The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has selected seven recipients of its 2024 Immunization Champion Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations who have made extraordinary contributions toward improved vaccination rates within their communities.
“The APhA Immunization Champion Awards program helps us tell the story of pharmacists' and pharmacy teams’ as valued members of the immunization neighborhood, in addition to their contributions to and impact on the health of communities,” said Michael D. Hogue, PharmD, FAPhA, FNAP, FFIP, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of APhA. “This year is the 16th anniversary of the award presentation,” he said. “We applaud the more than 500,000 pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians trained to administer vaccines who are making a difference in their communities."
Nominees were evaluated based on areas of impact, collaboration, originality, and overcoming challenges and creating opportunities for pharmacists. APhA also recognizes GSK, Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer, VaxServe/Sanofi, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for their support of this program.
Awards will be presented March 24, 2024, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm ET in Orlando, Florida, during the 2024 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition.
Individual Practitioner
National Winner: Lisa B. Bade, PharmD (Rockford, MI)
Honorable Mention: Kaitlyn Pegump, PharmD (Iowa City, IA)
Corporation/Institution
National Winner: The Purdue University Center for Health Equity and Innovation (Indianapolis, IN)
Honorable Mention: The Marquess Group of Pharmacies (Woodstock, GA)
Pharmacy Team Member
National Winner: Kaitlyn Priestley, BFA, MS, CPhT (Sarasota, FL)
Honorable Mention: Alexis Reianna Franks, CPhT (Alamo, TN)
Travel Health
National Winner: Liz Moir, PharmD (Boise, ID)
APhA established these special awards in 2008, and made the first presentations in 2009, to recognize the value and extraordinary contributions pharmacists provide to improving the vaccination rates in their communities.
Pharmacists, in collaboration with physicians, public health officials, pharmacy technicians, and other immunization stakeholders, are recognized as important members of the immunization neighborhood, with millions of vaccinations administered by pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians each year.
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