Volunteer Pharmacists Provide Care On and Off Ship

Project HOPE Volunteer Zara Risoldi, a pharmacist and health communication specialist will help teach and hand out medicine to the local people during a several day stay on the island of Sangihe in Indonesia.

Before leaving the USNS Mercy for her stay in Sangihe, she and the rest of the pharmacy staff visited the Pediatrics ward to deliver toys to the new children that came aboard.

“We just wanted to share some little trinkets with the children, being in the pharmacy we are doing a ton of hard work,” said Risoldi. “It feels good when we have a little time to give back to the children.”

As the morning rose, Risoldi, who is an Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, along with two other volunteers made their way to the new medical site in Sangihe.

“It was awesome to be on land,” Risoldi says of her adventure. “The pharmacists are the last medical professionals patients usually see when visiting a medical site. Most come in with huge smiles and it makes it feel like you are making a difference.”

With many moving pieces, Risoldi is just one of many important cogs making Pacific Partnership 2012 run smoothly.