Awards and Recognition Program
The Association of Black Health-system Pharmacists (ABHP) presents a program that celebrates individuals for their remarkable achievements and service to both the organization and the pharmacy profession. This awards program spotlights exceptional contributions from health-system leaders, practitioners, pharmacy students, pharmacy technicians, and industry representatives who further the ABHP's mission and enhance its vision. The inaugural awards were given at a luncheon on December 7, 1983, during the American Society of Health-systems Pharmacists Annual Midyear Clinical Conference. Initially, ABHP honored students and practitioners who provided distinguished service to the profession and their communities. Dr. Allen L. Brown served as the first Chairperson of the Awards Committee, with Mr. Monroe Mack receiving the first Practitioner of the Year Award and Ms. Vernita Hawkins from the University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy earning the first Student Achievement Award.
Below you will find a brief overview of the awards. Please take a moment to review the details and consider nominating someone you believe is worthy of recognition. Self-nominations are welcome. Simply click the NOMINATE button and complete the application.
(Click to Download Guidebook)
Description:
• The Pharmacist of the Year Award recognizes a pharmacy practitioner who has made an exemplary contribution to the practice of pharmacy throughout his or her career or who has accomplished a single outstanding, distinctive achievement or accomplishment that has promoted and elevated the standard of pharmacy practice or the vision of the ABHP.
Selection Criteria:
• The nominee must be a current member of ABHP who has distinguished himself or herself by outstanding voluntary contribution to the profession of pharmacy and/or who has accomplished a single achievement in the year preceding the presentation of the award. Wendell T. Hill Award recipients are not eligible for the award.
Past Recipients
2011 - Lourdes Cuellar
2010 - Lenore T. Coleman
2006 - Jay Blake
2004 - Nicole Gordon
2002 - Kathleen Kennedy
1996 - Edric R. Bates
1988 - Marjorie A. Jackson
1987 - Robert D. Gibson
1986 - Paul W. Smith
1985 - Albert Hopkins
1984 - Leonard Edloe
1983 - Monroe Mack
Description:
• The Meritorious Service Award was established in 2000 to recognize ABHP members who have contributed through their sustained efforts, significantly to society, the profession of pharmacy and to ABHP.
Selection Criteria:
• The nominee must be a current member of ABHP who has distinguished himself or herself and the profession of pharmacy by outstanding voluntary contributions to society, the profession of pharmacy, and the ABHP.
• Members of the ABHP Executive Committee will select recipients. Once a history of the award has been established, the selection of the recipient will be made by past award recipients.
Past Recipients
2011 - Sybil Richard
2010 - Barbara Hayes
2008 - Kathleen Kennedy
2006 - Miriam Mobley-Smith
2004 - Regina Jollivette Frazier
2000 = Allen L. Brown
Description:
The ABHP Health-system Executive Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary national or worldwide contributions to improving access to healthcare. This award, which is conferred at the discretion of the ABHP Board of Directors, may be presented annually at the ABHP Annual Meeting, ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, or other appropriate functions. One or more awards may be conferred each year.
Selection Criteria:
• The ABHP members are invited, annually, to recommend nominees in writing with substantiating evidence. Nominations should state the extraordinary national or worldwide contributions that the nominee has made to the health field.
• Candidates may be those individuals whose primary practice is outside the pharmacy discipline, but may be a pharmacist or connected by their work in the health systems. Current ABHP Board members and ABHP staff are not eligible.
Past Recipients
2025 - Wright Lassiter (CommonSpirit)
2024 - Montez Carter (Trinity Health)
2023 - Eugene A. Woods (Advocate Health)
Description:
The George Mickey Leland Political Achievement Award, named for the noted pharmacist and senator from Texas, honors an individual, a team of individuals, or an organization that has performed special service in state or national political and legislative affairs that strengthen, improve, and further the interests of the ABHP and pharmacists in general. This award will be given to those individuals who best personify the spirit of Mickey Leland and whose work will have a significant impact on the community at large. This award recognizes outstanding service in the area of political and legislative action during a single association year or over an extended period. Nominees should reflect the ABHP vision and values as continually demonstrated in their outstanding legislative contributions at their state or national level.
Selection Criteria:
Nominees must have worked in connection with legislative and political matters to further the mission and vision of the ABHP, and pharmacists in general, in one or more of the following areas:
• Fund solicitation or contributions to the association or political action committee whose activities further the opportunities for ABHP members and pharmacists in general.
• Hosting and/or attending political action fund-raisers,
• Participating in local, state, or national campaign efforts,
• Participating in the passage of legislation beneficial to the professional advancement of pharmacists,
• Lobbying activities beneficial to the mission and objectives of ABHP and the professional advancement of pharmacists,
• Involvement in training, guiding, and nurturing those who become involved in the political process,
• Coordinating letter-writing campaigns or phone trees on important issues,
• Testimony on issues of concern to the pharmacy profession.
