Spring 2010 ·Vol. 4,No. 1

From the Dean…

It was a busy weekend that culminated in the May 30Commencement. Friday night was the HoodingCeremony, and early the next morning all in attendance

donned academic regalia for Baccalaureate Services—anuplifting and memorable event.And then the big occasion—Commencement—and in less than two hours the School ofPharmacy gained 58 new alumni.

This Class of 2010 represents the largest group to receive theirdiplomas sinceour first graduatingClass of 2006.Howexciting to lookdown the hallway in West Hall and see five, yes count them, five-framed panel pictures.

It was only lastweek that I, along withhelp from Duane Tan,hung the fifth, and mostrecent Class of 2010panel picture. In thosefive frames are the facesof 237 alumni.

As I looked at thefaces staring back fromeach graduating class,many thoughts cameto mind.

The hopes and dreams now being realized after years ofeducation; the major shift in financial responsibility, with momsand dads, spouses, significant others, or relatives no longer pay-ing tuition and monthly living expenses; colleagues, no longerstudents, moving on with their lives in pursuit of their person-al and professional aspirations; and the contributions that allare now making to professional pharmacy practice.

What bonds these 237 faces is that they have all graduatedfrom Loma Linda University. As we anticipate the faces on the9th frame—the incoming Class of 2014—it is my hope that ourstakeholders that include alumni, students, faculty, employers,

and preceptors willcontinue to trans-form the lives of ourstudents—therebyfulfilling the visionof LLU.

Oh, by the way,we’re already makingplans to celebratethe 10th Anniver-sary of the School ofPharmacy in 2012!

School of Pharmacy loses a dear colleague in automobile accident

Pictured during Loma Linda Academy graduation ceremonies this year are KenArrogante, Jocelyn Arrogante, and Ken’s step-daughter Jannel Lamangan.

School of Pharmacy alumni, faculty,staff, and students celebrated the life of one oftheir own at memorial and funeral servicesheld July 23 and 25.

Ken Arrogante, administrative assistantfor the division of experiential education, waskilled alongwith hiswife, Jocelyn, in a car acci-dent on July 1.The accident occurred on I-40,east of Flagstaff,Arizona.Ken’s step-daughterand nephew survived.They were travelling tothe 2010 General Conference of Seventh-dayAdventists Session in Atlanta, Georgia

Kenworked for School of Pharmacy sinceNovember 2007. He will be remembered forhis infectious sense of humor, dedication tohis family, and service to the Loma LindaFilipino Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Here at Loma Linda University, employeesbelieve that whole-person care is very importantto patients and vital to optimal health.

The entire university’s framework for educa-tion centers upon the central mission statement,“to make man whole.” The university’s missionaffirms the Christian view of wholeness, recog-nizing that the needs of patients go beyond thehealing of the body, and that the development ofstudents involves more than the training of themind.

At the School of Pharmacy, students, staff,and faculty strive to make their daily activitiesinto personal ministries by extending pharma-ceutical care and expertise, in keeping with theuniversity’s mission, into the local communities.

For the past eight months, several School ofPharmacy students, under the direction ofJerika Lam, PharmD, have volunteered for theRiverside County HIV clinics in Perris andRiverside and brought a little wholeness intotheir work.

Several students decided to do extra servicefor theHIVpatients by taking the time to hand-craft 15 blankets, bringing some extra care andconsideration for those suffering from a physicalaliment. Students Emily Garispe, Erica Lee, and

Anna Lee organized the outreach and hosted ablanket party during February where severalmore students spent hours cutting, sewing, andstitching together yards of decorative cloth intobeautiful handcrafted blankets.

Dr. Lam has also experimented outside thenormal framework of medical care with the useof a trained patient therapy dog.

“Zoey’s role in the healing process is her sim-ple acceptance of our patients’ diversity, irrespec-

2 · News Capsule

From left, Anna Lee, Dr. Jerika Lam, Zoey the therapy dog, Emily Garispe, andDaniel Brown, staff member at the Perris/Riverside HIV clinics, display hand-crafted blankets for the clinic patients.

School of Pharmacy students practice whole-personcare to reaffirm mission

A School of Pharmacy faculty memberhas been elected by the California StateBoard of Pharmacy as President of theBoard.

