Pharmacy students boost senior heart health

A community partnership between PharmD students from the College of Pharmacy and a Bloomington senior living home provides recurring point-of-care testing for residents. Under pharmacist supervision, volunteer students go onsite every other month to check each resident’s blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol and discuss their individual heart health. 

“In addition to benefiting residents, the events support pharmacy student development by offering experiential learning opportunities that build confidence, clinical skills, and cultural competency in a community setting,” said third-year PharmD student Calyn Schanzenbach. 

Schanzenbach currently leads her local chapter of Operation Heart, an American Pharmacists Association student group. Not only do the regular heart check-ins help seniors at AHEPA Senior Living “better understand and manage their cardiovascular health while reducing barriers to care,” but they support hands-on student learning, she said. 

A translation tool has also enriched the communication between seniors and students. Schanzenbach said several languages are spoken at the site and an available device  allows live translation during conversations between student pharmacists and senior residents. 

“Usually you don't have access to that type of translator on the spot… being able to do that right then and there has been so life-changing as a future provider,” she said. “I would definitely say that the residents who come really enjoy talking to students and kind of learning with us.”

In the future, Schanzenbach would like for the community partnership to expand into other senior living sites. She will soon hand the baton to a new leader at Operation Heart and wishes to see the organization carry on recurring check-ins. 

“You only get so many hands-on experiences before you go out into the real world, into rotation, so the students who have come have really valued being able to practice with people who are so patient and kind and also willing to hear what we have to say about their blood pressure, cholesterol, or their health habits,” Schanzenbach said.