Nominees who are pharmacists must be a members in active status and in good standing of the ABHP.
Ineligible
• An individual, a team of individuals, or an organization who has been awarded the Legislative or Political Achievement Award within the last five years.
• Paid lobbyists.
Nomination Process
1. Nominations may come from individual ABHP members, ABHP officers, colleagues, and individuals familiar with the legislative achievements and political action efforts of the nominee.
2. Nominations may be submitted electronically to ABHP by March 1. An appointed Selection Committee will be convened to choose the recipient of the award.
3. The Selection Committee shall have the discretion whether to present the award or not to present the award every year.
4. The committee and related expenses shall be the responsibility of ABHP.
5. The award, if given, will be presented at the annual meeting of the ABHP Opening Session.
The award shall be a plaque recognizing the significant achievement made by the individual, group, or organization in the area of legislative and political action.
Past Recipients
2012 - Garnet F. Coleman (D-TX)
2011 - Sylvester Turner (D-TX)
2010 - Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
2005 - Yolly Roberson (D-FL)
2005 - Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL)
Description:
Established in 2009, the ASHP-ABHP Joint Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. Membership in ASHP and/or ABHP is not required but preferred.
Selection Criteria:
ASHP and ABHP members are invited, annually, to suggest nominees in writing with substantiating evidence. Nominations should state how the nominee meets the criteria for the award. This includes a record of demonstrating leadership in the reduction of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare in one or more of the following areas:
• Increasing awareness about access to care among healthcare providers, administrators, legislators, regulators, third-party payers, and the public;
• Ensuring effective communication with patients and among providers;
• Fostering consistent use of multidisciplinary teams and evidence-based guidelines for patient care;
• Collecting and reporting data on healthcare access, utilization, and outcomes;
• Researching, identifying, and disseminating best practices for providing access to care for all people.
Current ASHP and ABHP Board members and staff are not eligible.
Past Recipients
2025 - Anthony C. Scott
2924 - Jasper Watkins
2023 - Sharon Youmans
2022 - Angela Hill
2021 - Manouchkathe Cassagnol
2020 - Kathleen B. Kennedy
2019 - John E. Clark
2018 - Johnnie L. Early II
2017 - Neil J. MacKinnon
2016 - Mary Choy
2015 - Marie A. Chisholm-Burns
2014 - John J. Scrivens, Jr.
2012 - Lenore T. Coleman
2010 - Thomas E. Buckley
2009 - Folakemi T. Odedina
Description:
• The President’s Award is chosen exclusively by the President of the ABHP and is given to an individual or individuals that the President would like to recognize for helping him or her during the year as President.
Selection Criteria:
• The recipient(s) can be anyone who has significantly supported and/or contributed significantly to the success of the President during his or her term of office.
• The award shall be given in the year at the end of the President’s term of office.
Past Recipients
2025 - Anthony Jackson
2023 - Courtney Lang
2023 - Hannah Vanderpool
2011 - Burnett Nelson
2010 - Donna Bellamy
2010 - Katie J. Parker
2008 - David Witmer
2006 - Daniel Ashby
2001 - Cassandra Carwise
1996 - Joseph Oddis
Description:
• The Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award recognizes a pharmacy technician for outstanding personal performance and achievements during his or her career.
Selection Criteria:
• The nominees must be current members of ABHP or supporters of ABHP vision who have distinguished him or herself by outstanding contributions to the profession of pharmacy in their respective practice sites.
Past Recipients
2004 - Jane France
Description:
• The Research and Publication Achievement Award, presented annually, is intended to recognize and encourage outstanding, meritorious achievement in any of the following areas: basic pharmaceutical sciences, clinical pharmacy practice, and economic, social, and administrative sciences. The award may be given to up to three recipients in the same year, provided they are in different disciplines.
Selection Criteria:
• The nominee must have accomplished outstanding research and must have published reports in the scientific professional literature that can be used in judging an individual’s contributions within a given discipline. Self-nominations are allowed and encouraged for this award.
Past Recipients
2010 - Cori Brock
2004 - Folakemia Odedina
2001 - Karen Hodby-Henderson
2001 - Vincent Idemyor
Description:
• To recognize outstanding performance in providing clinical pharmacy services with a direct and/or indirect benefit to patients well being.
Selection Criteria:
• All nominees must be a current member of ABHP, and a practicing pharmacist routinely involved in providing direct and/or indirect patient care.
• The qualifications of the nominee must be supported by written evidence of his/her outstanding achievements in the performance of everyday duties as judged by the following professional activities:
• Patient Concern: The individual should demonstrate continued professional dedication and compassion to the care of patients, e.g.: • The nominee should demonstrate that the level of practice has been concentrated in an area of practice for some time.
