UB Operation Heart wins APhA-ASP Region 1 award

Operation Heart.

Operation Heart co-chairs Olivia Denny, PharmD '22, and Christine Zemanek, PharmD '21 (not pictured: co-chair Nick Palisano, PharmD '20)

By Kara Sweet

Published November 6, 2019

The University at Buffalo chapter of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) won the Region 1 Operation Heart Award at the Midyear Regional Meeting.

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UB was selected out of 18 schools in the region.

The award is given for outstanding development and implementation of Operation Heart, a patient care project that increases awareness of cardiovascular disease through screening and educational activities, leading to improvements in health nationwide. 

"Each year, we look for innovative ways to get more UB students involved and to impact a larger population with our initiatives," says Christine Zemanek, Operation Heart co-chair.

During the 2018-2019 school year, approximately 600 patients in the Buffalo area were educated and screened for numerous conditions impacting heart disease. Initiatives focused primarily on promoting healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index levels, stroke and heart attack prevention, smoking cessation, stress relief, exercise, and heart-healthy eating.

The mission of the APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists is to be the collective voice of student pharmacists, providing opportunities for professional growth, improving patient care, and advancing the future of pharmacy.

For over 130 years, the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has continually been a leader in the education of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists, renowned for innovation in clinical practice and research. The school is accredited by the American Council of Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) and is the No. 1 ranked school of pharmacy in New York State and No. 22 in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.