastern University More than halfway through the spring semester, the Northeastern SNPhA members are busy with exams and helping the community. On February 3rd, we had a collaborative portfolio event with Phi Delta Chi and Lambda Kappa Sigma. We were able to have an inpatient pharmacist at Lahey Hospital, Dr. Stephen Le, a veterinarian and pharmacist at Porter Square, Dr. David Champaigne, and a nuclear pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Dan Yokell. They shared their unique experiences to help open students to the multitude of pathways they can choose. This informational event helped show students that pharmacist have many different opportunities and careers to pursue. On February 17th, we participated in Everybody Pees Challenge on Instagram and Facebook to raise awareness that urine is a physical indication for your kidney. Patients can and should get urine screening to make sure their kidneys are working properly. On March 16th, SNPhA members decorated diapers and filled each with a calendar of CDC vaccination to-do list. It is important for patients to get their vaccinations because it will protect people from diseases. This event helped raise awareness of vaccinations and how that if we stopped, more children and adults would get sick and possibly die. Throughout the month of February and March, SNPhA’s legislative members worked on newsletters to deliver pharmacy-related news and initiative-related legislations to our members. This campaign will be beneficial to members who want to learn about the current state of pharmacy. On March 2nd, we had a portfolio event with Dr. Ronelle Erica Stevens who is a health informatics pharmacist at Partners Healthcare. She discussed her pathway and her current role as a specialized pharmacist and how she impacts the health care team.
"Community Leaders" Howard University A leader is defined as the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country. From this definition, most would think that one would have to hold some sort of authoritative power over a group or an individual to be considered a leader. However, this is not necessarily true. Senator Cory Booker once said, "Leadership is not a position or a title. It is action and example". Anyone can hold an office in an organization or group, but the true mark of a leader is in, not only how they lead, but also how hard they work for and how they meet the needs of those they lead. This past month, members of SNPhA demonstrated what it means to be a leader in their community. In February, the chair members of several SNPhA health care initiatives came together and hosted a health fair at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Washington DC. These initiatives included Power to End Stroke, Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and Operation Immunization. At the fair, students educated the public about various disease states, factors that contribute to them, and methods of prevention. Students also measured blood pressure, BMI, passed out safe sex kits, and participated in fun aerobic activities with the participants. Through this service, SNPhA students showed their abilitiy and potential of becoming, not only great leaders, but great future health care professionals.
"Health Fair at the Maine Mall" University of New England SNPhA members put together a health fair event at the Maine Mall on February 28th. The main purpose of this event was to educate the public about different health topics. These topics ranged from stroke identification/prevention, smoking cessation, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, information about Medicare/Medicaid, HPV vaccination, and the Zika virus. We distributed pamphlets, answered questions, and counseled patients. We also set up a station for free blood pressure checks. The diabetes table had great literature on information about living with diabetes and cookbooks for a diabetic diet. The big attraction of the day was the smoking cessation table. We set up a display with pig lungs so people could see the difference between a healthy lung and a lung that has been exposed to smoke. The members demonstrated the different breathing capacities of the two different lungs by pumping the lungs with air. Also, there was a lot of foot traffic near the Zika virus poster. People had several questions and concerns about the Zika virus and how it could impact Maine or traveling. It was a great experience to educate the public and mitigate any concerns that they had! Overall, the event was very successful and provided the general public with free health services such as blood pressure checks and information about important health topics. It was a very rewarding experience to be able to give back to the community and be able to impart our knowledge to the public about important topics that influence everyday life.