Associate Clinical Professor StanleyWeisser, R.Ph, was elected to the Board onApril 22 in Loma Linda, California. Mr.Weisser was elected to serve a one-yearterm. The Board held its regularly-sched-uled meeting in Centennial Complex onApril 21 and 22.

Mr. Weisser was appointed to the StateBoard of Pharmacy in November 2007,appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarz-enegger. He opened his first pharmacy in1969 and grew the business to 30 pharma-cies. Retired since 2000,Mr.Weisser is veryactive with several non-profit organizationsin addition to his service to the State Boardof Pharmacy.

StanWeisser, R.Ph, associate clinical professor in the School of Pharmacy, has beenelected president of the State Board of Pharmacy. He is pictured being presentedwith an honorary doctorate of humanitarian service by Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH(left) president, and Billy Hughes, PhD, dean of the School, during the 2008 com-mencement ceremony.

SP faculty elected president of State Board of PharmacyPlease turn to page 5

News Capsule · 3

TwoLomaLindaUniversitySchool of Pharmacy (LLUSP)professorshave an exciting new mission on their hands: to help patients of theTransplantation Institute at Loma Linda University Medical Center(LLUMC) prepare for organ transplantation by kicking their smokinghabit.

The duo—Linda Davis, PharmD, and Hyma Gogineni, PharmD—completed requirements for the tobacco treatment specialist certificatefrom the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.“We worked very closelywith expert physicians here at LomaLinda includingDr.David Sachs,Dr.JohnHodgkins, andDr.Linda Ferry,”Dr.Gogineni explains,“to gainmoreinsight into the field of tobacco dependence treatment.”

“Our job is tomotivate patients to stop smoking, give them the tools tocounteract withdrawal symptoms and cravings, and help themunderstandthat they are equipped to stay smoke-free for the rest of their lives,” Dr.Davis asserts.“We discuss the medication choices and prescribe the med-ications best-suited for their individual needs. Part of the intake sessionalso includes educating themabout the science of addiction.People tend tothink of smoking as just a bad habit, but nicotine is actually as addictive asheroin.”

“That seems extreme,” Dr. Gogineniadds, “but it’s true. Nicotine is as addic-tive as heroin. I think it’s very importantfor people to realize that it is like otheraddictions, and that using just one over-the-counter drug nicotine replacementtherapy medication—patch, gum, orlozenge—is usually not enough.”

Dr. Davis strongly agrees. “Com-bination treatment—including a nico-tine patch and a fast-acting nicotinereplacement product for withdrawalsymptoms—is the treatment of choicefor most of our patients.”

Dr. Davis points out that the newClinic for Tobacco Independence at theTransplantation Institute offers patientsin need of organ transplants three signif-icant benefits.

“First,” she says, “stopping this addictive behavior decreases the likeli-hood of cardiovascular events including heart attack and stroke. Second, itimproves their eligibility for organ transplantation. Finally, it speeds therecovery process by fostering post-surgical wound healing. It’s a win-winsituation.”The story of how the programcame into existence spotlights thecooperation of several individuals and departments eager to help InlandEmpire residents attain maximum health.

“Zeid Kayali, MD, MBA, internist, hepatologist, and liver transplantmedical director at the LLUMCTransplantation Institute, approached usabout starting a program like this for patients awaiting liver transplant,”Dr.Gogineni recalls.“He felt that having this program would improve patientoutcomes after surgery, and decrease the incidence of morbidity and mor-tality.We thought it was an outstanding idea.”

So did Reza Taheri, PharmD, chair of the department of pharma-cotherapy and outcomes science at LLUSP.

“Whenwewere first approached by theTransplantation Institute,”Dr.Taheri shares, “we saw this as a great collaborative opportunity. First wasthe opportunity to provide high-quality patient care through an inter-pro-fessional approach. Collaborations with other programs and disciplinesacross campus align complementary skill sets and expertise, which ulti-mately leads to enhanced patient care.

“The second opportunity provided by this collaborative partnershipis the rich educational environment created for students and residents.Along with Dr. Elvin Hernandez, Dr. Davis, and Dr. Gogineni areinvolved in teaching a didactic curriculum for tobacco dependence treat-ment to educate future pharmacists about how to help their patientsstop smoking.”

