The Wisconsin Society of Pharmacy Students’ heart health outreach is recognized by APhA-ASP as the third-best in the nation
Cardiovascular health extends far beyond formal blood screenings or risk assessments. A healthy heart is shaped by awareness, education, and how people understand and manage their body’s needs.
At the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy, fourth-year PharmD students Alexis Huffman and Caitlin Cook spent the last year expanding what cardiovascular literacy and outreach can look like through Operation Heart. As an outreach and patient wellness project, Operation Heart focuses on educating the community about cardiovascular care and health risks, while simultaneously highlighting the role of pharmacists in different cardiovascular care settings.
Huffman and Cook served as co-chairs of Operation Heart, which is one of several student-run outreach initiatives — covering everything from reproductive health to substance misuse — organized by the Wisconsin Society of Pharmacy Students (WSPS), the School’s chapter of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP).
Their work has earned Operation Heart national recognition: APhA-ASP has honored WSPS’ as the third-best in the nation for the 2024–25 academic year, marking a new milestone in the project’s strong award history.
“It’s something we weren’t expecting, but we put a lot of effort and time in this year,” says Huffman. “I think one of the biggest things was that we offered such a wide array of events. There was really something for everyone.”
Expanding reach
WSPS and Operation Heart are no strangers to success. The initiative earned Region 4 awards for 2021–22 and 2023–24. This history of excellence laid the groundwork for Huffman and Cook, who set their intentions high as they stepped into their roles for a second term.
“Since we were also co-chairs last year, one of our bigger challenges was coming up with something new and innovative,” says Cook.
“We touched on almost every patient population. We want to educate all that we can.”
–Alexis Huffman
That challenge shaped their approach for the 2024-25 school year. Throughout the year, Operation Heart hosted blood pressure screenings at community events across Southern Wisconsin, ranging from health fairs to senior centers. Led by PharmD student volunteers, these screenings help educate patients about their blood pressure, pulse, and overall heart wellness, while also providing student pharmacists with practical experience.
In previous years, Operation Heart mainly focused on older adults through professional fairs and senior centers. This year, in addition to their typical programming, Huffman and Cook focused on introducing new ways to educate the community and make cardiovascular care more accessible to a broader population, so they organized events for veterans, provided screenings at women’s health fairs, and made efforts to widen the demographic range of their participants.
“We touched on almost every patient population,” says Huffman. “We want to educate all that we can.”
This year, the team further expanded their work by also coordinating a blood drive where they collected 34 units of blood, well beyond their goal of 25 units. Even though not all attendees were eligible to donate, the drive still created an educational opportunity to gain a better understanding of heart health.
Huffman and Cook also worked to attract more student volunteers this year by organizing more engaging programming.
“We held workout classes for students, like Zumba and cycling,” says Cook. While drumming up student interest, these opportunities also reinforced a key benefit of cardiovascular exercise: stress relief.
“The classes were relaxing for a lot of students,” Huffman adds.
The next step
For Huffman and Cook, being honored as one of the top three Operation Heart initiatives in the country — out of more than 140 student chapters — is motivating.
As the pair prepare to pass the torch down to Operation Heart’s newest co-chairs, they hope to see the momentum of the initiative continue to grow.
“I’ve learned so much through Operation Heart,” says Huffman, who stressed the multitude of skills she’s gained to apply to her future in pharmacy practice.
Cook agrees, pointing to the importance of the work itself: “Heart health is an issue that’s so prevalent in the community — it’s crucial for every patient.”
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The Wisconsin Society of Pharmacy Students is recognized for impactful community outreach to improve medication safety and prevent misuse.