Southern Regional is honored to announce that Darra Edwards, Pharm.D., Director of Pharmacy Services at our hospital, has been named a 2022 Clayton County Healthcare Warrior Award recipient for her strength and guiding force behind the hospital’s quest to bring the best in healthcare services to Clayton County residents.
Under her tutelage, Darra has led and implemented initiatives that strategically aid in closing the healthcare disparity gap in our communities. She was the driving force behind the hospital’s new Outpatient Pharmacy that is dedicated to serving hospital patients, employees, and the general community by securing medications needed at the best possible rates available. After months of discussions and negotiations, Darra’s steadfast determination led to the launching of a new partnership in July with “Dispensary of Hope” – a nonprofit organization that provides medication to qualified, low-income and uninsured patients. The Dispensary of Hope’s success is key in reducing avoidable hospital readmissions and emergency room use that often results from lack of access to affordable medication.
The Outpatient Pharmacy and Dispensary of Hope partnership align with both the hospital’s mission, and Darra’s personal mission, to provide those with economic challenges the critical medications they need.
In addition to her dedication to assuring that Clayton County residents have expanded access to care and medicines, Darra has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and subsequent vaccination efforts to assure that COVID vaccines have been readily available to go into the arms of our citizens. Always available to the Vaccine Clinic Team, she has provided her wealth of knowledge and advice, has developed processes, and has secured vaccine and supplies regardless of the request. She has also served as a point of vaccine distribution for other Clayton County agencies like the Public Health Department. Darra’s presence with the “Clayton Calling the Shots” HRSA grant has been integral to the vaccine initiative’s success.
Although she is “Dr. Edwards” by education, she is “Darra” to all who know her. Just another indication of the core of who she is – a healthcare warrior dedicated to assuring that everyone has access to the best possible healthcare and medications available and to making our communities healthier at every turn.