Dr.Taheri notes that another feature of the cooperative program alsoappealed to members of the LLUSP team as they considered Dr. Kayali’srequest.

“In the forming stages,we also saw the research potential of working inthe area of tobacco dependence treatment down the road,”Dr.Taheri adds.“Because of the significant impact of smoking—both on the individual’shealth as well as society’s burden—there are tremendous opportunities for

research into the impact of such afocused clinic on outcomes.”

Although the Clinic for TobaccoIndependence just opened in August2009, Drs. Davis and Gogineni reportthey already have a group of 15 to 20potential patients in the liver transplantprogram.

One of them, a patient by the nameof Dean Kinoshita, is optimistic aboutthe progress he’s making under Dr.Gogineni’s tutelage.

“Mywife is very excited that I’mquit-ting cigarettes,”Mr.Kinoshita notes.“Shesays she can already see the improve-ment.”

Dr.Gogineni is optimistic aboutMr.Kinoshita’s prognosis for recovery. “He’sonly tried to quit once before,” she says.

“Hismotivation is really high; he’s feeling bad that his bad habit, as he callsit, has brought on his illness.”

Dr. Davis points out that Dr. Gogineni will follow-up with Mr.Kinoshita on a weekly basis for the first eight weeks of his treatment regi-men, then every three months for up to a year after that.

Although the Clinic for Tobacco Independence is currently onlytreating pre-liver transplant patients, Drs. Davis and Gogineni are opti-mistic about expanding to wider horizons once the program gainsmomentum. “Hepatology patients aren’t the only ones who need this,”Dr. Gogineni exclaims. “We’ll expand it to meet the needs of otherpatients later on.”

“We’re very excited about this new opportunity,”Dr.Taheri concludes.“When we think about the long-term affects of smoking, helping ourpatients go off tobacco is a very substantial way that we can significantlyand positively impact their lives.”

Pharmacy professors establish clinic for tobacco independence at LLUMC

Dean Kinoshita takes a puff on the carbon monoxidemonitor during a recent visit to the Clinic for TobaccoIndependence. The clinic, a service of the LLUMCTransplantation Institute, helps transplant patients pre-pare for surgery through enabling them to break thecycle of tobacco addiction. Drs. Hyma Gogineni (center)and Linda Davis were trained as tobacco treatment spe-cialists at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

4 · News Capsule

Ever wonder what goes on at the LomaLinda University School of Pharmacy (LLUSP)when nobody’s looking? More than meets theeye. Here’s a recap of recent events in which thefaculty, staff, and students of the school show justhow far they’re willing to extend the organiza-tion’s community outreach and involvement.

Setting a high bar for cross-cultural interac-tion,, Billy Hughes, PhD, dean of LLUSP,donned a classical Indian jacket called a shervaniduring his address to members of the IndianPharmacists Association (IPA) at their 20thannual conference and trade expo in September.Dr. Hughes, who accepted a check for $5,000 insupport of the IPA Endowed Scholarshipto benefit pharmaceutical education atLLUSP, evoked laughter from the audiencebyasking all theLLUSPgraduates in atten-dance to stand. When exactly one persondid, the dean pointed out that SouthernCalifornia’s newest pharmacy school doesnot yet enjoy the financial support of a largealumni base, and is therefore extremelygrateful for the largesse of far-sightedorganizations like IPA.

Another round of laughter rippledthrough the room when side-by-side pho-tos of Mahatma Gandhi and himselfflashed on the screen during his introduc-tion. Similarities between the father ofnon-violent political resistance in India andthe LLUSP leader were obvious: in thepictures,bothmen are bald,andwearwire-rim glasses, but there the similarities end.In addition,LLUSPwas represented at theevent by Jim Pinder, JD,MBA, and HymaGogineni, PharmD, both of whom are assistantprofessors at the school. Dr. Gogineni not onlybought Dr. Hughes’ shervani in India, but alsohelped him don it properly for his speech.

