Portland, Oregon – Laura Susan Johns of Lakeland, Florida will be honored as the Distance Education and Accrediting Commission (DEAC) 2019 Outstanding Graduate on June 21, 2019, at the American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) graduation ceremony, to be held at the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon. The DEAC Outstanding Graduate of the Year award celebrates the achievements of distance education students who have demonstrated academic excellence and consistent commitment to society and their chosen profession.
Johns achieved honors as a graduate of the ACHS Master of Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine, Graduate Certificate in Complementary Alternative Medicine and Graduate Certificate in Herbal Medicine Programs. She also holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida. It was her interest in natural and herbal medicine that led her to enroll in the Master of Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine program at American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) in December 2013.
Johns interest in understanding both allopathic and herbal medicines guided her to customize her Master of Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine program to fit her interest in learning as many modalities as possible. Her combined education resulted in acquiring a deeper holistic viewpoint.
“Completing this degree program and being able to learn about so many different natural modalities has made me a more knowledgeable pharmacist. I can now better understand both allopathic and natural medicines and the consequences and rewards of blending them together,” says Laura Susan Johns.
Since completing her programs with ACHS, Johns is developing her own consulting and education business, in which she can meet with patients, provide education and become a patient advocate. Additionally, she is working with a local health food store to offer educational information to the public. She believes that by publishing her Doctoral and Masters capstone papers the knowledge she has gained will provide valuable education to pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. Johns enjoys personal contact with her audience and is available to present her work in seminar settings.
About ACHS
Founded in 1978, ACHS.edu is a Portland, OR-based, accredited college offering online, on-campus, and study abroad integrative health education. ACHS also has a satellite campus in Kona, Hawaii. With undergraduate and graduate degrees, diplomas, certificates, and continuing education units in integrative health, ACHS makes holistic health and wellness education accessible to a diverse community, including healthcare professionals, military students, stay-at-home parents, and lifelong learners. Specializations include aromatherapy, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition, and wellness coaching. ACHS is a Certified B Corporation® and was ranked five of 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon 2018 and 2019 by Oregon Business magazine. ACHS was also honored with 2016 and 2017 When Work Works awards, administered by the Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management, and received the City of Portland Sustainability at Work Certification in 2017. ACHS is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and is also approved by the Office of Degree Authorization of the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission and authorized by the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program (HPEAP). Visit achs.edu.