Spring 2012 - College of Pharmacy - Idaho State University

Dr. Henry Evans has his blood glucose taken by
Amanda Wray
experiencing; and another participant stated
that it was the best diabetes self-care
program he’s done. He especially
commended us for the medication
workshop, where he learned about generic
equivalents to his diabetes medications and
now saves $130 a month after discussing
recommended changes with his physician.”
The history of Operation Diabetes at
ISU is a collaborative effort that began as
an elective class taught by Dr. Cindy Wilson.
Students in the class became excited
about offering health-screening services to
the public and organized a health fair. Dr.
Thomas Wadsworth, who was a student at
the time, wrote and received a grant from
ACPE. It was the only grant given in the U.S.
that year to organize a health fair.
Since then, the initiative to continue
Gregory Carter and students at ISU Health Fair
Division of Health Sciences Dean Linda Hatzenbuhler has her
blood glucose taken by Pharmacy student Jamie Williams
health screenings has continued. “It is a
passion and a mission of faculty and
students at this college to serve patients,
to provide service and education to all the
patients in the area who deal with diabetes,”
said Dr. Wilson.
Summed up by one diabetic patient at the
5k Fun Walk/Run for Diabetes, one of the
student sponsored outreach fundraisers, “I
hope you guys know how important what
you’re doing is.”
If you or your business would like to
donate to the ISU COP Operation Diabetes
Student Outreach Fund, please contact Dr.
Kevin Cleveland at (208) 282-2596 or
kevin@pharmacy.isu.edu
Kushal Shah and students at ISU Health Fair
A Student’s Experience With
Operation Diabetes
Jeff Gower is a 2012
graduate that helped author
the winning Operation
Diabetes report. He is also
the recipient of this year’s
Outstanding Leadership
recognition from ISU’s
Division of Health Sciences.
“I have very much enjoyed my time with the Idaho State
University College of Pharmacy and was truly impressed
with my experiences in the program. However, what stands
out most in retrospect are the extracurricular activities with
the community outreach projects, especially Operation
Diabetes.
“While learning the material in the curriculum is essential
to becoming a good pharmacist, I felt I learned best
and retained the most when I was out among members of
the community, helping them face-to-face, and applying
the things I was learning in the classroom. For me, it was
through planning and carrying out several unique projects
with Operation Diabetes that I felt I was really giving back
to the college and community and making the most of my
time as a student. Not only that, but hearing participants
express how grateful they were for our services and how it
made a difference for them was especially rewarding.
“The recent winning of the 2011 Operation Diabetes
National Award was the culmination of a great deal of effort
on the part of students, faculty, and other wonderful volunteers,
all of whom cared enough to maximize the opportunity
provided by having these outreach projects available. The
results were very much worth the investment. These experiences
are of great value to a fully rounded education and I
encourage all students to take advantage of the opportunity
to cultivate their leadership and practical skills through 7
sincere dedication to such high-quality outreach projects.”
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