In The News

 

Community Partnership Benefits FAMU and Big Bend residents in need

Tallahassee- Apalachee Center, Inc., the Big Bend’s largest private mental health facility has recently partnered with FAMU College of Pharmacy to create a unique community partnership. Under the new collaborative agreement, the FAMU College of Pharmacy will direct, staff, and operate all inpatient pharmaceutical services at the Apalachee Center’s 70 bed hospital complex (including the Eastside Psychiatric Hospital, PATH Crisis Stabilization Unit, Short Term Residential facility, and Detox) located on Capital Circle N.E., Tallahassee, FL.

Apalachee Center’s CEO, Dr. Jay Reeve notes: “We are very excited about the prospects for partnership with the internationally noted FAMU College of Pharmacy. Apalachee Center serves between 5500 and 6000 clients with mental health and substance abuse needs every year. Many of these individuals suffer from serious psychiatric issues, and FAMU’s Institute of Public Health mission goal is to improve the health of those who bear a disproportionate burden of disease in the community. This is a natural fit which will result in greater access to pharmacy services for some of the most disadvantaged members of our community.” FAMU President Dr. James Ammons was also excited about the partnership and stated, “This is a great opportunity for our students to gain real-work experiences. Our collaboration with the Apalachee Center also gives us an opportunity to strengthen our partnership with a facility that has always been supportive of FAMU and our students.”

Mr. Leonard Inge, RPh, former Associate Professor in the College of Pharmacy and also former member of the Florida Board of Pharmacy, will serve as Director of Pharmacy Services for the College under this partnership. “I think this is a great partnership,” said Leonard Inge. “This is another opportunity to enhance our health care services at the center. FAMU students will be able to do research and gain valuable experience. It is a win-win situation all the way.”

The College will provide contemporary pharmaceutical care services for the patients of the facility. The agreement will also provide a post-doctoral mental health pharmacy resident who will provide clinical pharmacy services and research. Doctoral students from the College will receive clinical clerkship training in the psychiatric pharmacy and provide medication assistance.

“Providing pharmacy services for Apalachee Mental Health is an exciting and unique opportunity for the College of Pharmacy and University, because this is our first inpatient-model for pharmacy contract services. We look forward to providing training for our students, pharmacy residents, and assisting in enhancement of medication utilization for the clients and staff development efforts at Apalachee Mental Health and Eastside Hospital,” said Angela Massey Hill, PharmD, BCPP, Professor and Director, Tallahassee Pharmacy Practice, who serves as principal investigator on the contract.
“We are extremely excited to partner with the Apalachee Center to improve the quality of mental health services provided to the citizens in the Big Bend Area, stated Henry Lewis III, Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. “I commend the Division of Pharmacy Practice for the provision of the state of the art pharmaceutical care services at Apalachee and for creating a real life training environment for our doctoral students,” said Lewis.

COPPS Pharmacy Outreach Services: The College currently operates the pharmacy at Neighborhood Health Center and Bond Community Center in Tallahassee, the Johnnie Ruth Clarke Health Center in St. Petersburg, the Osceola County Health Department in Kissimmee and the Agape Community Health Center, the South Jacksonville Primary Care Center, the Wesconnett Health Center, and the West Jax Family Health Center in Jacksonville, Florida.