Hospital Partnership Resident Program
The Master of Science Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences / Two Year Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency Program is offered in collaboration with the University of North Carolina Medical Center, Duke University Hospital, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Cone Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, BayCare, University Hospitals, Novant Health, Eskenazi Health, New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, Baptist Health South Florida, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Advocate Health, and Medical University of South Carolina. While everyone who is accepted into the program receives their Masters of Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the residency component is divided across multiple medical center sites.
Our program combines classroom instruction with a two-year residency in a health care setting. Students will engage in a rigorous and in-depth study of leadership in health-system pharmacy administration and the principles of the medication use process. Students will also work within multiple health systems and practice settings and network with leaders across those spaces.
Curriculum
The core curriculum consists of coursework in advanced topics with human resource management, health-systems financial management, medication safety, quality improvement, health-system pharmacy operations, and much more.
Health-System Pharmacy Administration Master’s Degree
Courses are taught within the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education (PACE) through synchronous education.
Curriculum
Fall Year 1 |
Day/Time
|
Credit Hours |
| PACE 815 Evaluation Research and Project Design (McLaughlin) | Wed. 12:00 – 2:50 p.m. | 3 |
| PACE 833 Overview to Health Systems (Savage / Fortier) | Wed. 3:00 – 5:50 p.m. | 3 |
| PHRS 899 Seminar (Vest) | Fri. 1:00 – 1:50 p.m. | 1 |
| PHRS 991 Research in PACE | Varies | 3 |
| Cumulative Total | 10 |
Spring Year 1 |
Day/Time |
Credit Hours |
| PACE 820 Health-System Pharmacy Leadership (Granko / Eckel) | Tues. 1:00 – 3:50 p.m. | 3 |
| PACE 825 Foundational Practices of a Successful Health-System Department of Pharmacy (M. Petrovskis / Morbitzer / K. Petrovskis / Roberts / Rogers) | Tues./Thurs. 4:00 – 5:50 p.m. | 4 |
| PHRS 899 Seminar (Vest) | Fri. 1:00 – 1:50 p.m. | 1 |
| PHRS 991 Research in PACE | Varies | 3 |
| Cumulative Total | 21 |
Fall Year 2
|
Day/Time |
Credit Hours |
| PACE 860 Advanced Hospital Pharmacy Operations (Eckel) | Mon. 2:00 – 5:50 p.m. | 3 |
| PHRS 899 Seminar (Vest) | Fri. 1:00 – 1:50 p.m. | 1 |
| PHRS 992 Thesis Substitute | Varies | 3 |
| Cumulative Total | 28 |
Spring Year 2
|
Day/Time |
Credit Hours |
| PACE 832 Financial Management of Health-System Pharmacy (Bush / Rhea) | Weds. 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. | 3 |
| PHRS 899 Seminar (Vest) | Fri. 1:00 – 1:50 p.m. | 1 |
| PHRS 992 Thesis Substitute | Varies | 3 |
| Grand Total | 35 |
Course Descriptions
PACE 815 Evaluation Research and Project Design: This course provides formal instruction on critical components of evaluation research, study design, and data analyses that a Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in health system pharmacy administration graduate will need in the workplace.
PACE 820 Health-System Pharmacy Leadership: This course focuses on principles of leadership and strategies used by leaders, with an emphasis in health-system pharmacy. Active learning strategies are used to examine and model leadership principles.
PACE 825 Foundational Practices of a Successful Health-System Department of Pharmacy: This course focuses on the Foundational Practices of a Successful Health-System Department of Pharmacy. Topics covered include medication safety, pharmacy informatics, and human resources management.
PACE 832 Financial Management of Health-system Pharmacy: This course provides an overview of the current financial environment in the health care industry and is intended to familiarize students with general accounting principles and financial management skills required to lead and manage pharmacy services in a health care organization.
PACE 833 Overview to Health Systems: This course is designed to expose participants to real world issues facing health system pharmacy leaders and to teach participants to work through concepts, processes, and challenges that are and will be faced.
PACE 860 Advanced Hospital Pharmacy Operations: This course is intended to build on the basic principles of pharmacy operations learned through coursework and experience as professional students as well as work experience.
