Sarah Rumbellow, a P-3 pharmacy student, has been selected to receive a national award for her contributions to public health.
Rumbellow was named recipient of the United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award. The award was established to recognize pharmacy students’ contributions to both the pharmacy profession and public health, in general. She was nominated for the award for her dedication in advancing the Healthy People 2020 Initiatives.
Sharon Rush, clinical assistant professor of health outcomes and pharmacy practice, nominated Rumbellow for the honor.
“When first approached by the college to consider someone for this award, I immediately thought of Sarah and felt she was most deserving,” said Rush. “I cannot be more proud of what she has achieved for the college and, more importantly, for the health of our communities.”
For the past two years, Rumbellow has served as a co-chair of a major college outreach to underserved communities. Known as Project Collaborate, the initiative brings together students from the various pharmacy student organizations as well as students from nursing and social work to offer the public free health screenings including tests for cholesterol, blood sugar, body mass index, blood pressure, and, most recently, diabetic foot exams.
“I am so humbled and extremely grateful to receive this recognition,” said Rumbellow. “I feel very lucky to have had the privilege to work over the last two years in an initiative I enjoy so much and for a cause I am truly passionate about. I find myself almost speechless at receiving this unexpected honor – which nearly never happens to me.”
“I am thankful to Professor Rush and my co-chairs Kelley and Thuy for all of their hard work,” she continued. “I also thank Dean Ginsburg and Dean Crismon for their continuous encouragement of our initiative. We wouldn’t be where we are today without their support.”
Under her leadership, 2,866 area patients have received more than 12,000 individual screenings from Project Collaborate. More than 1,100 patients from the total screened were discovered to have abnormal values on one or more tests resulting in referrals to another healthcare provider.
In addition, Rumbellow serves as a student representative to the Central Texas Society of Health System Pharmacists and as president of the college’s chapter of Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society.