The President's Newsletter Issue 6

from The President's Newsletter Issue 6

by Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

/ MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT /

DEAR MCPHS COMMUNITY,

We continue to persevere through an unprecedented time in our history. We wrestle with the seemingly never-ending pandemic alongside economic uncertainty and global conflict. These monumental challenges have put a tremendous strain on our society as well as our Community. In spite of this current reality, I remain hopeful and optimistic because I see firsthand the many inspiring achievements that are happening every day here at MCPHS.

The evolution of our University over 200 years has formed a robust, sustainable institution grounded in confidence, passion, and resiliency. These traits have served us well during these recent times and form the strong foundation that allows us to bridge our rich history with our vision for the future.

This edition of the President’s Newsletter features a number of our Community members who are making a profound impact. I am particularly excited to highlight three families with multiple generations of our graduates that share several things in common, including a deep commitment to service and a desire to make a real, positive difference in the lives of others. They illustrate and reinforce the role that our University plays in developing compassionate healthcare professionals and leaders.

Commencement is also a time to honor the wonderful and truly energizing achievements of our students and faculty. We recently awarded degrees to more than 2,000 students from over 75 countries who have already begun to contribute to care teams, discover new treatments for diseases, and advocate for expanded access to healthcare.

I am also very proud to report that we recently submitted our Interim Fifth-Year Report to our Regional Accreditor (the New England Commission of Higher Education). The Commission commended us for our thoughtful and comprehensive report. They viewed our strategy around planning and assessment very highly, as well as our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and reaffirmed our maximum 10-year accreditation.

These messages are short, but our accomplishments are many. As we enter our Bicentennial year, we will have many opportunities to connect, reflect, and celebrate. These are the times we should all be very proud of as our University has never been stronger, more sharply focused, or better strategically positioned to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.

As we have done now for centuries, we will continue to strengthen our leadership position in healthcare education. We will do this together through respect, kindness, support, and compassion while continuing to tell “Our Story.”

/ COVER STORY /

A LEGACY THAT LASTS

We take great pride in legacy families with multiple generations of MCPHS graduates. They are leveraging degrees and experience from our University to serve communities and society in important ways. Learn about three of these families and their remarkable achievements.

THE DINNO FAMILY

At age 80, Ramzi Dinno, Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BSP) ’86, still goes to work every day at Dinno Health, which serves communities in Greater Boston through four independent pharmacies that are known for providing individualized care. The business is now owned by his sons, Saad Dinno, BSP ’93, and Raied Dinno, BSP ’96, who are following in their father’s footsteps. MCPHS served as a springboard for Ramzi after he immigrated to the United States, and the University continues to unlock opportunities for the family. Saad’s son, Daniel Dinno, PharmD ’22, graduated in May. Other family members are also MCPHS graduates.

Ramzi and his sons attended MCPHS in the 80s and 90s, when it was still just a single campus with a few buildings. Saad recalls spending a lot of time studying on the old steps of the White Building. He has compared notes with Daniel and chuckles at some of the ways that the University—and education in general— have changed.

“There was no Zoom, and we recorded our lectures with tape recorders,” said Saad. He recalls carrying thick textbooks, which have been replaced with online versions. Technology has reshaped the classroom.

The current emphasis on interprofessional practice and education is also different. When Ramzi and his sons were students, MCPHS was primarily a school for pharmacists with a few dental hygiene and radiation therapy students. But the University expanded to become a health sciences hub. It now includes more than 100 programs in fields ranging from nursing to acupuncture, making it the perfect place to prepare for team-based healthcare.

“Interprofessional education is something that MCPHS did a great job stressing in every class,” said Daniel. “We did a lot of Zoom sessions and a lot of group projects with students from other programs.”

Yet some things have remained the same. Saad believes that his son received the same foundational education in pharmacy that he received. And MCPHS continues to set students up for success.

“MCPHS has made a big difference in our family,” said Saad. His wife, Reem Dinno, BSP ’95, and his cousins Ziad Dinno, BSP ’97, Mark Antun, BSP ’00, and Firas Butty, BSP ’99, also graduated from MCPHS. And the family gives back to the University by offering their four pharmacies as locations for preceptorships for pharmacy students.

THE KADURA FAMILY

Triplets will arrive at our Boston campus this fall, the third generation of the Kadura family to pursue a degree at MCPHS. Traveling more than 5,000 miles from Jerusalem to Boston, Massa Kadura, Leen Kadura, and Ismail Kadura will each be pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Premedical Health Studies—Osteopathic Medicine Pathway.

