By Mary Borovicka, PharmD, BCPP, AAPP Foundation President
Greetings!
What an exciting time we had at the 2024 AAPP Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida! Three and a half days filled with 24+ contact hours of ACPE accredited programming, 40 speakers, industry-sponsored programs, poster sessions, forums, community meetings, and member-driven idea exchanges provided AAPP members the cutting-edge knowledge to help them continue to advance the practice of psychiatric pharmacy and focus on patient care. I was thrilled to meet so many new members as well as spend time with many colleagues, donors, and Legacy Partners.
The AAPP Foundation had a significant presence throughout the 2024 Annual Meeting. The Foundation proudly sponsored the session titled “Living Through Loss – Navigating Loss by Suicide as a Clinician-Survivor” presented by Dr. Julie Cerel. This session focused on reducing stigma and promoting healing through sharing stories of patient suicide loss. The Foundation also prioritized YOU and your wellbeing through various Wellbeing Activities. The Quiet/Reflection Room was a peaceful place for rest and reflection. The Creativity Room provided beads and other art supplies to create friendship bracelets and Unity Walk posters. And lastly, many supporters got up early on the last day of the meeting with their Unity Walk posters in-hand and enjoyed the 6:30 a.m. Unity Walk.
The AAPP Foundation continued to support Registration and Travel Grants for Pharm.D. students and 19 students were able to attend this year’s Annual Meeting thanks to the generous support of our donors. The students are so grateful for the support of these grants as they explore and learn about becoming a psychiatric pharmacist. The Foundation also supported the Strategic Goals Award. This year’s recipient was Dr. Joseph Cusimano and his project was titled “Development and Validation of an Instrument to Assess Patient Experience of Pharmacist-led Patient Medication Education Groups.” Additionally, the AAPP Foundation also supports the Defining the Future Research Grant and the Collegiate Chapter Impact Grant. Applications are now being accepted for these programs. Grant submissions are due August 29, 2024, for Defining the Future and September 30, 2024, for the Collegiate Chapter Impact Grants. Please see AAPP Foundation | aapp.org for more information about these exciting opportunities!
The Foundation was very pleased to be part of the first AAPP Outcomes Initiative Grant, which was awarded at the Annual Meeting in Orlando. The winning project title is “Psychiatric pharmacist management of cardiometabolic risk for adults with serious mental illness in outpatient safety-net mental health clinics in San Francisco.” Congratulations to the primary investigator and co-investigators Esti Iturralde, Ph.D., Anne Rosenthal MD, and Hannah Van Ochten, Pharm.D. of Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research!
Thank you to all who stopped by the Foundation Booth and made a donation! The Foundation Board enjoyed visiting with you and because of your generosity, the Foundation can continue its mission to advance the psychiatric pharmacy profession by supporting research, scholarship, and practitioner development. In the next few months, we will be kicking off our Annual Giving campaign. Your financial donation is critical to help support the many AAPP Foundation initiatives. Any contribution that you can make is appreciated!
Mary Borovicka, PharmD, BCPP
President, AAPP Foundation Board of Directors