CONWAY, Ark. (March 31, 2016) –
Hendrix College alumna Erin Buford Puryear ’98 recently received the 2016 United
States Public Health Service (USPHS) Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award.
Puryear is a second-year student
at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy.
Established by the Assistant
Surgeon General RADM and pharmacists of the USPHS, this national award recognizes
pharmacy students who have demonstrated a commitment to public health and
public health practice.
The centerpiece of Puryear’s
public health service is her leadership throughout the 12th Street Health &
Wellness Center (12th Street), the UAMS student-run free community health
clinic.
Puryear led a small group of
volunteers in starting a student organization called the Interprofessional
Fresh Food Coalition (IFFC). Its mission is to increase the availability of
fresh food to the 12th Street patient population, while also creating
interprofessional connections among all UAMS programs. With a small grant, IFFC
built a garden near the UAMS dormitories and is growing vegetables to bring to
the clinic. IFFC also partnered with a nearby community garden to utilize their
excess produce.
Additionally at 12th Street,
Puryear has implemented a diabetes-friendly food pantry, a Latino outreach and
Spanish interpreter staffing project, a medical-legal partnership, and an
internship for Master of Social Work students.
“Erin has great passion for
helping patients who are living in poverty and struggling with chronic diseases,”
said Dr. Schwanda Flowers, UAMS College of Pharmacy Associate Dean for Student
Affairs and Faculty Development. “She has such innovation and work ethic; Erin
deserves this!”
Puryear received her bachelor's
degree in history from Hendrix in 1998. She received her J.D. from the University
of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law in 2001. She practiced law for
eight years before beginning her pre-pharmacy coursework at UALR. She lives in
Little Rock with her husband, Jerry Puryear, Pharm.D., and their three
children.
As part of the UAMS Class of
2018, Puryear plans to focus her skills in the field of hospital pharmacy, and
to continue her volunteer service to patients who cannot access the traditional
healthcare systems in Arkansas.
About 12th Street Health & Wellness Center (12th Street)
12th Street provides services
from the UAMS Colleges of Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy,
Public Health, and the Graduate School. The center provides information for
healthy living, preventive care focused on heart health, and consultations and
screenings for chronic health conditions. In 2015, more than 1,500 patients
received free medical and/or dental care at 12th Street.
About UAMS College of Pharmacy
An Arkansas staple since 1951,
the UAMS College of Pharmacy prepares students to enter the rapidly changing
healthcare field of pharmacy. As part of a large healthcare, educational,
research facility, the interprofessional education and experiential
opportunities abound. The College of Pharmacy is accredited by the American
Council on Pharmacy Education.
About Hendrix College
Hendrix College is a private
liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1876 and affiliated with
the United Methodist Church since 1884, Hendrix is featured in Colleges That Change Lives:
40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges and is nationally recognized in numerous college guides,
lists, and rankings for academic quality, community, innovation, and value. For
more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.