“MCPHS has been my family’s school of choice for a long time,” said Ismail. The triplets’ father, Mohammed Kadura, BSP ’94, and grandfather, Ismail Kadura, BSP ’66, built successful retail pharmacy careers in Jerusalem after graduating from MCPHS.

“MCPHS provided me with the academic knowledge to succeed and helped shape who I am,” said Mohammed. He is confident that the next generation will benefit from the University’s history and track record of preparing healthcare professionals.

Massa and Leen are both excited to meet new people and participate in different clubs, activities, and events. And the triplets are looking forward to working toward their professional goals.

“I am certain that MCPHS will help me fulfill my dreams,” said Leen.

THE CHHOEUN/SEK FAMILY

Courtney Sek was inspired by her aunt, Kirivann Chhoeun, MS ’19, to enter the healthcare field—and attend MCPHS. Courtney expects to complete her Bachelor of Health Sciences degree in 2023 and then plans to pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree via a pathway program. Her aunt always emphasized the importance of giving back to others. She graduated from the Master of Science in Regulatory Affairs and Health Sciences program and now works for a medical device company.

“MCPHS set her up to meet her goals and gave her career opportunities that she wouldn’t have had at other universities,” Courtney said.

She distinctly remembers her aunt describing a graduate-level poster competition that she won. Such rigorous experiences at MCPHS prepared Kirivann for the exciting— and challenging—role that she currently holds.

Courtney has enjoyed the leadership opportunities at MCPHS, including the chance to serve as a peer mentor. She is looking forward to the next phase of her MCPHS journey.

/ ACADEMIC NEWS /

A NEW SKILL IN YOUR TOOL BELT: HEALTH INFORMATICS

Medication Safety Outcomes Pharmacy Informatics Research Fellow Heba Edrees, PharmD ‘18, with her program directors and mentors: MCPHS Professor Emerita Mary Amato, PharmD, MPH; Mass General Brigham Pharmaco-Informatics Specialist Diane Seger, RPh; and Brigham and Women’s Chief of General Internal Medicine David Bates, MSc, MD.

AS AN HONORS STUDENT at MCPHS, Heba H. Edrees, PharmD ’18, evaluated the effectiveness of alerts on electronic medical record systems through a health informatics project. She noticed a disturbing trend in the data. “When there were more alerts, there was a 95% override rate, so providers were ignoring these alerts, even for some medications where it was pretty important,” said Edrees, who is now a Medication Safety Outcomes and Pharmacy Informatics Research Fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Edrees never imagined that she would write code as a pharmacist, but her new skills have come in handy. “The way that healthcare is going is very technology heavy,” she said. “I think that health informatics will be relevant whether you want to work in the pharmaceutical industry, retail settings, or hospitals.”

MCPHS leaders agree. Our School of Healthcare Business is launching a 30-credit online Master of Science in Health Informatics degree in fall 2022. The program will prepare students to address challenges in healthcare through the application of informatics, data analytics, and technology.

MCPHS OFFERS A BS IN RESPIRATORY THERAPY DEGREE COMPLETION PROGRAM

**The Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy program is the only one of its kind in Massachusetts.**

PETER BETIT, Director of the Respiratory Care/ECMO Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, approached MCPHS with the idea of offering a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy (BSRT) program for practicing respiratory therapists seeking career advancement. Representatives from Boston Children’s Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts Children’s Hospital, North Shore Community College, Quinsigamond Community College, and Milford Regional Medical Center formed an advisory group to develop the curriculum. “Quite often, hospitals turn to respiratory therapists to run extracorporeal life support technology,” he said. “No bachelor’s program offers a course related to that topic, and quite often, respiratory therapists are the discipline that hospitals turn to to run that technology. They could benefit from more formal training.” The fully online two-year degree program will admit its first cohort in fall 2022. It is the only program of its kind in Massachusetts and focuses on leadership development as well as extracorporeal life support.

NECHE COMMENDS MCPHS FOR INTERIM FIFTH-YEAR REPORT

**Henriette Pranger, Associate Provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness**

THE NEW ENGLAND COMMISSION of Higher Education (NECHE), which accredits the University on a 10-year cycle, commended MCPHS for its thoughtful and comprehensive Interim Fifth-Year Report. The Commission voted to accept the report on April 21, 2022, confirming the evaluation of the University that is scheduled for spring 2027.

The Commission members specifically called out with favor the University’s 2018–2023 strategic plan. They applauded the addition of priorities such as diversity, equity, and inclusion and interprofessional practice and education.

The Commission members were also impressed with many of the facts that MCPHS supplied in the report. For example, we shared that graduate and online enrollment increased over the past five years. And employment rates for MCPHS graduates have remained consistently high, between 91% and 87%. Thank you to Dr. Henriette Pranger and the Provost’s Office for spearheading the creation of this successful report.