• Scope of Practice: The individual should demonstrate that the spectrum of clinical pharmacy services routinely provided is unique and progressive.
• The nominee should demonstrate that the level of practice exceeds the routine job requirements and has been or is continuous.
• The nominee should have implemented original concepts in either his/her institution or practice setting that had a significant impact on the quality of patient care, quality of pharmacy practice, and/or service.
• Professional Respect: Respect of the nominee should be demonstrated by recognition from colleagues and/or other health care professionals concerning the value of the nominee’s quality of practice or services.
• Pursuit of Knowledge: The nominee should demonstrate a commitment to enhancing and expanding his/her knowledge base in order to constantly improve the level of care provided.
• The nominee should demonstrate participation in or completion of advanced training, workshops, conferences, seminars, etc.
• Leadership: The nominee should be active in community and/or professional organizations.
• The nominee should have served as an elected officer of a national, state, regional, or local pharmacy organization;
• The nominee should have served as a member of a committee, council, board, advisory group, task force or ad hoc group of an institution, pharmacy organization and/or community organizations.
Past Recipients
2011 - Monica Robinson Green
2008 - Manouchkathe Cassagnol
2005 - Patricia Ayuk-Egbe
2004 - Angela Massey
2002 - Zandra Mallory Green
2001 - Renee Momon-Ugwu
2000 - Otis Kirksey
1999 - Virgil Lijfrock
1997 - Cynthia Griffin
Description:
• The Wendell T. Hill Award, named in honor of the first African American President of the American Society of Health-system Pharmacists (ASHP). The award was established in 1997 by the ABHP Board of Directors to honor a pharmacist, who, through his/her dedication and commitment, has made significant contributions to the profession of pharmacy.
Selection Criteria:
• All nominees must be current members of ABHP and have at least ten years of practice experience since original licensure in any state.
• All nominees should demonstrate sustained practice excellence.
• The qualifications of the nominee must be supported by written evidence of his/her accomplishments, which should be based on one or more of the following professional activities:
• Professional Practice: The individual should demonstrate a commitment to practice excellence; e.g.:
• The nominee should have implemented original concepts in either his/her institution or practice setting that had a significant impact on the quality of patient care, quality of pharmacy practice and/or service.
• Leadership: Leadership should be evidenced by promotion within the institutional setting or within professional and/or community organizations; e.g.:
• The nominee should have served as an elected officer of a national, state, regional, or local pharmacy organization;
• The nominee should have served as a member of a pharmacy association policy-recommending body;
• The nominee may have served as a member of a committee, council, board, advisory groups, task force or ad hoc group established by ABHP or a national pharmacy association and/or community organizations.
• The nominee should have served as a reviewer, editorial board member, or editor for a national, professional refereed journal;
• The nominee should have served as a reviewer of papers submitted for presentation at state or national pharmacy meetings.
• Education: The nominee should have received successful recognition of educational activities to patients, health care professionals, and community organizations; e.g.:
• The nominee should demonstrate an ongoing level of involvement in and commitment to educating practitioners;
• The nominee should be actively involved in ongoing educational programs, e.g., the training or education of pharmacy students, nurses, and/or physicians.
• Research: The nominee should have performed applied or practical pharmacy research that may have or has had a significant impact on the quality of patient care and/or cost containment.
• The nominee should have published scientific or professional papers on relevant topics in pharmacy journals, or textbooks; or published abstracts;
• The nominee should have presented papers at professional meetings.
Past Recipients
2025 - Dawn Moore
2024 - Vickie Powell
2023 - Vivian Bradley-Johnson
2022 - Paul Walker
2010 - John E. Clark
2008 - Janet Mighty
2005 - Jasper Watkins
2004 - Johnny Early
2002 - Hewitt W. Matthews
2000 - Marcellus Grace
1999 - Robert D. Gibson
1998 - Bruce E. Scott
1997 - Arcelia Johnson-Fannin
Description:
• Named in honor of the first President of the Association of Black Health-systems Pharmacists (ABHP), the John J. Scrivens Distinguished Service Award was established in 2009 to provide recognition to an individual who gives significant, sustained service (greater than four consecutive years) to the ABHP.
Selection Criteria:
• All nominees must be active members of ABHP and not be elected officials.
• Members of the ABHP Executive Committee will select recipients.
Past Recipients
2012 - John E. Clark
2011 - Paul Wellington Smith
2010 - Horace Knight
2000 - Marisa Lewis
1999 - John J. Scrivens
1997 - Sonia Ford
Description:
• To provide recognition to a pharmacy student who has an outstanding record of accomplishment and service to the profession of pharmacy and/or community
Selection Criteria:
• All nominees must have begun at least the second professional year of school, completed a block of hospital internship, and worked in a hospital or other healthcare facility before or while attending pharmacy school.
