FAMU College of Pharmacy to celebrate launch of Center for Health

The FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences will host a reception today to celebrate the launch of the Center for Health Equity.

“The Center for Health Equity has been developed to further the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences’ mission by improving the health care of medically underserved populations through research, education, community intervention and service,” said Michael Thompson, PharmD, dean of the FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

This cutting-edge center represents a new inter-professional approach to identifying and solving problems related to health disparities on a local, statewide, national and global scale and involves pharmacy faculty working cooperatively with nursing, psychology, social work, medicine and public health faculty at FAMU.

Faculty working through the center will secure grants and conduct research as well as provide education to health professionals while concurrently developing and adhering to a community service agenda designed to address and solve problems related to diseases commonly associated with health disparities (e.g. Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, asthma). Patients will be studied across racial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds to identify and solve health care related problems that affect our communities. In addition, inter-professional elective courses will be designed to create future professionals capable of working together to solve problems related to disparities in health care.

The reception, scheduled in the Hotel Duval Mahogany/Library Room from 5:30-7:30 p.m., will introduce the center to the community so that the objectives and intent of the center can become fully realized. An overview of the center, its mission and vision will be presented.