/ FACULTY NEWS /

FACULTY AWARDS

Provost Caroline Zeind, PharmD, RPh, and Associate Provost for Academic and Professional Affairs Jeanine Mount, proudly presented faculty awards at the Spring 2022 Full Faculty Meeting. Congratulations to the award winners!

Gail P. and Edward A. Bucher Trustees’ Award for Excellence in Faculty–Student Research Collaboration: Songwen Xie, PhD, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Trustees’ Award for Teaching Excellence: Angela Butler, MS, OTR/L, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy

Scholarship of Teaching & Learning: Michael Bear, PharmD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Mimi Mukherjee, PharmD, BCPS, CDES, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, and Carroll-Ann Goldsmith, DSc, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Scholarship of Discovery: Amanda Kentner, PhD, Professor of Psychology

Scholarship of Integration: Hongwei Zhang, PhD, Director of BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences Program and Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics

One-Year Service Award: Lisa Taglieri, MS, PA-C, Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies

Short-Term Service Award: Kathryn Deliso, OD, FAAO, Assistant Professor of Optometry

Long-Term Service Award: Susan Gorman, PhD, Professor of English

FY22 RETIREMENTS

Please join us in congratulating faculty and staff members. Thank you for your commitment, hard work, and vision. You helped MCPHS to become the thriving and vibrant Community that it is today. We wish you a wonderful retirement.

Pharmacy Practice – Worcester: Paula Evans, PharmD, MS, BCGP

School of Optometry – Worcester: Louis Frank, OD, FAAO

Administrative Services – Manchester: Claudette Hemond

School of Occupational Therapy – Manchester: Denise Finch, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA

School of Medical Imaging and Therapeutics – Boston: Anne Davies, MEd, BSEE, RT-MRI

Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene – Boston: Suzanne Mitcheroney

/ STUDENT NEWS /

STUDENT LEADER AWARDS

THE MCPHS CENTER FOR CAMPUS LIFE held leadership award banquets in Boston, Worcester, and Manchester, NH, this spring to celebrate the hard work, dedication, and achievements of our community members. The following individuals and groups were recognized at the Boston event.

Cardinal Cup Student Leader of the Year: Gabriel Levine, PharmD ‘23

Helping Hands Award: Sruthi Swaminathan, PharmD ‘23

Inclusive Excellence Award: Minh Tran, BS/MPAS ’23

Emerging Student Leader: Daniella Condon, BS/MPAS ‘24S

Student Employee of the Year: Rojean Behbahan, PharmD ’22

Provost Award: Ngoc Phuong Mai Le, PharmD ’24

President’s Cup: Rohan Zaveri, PharmD ’22

Advisor of the Year: Ronny Priefer, PhD, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, School of Pharmacy

Student Choice Award: Roseann Gammal, PharmD, BCPS, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Pharmacy Practice Club/Professional Organizations

Collaboration Award: Black Student Union & MCPHS Brothers Union

Community Impact Award: TEDxMCPHS

Event of the Year (Small Scale): Veterinary Rx

Event of the Year (Large Scale): The Blueprint Fashion Show — Black Student Union & MCPHS Brothers Union

Outstanding Organization of the Year — Academic: Herbal Rx

Outstanding Student Organization of the Year — Cultural/ Identity/Faith-Based: Black Student Union

Outstanding Student Organization of the Year — Special Interest: United Nations Children’s Fund

/ ALUMNI NEWS /

SERVING THE MCPHS COMMUNITY

**Gary Rice, Linda (Babineau) Rice, Shannon (Rice) Delaney, and Chet Babineau in the newly named conference room.**

ON MAY 11, 2022, we celebrated the dedication of the Trustees Conference Room in honor of Chester “Chet” Babineau’s retirement from the Board of Trustees. Chet Babineau, BSP ’56, and his late wife Carole have served our Community for many years and made major contributions to MCPHS. Chet became a member of the Board of Trustees in 1983 and is now a Trustee Emeritus. In October 2019, Chet and Carole’s daughter Linda (Babineau) Rice, BSP ’81, and her husband Gary Rice, BSP ’80, MS ’84, made a generous donation to renovate the Trustees Conference Room. The Rices were at the dedication with their daughter Shannon (Rice) Delaney, MPAS ’09. Chet Babineau also attended with his two sons Brian and Wayne. Other attendees included members of the Board of Trustees, President Rick Lessard, Provost Caroline Zeind, and Chief Advancement Officer Sue Gorman.

