APhA announces 2016 Immunization Champion Awards winners
WASHINGTON — The American Pharmacists Association this week announced the recipients of its 2016 Immunization Champions Awards. The awards are given to individuals and organizations that have contributed to improving vaccination rates in their areas.
This year, Holly Van Lew, Indian Health Service Medical Center’s director of pharmacy immunization clinic in Phoenix, Ariz. was named the winner in the Individual Practitioner category for her work leading her clinic to administer 44,000 vaccinations in 2015. The winner in the Community Outreach category was Pratik Patel, of Detroit, Mich., who administered immunizations to medically underserved communities by partnering with faith-based organizations.
Other winners included Bruce Gellin, who won the Friend of Pharmacy category for his work at the National Vaccine Program Office coordinating government effort to increase national immunization rates and Giant Eagle Pharmacy, which won the Corporate/Institute category, for providing vaccine information and administration at its locations. The Maryland Partnership for Prevention, won the Partnership with Others category for coordinating flu clinics and other immunization activities with schools in Baltimore and Howard counties in collaboration with pharmacists. Finally, Kathie Smith, a lead technician for a CVS pharmacy in Godfrey, IL, was the winner of the Pharmacy Team Member category.
“The awards demonstrate APhA’s ongoing commitment to improving public health through vaccinations,” APhA EVP and CEO Thomas Menighan said. “Because of APhA’s leadership, along with others in the pharmacy community, access and public awareness of immunizations has changed over the past two decades.”
The organization has been giving out the awards since 2008, and nominees were evaluated for their impact, collaboration, originality and ability to overcome challenges and create opportunities for pharmacists.
The full list of winners is:
Individual Practitioner category
Holly Van Lew (national winner
Deanne Hall, (honorable mention)
Anne Skoe, RPh (honorable mention
Community Outreach category
Pratik Patel (national winner); and
West Penn Hospital Immunization Clinic (honorable mention)
Friend of Pharmacy category
Bruce Gellin (national winner)
Corporation/Institution category
Giant Eagle Pharmacy (national winner);
Realo Discount Drugs (honorable mention); and
SUPERVALU Pharmacies (honorable mention)
Partnership category
Maryland Partnership for Prevention (national winner); and
Cape Fear Clinic, Inc. (honorable mention)
Pharmacy Team Memeber category
Kathie Smith (national winner)