"Leaders in the Making" University of Tennessee Health Science Center UTHSC SNPhA has continued to make huge strides in the community these past few weeks. Members have shown thousands just how much hard work and dedication goes into being effective leaders. One of our biggest and most successful events this month was an enormous health fair held at the Raleigh Assembly of God church in Memphis. SNPHA partnered with United Health Care Community Plan of Tennessee and several other organizations across the state of Tennessee to provide immunizations, screen blood pressures, and counsel on specific disease states affecting the area. UTHSC served a record breaking 700 patients in just three hours, and we were also featured in our local newspaper. We are extremely proud and honored to have touched so many families’ lives and help them take control of their health. This month we also partnered with Fit Nation, a Memphis fitness organization, to assist patients with monitoring vitals and making healthier food choices. During this event we were really able to work on improving our counseling skills while persuading patients to get fit. Our SNPHA chapter will also be participating in a new event with the Bickford Community Center here in Memphis. Once again we will be in a setting that has not mirrored any of our previous health fair events. We will be counseling and screening patients where there will be free food and a concert following the screenings. These are just a few of the many events UTHSC SNPHA will be participating in this year. We feel that altruism is a critical characteristic to a pharmacy leader and any leader in any field. We are striving to better our community everyday one generous act at a time and show everyone that being a pharmacist means being a healthcare leader.
" Student Leaders Advocate for Legislature H.R. 592" Texas A&M University Advocacy is in the air with the new exciting advancement of Legislature H.R. 592, otherwise known as the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act! Texas A&M SNPhA’s Legislative Committee, along with American Pharmacist Association - Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASA), National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and Student Societies of Health-System Pharmacy (SSHP) organized a collaborative writing campaign in support for pharmacists to join the ranks of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants as nationally recognized Mid-Level Providers in underserved areas. Access to healthcare has become a serious concern, especially in South Texas, as the health insurance enrollment increases, and the national population ages. Pharmacists are medication and patient centered experts who can improve access, quality, cost and the value of healthcare for these patients. Pharmacists are the resource needed to be tapped in order to fill this troubling gap. As of February 2nd 2016, H.B. 592 has earned 262 Cosponsors or 60.7% support from congressional representatives across the country. The next goal is to have the bill moved past the House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and The House Committee on Ways and Means. The letter writing campaign was a huge success! Between February 1st-3rd, 163 Texas A&M pharmacy students from both the Kingsville and College Station campuses addressed letters to their representatives, urging them to cosponsor the bill, and thanking those that already had. Students were provided with informational handouts highlighting the current status of the U.S. healthcare system and the importance of H.R. 592 to help resolve those healthcare shortfalls. The informational booth also supplied convenient resources to look up congressional representatives, and determine their position of the bill so that students knew whether to take action or simply thank their representatives. The campaign provided an educational opportunity to those that were unfamiliar with H.R. 592 and recruited more student advocators to fight for the future of their pharmacy profession.
"Experiences in Pharmacy-Leadership Panel" Mercer University This February, Mercer SNPhA established some news traditions celebrating Black History Month. We sought to educate our campus community and our members about the importance of this month-long celebration and some of the history of African American historical figures in health care. We presented weekly information boards to bring awareness to the influence African-Americans, Black-Americans, and other minorities have made within healthcare and the sciences. The boards displayed influential minority leaders that have impacted the pharmacy and medicine, and who represented and advocated for the minorities in their community. To cap off Black History Month, Mercer SNPhA held a panel discussion entitled ‘Experiences in Pharmacy.’ The panel consisted of five African-American pharmacists leaders in varying fields who discussed their experiences, obstacles, and opportunities in pharmacy. Panelists included Dr. Theresa Pounds, a Clinical Pharmacy Manager at Atlanta Medical Center and PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director; Dr. Ruth Haile-Meskale, a Senior Medical Science Liaison for ZS Pharma, Inc., Dr. Okenna Oparah, a Clinical Staff Pharmacist and Northside Hospital; Dr. Omeka Sanders, a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Resident at the Atlanta VA Medical Center; and Dean Hewitt Matthews, past Mercer SNPhA President, current Dean of the Mercer University College of Pharmacy, and Senior Vice President of the College of Health Sciences. The panel answered questions and shared their experiences, goals, overcome challenges and encouraged the attendees to never set limits on what they want to achieve. Members were also able given the opportunity to network with the panelists and ask any additional questions. The achievements, attitude and zealous drive of the pharmacist leader panelists were more than inspirational. We hope to continue to foster servant leaders at Mercer SNPhA and are happy to have established a new tradition celebrating both Black History Month and the mission of SNPhA to promote minority leaders in pharmacy.
