Promise Community Health Center’s New PharmD Program: Dr. Kendra Borchers returns home to serve her community

January 25, 2019

Many can relate to the image of a pharmacist standing behind the counter in her bright white coat surrounded by orange bottles and white boxes. Kendra Borchers, PharmD changes our perception of pharmacists.

Dr. Borchers has returned to her hometown after over 7 years to serve her community. Over the past years, she has earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Drake University in 2017 and finished residency training at St. Luke’s Medical Center in 2018. 

On Nov. 15, 2018, Dr. Borchers assumed the position as the clinical pharmacist at Promise Community Health Center (Promise).

Clinical pharmacy is a branch of pharmacy where PharmD provide patient care that optimizes the use of medication to promote health, wellness, and disease prevention.

Because not many organizations similar in size to Promise employ clinical pharmacists, the onboarding of Dr. Borchers is projected to have an immensely positive impact on the community.

“As an organization, we see this as something that will not only immensely benefit our patients but also our providers,” Emily Tuschen, co-chief executive officer and chief operating officer at Promise said. “Clinical pharmacists are experts in medicine and best practice. Kenda Borchers will be a huge asset to the high-quality care that Promise is already providing. From a quality assurance standpoint, we hope to see our patients have a better understanding of their medications and chronic disease. With the addition of a clinical pharmacist, Promise will continue to excel and provide high-quality primary health care for all our patients.”

The field of pharmacy has allowed Dr. Borchers to interact with patients and providers and to utilize a comprehensive array of health services offered at Promise to make a difference. Dr. Borchers educates patients on medication, determines the proper dosage with other staff, and evaluates patient profiles to improve their conditions.

“My first impressions of Promise is that patient care is a No. 1 priority, and everyone is working to ensure that the patients’ needs are met,” Dr. Borchers said. “Additionally, I have the impression that Promise is a great place to work collaboratively with other members of the health-care team.”

Her hours will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and on an as-needed basis to serve Promise's patients.