May 13, 2016 – Albany, NY - Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has been honored by the Northeast Kidney Foundation (NEKF) with the organization's Contributions to Health Care award. ACPHS President Greg Dewey accepted the award on behalf of the College at NEKF's annual gala held on May 12 in Troy, NY.
Prior to presenting the award, the Foundation played this video highlighting the many different ways the College has been engaged with the NEKF through the years.
“We are so pleased to recognize ACPHS for all that its faculty and students do to assist us with our community outreach and education programs. They really act as an extended arm of the Foundation, and it benefits us a great deal. At the same time, the partnership allows for students to gain great experience working in the community. It’s a great partnership," said Carol LaFleur, Executive Director of the Northeast Kidney Foundation. “In fact, it’s the second time we are bestowing this recognition on the College, which is unusual, but they’ve really done some amazing things, and we want to recognize them.”
The College is proud to have longstanding ties with the NEKF spearheaded by the work of its pharmacy faculty members and their students:
- ACPHS faculty have served on the NEKF's Board of Trustees and Medical Advisory Committee.
- Faculty and students have provided clinical and consultative services for NEKF community screening and education programs.
- Faculty and students have been consistent participants in the Foundation's annual advocacy day for the past ten years.
- Faculty have spoken at a number of local patient and professional education programs, sharing their expertise to teach other health care professionals.
- The NEKF has served as a preceptor site for the college’s experiential education program, hosting dozens of students through the years.
ACPHS Professor Amy Barton Pai was also honored for her many years of service to the Foundation. Dr. Barton Pai was presented with a glass apple (a symbolic gift for teachers) by NEKF Executive Director Carol LaFleur. Inscribed on the apple is a quote from the poet W.B. Yeats that reads, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
About the Northeast Kidney Foundation
The mission of the Northeast Kidney Foundation is to improve the lives of those affected by kidney disease and related conditions, to increase organ donation, and to empower those we serve to be effective voices for better healthcare at the local, state and federal levels. For more information on the work of the Foundation, visit www.healthykidneys.org.
About Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a private, independent institution with a long tradition of academic and research excellence. The College is committed to educating the next generation of leaders in the health care professions and translating scientific discoveries into therapies that benefit humankind. In addition to its doctor of pharmacy program, ACPHS offers six bachelor’s programs and five graduate programs in the health sciences. The College has campuses in Albany, New York and Colchester, Vermont.