CRAVING A TASTE OF HOME: OPENING AN INTERNATIONAL FOOD STORE

Close to 1,000 international students make up more than 15 percent of the MCPHS student body, creating a dynamic and diverse community. Missing home, three of our Community members took the initiative to open food markets in Boston and Worcester, enriching the surrounding neighborhoods.

BREAD ‘N BUTTER IN BOSTON

**Jamille Coy, PharmD ’18, MPH ’22, and Mitul Patel, PharmD ’18, at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Bread ‘n Butter.**

Jamille Coy, PharmD ’18, MPH ’22, and Mitul Patel, PharmD ’18, opened Bread ‘n Butter this spring. The international grocery store carries a variety of specialty foods, exotic snacks, and beverages from around the world. It is located at 1562 Tremont Street in Boston, roughly two blocks from MCPHS. “I know what it is like to crave a little piece of home and have to either do without it or travel a ridiculous distance to get it,” explained Coy, who is from Trinidad and Tobago. He currently works full time at Pfizer as a Medical Information Manager.

ASAMASS TRADING IN WORCESTER

Simeon Asamoah, DHS ‘23, used to work at an African food market and saw the joy that it brought to customers. Inspired by the experience, he opened Asamass Trading at 1084 Main Street in Worcester to serve the growing African community in the area. The store carries a variety of African and Caribbean specialty items, including a wide selection of fish, poultry, and meats. “People feel happy when they come in,” Asamoah said. “They see their old food and it makes them feel good that they are going to get something that they’ve been missing for so long.” He hopes to expand the store to other locations in the future.

PA Student Legacy Honored with Memorial Award

A MEMORIAL AWARD has been established in honor of Vincent J. Bocchino, PA ’20, who passed away earlier this year. The Advancement Office and Director of Clinical Education & Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Nancy Hurwitz, DScPAS, MHP, PA, worked with his parents to establish the fund, which seeks to recognize a “PA Boston graduating student who best exemplifies Vincent’s spirit of honesty, empathy, respect, trustworthiness, and compassion shown to patients, families, faculty, friends and community.” To date, the fund has received 42 memorial tribute gifts from Bocchino’s friends, family members, and classmates. Each year, a student will receive a $1,000 award from the fund. A May graduate, Jake Diamantopoulos, received the first award. If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please contact the Advancement Office.

MBA GRADUATE TURNS DREAM OF OPENING A CLINIC INTO A REALITY

SHEIK FAYE, MPAS ‘18, MBA ’21, is originally from Gambia, where his best friend died of a preventable illness. Faye dreamed of opening a chain of community health clinics in Gambia and America. After completing the MCPHS Physician Assistant Program and working for a few years, he enrolled in the MBA in Healthcare Management Program to help realize his dream. Using the business plan he created in the MBA program, he recently opened the Gam-Med Family Medicine & Walk-In Clinic, which provides community-based care in Rocky Mount, NC. The name is a tribute to his home country. Faye hopes to expand the clinic and eventually move back to Gambia. In the meantime, he plans to connect American medical professionals with patients in Gambia using telemedicine.

/ PAST EVENTS /

COMMENCEMENT

MCPHS held two commencement ceremonies on May 12 at the DCU Center in Worcester, where approximately 2,000 students from all three campuses as well as online programs received their degrees. The event featured two student speakers: Rohan Zaveri, PharmD ‘22, and Michele Bravo-Moran, BSN ‘22. Zaveri spoke about his classmates’ resilience. “The two-and-a-half-year pandemic couldn’t stop us from graduating today,” he said. “We made it here and I believe in all of us to make it in the future.” That sentiment was echoed by Bravo-Moran, a first-generation student, who described her classmates as inspiring role models for perseverance. Congratulations to the Class of 2022 for their unwavering commitment to advancing their educational and professional goals.

JUNETEENTH BOOK DISCUSSION

The Center for Health Humanities, the MCPHS Libraries, and the DEI Team co-sponsored a campus-wide read of Annette Gordon-Reed’s book “On Juneteenth.” The 144-page book interweaves history, politics, and memoir in a collection of essays recounting both Juneteenth’s origins and the complicated racial history of the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian’s home state of Texas. Students met on June 28 for a virtual discussion of the book.

COLLEGES OF THE FENWAY PRIDE BLOCK PARTY AT WENTWORTH

The Colleges of the Fenway hosted a Pride Block Party on June 29 at Wentworth Institute of Technology in celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and ally (LGBTQIA+) community. The event featured free food and beverages as well as music and creations by local LGBTQIA+ artists. Vendors and community partners provided opportunities to engage around LGBTQIA+ history, health, wellness, and living.