The President's Newsletter | Issue 1

from The President's Newsletter | Issue 1

by Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Message from the President

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the President’s Newsletter. I want to take the opportunity to begin to tell Our Story by highlighting and celebrating some of the incredible individuals who are part of our Community and their inspiring accomplishments. I hope to also provide some insight into the most important priorities of our University, which are grounded in collaboration, respect, compassion, and support.

My vision reflects these guiding principles, and they will serve as a strong foundation as we continue to pursue our goals and realize our full potential. Student success will always be at the core of our mission, while strengthening our support systems to meet our students’ personal and academic challenges will remain our highest priority. These challenges have been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet our commitment to our students’ well-being is unwavering.

The student experience will continue to be one of academic enlightenment and personal enrichment. Curricular and cocurricular activities will mold our students into proud graduates and healthcare leaders. Clinical experiences that are grounded in the healthcare humanities will allow students to emerge as compassionate providers. Academic integrity will never be compromised, and reputational excellence will be our standard.

We will continue to be a leader in interprofessional education, building on our broad-based and collaborative offerings. Our academic programs will be closely aligned with our students’ needs, and we will aggressively deploy resources at a level on par with the country’s premier universities to ensure our success. We will nurture the passion and devotion of our faculty, staff, and alumni and continue to honor their tremendous achievements.

Our rich history, global impact, educational model steeped in real-world experiences, and exceptional value are central to our identity. Our strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion further clarifies who we are and serves to strengthen our entire Community.

I hope that you can take a few minutes to read through this newsletter and get a glimpse of some of the incredible people, stories, and achievements that we experience every day. We are all so proud, and as a member of the MCPHS Community, you should be as well. We truly have something special here, and I am so excited to be part of it. I hope you enjoy Our Story.

COVER STORY

MCPHS Steps Up: Students, alumni, and faculty help vaccinate their communities.

From the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the MCPHS Community have stepped up to help put an end to the sickness and suffering it has caused. Many have served on the front lines, treating and caring for the infected in healthcare facilities all over the country. In the winter and spring of 2021, hundreds more students, alumni, and faculty volunteered their time, effort, and expertise to help vaccinate our nation against the disease.

Many reached out to local healthcare institutions and gave their time to help with outreach, vaccine preparation, and the administration of shots. Additionally, because so many MCPHS Community members expressed interest in serving the greater population, MCPHS was able to create formal partnerships and supply pharmacists, pharmacy interns, nurses, nursing students, and physician assistants to many impactful organizations. Among them were the Boston Public Health Commission, Shaw’s Osco pharmacies, Community Healthlink, UMass Medical School’s Commonwealth Medicine, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and the New Hampshire National Guard. The work of these MCPHS volunteers has covered every part of the vaccination effort. They have greeted and comforted patients and have made countless phone calls to help people set up appointments. They prepared doses, administered shots, and observed patients in aftercare settings. The MCPHS Community has been helping in places all over Massachusetts and New Hampshire, from traveling clinics to state-organized mass vaccination sites.

After months of remote learning and instruction, students, alumni, and faculty were able to come together to do their part to end the COVID-19 pandemic while students also received hands-on, interprofessional education. They had the opportunity to be a part of history and work with national guardsmen, EMTs from local fire departments, and health professionals from a wide variety of fields. The University’s impact in responding to this crisis reminds us of the lasting importance of the MCPHS mission: to prepare graduates to advance health worldwide through excellence, innovation, and collaboration in teaching, practice, scholarship, and research, and to transform the communities that they will serve.

**Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice Stephanie Conway-Allen**

Everyone there has been incredibly optimistic and positive. It’s probably the first time that I’ve ever been in a vaccination situation where everyone is excited to be there.

**Mirna Portillo, PharmD '21, administers a vaccine.**

**Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice Stefanie Forman prepares a vaccine.**

On February 22, 2021, MCPHS alum Stephanie Guerriero, BSP '86, volunteered at a vaccination clinic in her hometown of Wakefield, MA. There, she happened to run into her former MCPHS medicinal chemistry professor, Dr. Williams. “It was a joyful moment to meet up with someone who made an impact on my training and career,” Guerriero says. She adds, “As a pharmacist with many years of experience, the power of connection has never been more important and has become my silver lining.”