For their part, LLUSP students have beendiligently cracking the books of late. How elsecan you explain the second-place showing twoLLUSP scholars attained in a state-level compe-tition designed to weed-out the geniuses fromthewannabes?ChamNguyen andStacy Pak didtheir school proud during the clinical skills com-petition at the 34th annual California Society ofHealth-SystemPharmacists seminar held in SanDiego in October of this year. The contest is ateam-based competition among pharmacyschools in California; it is designed to encourageand recognize excellence in the development ofclinical skills, and facilitate an interactive, team-based analysis of clinical scenarios to enablehealth-system pharmacists to optimize patient

utilization of medications.What’s in store for Ms. Nguyen and Ms.

Pak?A trip toLasVegaswhere theywill competein the 2009NationalClinical SkillsCompetitionheld in conjunction with the 44th annualAmerican Society of Health-SystemPharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting onDecember 6-10, 2009. In addition to the high-scoring students, Dr. Hughes credits MaryGutierrez, PharmD; Jerika Lam, PharmD; andJavad Tafreshi, PharmD, with mentoring theteam to a very high level of performance.

Twelve deserving youngsters from SanBernardino County can thank LLUSP and its

“older” sister institution, the Loma LindaUniversity School of Nursing, for not only pro-viding, but also assembling the new bicycles theyreceived on September 15, 2009. The bicycles,which were donated by six area Walmart stores,were given to the children at the conclusion of aspecial, assemble-a-bike team-building exerciseinvolving faculty and staff members from bothschools.The joint-school faculty retreat featuredvigorous intramural competition as members of12 teams of hitherto-inexperienced bike builderswielded wrenches, screwdrivers, and determina-tion to beat their colleagues to the finish line.

“Just watching the expressions on the faces ofthe kids made it all worthwhile,” Dr. Hughesnotes.“Theymayhave gotten anewbicycle out ofthe event, but I thinkwe got a lotmore. It truly isbetter to give than it is to receive.”

Speaking of community outreach, the new

LomaLindaUniversityMeridianPharmacyheldnot one, but two, grand openings to make surethat LLU employees and members of the localcommunity had a chance to come by and getacquainted with the staff and enjoy snacks anddesserts to commemorate the occasion.

According to Sheree Heidari, PharmD,MPH, clinical pharmacist, and Loan To,PharmD, pharmacy supervisor, MeridianPharmacy is a joint venture betweenLLUSPandthe LLU Medical Center. ”We invite people tostop in and experience the difference for them-selves,” Dr. Heidari notes. “Not only do we pro-vide private consultations, personalized care with

trusted clinicians, patient-focusededucational classes, E-prescribing,andmedication therapymanagement,we also offer our customers the con-venience of extended evening hoursby remaining open until 7:00 p.m. fivedays a week.”

Sometimes you have to take thehealth care to the people. That’s thethinking behind Jim Pinder’s recenttrip to Africa. Mr. Pinder traveled tothe continent to take part in the FifthWest Africa Project Fair and PolioImmunization Program in Benin.

According to Mr. Pinder, polio,which is almost never encounteredin the West, is still a major problemin Africa, India, Pakistan, andAfghanistan. “People in first-worldcountries might not even be awareof how serious polio is and what itcan do to you, or that it even still

exists today,” he says. He notes that so far thisyear, 768 people have been diagnosed with thedebilitating disease worldwide.

“The message is clear,” Mr. Pinder notes.“Polio still exists in the world. The LomaLinda University School of Pharmacy isproud to join Rotary International in the fightto eradicate polio around the world.”

And finally, to show how grateful he is forthe pharmacy team’s unabashed commitmentto community outreach, Dr. Hughes treatedthe staff to an appreciation luncheon at Bucadi Beppo restaurant in Claremont. After car-bohydrate loading on plenty of pasta, theteam drove safely to K1 Speed Go CartRacing, but once they arrived, some membersof the LLUSP staff cast restraint to the windand—according to an informed observer whowishes to remain anonymous—“drove likethere’s no tomorrow.”

Flurry of activites surround LLU School of Pharmacy

One of 12 happy recipients of a newbicycle takes hers fora cruise around the parking lot at the Loma LindaUniversity School of Pharmacy. The bicycle distributionprogram—which featured bikes donated by InlandEmpire WalMart stores—was part of a team-buildingexercise which found faculty and staff members of theSchool of Nursing joining their School of Pharmacycounterparts in assembling bicycles.

