The Pharmacist of the Year Award is the highest award presented to a member of the Michigan Pharmacists Association. The recipient of this lifetime achievement award is selected for his or her professional excellence, exemplary service and dedication to advancing the profession and public health.

This award is given for the culmination of achievements over the career of the individual. It takes into consideration:

• long-term, consistent dedication and outstanding achievements that have led to the advancement of the profession of pharmacy, public health and MPA.
• a large variety of skills, attributes and accomplishments are combined to determine who is most qualified to win this award.
• an individual strong in:
  • character.
  • cumulative professional accomplishments.
  • ability to properly represent and model what pharmacy as a profession encompasses.
  • understanding the goals of pharmacy, and significantly contributes to how these goals may be accomplished.

Previous Award Recipients

This award is given in recognition of an individual MPA member who has made considerable contributions in terms of community service which may include involvement in governmental activities separate from, or in addition to, his or her job.

Specific award criteria includes:

• recognized activities that contribute to building stronger or more successful communities
• the amount of time given and difference that the individual makes within the community (or government).
• service activities that do not necessarily promote the profession of pharmacy, such as involvement in food banks, community parks and recreation, youth activities, efforts to support the needy in the community, schools, etc.
• governmental activities such as contributions to policy and decision making within the political arena, increasing pharmacy's visibility by working with various government representatives or legislators, or focusing attention on the health and well being of the public in public policy, etc.

Previous Award Recipients

This new pharmacist's leadership award is given in recognition of an individual MPA member who is making a positive impact in his or her area of pharmacy early in the course of his or her career and shows promise for additional accomplishments throughout his or her career.

Specific award criteria includes:

• licensure for less than 10 years.
• cumulative contributions over the course of one's early pharmacy career (10 years or less) or a significant achievement (within 10 years or less of licensure).
• any area of practice, such as research, long-term care, health systems, community, nuclear pharmacy, home infusion, hospice, etc.
• accomplishments or participation in local, state or national pharmacy associations, including involvement in committees, boards, projects, etc.
• involvement in professional programs.
• contributions in the workplace that improve patient care and/or safety, pharmacy systems, increasing or enhancing the pharmacist's role(s) in providing health care.
• an apparent desire and dedication to the advancement of the profession of pharmacy.

Previous Award Recipients
1987 Sue Arens
1988 Amy Smendik
1989 Deanna Groeneweg
1990 Sheldon Rich
1991 David Bach
1992 Dianne Malburg
1993 Gregory Pratt
1994 Ann Reeves
1995 Diedre Briegel
1996 Brian Prather
1997 Karen Jonas
1998 Carol Maurer
1999 Suzanne Nadra Havican
2000 Heather Fredell
2001 Dean Van Loo
2002 Cambria DeHoag
2003 Stacey Uganski
2004 Kerry Tedesco
2005 Marcia D'Alcorn
2006 Jesse Hogue
2007 Jodie Bakus
2008 Ryan Bickel
2009 Jennifer Hagerman
2010 Charles Mollien

This award will be presented to an individual or team who has demonstrated an innovative pharmacy practice program, resulting in improved patient care or safety, advancement of the profession, enhanced pharmacy systems or other professional development.

Specific award criteria include:

• activities that may involve pioneering new models or systems that improve:
  • pharmacists' impact as members of the healthcare team.
    patient safety and outcomes.
  • patient care in general.
  • pharmacy systems or processes.
  • other professional development.
  • a system or tool for pharmacy professionals that will directly or immediately impact care or the profession and/or serve as an example or template for other pharmacy professionals to follow.
• cumulative achievements or a single, outstanding program/project completed or conducted over time.

Previous Award Recipients

1995 Grant Brown
1996 Gregory Bovee
1997 Mark Touchette
         David Wright
1998 Michael Collins
1999 Philip Hagerman
2000 James Clark
2001 William Green
2002 Sahar Swidan
2003 James Lile
         Kevin Przybylski
2004 Hae Mi Choe
2005 Sarah Lessard
2006 Leslie Shimp
2007 William Drake
2008 Kevin Roeder
2009 Harvey Schmidt
2010 Craig and Mary Rapin

This is a distinguished service award presented to an individual MPA member or friend of MPA who should be recognized for their leadership efforts during their years of dedication and distinguished service while working with and/or for the Michigan Pharmacists Association.

Specific award criteria include:

• cumulative service over the span of the individual's advisory period
• contributions that help advance the profession of pharmacy
• leadership qualities such as:
  • vision for the advancement of the profession.
  • problem solving.
  • strategic planning and implementation.
  • ability to motivate.
  • adaptability and perseverance.
  • ability to oversee and manage projects.
  • selflessness and cooperation.

Previous Award Recipients

This award will be presented to an MPA member or team of MPA members who have shown outstanding achievement and dedication to the pharmacy profession through community education and awareness.

Specific award criteria include:

• cumulative events throughout the course of a career or for specific activity(s) that promote the profession of pharmacy to the community and increase the visibility of pharmacy professionals.
• "education and awareness" activities that "convey information with the goal of positively impacting a person's health and/or decision making through information, screening, improved prevention or treatment."
• reaching out to positively influence health and lifestyle by acting as the patient's partner or mentor.
• community education and awareness involving public speaking, presentations, ad campaigns, health screenings, various drives and fundraisers, etc.
• smaller endeavors that have a high impact on a specific segment of the population. Examples include, but are not limited to, assisting small groups with understanding Medicare Part D, focused specialty counseling for diabetics in Asheville-like programs, etc.
• qualities such as:
  • originality.
  • creativity.
  • ability to assess and address the most pressing health issues currently facing a given population or group.
  • effectiveness in connecting and relating healthcare information to the audience.
  • excellent public speaking and group facilitating abilities.

Previous Award Recipients

1996 Gerald Rodgers
1997 Gregory Pratt
1998 Ralph Heuerman
1999 Ann Kluck
2000 Marlene Delp-Fichter
2001 James Myers
2002 Jon Comden
2003 Renee Koski
2004 Todd Miehlke
2005 Lori Roark
2006 James Bock
2007 Capital Area Pharmacists Association
2008 MPA-UP Division
2009 Timothy Stiff
2010 Tami Remington

The FMPA Award recognizes achievements and dedication to the practice of pharmacy, the community and MPA. The distinction signifies the recipient's actions well beyond regular pharmacy practice. Qualifying applicants will receive an exclusive lapel pin, a certificate, recognition in Michigan Pharmacist and an invitation to receive their award during the Annual Banquet & Awards Ceremony held during the MPA Annual Convention & Exposition.

The fellowship is divided into three areas: Professional Actions in Practice, Public Service and Pharmacy Association Participation, all of which help define what a well-rounded pharmacist is all about. This is the only award that requires the potential recipient to complete the application. Applicants are required to earn a minimum of 25 points in each of three categories, with a total of 100 points needed overall, to earn the fellowship. All points may be retroactively added from the beginning of an applicant's pharmacy career. Review the Fellow of MPA application.

• The recipient is not currently serving, nor has he/she served within the immediate past two years, as an officer of the association in other than an ex-officer capacity or on its awards committee.
• Those with family members serving as an officer, board member, employee or awards committee member of MPA are not eligible, with the exception of the Fellow of MPA award.
• Winning a particular award makes that individual ineligible for that award in the future. The exception is if completely new and different material is considered for the Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award (IPPA). None of the work that contributed to winning the IPPA may be considered upon subsequent nominations of that same individual.