Pharmacy Student Kyle Owens wins national public health service award
Student was one of 76 students across the nation honored for contributions towards public health issues.
Cate Zenzen |
Due to his outstanding performance as a leader in multiple student organizations, Kyle Owens, fourth-year student pharmacist, of Hendersonville, Tennessee received a U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award in April.
The award was presented to only 76 students across the United States to honor them for their contributions of time, talent and energy towards public health issues. Through leadership positions on campus, Owens demonstrated his passion for service to both students and patients in the Nashville area.
Owens “committed himself to providing exceptional patient care and leadership through volunteer activities,” said Assistant Professor Sarah Uroza, who nominated Owens for the honor.
In his first year, Owens served as the P1 Liaison of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists Chapter. In this role he connected with and encouraged fellow classmates to be involved in patient care events. He also helped organize the first ever Phield Day event, an interactive health fair with carnival-like games focused on important topics like diabetes and heart health. The fair has since become an annual event with over 250 college student attendees each year.
Owens also served as patient care vice president of the APhA-ASP chapter for two years, responsible for overseeing all patient care activities. Under his leadership the chapter partnered with 15 organizations to provide over 8,500 flu shots to patients in Middle Tennessee and led educational programs on HPV prevention to high school students. These efforts earned the chapter the 2017-2018 Region 3 Operation Immunization Award.
Owens was also the secretary and treasurer of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists in its inaugural year. He worked with CPNP to promote mental health awareness through speakers and partnerships with local organizations.
“What he has done for our college, this area and for the patients in the community has been huge,” said Uroza. “I can already see that he is going to make a wonderful pharmacist from his leadership in student organizations and from the compassion that he has shown through patient care.”