ALEXANDRIA, Va. - (Business Wire) The University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) School of Pharmacy will receive the 2009-10 AACP Transformative Community Service Award for their significant institutional commitment to addressing unmet community needs through education, practice and research. The award, consisting of a commemorative Steuben glass Beacon of Light and a financial stipend, highlights community service as an important element of the academic mission, and singles out institutions that can serve as examples of social responsiveness on the part of the academic medical community.
UMKC School of Pharmacy has developed partnerships with numerous community clinics and programs that allow both students and faculty to provide essential patient care to the underserved. A decade-long affiliation with the Kansas City Free Health Clinic (KCFHC) has allowed UMKC to use the clinic as an experiential learning site for students and practice site for clinical faculty. As a safety-net provider, KCFHC has a unique approach whereby all services are provided free of charge to the patient, including medications. The clinic is also a site for community service for the Kappa Psi Fraternity, which donates nearly 1,000 volunteer hours annually, as well as a location for students’ advanced practice experiences.
Another innovative program in which UMKC School of Pharmacy is involved is the Jackson County Free Health Clinic Patient Assistance Program (PAP). Volunteers identify patients’ needs as well as look for opportunities to maximize the number of medications in their chart that could be obtained from assistance programs. They document received medications, and troubleshoot and assist with the application process. Student pharmacists also teach patients how to use diabetes monitors and lancet devices, as well as insulin injection technique.
“In this economic environment, our mission to develop student pharmacists that are community-minded and dedicated to the improvement of the health status of all patients – especially those most in need – is not only relevant, but vital,” said UMKC School of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Robert W. Piepho.
Representatives from the UMKC School of Pharmacy will be honored during the 2010 AACP Interim Meeting Community Engaged Service Awards Luncheon on Monday, Feb. 8 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va.
About AACP
Founded in 1900, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) is a national organization representing the interests of pharmacy education and educators. Comprising 116 accredited colleges and schools of pharmacy including more than 5,500 faculty, 52,000 students enrolled in professional programs and 5,400 individuals pursuing graduate study, AACP is committed to excellence in pharmacy education. To learn more about AACP, visit its Web site at www.aacp.org.
AACP
Rebecca Morgan
Director of Communications
703-739-2330 ext 1032
202-280-8068 (cell)
