UB APhA-ASP chapter celebrates regional awards at Midyear Regional Meeting

Held Nov. 7-9 in Washington, D.C., the meeting brought student pharmacists together for leadership development, networking, career exploration and a celebration of outstanding APhA-ASP chapter achievements.

The UB SPPS APhA-ASP chapter won the Region 1 awards for both Operation Heart and Operation Immunization, selected from 17 pharmacy schools in the region. Announced at the meeting, each award included a $250 prize to support future outreach and programming.

The APhA-ASP Operation Heart Award recognizes outstanding development and implementation of Operation Heart, a national patient care project that raises awareness of cardiovascular disease through community outreach, screenings and educational activities.

The UB SPPS APhA-ASP chapter received the award for leading several impactful cardiovascular health initiatives in the local community over the past year. Earlier this year, chapter members hosted the Town of Cheektowaga Youth and Rec Health and Wellness Fair, partnering with other SPPS APhA-ASP operations and student organizations to provide cardiovascular education, blood pressure screenings, nutrition counseling and interactive health activities for community members of all ages.

The chapter also participated in Saturday Academy this past year, providing educational sessions for children and families at local elementary schools on topics including how the cardiovascular system works, the significance of heart rate and the connection between mental and cardiovascular health. Additionally, they launched several healthy eating campaigns, providing UB students with evidence-based nutrition resources and free healthy snacks to promote healthy habits, and organized yoga sessions to support student wellness through physical activity and stress relief.

This is the 14^th time the UB SPPS APhA-ASP chapter has won the Operation Heart Award.

“Receiving this award is incredibly meaningful because it reflects the impact our team was able to make through the events we brought to campus and the local community,” said Adia Vazquez, PharmD ’27, UB SPPS APhA-ASP Operation Heart co-chair. “Seeing how these initiatives helped families better understand cardiovascular health, supported children in learning about their bodies, and provided UB students with resources to live healthier lives reminds me why this work matters. This recognition motivates us to continue expanding our outreach this upcoming year by strengthening our partnerships with local organizations and creating even more opportunities for students and families to engage in heart-healthy living.”

Keira Dickey, PharmD ’28, UB SPPS APhA-ASP Operation Heart co-chair, added, “This award means a great deal to me because it shows that the effort we put into the mission of Operation Heart has truly made a difference. Every blood pressure screening, conversation about nutrition and moments spent teaching children about their hearts had an impact. Moving forward, I want to expand the events we have had success with and continue to reach out further to help make more impact throughout the Buffalo area. This recognition by APhA-ASP for the success of our chapter is motivation for us to keep working hard and making a difference.”

The chapter also thanks Klaudi Lekaj, PharmD '26, for contributing to many of the Operation Heart initiatives over the past year. Lekaj previously served as the UB SPPS APhA-ASP Operation Heart co-chair and played an important role in supporting the chapter's community outreach activities.

The APhA-ASP Operation Immunization Award recognizes outstanding development and implementation of Operation Immunization, a national patient care project designed to promote public vaccination awareness and increase immunization rates.

The UB SPPS APhA-ASP chapter received the Operation Immunization Award for leading comprehensive vaccination efforts across campus and throughout Buffalo over the past year, providing thousands of essential vaccines to the local community.

Throughout the fall semester, the chapter operated weekly vaccination clinics open to UB students, staff and faculty, as well as the general public. Beyond campus, the chapter partnered with Buffalo Public Schools, Lockport Village Pharmacy and the Orchard Park/West Seneca Central districts to offer vaccination clinics at their locations.

During the spring semester, the chapter focused on combating vaccine misinformation and engaging patients in meaningful conversations about vaccine concerns to build trust and increase vaccination rates. At the end of the spring semester, the chapter also hosted a vaccine refresher course for pharmacy students before the start of their Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences.

 This is the third time the UB APhA-ASP chapter has won the Operation Immunization Award.

“We’re beyond grateful at Operation Immunization to receive this award; it reminds us that what we do isn’t for our own benefit, it’s for our patients,” said Ralph Januale, PharmD ’27, UB SPPS APhA-ASP Operation Immunization co-chair. “I’ve seen firsthand how impactful a pharmacist can be, whether it’s vaccinating a family against the flu, helping someone schedule their first shingles dose, or sitting down with a patient to address their vaccine concerns with empathy and evidence. This award motivates us to dig our hands even deeper in the community this year, changing patient’s lives one vaccine at a time.”

Jacob Lymberopoulos, PharmD ’28, UB APhA-ASP chapter president-elect, added, “It is a wonderful honor for this award to be granted to Operation Immunization in our chapter. The work pharmacy does with immunizations, both administering and counseling, demonstrates the true impact we can have on a community. Directly being involved with immunizing a patient provides a unique opportunity to communicate with patients about concerns and any general misinformation. Seeing the impact a simple conversation like this can have makes me truly enjoy all our work. This award serves as a continuing motivator to further our efforts in community engagement.”