Kennedy Shoemaker spent the past year helping make medications easier to understand for patients at Cooper Green Mercy Health Services in Birmingham.

Shoemaker, a fourth-year Doctor of Pharmacy student at Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy, completed her Alabama Schweitzer Fellowship project focused on improving health literacy and helping patients better navigate available health care resources. As a member of the 2025-26 class of Alabama Schweitzer Fellows, she designed Supporting Access, Fluency and Education in Medications (SAFE MEDS) to address barriers that can prevent patients from understanding and managing their medications effectively.

After conducting a needs assessment across multiple departments, Shoemaker identified gaps in patient education and resource access. In response, she developed health literacy-focused medication guides featuring administration instructions and visual aids for commonly prescribed medications, along with a one-page quick-reference guide connecting patients with key services available through Cooper Green. The materials were distributed throughout the clinic and incorporated into new-patient enrollment packets, helping patients take a more active role in their care.

The fellowship also broadened Shoemaker's understanding of the role pharmacists can play in addressing community needs and health disparities.

"The key thing I learned in this fellowship is to focus on the community as a whole," Shoemaker said. "This impacted my understanding of sympathy versus empathy. It also helped provide a different perspective on the need for equality and equity."

The Alabama Schweitzer Fellowship supports graduate students who develop service projects that address unmet community health needs while strengthening their commitment to leadership and service.

Watch: This video highlights Shoemaker's fellowship experience and the importance of accessible, patient-centered health education in strengthening care and improving health outcomes.