August 25, 2015
Cheryl Wisseh, a fourth-year Doctor of Pharmacy student at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, was appointed chair of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association National Diabetes Initiative during the NPhA/SNPhA national convention in Orlando, Florida, on July 24–27, 2015.
In her new position, Wisseh will plan and oversee national diabetes events for the 91 chapters of SNPhA, including the annual SNPhA Walmart and Sam’s Club Diabetes Health Fair. She will also review and approve each chapter’s Diabetes Initiative reports and assess the overall direction of SNPhA’s Diabetes Initiative.
Wisseh says she chose to apply for chair of the Diabetes Initiative because of diabetes’ effect on underserved communities.
“I am very passionate about serving the underserved and eliminating health disparities,” Wisseh says. “I also know that diabetes is a major cause of morbidity and mortality within underserved communities. I chose to apply for the national diabetes chair position because I want serve in a greater capacity and make a national impact on diabetes awareness, prevention and management through my leadership.”
Wisseh says she hopes to increase diabetes awareness and prevention in the youth population by forming national and local community partnerships and to increase SNPhA membership participation in national diabetes events.
“I am very honored and humbled to serve the thousands of members of SNPhA and I am excited to see what we can achieve together,” she says.
Wisseh has been a member of the SNPhA since her first year as a pharmacy student. During her second and third years at the School, she acted as the co-chair of the SNPhA Power to End Stroke Initiative. In that position, Wisseh partnered with a Durham nonprofit organization Healing with CAARE to coordinate free blood pressure and blood glucose screenings in the Triangle area. Wisseh is also currently working with Healing with CAARE and the UNC SNPhA leadership to create a pharmacy clinic for chronic disease management in Durham that will focus on diabetes and hypertension.
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