Third-year McWhorter School of Pharmacy student Stephanie Gore has been selected for the inaugural class of PQA-CVS Health Foundation Scholars. The scholars program is a new initiative designed to increase student interest in performance measurement and quality improvement. Gore is among only 18 Doctor of Pharmacy students selected from across the country for the program and she is the only participant from Alabama.

"We received a number of strong applications and are excited to see how our scholars learn, grow, and develop as quality-minded professionals over the next year," said Hannah Fish, associate director for education and communications at the Pharmacy Quality Alliance. She continued, "We are confident that through this program we will create future pharmacist leaders who can champion medication use quality that enhances patient care and outcomes in health care."

“As a PQA scholar I aim to delve into the determinants of patients’ problems and their perception on quality,” said Gore. “Quality measurement is now increasingly common in health care. By being an advocate for change and quality improvement I believe it will give me the ability to improve quality care, understand the health system better, and find ways to ultimately advance the health care system,” she added.

As part of the application process, student pharmacists submitted a concept for a unique project to be developed throughout the academic year. Gore’s project will focus on determining patient centered outcomes for the value of health care. She explained that she will examine patients’ perceptions of the current PQA metrics and will determine what services offered in a pharmacy matter most to the patient compared to pharmacists and technicians. Gore will utilize a survey of patients and community pharmacists, and pharmacy student led health fairs to accomplish her goal. She will present her project at the PQA Annual Meeting in May 2017.

A passion for public health, transformative care, and quality improvement motivated Gore to apply for the program. “The PQA/CVS Health Foundation Scholars Program gives me the tools to better understand quality research and to continue to work with mentors, like Dr. Galdo, to find ways to shape our health care system,” said Gore.

“I’m so incredibly proud of Stephanie, especially given number of applications for this program,” said pharmacy dean, Michael A. Crouch. “To be a scholar provides her a remarkable opportunity to grow as a leader and learn more about quality improvement.”