SNPhA Success 

UHCOP Draws Clinical Skills Division Win, Chair Appointments and 3rd Place Chapter, HIV/AIDS Project Finishes

From a division win in the clinical skills competition to initiative chair appointments, UH College of Pharmacy's chapter of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association posted an impressive array of accolades from the 2016 SNPhA National Convention July 29-31.

Pharm.D. candidates Natalie Chu and David Pham won Division 2 (P3-P4 students) of th SNPhA/Kroger Clinical Skills Competition from an initial field of 64 teams from across the U.S. Unlike other events of its kind, the SNPhA format is an integrated clinical skills and patient counseling competition: Competitors not only must prepare and present the patient case – including identifying the primary, secondary and tertiary problems, recommended goals of therapy, and monitoring parameters – but also meet with a standardized patient for a medication counseling session.

Two third-year Pharm.D. students – Shutian Ju and Brian Nwokorie – were appointed to National Initiative Chair leadership positions. Ju will serve as the 2016-17 Chair of the National Remember the Ribbon Initiative, which is "dedicated to improve health, education, and social environment of minority communities, with respect to HIV/AIDS awareness, education, and prevention." Nwokorie was appointed 2016-17 Chair of the Bridging the Gap program, which aims at helping members transition from the student organization to the professional organization (NPhA).

Nwokorie also was nominated for the SNPhA/Rite Aid Community Leader Award, which recognizes a SNPhA member "who exhibits leadership on campus as well as within the community and embodies SNPhA's mission to serve the underserved and cultivates diversity in the profession."

In addition, Nwokorie proposed and saw passed a convention resolution to establish a collaboration with the American Lung Association to train SNPhA members as facilitators in asthma education programs at underserved elementary schools. The UHCOP chapter is piloting the collaborative program, with educational outreach expected to begin this academic year at select Houston Independent School District campuses.

Although the chapter wasn't able to retain its title as Chauncey I. Cooper National Chapter of the Year, it did climb into the top three among chapters competing in the Large Category. During the 2015-16 year, the chapter participated in nearly 140 events and impacted more than 4,400 patients through a range of wellness screenings and educational outreach.

In addition, highlights of some of the chapter initiatives included establishing a shadowing program with a kidney transplant pharmacy specialist and facilitating member training as certified Kidney Health Educators through the American Kidney Fund; smoking cessation for residents at Houston's Angela House a transitional facility for women released from incarceration for nonviolent offenses; and working with SMART Cougars, a UH organization that offers free HIV testing, to provide the screenings at a health fair hosted by a Houston church.

The chapter's Remember the Ribbon Initiative took third place in the nation for its activities during the academic year and the chapter's presentation at the meeting. Among the highlights were more than 30 events with an impact of nearly 300 patients and community members, provided more than 180 service hours at the Bering Omega House HIV/AIDS hospice facility, and raising nearly $1,500 in cash and food donations for Omega House and the AIDS Foundation.