Feature Article

******** APRIL 23, 2013 - BLOOM TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING CANCELLED ******

In 2009, AgeOptions, (Area Agency on Aging for Suburban Cook County), approached the Senior Department to participate in an innovative collaboration program with Chicago State College of Pharmacy.  The collaboration would consist of 1st year pharmacy students working in a community setting as part of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences in a community-based public site.  These students would assist the Senior Department in the application process for Circuit Breaker and IL Cares RX and become familiar with: Providing Patient Care, Promote Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Communicate Effectively, Manage Literature and Information Effectively, Demonstrate Self-Directed and Lifelong Learning Skills, all things that are part of their curriculum at the Chicago State College of Pharmacy.

The Bloom Township Senior Department was recently asked if we wanted to participate in an opportunity to create a 4 minute TV film about the College of Pharmacy program for airing at the upcoming American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting and further use for program marketing, recruitment, and related purposes.  The theme of the TV film was “Preparing Pharmacists for a Global Community” and our section was to highlight our public health curriculum and the applied learning innovations of our students.  Our thanks to the seniors that participated in our TV film and we can’t wait to post it here when it becomes available.

This program has been an overall complete success and we have just completed this year’s program with  4 new students in April.  We hope to continue with the Chicago State College of Pharmacy Preceptor Program in the future and hope to see some of these future pharmacists right here in our communities someday.

Sheryl Ford, Senior Director Bloom Township Senior Services