News Capsule · 5

Pharmacy students raisefunds for Haiti relief efforts

Students from the School ofPharmacy have raised a total of $1,122 asof Friday, January 22, to aid in the reliefeffort for Haiti earthquake victims,according to Linda Williams, MS, assis-tant dean for student affairs and admis-sions in the School of Pharmacy.

“This is amazing what our studentsare doing to aid in the relief effort forHaiti,” Ms. Williams says. “We in the

Please turn to page 6

While there are over 100 schools of pharma-cy in the United States, Loma Linda UniversitySchool of Pharmacy is the only one that finan-cially supports students to participate in globalpharmacy outreach. Loma Linda Universityexemplifies a commitment to globalmedical serv-ice by incorporating international service oppor-tunities into the academic curriculum in order to1) prepare health professions students for acareer of effective global service, and 2) to pro-mote the health of the medically underservedpeople throughout the globe.

“We are committed to being the exemplarschool of pharmacy for global outreach. By put-ting our students in the furthest reaches of theworld to interact with the medically underservedwe open the door to active learning opportunitiesthat complement opportunities here in theUnited States,” states School of Pharmacy DeanBilly Hughes.

The experiences for pharmacy students par-ticipating in international outreaches has trulybeen global. Pharmacy faculty and students havetraveled to provide healthcare to under-served

people as close asMexicali,Mexico, to the remotelocals of theAmazonRiver, the Ethiopian desert,Kenya, Malawi, Afghanistan and China, just toname a few.

To date, the School of Pharmacy has workedin five continents.Recalling hismission toAfrica,third-year student StevenBowen stated,“…the experienceof leaving everything and every-one behind and only dependingon myself and what I wastaught gave me confidence inmyself and I returned inspiredfor challenge, for giving, and forlife.”

During chapel on May 12,the School of Pharmacy cele-brated the many contributionsthat students have made toglobal pharmacy outreach.Rashid Mosavin, PhD, MBA,who coordinates theInternational Pharmacy Out-reach Program (IPOP), inter-

viewed students who recently participated inmission outreach in Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi,and Brazil.“I chose to study pharmacy at LomaLinda University because of its reputation as aparagon of global service to humanity,” statedMidhasso Foge, third year pharmacy student.

Chapel program highlights global mission impact

Pharmaceutical Sciences Chair Rashid Mosavin, Ph.D,MBA, describesmany contributions that students in theSchool of Pharmacy have made to global outreach.

tive of their health status or comorbid illnesses,”Dr. Lam explains. “She adapts excellently to thepatients’ moods and allows them to pet and hugher during their medical visits. Her friendlypresence really relaxes these patients, who ini-tially were more reserved or upset, and, subse-quently, they open up to myself and the otherhealth care providers.”

Zoey, the therapy dog, has accompanied Dr.

emphasis on whole-person care.“The pharmacy students put their LLU

experience into action by the outreach pro-grams they are involved with,” says Ms.Williams. “It is wonderful to see how our stu-dents give back to the community through suchprograms as this blanket outreach.This is trulyservice in action, and I am personally so proudof theway the School of Pharmacy students areinvolved in our community.”

Lam to the HIV clinics at the Desert AIDSProject in Palm Springs, as well as the RiversideNeighborhood Family Center and the PerrisHIV Clinic. Zoey’s presence constantly bringssmiles and happiness to patients during theirsubsequent clinic visits.

Linda Williams, assistant dean for studentaffairs and admissions, stresses to current andprospective students that one of the thingsmak-ing Loma Linda University unique is the

School of Pharmacy students practice whole-personcare to reaffirm mission…

Continued from page 2

6 · News Capsule

School of Pharmacy students provide blood pressure screening…Mohammed Ghonim, PharmD, direc-

tor of pharmacy services for LLU MedicalCenter, recently sent an e-mail to BillyHughes, PhD, dean of LLU School ofPharmacy, that began, “I wanted to thankthe students for their support.”

