Dr. John Block, Emeritus Faculty, was recently recognized by OSURA (Oregon State University Retirement Association) as Volunteer of the Year. Dr. Block has spent many hours volunteering with OSURA serving as a board member for three years, chair of the Scholarship Committee for two years, and on the Membership Services Committee. Additionally, Dr. Block has volunteered as a SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance) Medicare counselor since 2005.
Serving as a Medicare resource, Dr. Block educates senior citizens about Medicare and its complexities, including deadlines and penalties. He also helps them understand how they can interface private insurance with Medicare. Dr. Block and two other men, including OSU College of Pharmacy Emeritus Dean Wayne Kradjan, present the SHIBA “A, B, C, D’s of Medicare” 2-hour overview every other month, the most recent being a Medicare workshop at the annual OSU Gerontology Conference.
Besides his volunteer activities, Dr. Block has served on both the Oregon Board of Pharmacy and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. He also served on the Foreign Pharmacy Equivalent Examination Committee assisting students with foreign pharmacy educations to obtain their licenses in the United States. He also provides a Medicare lecture to students in Stacey Ramirez’s course every winter.
A big congratulations to Dr. Block for this honored recognition.