PULLMAN, Wash. The College of Pharmacy at Washington State University is one of 13 pharmacy schools from across the nation that has been selected by a Fortune 500 company to receive funding for student scholarships.
Universities that were selected to participate in the $1.1 million scholarship program by Cardinal Health were those that offer strong independent pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy or hospital pharmacy curricula. Each school received funding ranging from $50,000 to $125,000.
“Cardinal Health serves more than 7,000 community pharmacists across the country, and we’re one of the nation’s largest employers of nuclear and hospital pharmacists,” said Mike Kaufmann, chief executive officer of Cardinal Health’s Pharmaceutical segment. “We passionately believe in the essential role pharmacists play in making sure patients receive safe, high quality healthcare. That’s why we’re proud to partner with the Washington State University College of Pharmacy to invest in developing tomorrow’s pharmacy leaders.”
“We were among the schools to receive this generous gift because we are recognized as a national leader in educating students to be successful business people,” said Gary M. Pollack, dean of the WSU College of Pharmacy. “I have to credit our associate dean, Linda Garrelts MacLean, for that national reputation. She coordinates a team of other faculty, alumni and community pharmacists who participate each year in teaching our doctor of pharmacy students how to be great entrepreneurs.”
Those efforts have led the WSU College of Pharmacy to take first place twice in the last seven years in the national student business plan competition sponsored by the National Community Pharmacists Association, and to take second place twice during that time, Pollack said.
Garrelts MacLean joined the faculty of the College full-time in 2006 after a successful career operating an independent pharmacy in Spokane. She is a 1978 alumnus of the College.
Ranked #19 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health is a health care services company that improves the cost-effectiveness of health care. As the business behind health care, Cardinal Health helps pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices focus on patient care while reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and improving quality. More information about the company may be found at cardinalhealth.com and @CardinalHealth on Twitter.
The WSU College of Pharmacy has been educating pharmacists in the state of Washington since 1892. Approximately 94 new Doctor of Pharmacy students are accepted into the four-year degree program each year. The College is co-located on the University’s Pullman and Spokane campuses.