Ohio Northern University student Jeremiah Barnes, a fifth-year pharmacy major from Seymour, Ind., was awarded the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Practice Award for his dedication to public health during Ohio Northern University’s Honors Day this past weekend.  The award was presented to Barnes by USPHS, Lieutenant Edward R. Kay.

This annual award recognizes pharmacy students who have demonstrated a commitment to public health and public health practice. Assistant Surgeon General RADM Richard S. Walling and the pharmacists of the U.S. Public Health Service established the United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Practice Award as part of the effort of the U.S. Public Health Service to encourage pharmacy students to become active in public health.

Based on this awards background, Dr. Kristen Finley Sobota, associate professor of Pharmacy Practice nominated Barnes for his service to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) and his leadership as Outreach Chair for the 2014 - 2015 year. In this capacity, Barnes created and participated in close to 40 outreach activities to educate older adults on the importance of multiple health topics.  He has made visits to nursing homes, assisted living facilities and councils on aging to support positive patient outcomes.         

The award consists of a certificate plaque, the book “Plagues and Politics: The Story of the United States Public Health Service,” and a letter signed by Walling.

In 2004, The Pharmacist Professional Advisory Committee (PharmPAC) Awards Committee received 35 nominations for the United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Practice Award. Of the 35 nominations, 33 awards were given. The awards committee coordinated the presentation of the awards at the pharmacy schools with the University Points of Contact (UPOC). The UPOC program was developed in 2002 to facilitate communication between a U.S. Public Health Service pharmacist and a college of pharmacy. Currently, the U.S. Public Health Service has at least one pharmacist representing each of the 90 pharmacy schools in the United States.

Link:https://www.onu.edu/node/65485

Ohio Northern University’s quality, student-centered education distinctively combines nationally ranked sciences, arts and professional programs for more than 3,600 students in its five colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering, Pharmacy and Law.