Assistant Professor
Western University of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy
Pomona, California, United States
Dr. Shawn Smith, PharmD, APh is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at WesternU College of Pharmacy. He completed two years of residency training in ambulatory care at UC San Diego Health and Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy with a focus in delivering primary care services to the uninsured, low-income, and homeless populations. Following his appointment at WesternU, Dr. Smith co-founded Symba Center where he also serves as a clinical pharmacist and chief executive officer. Symba Center is a non-profit community clinic in Victorville, California providing medical, mental health, recuperative care, substance use disorder counseling, and case management services to uninsured, low-income, and homeless individuals utilizing an interdisciplinary approach. Dr. Smith is passionate about developing sustainable and innovative care models that meet the health and wellness needs of underserved populations and improve access to quality primary healthcare services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Symba Center developed a model to provide COVID-19 medical oversight for multiple area homeless shelters which included policy and procedure procurement related to client intake, isolation/quarantine, sanitation, outbreak management, and testing/treatment. As a result of this effort, Symba Center was recognized at the 2021 State of the City Address as the Year’s Outstanding Non-Profit and Dr Smith was appointed to the City of Victorville’s Homeless Solutions Task Force. In 2023, he received the California Pharmacists Association’s Excellence in Innovation Award and the WesternU College of Pharmacy Preceptor of the Year Award for his efforts. Recently, Symba Center was awarded a contract with the City of Victorville to provide wraparound services to people experiencing homelessness at a newly constructed 170-bed Wellness Center facility.
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Innovations in Homeless Healthcare: An Interdisciplinary Wellness Approach - Part II
Monday, March 25, 2024
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM East Coast USA Time