UTHSC’s chapter of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) is making masks to help underserved communities in Tennessee during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amelia Thompson, the SNPhA chapter president, said the chapter wanted to donate masks to underserved African American communities because these communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
“Many African Americans work in high risk/essential jobs and aren’t able to work from home,” Thompson said. “It was important for us to make masks for this community so that they can protect themselves as best as they can.”
Dr. Kenneth Hohmeier, the UTHSC SNPhA advisor, said data shows that those who are suffering the most from COVID-19, in terms of death and morbidity, are those in underserved communities.
The chapter has already donated 40 masks to Parkway Health and Rehabilitation, a nursing home in Memphis that saw an outbreak in April. They also donated 31 masks to Pruitt Discount Pharmacy, an independent African American-owned pharmacy serving underserved patients in East Nashville.
“I am proud of our SNPhA Chapter for their efforts to serve those most in need during this time,” College of Pharmacy Dean Marie Chisholm-Burns said.
More than 100 masks have been donated to Memphis Health Center, a medical center in Memphis serving primarily underserved African American communities. Sheila Liddell, a UTHSC College of Pharmacy alumnus who works at Memphis Health Center said she was elated when she was contacted about mask donations.
“Our patients here in North Memphis have expressed difficulties finding masks or even finding supplies to make them,” Liddell said. “The underserved population struggle with getting access to good healthcare a lot of times.”
She said the patients at the clinic often fall into high-risk categories for COVID-19 because of factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and respiratory disorders.
“Thanks to the SNPhA chapter, we have been able to assist in lowering the fear of the virus and providing those without masks an option,” she said.
