A message from the Executive Director
D ear Friends,
This is our biggest newsletter ever! In this month's newsletter, "A Dose of Ozanam", we will highlight Mr. Matthew Teimoorian, our five-week student pharmacist intern and his experience with Ozanam. We are very excited to have Miss Tatyania English. She will be serving as our summer marketing intern. On May 16, 2019, we hosted our 2nd Annual Jazz and Cocktails...Rx for a Cause. It was a big hit with over 200 people in attendance. The event featured a silent auction, great food and live jazz music.

In the midst of good news, we do have sad news to report , Mrs. Rose Marie Davis, a twenty-one year volunteer with Ozanam Pharmacy passed away on Wednesday, June 5th after a long battle with cancer. Please keep Mrs. Davis and her family in your prayers.
This week, I and my staff had the pleasure of participating in the Alabama Pharmacist Association (APA) Convention in Destin, FL. Two individuals that works at Ozanam, Mrs. Annie Daniels and Mr. Nelson Summerlin received distinguished awards from APA.

In closing, the summer season offers extra time for relaxation and fun. But in the midst of the jet skiing, barbecues and family vacations, please do not forget those that are not as fortunate as you may be. Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy relies on support from you (the community) to help purchase the life sustaining generic medications for our patients.

In addition, Ozanam Pharmacy will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2019 and Friday, July 5 in observance of Independence Day. We will resume our regular business hours on Monday, July 8, 2019 from 9:00 am until 2:30 pm. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Shearie Archer
 Executive Director
Photo taken by: Tenaysha Carroll
Remembering Mrs. Rose Marie Davis

Mrs. Rose Marie Davis passed away on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. Rose volunteered for Ozanam Pharmacy as a Pharmacy Technician three days per week for nearly 21 years. Also, she tracked by hand all patient stats for every county each month. She continued to volunteer her time last week by bringing cards and brochures to educate her caregivers from hospice about Ozanam. Rose was a blessing to Ozanam and a blessing to me. She was a SHERO on earth, and now she is our SHERO in heaven. Rose received the United Way’s Heart of Gold Award because of her years with Ozanam. She was truly our heart of Gold. Please keep Rose and her family in your prayers.  
Congratulations to Chief Pharmacist Mrs. Annie Daniels and Volunteer Pharmacy Technician Mr. Nelson Summerlin for receiving two awards of distinction from the Alabama Pharmacy Association Convention in Destin,Florida!
This week Mrs. Annie Daniels, Ozanam's Chief Pharmacist won the Alabama Pharmacist Association's Bowl of Hygeia Award. The Bowl of Hygeia Award is the highest honor given to a Pharmacists who possesses an outstanding record of civic leadership and encourages other pharmacists to take active roles in their communities. The Bowl of Hygeia is the most widely recognized international symbol for the pharmacy profession and considered one of the profession’s most prestigious award. The bowl, a medicinal potion and snake represents healing. There is only one award given out from each state annually.

Also, congratulations to Mr. Nelson Summerlin, Ozanam's outstanding volunteer pharmacist for receiving the Alabama Pharmacy Association's Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award! Ozanam Pharmacy is so grateful to have an awesome volunteer for over a decade! Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy is very thankful for all their hard work over the years!
A Road Map To Success
Meet Pharmacy Student
Mr. Matthew Teimoorian
M r . Matthew Teimoorian is a fourth-year pharmacy student at Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy. Matthew is a native of Mobile, Alabama. He is a graduate of the University of South Alabama with a degree in Biology. Matthew has one brother. "I heard great things about Ozanam for several years from other volunteers and even the patients themselves. But this is actually my first experience with Ozanam Pharmacy."
What do like most about Ozanam Pharmacy? "I really like the atmosphere. Everybody is friends with everyone, and the entire staff is great to not only work with but also to be around."

What do you like to do for fun? "I have always loved playing any kind of sport. Especially soccer and watching movies!"

What is your favorite movie? "The Godfather movies. The third one never happened."

What is your favorite meal? "There are a lot of meals that I really enjoy, but steak would have to be my favorite. Stuffed crust pepperoni pizza would probably be a close second."

What is your personal philosophy? "Don't take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway."
Photo taken by: Tenaysha Carroll
Up-and-Comers
Meet Marketing Intern
Miss Tatania English
M iss Tatyania English is Ozanam's Pharmacy newest Marketing intern for the summer. She will be working with us every Wednesday at the pharmacy. Miss English is an incoming freshmen Biology major at Auburn University Montgomery in the Fall. Tatyania will be assisting the pharmacy at the front desk, as well as the marketing department until August. Miss English is a 2019 graduate of Mattie T. Blount High School. Her plans are to become a licensed Pharmacist.
Photo Courtesy: Tatyania English
5 things you may not know about Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy...

  • Did you know we currently assist over 1690 patients and have purchased over $2.8 million dollars (retail value). Without your support, we would not be able to do this!

  • Did you know that Ozanam Pharmacy is one the oldest and very few licensed stand alone pharmacies in the United States? And the only one in the state of Alabama.

  • Did you know that we were founded in 1998? The Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy was initiated under the leadership of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Mobile, and The Service Center of Catholic Social Services’ director, Sister Judith VanderGrinten (of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Agnes).

  • Did you know Ozanam Pharmacy trains over 60 case workers each year in Mobile, Baldwin & Escambia and now Washington counties to certify patients?

