February 24, 2017
From Rome, Italy, to Elmhurst, Queens, more than 150 College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences faculty, students, administrators, and staff celebrated St. Vincent de Paul’s feast day in a way that would make him proud. They rolled up their sleeves to help the less fortunate, and participated in a variety of University Service Day activities on September 24.
Held annually to coincide with St. Vincent’s actual feast day of September 27, University Service Day gives the St. John’s community the opportunity to bring the Vincentian mission to life. “It’s important for all of us to make a clear connection to the Vincentian mission,” said Russell J. DiGate, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. “We see this day as a kick-off to finding ways throughout the year to live our mission of service—which is, after all, what sets St. John’s apart.”
New to University Service Day this past year was participation by 18 sixth-year pharmacy students studying in Rome. Led by Joseph V. Etzel ’90Pharm.D., Associate Dean and Associate Clinical Professor, Clinical Health Professions, students participated in one of two projects. One group collaborated with the local organization Take Back Rome to remove graffiti and outdated advertisements from buildings and utility poles and apply a fresh coat of paint to those surfaces. The other students partnered with local volunteers to make and distribute more than 300 sandwiches to the homeless living near Vatican City. “Numerous students commented on how surprised and sad they were to see how prevalent poverty is in the Eternal City,” Dr. Etzel commented.
Helping Young and Old
Children and the elderly were the primary focus of the College’s local service activities. More than 50 members of the College community, including representatives from various pharmacy student organizations, cleaned and organized the library of The Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Academy, a pre-K through eighth-grade school in Flushing, NY. The group also helped to organize the academy’s teachers’ resource room and performed fall landscape cleanup chores at nearby St. Michael’s Church.
Patients at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Bayside, NY, enjoyed a day of arts and crafts thanks to a group of College volunteers. St. Mary’s provides intensive rehabilitation and specialized care for children with special needs and life-limiting conditions. “Many students who participated are interested in pediatric pharmacy, so this was a great opportunity to combine professional and personal interests with service to the community,” says Manouchhkathe Cassagnol, Pharm.D., CGP, BCPS, the College’s Assistant Dean of Service Programs.
Monitoring the medication of elderly patients is very important; students and faculty from the College of Pharmacy made sure that this underserved population had proper medication reviews. At the Alpha Phi Alpha Senior Citizens Center in Cambria Heights and the Elmcor Senior Outreach Center in East Elmhurst, St. John’s volunteers educated patients about medications and vaccinations, counseled patients on appropriate use of their medications, and where appropriate, prepared letters to physicians indicating potential issues with a patient’s medication regimen. Pharmacy faculty and students also researched drug interactions and the safety of using herbals and supplements with prescription drugs.
At the New Life Community Health Center in Elmhurst, College volunteers from the pharmacy and physician assistant programs participated in a health fair by offering blood pressure and glucose screenings, eye exams, disease prevention education, and medication consultations. It was particularly helpful as many students were able to speak to patients in their native language.
Walking the Talk
Some students chose to make a difference on their feet. Members of the student chapter of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, the Kappa Psi pharmacy fraternity, and other organizations, headed to Flushing Meadows Corona Park to participate in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s and raised more than $1,000.
At Jones Beach State Park in Nassau County, members of the College community joined the 8th Annual Brain Aneurysm Awareness Walk. The event’s goal is to raise awareness about the warning signs of brain aneurysm rupture and to raise funds for research. The walk raised a total of $93,000.
“The support and dedication of our students and the entire College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences family was impressive,” Dean DiGate said. “It was a day to be proud of our Vincentian heritage.”