College of Pharmacy Announces New Director of Community Engagement

Dr. Amy Thompson assumes role, plans to expand advocacy work for pharmacy practice

Media Contact: Lindsay Groth, Director of Marketing and Communications, [email protected]

[Ann Arbor, Michigan] – The College of Pharmacy is proud to announce that Dr. Amy Thompson has assumed the role of Director of Community Engagement. Community Engagement was previously led by Assistant Dean Paul Walker, who recently announced his plans to retire this fall.

Community Engagement at the College

The role of Community Engagement is crucial to the College for two key reasons: Providing our students with hands-on experiences outside of the classroom and giving back to the residents that make up the greater Ann Arbor area.

The Community Engagement team is responsible for hosting community education and health screening events throughout the year, and also larger-scale advocacy work for pharmacy practice, which Dr. Thompson hopes to expand as she assumes this role.

“Right now, in the state of Michigan, pharmacists are not considered providers. With a large shortage of primary care physicians, if we can continue to grow the community pharmacy practice model and get reimbursed for this work, imagine the impact it can have on patient care and chronic disease management,” explained Thompson. “I hope to use my experience to further education and advocacy for this work in this new position.”

Each year, Community Engagement hosts Pharmacy Community Connect Day, where first, second and third year PharmD students educate community members on safe drug storage and disposal at local pharmacies. This year it has expanded to include three sites where community members can donate unused oral oncology medications, in collaboration with YesRx.

Other events coordinated by Community Engagement educate on topics including reproductive health, immunization and self-care.

“We do a great job of showing our students the breadth of pharmacy, but a big piece of community engagement is educating the community on the many ways pharmacists can improve their medication management,” Thompson remarked.

Students currently volunteer at the student-run free clinic through The University of Michigan Medical School, and visit low-income housing facilities to meet with members of the community to provide blood sugar and blood pressure screenings under the guidance of preceptors.

“The Community Engagement team has worked very hard to put together different experiences throughout the years, and I am excited to see that first-hand while helping us expand our reach,” said Thompson.

New Leadership

Dr. Amy Thompson, PharmD, has been with the U-M College of Pharmacy for eight years, serving as a Clinical Associate Professor. Additionally, Thompson is the Director of Population Health Pharmacy and Community Partnerships within Pharmacy Innovations and Partnerships at the University of Michigan Health – a role she will continue to serve in.

Prior to hailing to the victors, Dr. Thompson worked as an Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she earned her PharmD.

Dr. Thompson credits Assistant Dean Walker and Assistant Director of Community Engagement, Dr. Caitlin Ferguson, for the foundation built around Community Engagement at the College and hopes to continue to build on this legacy by bringing in her experience and perspective.

“I think we have a great groundwork already in place,” Thompson explained. “We have great partnerships in the community and we will continue to lean on those to create meaningful experiences for our students, and for the residents of this area.”

“I am delighted that Dr. Thompson will assume the role of Director of Community Engagement. It will be fun to watch from the sidelines as she continues to expand upon this program and I know I am leaving it in good hands,” says Assistant Dean Walker.

Dr. Thompson began this role on July 1 and has been working with Assistant Dean Walker over the summer to transition into the role.

Assistant Dean Walker also oversees Experiential Education at the College. Dr. Hanna Phan will assume the role of Director of Experiential Education. You can read more about that transition here.

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About the College

The University of Michigan College of Pharmacy has been leading at pharmacy’s edge for 150 years. The first and oldest pharmacy school at a state university, the College — currently ranked #2 in the nation — has and continues to shape education in the field. Its faculty are internationally recognized and are innovators in drug discovery, development and delivery, precision pharmacotherapy, outcomes research, and clinical practice. More than 5,000 alumni are enhancing patient care and outcomes from the bench to the bedside, in boardrooms and communities, government agencies, and within healthcare companies.