  • Did you know we currently have 5 licensed Pharmacist, 11 Registered Pharmacy Technicians, 4 full-time and 4 part-time employees and over 20 volunteers?

  • For more information on our services Call Ozanam Pharmacy at 251.432.4111.
Photo taken by: Tenaysha Carroll
AT&T Cares
Mr. Glyn Agnew, External Affairs, Regional Director of AT&T stopped by last Friday to present a check to Ozanam Pharmacy to assist with purchasing life sustaining medication for Washington County, AL.

The Mission Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy is to provide prescription medications at no cost to uninsured individuals with no other means of obtaining them in Mobile, Baldwin and Escambia, & Washington Counties in Alabama. If you or someone you know needs assistance, in Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia or Washington Counties for prescription assistance contact 251.432.4111 for more details.
Photo taken by: Tenaysha Carroll
One rural Alabama town reached for its wallet to keep its hospital open
A s the lone hospital in Alabama’s rural northwest Winston County, Lakeland Community Hospital had for decades been critical to health care in the region.
Then officials stunned the community when they announced just before Thanksgiving in 2017 that the hospital, in the small city of Haleyville (pop. 4,000),  would close   by year’s end, leaving the nearest emergency room nearly an hour away.

That spurred extraordinary measures by staff, community, city and county government that not only brought the hospital back to life – but underscored what it might take to keep struggling rural hospitals in places like Michigan and across much of the nation open for business. “Our community had to have medical care. It could mean life or death,” Haleyville Mayor Ken Sunseri told Bridge Magazine. Dozens of local residents packed a city council meeting a month after the closing announcement. It wasn’t just the loss of hospital care that was on their mind; the city said Lakeland’s closing would put 10 percent of Haleyville out of work.

With local backing, the council passed a 1-cent sales tax hike to finance purchase of the hospital from its owner, Curae Health, a Tennessee-based nonprofit rural healthcare firm which has since filed for bankruptcy.
That led to formation in 2018 of the Health Care Authority of Haleyville and Winston County and its purchase of the hospital for $1.25 million. County commissioners also voted to approve  a 2-mill property tax hike  in deeply red Alabama to support the hospital.

“Raising sales tax is generally not a popular item,” Sunseri said. “But when we passed the sales tax, I did not have one person make a negative comment. I did not get one negative phone call.” The authority turned over operation of the 59-bed hospital to Nashville-based Java Medical Group, which took on a share of the hospital’s debt. Java CEO Bappa Mukherji said he had toured the hospital in December and noticed a bulletin board with a note: “To Santa: All we want for Christmas is to save Lakeland. Love, Third Floor Nurses.” MEDHOST, a Nashville health information technology business, took over Lakeland’s business functions and laid out a process for fiscal recovery that included repayment of outstanding bills.

In the meantime, some hospital employees fled to take other jobs.
But by the end of January 2018, Lakeland was  seeking to fill more than a dozen positions , including nurses, radiology technologists and respiratory therapists.
Haleyville Mayor Sunseri said it was critical for the hospital’s survival that most employees stayed when its future remained in doubt. Some pulled extra shifts to make up for those who left.

“They did anything and everything to save the hospital,” he said.
One rural health care analyst said Lakeland Community Hospital likely won’t be the last whose fate rests on a willingness of the local community to shell out more in taxes for health care.

“It’s a national issue,” said Brock Slabach, senior vice president for the Kansas-based National Rural Health Association, a nonprofit advocacy group.
“Communities all over the country are struggling with the problem. These are resources that shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

Story courtesy of Ted Roelofs, Michigan Health Watch
Have you purchased your tickets to our next fundraiser, "The Father's Day Crawfish Boil" held at Kazoola's Eatery on June 16th? If you haven't, you can purchase tickets at the door or online. Tickets are $10 per person and $15 for couples. The Crawfish boil will be held at:
Kazoola's Eatery
558 Dauphin St. Mobile, AL 36602

Click the link below "I want to purchase tickets" for more tickets

For more information on this event, please contact Tenaysha Carroll, Development Coordinator, 251.721.0458 or tcarroll@ozanampharmacy.org. Thank you.
Flyer designed by Tenaysha Carroll
Highlights from Jazz and Cocktails...Rx for a Cause
May 16th at Azalea Manor
To view all of the photos from the event click "2019 Jazz and Cocktails Photos" button below:
Photos taken by Princess Productions
Happy Birthday to staff and volunteers in
June, July and August!

Matthew Teimoorian
(Student Pharmacist intern)
June 16

Viletta Beck
(Lead Pharmacy Technician)
July 1

Pam Vautier
(Front Desk Volunteer)
July 27

Cathy Whelton
(Front Desk Volunteer)
August 28

David Wancowicz
(Pharmacy Tech Volunteer)
August 28

Judy Kramer
(Patient Assistance Coordinator)
August 29


I n loving memory....

Did you know that you can donate to Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy in remembrance or in honor of a friend or loved one?
 
We fondly remember our loved ones who are no longer with us. This simple gesture of LOVE can be a thoughtful way to express how much that person meant to you. Just click on the "In Memory" button below and the link will take you directly to the Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy website to give what is in your heart.


Interested in volunteering at Ozanam?  
251.432.4111 (office)
251.445.0981 (fax)
ozanampharamacy.org
Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.