“Voices– An Open Discussion Forum" Virginia Commonwealth University The SNPhA chapter at the VCU School of Pharmacy held an open discussion forum featuring a panel of six pharmacy leaders on March 1st, 2016. The panelists consisted of current executive directors of pharmacy departments, clinical programs and a health system. The guests were Leonard Edloe, Melanie Smith, Toyin Oyefuga, Michael Elliot, Vince Jackson and Barbara Exum. The guests allowed for open discussion on the current social climate and how each of them deals with adversity in the workplace as a minority. Guests reminded students to always be the best they can be, regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity or other physical differentiating factor because they must ultimately treat the patient. Attendees were told that being comfortable in their own skin and maintaining an open mind would help them get far in their careers. Despite roadblocks, such as disrespect from coworkers or patients, the pharmacists’ input is necessary and valuable to patient care. For that reason, it is the individual’s responsibility to hold himself accountable to do the best job possible, even if others doubt him. Overall, eighty guests, comprised of students, faculty and staff, attended the event. The panelists highlighted their own accomplishments and shared their wisdom while students frantically attempted to write down the pearls of wisdom. Some memorable quotes included that dealing with bias is just like dealing with any other adversity; and that it is more important to learn how to stand up after a challenge pushes an individual down.
"Leading the School, Leading the Nation" University of Oklahoma At the University of Oklahoma (OU), leadership is fundamental. Students at OU can cultivate the leader within themselves in the leadership specialty track degree option. Within the school, SNPhA cultivates leaders of their own. Our past President and current P4, Trang Nguyen, illuminated SNPhA members during our February general meeting with specific steps on how to become a leader. She explained the importance of SNPhA to her journey in becoming a leader to her peers and beyond. Trang explained that leading involved blazing the trail and taking opportunities that come your way. Her opportunities were all within reach as a SNPhA member. She has attended numerous conferences representing OU and currently serves SNPhA as the Region III Facilitator. During the March general meeting we had a special guest, Dr. Phu Nguyen, share her story about her role as a transplant pharmacist at the Oklahoma Transplant Center. Her role includes medication reviews, screening for potential drug/drug/food interactions, dosage adjustments, post transplant medication education, medication reconciliation, protocol development, providing education to staff, and many more. In Oklahoma, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires a pharmacist to be part of the transplant multidisciplinary team (MDT). She is involved in all phases of organ transplantation. As a pharmacist, her recommendations are taken seriously, and she is seen as a leader to the MDT. The SNPhAmily was excited to hear about the different paths our degree can take us after graduation and how we can become leaders within our practice and as members of an MDT like Dr. Phu Nguyen. In this same March meeting, we heard two P1 SNPhA members declare their passion for the organization and interest in becoming the next President Elect. Voting has begun and a future leader will soon be revealed to the SNPhAmily. We are so excited for the leaders of tomorrow and proud that they come from the SNPhAmily at OU!
"Helping Nashville CARES End HIV/AIDS Epidemic" Belmont University Nashville CARES’ mission is to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Middle Tennessee. They work to accomplish this through education, advocacy and support for those at risk for or living with HIV. With the assistance of many volunteers, Nashville CARES offers services annually to 55,000 Middle Tennesseans infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. One such service is providing over 200,000 safe sex kits to those at the annual walk, clients who come in the office, or those attending the many other events that Nashville CARES hosts. Belmont SNPhA has partnered with Nashville CARES for many years. On February 26, fifteen members of our chapter volunteered to help assemble safe sex kits throughout the day. It was a great opportunity to not only help them restock this much used and much needed commodity but also allowed the members to interact with other employees and volunteers within Nashville CARES. HIV/AIDS is still an epidemic, but the epidemic can be ended. This service event at Nashville CARES gave Belmont SNPhA the opportunity to play a small part in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Middle Tennessee.
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