Dr. Kisha Christian, center, owner of Neighborhood Pharmacy on St. Croix is the 2022 recipient of the Annual Ken Wurster Community Leadership Award. Photo Credit: NEIGHBORHOOD PHARMACY
At its annual Retail Business Conference (RBC) held in Las Vegas from July 16-18, 2022, Cardinal Health named Dr. Kisha Christian, owner of St. Croix’s Neighborhood Pharmacy as the recipient of its Annual Ken Wurster Community Leadership Award, a release from Neighborhood Pharmacy has made known.
Neighborhood Pharmacy is the first nominee and award recipient from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The award recognizes an independent pharmacist for outstanding contributions to their community and was created in honor of Tampa, Fla., independent pharmacist Ken Wurster, who passed in 2008, according to the release.
The pharmacy was lauded for its collaborations with various community partners, charities, and government agencies to make positive social impact on St. Croix and the wider U.S. Virgin Islands. The release described the Neighborhood Pharmacy team as a "responsive and flexible community partner, who believes in service above self."
Cardinal Health presented the 2022 Community Leadership Award at their RBC Conference. In addition to an engraved award, Cardinal Health donated $10,000 in Dr. Christian’s name to a pharmacy school or association of her choice. The recipient selected was the University of Georgia, College of Pharmacy, which is Dr. Christian’s alma mater.
Dr. Christian will launch a $25,000.00 scholarship fund, in the Fall of 2022, adding $15,000 to Cardinal Health’s donation. This fund will provide financial support to a minority student that has a passion for service and community involvement, according to the release. The award will be given annually.
The pharmacy engages in a wide variety of holistic and impactful community-based initiatives that provide direct relief to vulnerable populations in the territory, the release stated. These efforts include but are not limited to their annual Back to School Backpack Giveaway, Donation of School Supplies to teachers, Monthly Feeding initiatives with My Brothers Table and Community First, Territorial Christmas Giveaway with the Tim Duncan Foundation and their community-based initiatives that increase awareness and advocacy against domestic violence and sexual assault against women and other social ills.
Pharmacy services include innovative offerings such as delivery, drive-through, medication flavoring, vaccinations and a recently opened Juice Bar, according to the release.
The locally owned and operated pharmacy also engages in various in-person and virtual/radio/social-media Health Awareness Education initiatives and provide full and partial sponsorship to various organizations within the community to augment their efforts to address various social issues.
Dr. Christian considers her staff as an independent and equally important community and engages in consistent team building activities. “It is because of our dedicated and hardworking staff that we were able to receive this National award and it was an honor to accept it on behalf of our team," she said.
“Our goal is to focus on meeting the needs of the community; by providing quality healthcare services to the people of the Virgin Islands," the pharmacy said. "We are a family, and we are about people with a reach that exceeds healthcare. We seek to care for and nurture the whole human and are dedicated to lending a helping hand, engaging with, and empowering all residents of our community to be their best selves."
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