The Jewell and Carl Emswiller Symposium

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The Jewell and Carl F. Emswiller Jr. Interprofessional Symposium is committed to educating health professional students and practitioners about providing meaningful patient care through innovation in interprofessional practice. The symposium was endowed by Jewell Emswiller in honor of her late husband, Carl, and their shared passion for collaborative, patient-centered pharmacy practice. Carl Emswiller was a leader and innovator in community pharmacy practice. He championed pharmacist-provided clinical activities, such as medication therapy management and reviews, and collaborative practice agreements that improved the health of patients.  He served and chaired local, state, and national organizations advocating for this cause. On December 10, 2009, Carl Emswiller passed away in Winchester, VA after a long battle with cancer.  This symposium will serve in perpetuity as a continuation of his work to elevate community pharmacy practice for the improvement of patient’s health outcomes.

Emswiller’s career began in 1962 when he graduated from the Medical College of Virginia and joined Eugene White’s ground breaking, office-based pharmacy in Berryville, VA. Alongside White, Emswiller created one of the nation’s first pharmaceutical care centers, which became an example for pharmacists across the country through the American Pharmaceutical Association. After 6 years in this position, Emswiller purchased his own traditional pharmacy in Leesburg, VA where he further developed the model for the patient-focused pharmacy. By 1974, with the enthusiastic support of area physicians, Emswiller moved his innovative practice into a medical office building co-located with physicians and other health professionals. His new office-based pharmacy eliminated various commercial goods from the inventory and was equipped with a private consulting office.  At the site, patient care services expanded to include patient medication record reviews and blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol monitoring in collaboration with nearby physicians. This practice grew until he retired in 2000.

Emswiller tirelessly gave back to his community and his profession. He was an Associate Clinical Instructor of Pharmacy at the Medical College of Virginia for over 25 years. Additionally, Emswiller served on Loudoun Memorial Hospital’s Board of Trustees, chaired the Virginia State Board of Pharmacy, chaired the American College of Apothecaries, and served on the Board of Directors of the American Pharmaceutical Association’s Foundation and the MCV School of Pharmacy National Advisory Council. Emswiller earned much recognition for his amazing work. The most prestigious of the awards he received is the Remington Honor Medal in 1999, which is the profession of pharmacy’s highest honor. Other awards include: Virginia Pharmacist of the Year, 1981; the American Pharmaceutical Association’s 'Daniel B. Smith' Award, the highest honor given to a community pharmacist, 1983; Loudoun County 'Man of the Year,' 1987; Outstanding Alumnus Award from Medical College of Virginia, Pharmacy Division, 1991; "Outstanding Pharmacist " Award presented by Virginia Pharmaceutical Association, the highest honor given for "outstanding and lasting contributions to their profession that will endure for a long period of time"; and the 'J. Leon Lascoff Memorial' Award presented by the American College of Apothecaries for outstanding service to the profession of pharmacy, 2000. Throughout his career, Emswiller was concerned with increasing the opportunities for pharmacists to have a greater impact on patient health outcomes.

His primary message to students and practitioners was to challenge the status quo to do what is best for patients in any and every practice environment.