The UNMC College of Pharmacy’s award-winning Operation Immunization, a unique collaboration between the college, student health, family medicine, employee health and the UNMC chapter of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists, recently administered its 15,000th flu vaccine.
Amber Hawk, pharmacy’s admissions and recruitment director, was the 15,000th to receive her vaccine from a pharmacist intern and received a shower of confetti with her flu shot.
The program was developed in spring 2017 by Operation Immunization, student health and family medicine. It later expanded to offer flu vaccinations to the entire campus, as well as off-site clinics run by Operation Immunization, including for homeless and refugee populations.
The clinics now run like clockwork and have become part of the fabric of UNMC. Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, annually receives his flu shot from a student pharmacist during Operation Immunization.
“What was an attempt to teach students to administer vaccines and run tuberculosis skin tests has become a part of fall at our college,” said Ally Dering-Anderson, PharmD, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice and science.
It was an ambitious project to start. Success depended upon multiple entities coming together to create a solid foundation for future growth and success:
- Tanner Johnson, PharmD, now at the Mayo Clinic, and Lindsay Heimann, PharmD, now at the Fort Meade VA Medical Center, were the first student leaders of the project;
- A key milestone was Douglas Wheatley, MD, signing the first collaborative agreement to supervise and allow the pharmacist interns to undertake these patient care services;
- Kimberly Battreall Miller signed on to be Operation Immunization’s first nurse and still trains the vaccination classes. She earned a national award for her work with Operation Immunization;
- Tere Batt and Cristin Kohlscheen, of student health, were crucial collaborators who helped bring the project together and make it go;
- Courtney Fletcher, PharmD, dean emeritus, as dean helped streamline the project and offered key support and a stamp of approval. Current Dean Keith Olsen, PharmD, has continued that support;
- Nathan Suck, PharmD, now with RPM Pharmaceuticals, as a student created a foundation and drove fundraising to expand the program to homeless populations; and
- College of pharmacy faculty advised and supervised while also allowing the clinics to be student-led and student-run.
“It is such an honor to work with the students who run these clinics,” Dr. Dering-Anderson said. “Not only do they learn clinical skills, but they learn all the workflow that goes along with running a quality health care experience.
“Vaccines save lives. So by extension, our students are learning to save lives. Is there a better way to learn than by managing the clinic and providing the service? I don’t think so.”
Dr. Dering-Anderson said Operation Immunization never would have happened without amazing collaboration across the campus.
“We are so honored to be supported by Dean Olsen, the deans from the other colleges on our campus, and of course, it’s always great to see the chancellor here supporting our students.”