Thirty-one LLUSP students had vol-unteered that day, March 9—many ofthem arriving at 8:00 a.m. and staying allday—for the blood pressure screening andmedication consultation held in honor ofNational Patient Safety Week in theLLUMC lobby.

“This really would not have been possi-ble without the exceptional efforts ofBlaire Heath,” Dr. Ghonim continued inhis e-mail.

Ms. Heath, an LLUSP student, is thepresident of the LLUSP student chapterof the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP), and Dr.Ghonim, president of the local CSHP pro-fessional chapter Inland Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ISHP), contactedher two weeks before the event aboutrecruiting student volunteers.

However, Ms. Heath points out howshe did not even attend the event due toschool-related commitments, and shemodestly directs most of the recruiting

credit to Alison Wong, CSHP studentchapter secretary.

“It is not always easy to have a set timeto do these screenings each year,” notes Dr.Ghonim. “Pharmacy students’ availabilityis dictated by exams and class projects.”

Ms. Heath and Ms. Wong felt this inthe slow responses to their e-mailed volun-teer requests; nonetheless, closer to thescreening date, more and more studentsreplied, eager to help.

Behind the scenes, Ms. Heath arrangedfor necessary equipment with Dr.Ghonim,and Ms. Wong allocated supplies and stu-dent work shifts.

Regretting her absence at the event,Ms. Heath recalls the last screening sheattended.“One specific patient I interactedwith was newly diagnosed with diabetes.We had a good discussion,” reflects Ms.Heath. “She asked if I was a Christian andtold me she could tell as soon as we startedtalking and wanted to inform me she knewthe Lord as well. This interaction encour-aged me so much.”

In addition to students, the planningfor the event involved: Carl Dominguez,PharmD, LLUSP assistant professor, whohelped recruit faculty for the screening;Michael Campbell, PharmD, who spent a

few hours at the booth; and Dr. Ghonim,who, in addition to overall planning, pro-vided oversight for students throughoutthe day.

During the event, students walkedthrough the lobby informing patientsabout the booth’s services.While most vis-itors to the booth were not LLU employ-ees, only one couple came to the boothwith previous knowledge of the event froma newspaper ad.

Heinedine Aguilar, LLUSP student,promoted the booth at the hospitalentrance during her shift and noticed apattern in people’s responses to the event.“There were many who refused to get theirblood pressure screened because they justreceived a reading and were either afraidthat their blood pressure would be toohigh or already knew that it was too high.Some wanted to avoid having to seek moreserious medical attention.”

One out-of-state lady stopped bybecause her husband was receiving protontreatment, and she told Ms. Aguilar thatbecause she was away from home, she wasnot able to check her blood pressure, eventhough she had been taking her bloodpressure medications, exercising, and eat-ing healthfully.

Ms. Aguilar found the lady’s results tobe close to normal, and she applauded thelady for her diligence, telling her, “Mostimportantly enjoy your life. Do not letyour blood pressure problem control yourlife.”

Apart from blood pressure screening,visitors also sought medical consultation.“They know they can bring in their bag of

Please turn to page 8

School of Pharmacy students provide blood pressure screening and medica-tion consultation during National Patient SafetyWeek.

School of Pharmacy applaud the generos-ity of our students.”

First year-pharmacy students con-tributed a total of $102; second year stu-dents, $720; and third-year students con-tributed a total of $300.

All funds have been submittedthrough the university’s office of philan-thropy.

Pharmacy students raisefunds for Haiti relief…

Continued from page 5

News Capsule · 7

Pharmacy students win awards for scholarship, citizenshipStudents from the School of

Pharmacy received nearly $100,000 inscholarships and awards for scholarshipand citizenship. Following is a list of the

donors and the awardees. The presenta-tions were made on Thursday, April 29.