ACADEMIC NEWS

Accreditation Updates

The MCPHS Schools of Optometry and Nursing each underwent evaluations from their accreditors in March. School of Optometry Dean Maryke Neiberg says the school is fully accredited until 2027 and that “faculty, staff, and students are very excited by the outcome.” The BSN program was visited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and School of Nursing Interim Dean Tammy Gravel says the “visit was a positive experience for all who participated.” The BSN program expects final recommendations from the Commission in October.

Research Ready for Submission

Dr. Terrick Andey, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies for MCPHS, School of Pharmacy–Worcester/Manchester, was one of just 16 researchers nationwide honored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy in 2018 with the New Investigator Award. His award-winning research “Nanoparticle Delivery Platform for Dual Targeting of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer,” has since developed and is now ready for submission; he plans to submit his data to publishers within the coming months. Dr. Andey’s drug delivery system is both comprehensive and versatile (it is compatible with various therapies), and the publication of his findings could lead to exciting changes in the world of oncology treatment.

Second Annual Undergraduate Research Conference

Clockwise: Shivani Gaiha, PhD; Sahith Kaki, BS in Premedical Health Studies (Osteopathic Medicine) '23; Regina Dello Russo, BS in Premedical and Health Studies '15; and Hayel Abdul-Ghani, BS in Premedical and Health Studies '19.

On April 19, 2021, the Center for Undergraduate Research hosted its second annual conference. The Center provides research funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

More than 175 participants joined the virtual event. After opening faculty remarks, student leaders held a moment of silence for victims of hate-motivated violence. Keynote speaker Dr. Shivani Gaiha of the Stanford University School of Medicine then presented her research on the vaping epidemic. Next, Sahith Kaki, BS in Premedical Health Studies (Osteopathic Medicine) ‘23, spoke of the research that he and Instructor of Public Health Devan Hawkins have conducted on “deaths of despair” in the United States. The two recently had a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

After splitting into breakout sessions for student presentations, registrants enjoyed an alumni panel offering career and academic advice. The event ended with student-only time for undergraduates to network and chat about their research.

New Ultrasound Technology

Jeffrey Hill, Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Medical Sonography on the MCPHS Worcester campus, has teamed up with an international team of engineers and doctors to assist in the development of a tele-operative, robotic lung ultrasound scanning platform that could change the way ultrasound imaging is performed.

“The technology is novel and the first step in combining traditional ultrasound and tele-operative robotics,” says Hill. He emphasizes that the goal of their research is not to replace the human operator, but to mitigate the spread of infection between the healthcare provider and patients who have been exposed to highly communicable diseases. The technology has potential implications far beyond the current pandemic. Hill says, “In resource-limited areas and low- and middle-income countries, ultrasound imaging equipment is cost-prohibitive and not available at most healthcare facilities.”

Although they are enthusiastic about the preliminary results, Hill says they remain guardedly optimistic, as further research needs to be conducted and validated prior to the dissemination of a large-scale clinical trial.

EMPLOYEE NEWS

Dean of Students and Senior Student Affairs Officer Jacinda Félix Haro was selected by NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education as the recipient of the Region 1 Continuous Service Award. Félix Haro, who served the region for over 10 years, was chosen for her embodiment of the spirit of volunteerism as it applies to NASPA at the state, regional, or national level and for her contributions above and beyond the normal service required by positions of leadership.

Sara Sanford, Director of International Academic Services at MCPHS, was awarded the 2020 James Leck Distinguished Service Award from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The award is named in honor of James Leck, who was a mentor to many involved in international education and a colleague to many more. Sanford was recognized for her significant service and contribution to NAFSA Region XI (New England) for more than five years.

Facilities Worker Goes Above and Beyond

On March 19, 2021, MCPHS student Holly Dutko, BSN ‘21, needed a plumbing issue fixed. She contacted the Facilities Department, and MCPHS employee Joseph Drzik came to help. It turned out to be an exceptional experience. In an email to Director of Residence Life Rachel Newman, Dutko wrote:

Not only was he extremely professional and friendly, but he went out of his way to replace a perfume that he accidentally knocked over and broke while he was fixing the toilet. I understood that accidents happen, and I should have thought to empty off fragile items from the shelving unit above the toilet knowing he would be working underneath it in an awkward position. I said it was not an issue at all and thanked him for coming so soon, thinking I would just have to go replace it at some point in the future. A short while later, I hear a knock on my door, and he presents me with a gift card to replace it for me on his behalf. His generosity and kindness took me aback as I was not expecting anything like this, especially since I partially blamed myself for not having the shelving clearer for him to work . . . It was a wonderful gesture to end my hectic week.

