Matt Pack, CPhT, pharmacy technician manager in the Vanderbilt Integrated Pharmacy, was recognized with a Credo Award for his work with Project SEARCH. (Photo by Donn Jones)
When pharmacy technician manager Matt Pack, CPhT, got to take part in Project SEARCH, he embraced the opportunity and the people looking for a better chance in life.
It was simply a matter of making personal connections and respecting differing abilities, said Pack, a Vanderbilt Health Winter 2026 Credo Award recipient for his successes with employment inclusion. Project SEARCH is a program that challenges traditional expectations and empowers young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to achieve competitive employment.
“I grew up with multiple family members on both sides living with differing abilities,” the Nashville resident said. “Back then, there was a program my mother’s sister was in, and we would call it ‘going to school.’ She would leave the house and make small parts. It was a way for her to build community and friendships and learn different skills.”
Project SEARCH is groundbreaking because it advances opportunities by offering people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities employment in more inclusive environments with better paying wages. It originated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1996, and other hospital systems have since implemented programs, including Vanderbilt Health in 2005, when Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt established a program. The employment initiatives have expanded over the years, including the Vanderbilt Integrated Pharmacy, where Pack is a manager.
The Vanderbilt Integrated Pharmacy is a logistics hub for distributing medicines, such as specialty services for oncology and transplant patients, home deliveries and temperature-controlled products.
Pack was nominated for the Credo Award by Brandon Pflug, the instructor for Project SEARCH at Vanderbilt Health.
“Matt Pack has quickly become an incredible champion and advocate for adults with disabilities seeking employment on the Medical Center campus,” Pflug said. “Matt’s tireless work and commitment to the program truly exemplify Vanderbilt Health’s efforts to cultivate a welcoming and representative workforce. His contributions to the program and to our job seekers has provided the opportunity for many individuals to secure their dream jobs as registered pharmacy technicians, and his support of this historically underrepresented population in health care has truly changed lives.”
Project SEARCH has 788 programs in 48 states and nine countries, and Vanderbilt Health has been successful in pioneering pharmacy-specific training, which is due to Pack leading that training program, Pflug said. Project SEARCH representatives, along with pharmacy staff, have worked with interns to achieve the rigorous and intense training schedule required to meet all safety standards.
Pack credited his colleagues for the creation of a welcoming environment for the interns, two of whom have become full-time employees. When he was first approached to be the liaison for the program at Vanderbilt Integrated Pharmacy and learned about Project SEARCH, he said he recognized it as an amazing opportunity.
“Both of our Project SEARCH employees have said how everyone is so open, willing to teach, to talk with them, to train them and to be more personal rather than be standoffish, which is something that a lot of people with disabilities endure in a workplace,” Pack said. “It makes me so proud of the team that we have here.”
Hansel Newman, PharmD, the director of Vanderbilt Integrated Pharmacy, said Pack is a leader and role model among his colleagues.
“I have worked with Matt for 11 years, and from day one, he has always exemplified Credo behavior,” Newman said. “He started in the pharmacy as a contracted temporary employee. Through his hard work and exceptional leadership qualities he has advanced from a full-time technician all the way to a pharmacy technician manager. Matt is a champion for many parts of our department, including the pharmacy liaison for Project SEARCH. He truly takes ownership of any tasks that he is assigned. He is encompassing of all individuals from many walks of life and gives each co-worker the sense of belonging to our team from the first day they start.”
Pack said the interns who have become full-time employees excel at their jobs.
“It’s been such a successful program within our pharmacy that we recently branched out into two other off-campus pharmacies. I’m very excited to see the amazing growth of this program and have nothing but high hopes of its continued success in the future,” he said.
View Matt Pack’s Credo Award video.
If you are a VUMC employee, you can nominate a colleague for an Elevate Credo Award, C. Wright Pinson Leader Award, or Team Award. Visit the Elevate website to fill out a nomination form. Employees demonstrate credo behaviors when: tThey make those they serve the highest priority; respect privacy and confidentiality; communicate effectively; conduct themselves professionally; have a sense of ownership; and are committed to their colleagues. Elevate award nominations are accepted year-round. If a nomination is received after the cutoff for an award selection period, the nomination will be considered for the next period. VUMC VOICE will post stories on each of the award winners in the weeks following their announcement.