Walgreen’s Diversity Award for African-American Students Rita AbankwaAPhA-ASP Senior Recognition Tuan PhamFaculty/Staff Citizenship Award Midhasso FogeCVS/Caremark Gerard Riveria, Talin Setaghian, Jessica Yee, Ruzanna

Gevorkian, Amanda DavisGoodNeighbor Pharmacy OutreachAward Van Nguyen, Jefmar Dickey, David WhattonWalgreen’s Diversity for Hispanic Students Connie ElejaldeJM Long Foundation Michael IbrahimLLUMCHospital Practice Scholarship Dijvaker Rastogi, Beth Becker, Jua Choi, Nancy Fong,

Emilie Hanlon, Nancy Kang, Cham Nguyen, Stacey PakNACDS Foundation Fabian RodriguezNovo Nordisk Excellent in Diabetes Care Emily Garispe, Caroline Nguyen, Julie Buu Chau Nguyen,

Hanna Hyun KongOllie Terrell Scholarship Elisabeth MarquezPerrigo:Award of Excellence Cham NguyenPhi Lambda Sigma PY1 Leadership Scholarship Sara PratesRalph’s Pharmacy Siwoon KimRiteAidScholarship Kleoniki Guzelyan,Thuy Nguyen, Cambria Wehtje-Sim,

Erin Carpenter, Osakana NiknafsDean’s Award 2011 Oksana Niknafs, Jefmar Dickey, Cambria Wehtje-SimDean’s Award 2012 SunYoo Lee, Amy Balog, HaYoung ParkDean’s Award 2013 Andrew Line,Willie Eirich, Natalie SosaStephen ChanMemorial Scholarship Nancy Fong, Nancy KangSuperValu/Albertsons Pharmacies Kezia Bechtoldt, Stacey PakTeacher of theYear 2010 Naomi FloreaTeacher of theYear 2011 David WeldonTeacher of theYear 2012 Robert TeelTEVA Pharmaceuticals Larry RutebukaBarbaraVodhanel Memorial Scholarship Oksana NiknafsWalgreen’s Pharmacy Angela Mo,Andrew PhamWalMart Scholarship Reginald Tayaben, Kimberleigh Ingram, Hoi YeungAMCP P&T Competition Tuan Pham, Reginald Tayaben, Lena Tran,Tammy

NguyenAphA-ASP Patient Counceling Competition Timothy HonradaASHP Clinical Skills Competition Cham Nguyen, Stacey PakFacts & Comparisons Gham NguyenGlaxoSmithKline Patient Care Award Sheena HafezizadehLilly Achievement Award Stacey PakMylan Excellent in Pharmacy Sheena HafezizadehPhi Lambda Sigma Future Leader Blaire HealthPhi Lambda SigmaMember of theYear Alice KhongPhi Lambda Sigma Faculty Member of theYear Javad TafereshiPreceptors of theYear –Ambulatory Care Mary GutierrezPreceptors of theYear –Hospital Mohammed GhonimPreceptors of theYear –Medicine La Donna OelschlaegerPreceptors of theYear – Community Pharmacy Rocco MassimianoRoche Pharmacy Communications Award Sean JonesRoche Pharmacy Preceptor of theYear Dennis HoUSPHS Excellent in Public Health Reginald Tayaben

8 · News Capsule

meds,” Dr. Ghonim explains, “and we willspend as much time as they need to go overany specific questions they have.”

Dr. Ghonim notes a key benefit of suchconsultations, especially when patientsreceive different prescriptions from differ-ent doctors. “Sometimes there is overlap,”he notes. “We can catch these overlaps andintervene.”

Regarding the cases of visitors at thebooth, Dr. Ghonim comments, “Therereally wasn’t anything out of the ordinary,as this is what we do day in and day out.”

Erica Lee, LLUSP student, agrees withDr. Ghonim while she admits, “I was therefor only an hour, and the station was reallyslow.” She then excitedly discusses the 16blankets she and other LLUSP studentshandmade for an HIV clinic in Riverside.

Yet her fellow LLUSP student, ReggieTayaben, when asked about exciting hap-penings at the booth, claims, “There wereactually two.”

…is published by the Loma Linda University School ofPharmacy and is solely intended as an informational publica-tion for students, faculty, staff, and friends of the School. Allmaterial is copyrighted by Loma Linda University and maynot be reproduced without written permission.

