Laurel Uhomba, Pharm.D., MPH, MBA, joined ACCP’s team in the Washington, D.C. office to serve as the 2025-2026 American College of Clinical Pharmacy-American Society of Health-System Pharmacists-Virginia Commonwealth University Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow Program.

Now in its 19th year, this 14-month fellow program in Washington is the only one of its kind in the nation, offering a unique opportunity for a pharmacist to serve as a staff member in the US Congress. Through orientation in the ACCP and ASHP government affairs offices, fellows have the opportunity to sharpen their skills in legislative evaluation, policy development, research, and professional writing while integrating theoretical knowledge with practical policy experience.

Uhomba joined the program after completing her PGY2 community-based pharmacy administration and leadership residency at Johns Hopkins Care at Home in Baltimore this summer. With her diverse background in pharmacy and public health, Uhomba has become a well-established leader in advocating for health care equity. Her educational journey includes earning her Pharm.D. and MPH degrees from Samford University, as well as obtaining an MBA degree from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.

Throughout her career, Uhomba has worked to address health care disparities and improve access to care for populations that are medically underserved. Uhomba’s particular areas of interest include addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) and working to reduce health care inequities. “Pharmacy deserts exemplify the intersection of SDOH and access to care, as many communities lack essential pharmacy services,” she wrote in her application. “Similarly, the 340B Drug Pricing Program is vital for enabling safety-net providers to serve underserved populations,” she wrote, noting that “protecting and optimizing this program is critical to ensuring equitable access to care.”

Her passion for tackling these issues stems from personal experiences growing up as a first-generation Nigerian American, where she saw firsthand the struggle of “navigating a world that wasn’t always accommodating.” Uhomba credits her parents’ strength and determination as immigrants for shaping her drive to lead and serve.

As immigrants with limited English proficiency, they often relied on me to translate and advocate for them in everyday situations. Whether it was deciphering complex medical paperwork or negotiating utility bills, I learned early on the responsibility of supporting and speaking up for those who could not do so themselves.

Throughout her career, she has worked to dismantle these barriers, particularly within marginalized communities. Her work with Johns Hopkins has involved improving patient outcomes through the development of a standardized counseling workflow for high-risk, first-fill medications in outpatient pharmacies and ensuring patients receive timely, accurate information that empowers them to make informed decisions about their care.

As a fellow, Uhomba looks forward to expanding her advocacy work into the national arena. “This fellowship offers an unparalleled opportunity to drive change at the intersection of health care and policy,” she wrote. “I believe that through this platform, I can create lasting reforms that impact health care access and equity across the nation.”

The fellowship program, directed by VCU School of Pharmacy Associate Professor Kristin Zimmerman, was founded in 2006 under the leadership of ACCP’s C. Edwin Webb, Pharm.D., MPH, FCCP. Over the years, it has produced a distinguished cohort of fellows who have gone on to make impacts in the field of health care policy.

For more information about the ACCP-ASHP-VCU Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellowship, visit our website or contact Program Director Kristin Zimmerman at [email protected].