• The qualifications of the nominee must be supported by written evidence of his/her outstanding accomplishments as judged by the following professional activities:
• Overall Grade Point Average (G.P.A.): The individual should demonstrate high academic achievement.
• Professional Affiliations: The nominee should be active in community and/or professional organizations.
• The nominee should have served as an elected officer of a student national, state, regional or local pharmacy organization chapter;
• The nominee should have served as a member of a committee, council, board, advisory group, task force or ad hoc group of an institution, pharmacy organization and/or community organizations.
• Pharmacy Practice: The nominee should demonstrate an interest in hospital or health-system pharmacy practice.
• Professional and/or Community Service: The nominee should demonstrate an involvement in community or professional services (e.g., Big Brother, Big Sister, volunteer organizations, etc.)
Past Recipients
2025 - Desiree Dennis (University of the Incarnate Word)
2025 - Lauren Wells (Southern Illinois University)
2025 - Britinee Innocent (University of South Florida)
2024 - Victoria Phan (University of South Florida)
2024 = Mariah Bobo (University of North Carolina)
2023 - Jordan Louis (Howard University)
2023 - Jerline Aristide (University of South Florida)
2022 - Tierra Jackson (University of Georgia)
2022 - Tanara Ellis (University of Oklahoma)
2016 - Amanda Briscoe (Texas Southern)
2015 - Sally Enemchukwu (Texas Southern)
2015 - Brittany G. Mani (Howard University)
2014 - Caroline Bett (California Northstate)
2014 - Chinonso Ezuedo (Texas Southern)
2013 - Lindsey L. Carter (Mercer)
2013 - Shafaat Pirani (University of South Florida)
2012 - Cedona Watts (University of Southern California)
2011 - Sherry Williams (Chicago State)
2010 - Kirk Latibeaudiere (NOVA)
2009 - Ashley Scott (Texas Southern)
2008 - Jerald M. Grace (FAMU)
2007 - Fungisai Mugwagwa (Hampton University)
2006 - Sharanie Sims (Howard University)
2006 - Kamile Whiters (University of Pittsburgh)
2005 - Azuka Onwudiegwu (University of Texas)
2005 - Yemi Odetola (University of Texas)
2004 - Alexander C. L Wilson (Hampton University)
2003 - Rachel Legros (Palm Beach Atlantic)
2003 - Chay Ali Puzey (NOVA)
2001 - Monica Pringle (FAMU)
2000 - Vantoria Chase (Howard University)
2000 - Jamilla-ann Bethune (FAMU)
2000 - Nadina J. Powell (Howard University)
1999 - Marcus Reginal Carson (Iowa)
1999 - Alisha D. Vassar (Toledo)
1999 - Jill Cottingham (FAMU)
1997 - Genevieve Ibisi (FAMU)
1997 - Michael C. Henson (Howard University)
1997 - Tanya EckFord (FAMU)
1996 - Victoria Robinson (Xavier)
1996 - Bettina Allen (Purdue)
1996 - Cosmos George (Howard)
1996 - Tracy Faulkner (Nebraska)
1988 - Cresinda Valdez (Purdue)
1987 - Zelda D. Johnson (FAMU)
1985 - Cheryl Harris (FAMU)
1985 - Tammy C. Jenkins (Howard University)
1983 - Vernita Hawkins (Cincinnati)
Description:
• To recognize a pharmaceutical industry professional for outstanding personal performance and support of the organization.
Selection Criteria:
• The qualifications of the nominee must be supported by evidence of his/her outstanding achievements and as judged by, but not limited to, the following criteria:
• Exemplifies ethical conduct with pharmacists and other health care providers.
• Demonstrates superior job knowledge and has a genuine interest in the practice of pharmacy as evidenced through clinical, technical, and educational support.
• A person who never compromises his/her integrity for personal gain.
• Responsive to the needs of pharmacists in providing quality patient care.
• Supports the mission and vision of the ABHP through program contributions and other services.
Members of the ABHP Executive Committee will select recipients.
Past Recipients
2025 - Audrea Juny Simpson (Genentech)
2024 - Courtney Billington (Johnson & Johnson)
2005 - Rawley Guerrero (Amgen)
2004 - Forest Harper (Pfizer)
2004 - Antonio Gutierrez (Novo Nordisk)
2001 - Carolyn D. Jones (Solvay)
2000 - Alma A. Greer (Wyeth-Ayerst)
1998 - Renee Valles (Astra Pharmaceuticals)
1998 - Chuck Tindel (Eli Lilly & Co.)
1998 - Roger T. Hansen (Zeneca)
1997 - Lenore Coleman (Bayer)
1997 - Allen L. Brown (Bristol-Myers Squibb)