School of Pharmacy News & Media Center
The University of Mississippi

Bloodworth Dedicated to Pharmacy Education

Posted on: January 27th, 2022 by wltarpy

January 27, 2022

Lauren Bloodworth becomes school’s first clinical professor after 13 years of service.

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy faculty show their commitment to education, research and service in numerous ways. From lectures, publications and community outreach, their dedication to students and the profession extends beyond the classroom.

Lauren Bloodworth has done all that and more, as her excellence in every category has led her to become the school’s first clinical professor of pharmacy practice.

Lauren Bloodworth“I am honored to be the first clinical professor for our department,” Bloodworth said. “I am especially appreciative of colleagues and supervisors who encouraged me and helped me get to this point in my career. I could not have achieved this without their support!”

A 2000 UM Doctor of Pharmacy graduate, Bloodworth grew up in Batesville, Mississippi, where she carried an interest in math and science. That ignited a curiosity in the pharmacy profession that burned brightly after shadowing and learning from local pharmacy owner Patsy Keating.

“I knew from her vast knowledge on all medications to watching her interactions with patients that this was the path that I wanted to take,” Bloodworth said.

After graduation, Bloodworth worked at Saint Francis Hospital in Memphis for a couple of years then transitioned to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. During those five years with UMMC, Bloodworth not only took care of patients, but had opportunities to teach interprofessional health care teams about various intensive care unit medications.

She then started taking students on rotations. Her career path would forever change as she joined the School of Pharmacy faculty in 2008.

“Even while in pharmacy school, I loved helping classmates understand material that they were struggling with,” Bloodworth said. “I have always found interacting with students and getting to know them very rewarding. 

“I am so thankful to be back in person where the setting allows for this more easily. I have missed serving alongside our students at community service events and am thankful that those opportunities are picking back up.”

Bloodworth’s impact can be felt throughout the UM community. She has advised the student-led flu shot campaign, Operation Immunization, and has been essential in the university’s COVID-19 vaccine effort.

“She has been an awesome resource and listening ear ever since I met her,” said second-year professional student Bailey Bridges, who served as the 2021 Operation Immunization chair. “We bonded over our mutual Batesville ties, and she has given me so many opportunities to grow as a student pharmacist under her leadership. She is such an asset to our school and community, and I am proud to call her my mentor, professor and friend.”

Bloodworth has seen a lot throughout her 13 years. From obtaining research grants, being the school’s assistant dean of student services, seeing new campus buildings, losing a beloved colleague and friend, to helping implement a new curriculum, her dedication to pharmacy education has been felt in Oxford, Jackson and beyond.

“I have had so many fond memories to look back on through the years with the school,” Bloodworth said. “I am looking forward to hopefully continuing to make an impact on students to encourage them to pursue their passions in health care and to remind them to always give back.”