School of Pharmacy’s Melinda Johnson was part of local COVID response team
Travis Kremmin, Pharm.D., ’11, is a clinical pharmacist at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, a hospital in Merriam, Kansas. In March, the COVID-19 pandemic was just ramping up in the Kansas City area and Kremmin was looking to establish a COVID response team of pharmacists when he received a text message.
A fourth-year student at the UMKC School of Pharmacy, Melinda Johnson had made a lasting impression on Kremmin six months earlier while working together during a clinical rotation at the hospital. She had a general question for him about his specialty, infectious diseases. Kremmin had a question of his own – would Johnson consider coming back to join his team?
“It’s a very fast-moving environment right now with tons of literature and data to sort through both good and bad,” Kremmin said. “I was familiar with Melinda and the work she’d done with me before. I requested that she join my team. I knew when this was going on that not only could we help her gain experience, but we could utilize her skills. It was an ideal matchup.”
UMKC pharmacy students continue legacy of excellence
The legacy of outstanding student service and leadership continues at the UMKC School of Pharmacy. Student pharmacists at UMKC have once again been recognized as recipients of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists Chapter of the Year award.
It is the third time in the past nine years that the UMKC chapter has received the highest national award. Each year since 2012, UMKC student pharmacists have been recognized as one of the organization’s top chapters in the country.
Typically announced at the organization’s annual meeting in March, this year’s awards were announced through a Facebook Live presentation because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The APhA-ASP Chapter Achievement Awards program honors schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United States and Puerto Rico. More than 140 chapters compete for the honors that recognize superior programming to create opportunities for student participation and set standards for leadership, professionalism, patient care and legislative advocacy among student pharmacists.
In addition to national Chapter of the Year honors, UMKC students were also second runner up for the organization’s Generation Rx Award for creating public awareness of prescription medication abuse.
I am a hospital trauma team member
UMKC School of Pharmacy: Where Opportunities Abound
As the world becomes more aware of the growing skill sets of today’s pharmacists, the roles they play in health care will continue to evolve and expand. Our UMKC School of Pharmacy graduates reflect this, working in a vast array of health care fields.
A 2007 graduate, Jeremy Hampton works as a member of the trauma team at Truman Medical Center UMKC Health Sciences District.
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