Executive editor ........................................ Billy Hughes, PhDAssociate editor .................................... Jim Pinder, JD,MBA

Summer 2010 · Vol. 4, No. 1Phone: (909) 558-1300 · Website: pharmacy.llu.eduAddress: West Hall, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda,California 92350

• James White IV SP’06. I am currently still working at CVS. It has definitely been an expe-rience, as there is more to it than just counting by 5's. Personnel management and efficiency,diplomacy, and time management are other skills being developed in me though this job. Ithas, and continues to be, a good yet at times very taxing, career opportunity. At the sametime, I do plan very soon to look into other practices, one option being hospital, so I can putfull use of my of clinical skills, which doesn’t happen as much in retail. Aside from career, Ihave recently moved to Fontana, in my very own house, and I am engaged to be married.The wedding will be early next year and I am looking forward to that.

• Bui & Don Tran, SP’07. After graduating from Loma Linda, I was offered and accepted anPGY1 residency position at Kaiser Permanente, San Jose,Medical Center.Then my fiancéeDon K.Tran, PharmD, and former classmate, were married on November 15, 2008.Wemoved to our house in Rocklin, CA and hope to start a family in the future. Currently Donworks as a clinical inpatient pharmacist at Sutter General Medical Center in Sacramento. Iaccepted a position as Ambulatory Care Pharmacist at Kaiser Permanente, SouthSacramento Medical Center.The management at my medical center believe in expanding therole of pharmacists.Therefore, I am cross-trained to work in Oncology,Nephrology,Anticoagulation, PHASE (preventing heart attacks and strokes every day-helping pt to man-age diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia),MTM (medication therapy management),and IMPACT (helping patient with medication substitutions and reducing drug cost) pro-grams.We are looking forward to starting a new pharmacy program-primary care pharma-cists at Kaiser Permanente, South Sacramento.At our medical center, we also precept stu-dents and pharmacy residents for various school or pharmacy to available inpatient, outpa-tient, and ambulatory care rotations.

• The School of Pharmacy congratulates Dr. Jack Chen on two recent publications. One is anarticle titled:“Parkinson's Disease: HealthRelated Quality of Life, Economic Cost, andImplications of Early Treatment” published in the March issue of the American Journal ofManaged Care. The second is a chapter (Chapter 12-Movement Disorders) in the book titledDrug-Induced Diseases. Editors: James E.Tisdale & Douglas A.Miller.

Alumni and Faculty notes…

School of Pharmacy students provide blood pressure screeningApparently, a man entered around

noon with a bag full of medications, andthe students who arrived before Mr.Tayaben told him this man had the samemedications as a woman who visited earli-er.

“What clinched it,”Mr.Tayaben recalls,“was when he took out some toothpaste,which the woman also had. What are theodds two people ask about toothpaste?”Mr. Tayaben then discovered that the manwas the previous woman’s husband, andthey both were participating in a researchprogram for a toothpaste aimed at increas-ing calcium absorption in seniors.

This had been the sixth screening forMr. Tayaben this school year, and heshares, “When there are no communityevents on the calendar, we LLUSP stu-dents make our own.” Last year, he helpedorganize the first LLUSP Health Fair,which he hopes to establish as an annualevent.

Both Mr. Tayaben and fellow booth

attendee Mina Than volunteer for theLLUSP health information booth atRedlands’ weekly market night where theyprovide screenings for hypertension, dia-betes, and osteoporosis.

“Some people ask why we’re allowed todo osteoporosis screenings,” mentions Mr.Tayaben.“I explain to them that we’re drugexperts for all disease states and can doassessments not just for high blood pres-sure. It’s rewarding when people realizethat pharmacists can do all these things.”

Ms. Than stresses the blood pressureawareness that the market night boothpromotes in the community. At theLLUMC screening, she was struck by theneed for this awareness.

A middle-aged, average-weight manasked Ms. Than for a blood pressurescreening after not having received ascreening for years. The man had hyper-tension.

“He was so surprised,” remembers Ms.Than. “He thought he was doing fine, buthypertension is a silent killer. There arestill many people in the community livingwith it and not visiting a doctor for theircheckup.”

With these students, Dr. Ghonim sens-es the need to promote health awareness inthe community.

Encouraged by March 9th and thegrowing relationship between the Schoolof Pharmacy and LLUMC pharmacy serv-ices, Dr. Ghonim hopes to provide screen-ings like this at least each year.

Continued from page 6