ALUMNI NEWS

Boston Hope and Other Disaster-Relief Pharmacy Services of Ray Mitrano

Boston Hope Medical Center opened on April 10, 2020, transforming the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center into a thousand-bed field hospital for recovering COVID-19 patients. As Assistant Director of Pharmacy at Massachusetts General Hospital, MCPHS alum Erasmo (Ray) Mitrano, BSP ‘80, MS ’85, played a key role in setting up the facility at a critical point in the pandemic. In the late afternoon just three days before its opening, Mitrano was asked by Dr. Christopher Fortier, Chief Pharmacy Officer at MGH, to implement the pharmacy services for Boston Hope. Ray was on site the very next day, and in three days had the pharmacy ready for its first patient when Boston Hope opened. “I was honored to be able to help out in any way that I could,” he said.

A Patriot and a Pharmacist: PharmD Alum Steven Rush and The U.S. Public Health Service

In 2009 Steven Rush, PharmD ‘15, was a professional basketball player in Nuremberg, Germany. He had been a star at North Carolina A&T State University, one of the nation’s historically black colleges and universities. After graduation Rush took the opportunity to play professionally overseas. Today Lieutenant Commander Rush works at the Department of Defense (DoD).

How does one make the journey from pro basketball in Europe to the DoD in 11 years? Rush’s undergraduate chemistry background led him to MCPHS, where one of his clinical rotations was at the Food and Drug Administration. There he noticed people “walking around in a military uniform, and I just started asking questions.” They turned out to be from the United States Public Health Service (USPHS), one of the nation’s eight uniformed services. He ended up joining and is thrilled that his journey landed him at the USPHS—he loves the benefits, the career development, and the freedom to choose where he wants to go. It has landed him a role as Program and Personnel Manager inside the DoD, and he continues to work at a Publix pharmacy on some weekends and holidays to keep his traditional pharmacy proficiencies sharp.

PAST EVENTS

REED Conference 2021

Originally established as an opportunity for pharmacists to keep abreast of changes in the profession and for alumni to visit their former teachers and meet new faculty, the Reed Conference is usually held at Gillette Stadium. Thousands of attendees participated in this year’s virtual event, which entailed six sessions over five days for a total of 7.5 hours of live, ACPE-accredited CE.

Campus Life Presents: An Evening With Maria Hinojosa

On March 18, 2021, Emmy-winning journalist and author Maria Hinojosa joined the MCPHS Community for a Q&A and discussion on life as a Latinx American and healthcare disparities of Latinx and other communities as evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Juneteenth

MCPHS has added Juneteenth (June 19) as an official University holiday. Students, faculty, and staff will have the day off, and campus will be closed. This year’s holiday will be observed on Friday, June 18. We hope our Community takes time to celebrate African-American culture and reflect on ways our country can continue to grow.

Commencement 2021

The MCPHS University Commencement Task Force is working hard for a safe celebration of our 2020 and 2021 graduates. Contingent on public health data, each ceremony will take place at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, held by their respective schools on Tuesday, August 3; Wednesday, August 4; and Thursday, August 5. Following current COVID-19 safety guidelines, graduates may bring four guests. A livestream will be available for friends and family. Further information will be forthcoming.

OTHER NEWS

MCPHS Receives High Financial Rating

MCPHS recently received a top rating in financial strength and stability from Standard and Poor’s (S&P). MCPHS is proud of its financial stability and that the independent rating agency has the confidence in the University’s financial profile to give it an AA credit rating. This places MCPHS in the third-highest category among a total of 11 rating levels. S&P found MCPHS to have exceptionally strong finances, stable market position and demand, excellent and stable governance and management, a solid balance sheet, and markedly low debt. As many other U.S. colleges and universities continue to see the impact of declining enrollments, weakening student demand, and increased competition, MCPHS is demonstrating growth and staying power. S&P’s confidence in the University is a testament to the value that an MCPHS education delivers to students.