PHRS 899 Seminar: This course includes the entire MS group including first and second years and covers a range of topics such as Pharmacy Disaster Planning, Crucial Conversations, Pharmacy Financial Billing, and Human Resources. Class format consists of topical readings or assignments prior to a seminar presentation and discussion.
PHRS 991 Research in PACE: This is a variable credit course required for all Pharmaceutical Sciences graduate students by their second semester. Teaching/learning methods consist of a pharmaceutical sciences-based mentored research training experience involving independent work and research reports that must be filed at the end of the semester.
PHRS 992 Thesis Substitute: Prerequisite PHRS 991 or equivalent. Students register for thesis credits after successfully passing their comprehensive written examination. A minimum of 3 credit hours of thesis research and writing is required for Pharmaceutical Sciences graduate students.
- In-depth knowledge, understanding, and application of core principles, content, and skills unique to health systems pharmacy administration: to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of health care and the principles and practice of pharmacy to advance human health and health systems.
- Accessing and Analyzing Information: to identify, locate, critically evaluate, and process information to arrive at an informed opinion; identify the important information and be able to say “here is what we need to do about it”.
- Critical Thinking/Problem Solving: to take an issue or a problem, learn about it, understand it, examine other ways of thinking about it, bring it all together and frame it, come up with creative solutions and new ideas (important characteristics of critical thinker: asks really good questions, is curious, approaches problems as learners not knowers).
- Communication: to develop and express ideas and thoughts clearly and concisely in a way that fosters understanding, inspires, and creates focus; communicate effectively in written and oral form.
- Collaboration and Influence: to work effectively with others and understand and respect differences; create networks and groups who work together toward a common goal.
- Adaptability: to change (or be changed) to fit new surroundings and ideas; being willing and able to adapt your behavior (adaptability is a two-part process that combines flexibility and versatility. Flexibility is your willingness to adapt-this is your attitude; versatility is your ability to adapt-this is your aptitude).
- Initiative: to be self-directed, take initiative to seek out new opportunities, ideas, and strategies; and find creative solutions.
- Curiosity and Inquisitiveness: to demonstrate a drive to learn and understand more in an effort to improve or make something better; the habit of curiosity is a constant wonder of how something might be improved or even reinvented and then coming up with creative solutions; curiosity enables life-long learning.
- Professionalism: to uphold the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior and act appropriately, thoughtfully, and with integrity at all times.
- Innovation: Ability to create and implement new technologies, services, programs, etc, to meet the pharmacy needs of today and tomorrows health systems.
- Our approach to teaching and learning is student-centered – we will develop our graduate students to reach their full potential
- To learn, one must do – immersive learning in the patient care and real-world setting is a primary laboratory for learning
- The process of scientific inquiry, engagement, and discovery is critical to the development of our graduate students as problem solvers and critical thinkers – scholarship is central to our mission
- We will expose our graduate students to a breadth of knowledge and experiences necessary to shape their development as pharmacist leaders in an evolving health system landscape
- We will ensure a rigorous and intensive curriculum that deepens the graduate student’s understanding of the many facets of health-system pharmacy administration and challenges them to think critically and solve complex problems
- We are flexible and responsive – continually positioning our graduate students to meet the emerging needs of society
- We will continually innovate and evaluate, learning from our experiences and striving for continuous quality improvement and sustained innovation
- We will develop and position our faculty to reach their full potential as educators and mentors
- We will develop and nurture our students as critical thinkers, problems solvers, team players and professionals – entrusting them to a career of life-long learning and leadership
- We will work collaboratively across all of the different partners, exposing our graduate students to the different systems, preceptors, and challenges that exist in them
- We strive to enlighten, differentiate, and position our graduate students to bring about leadership for the betterment of health care delivery and a safe medication use system
- Advances and innovations in technology will be interwoven, where appropriate, throughout our curriculum to enhance the learning experience
Class Lectures
Courses are taught within the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy’s Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education (PACE) through synchronous education. Class lectures are led by UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy faculty and other leaders in health-system pharmacy.
All students attend class lectures through a live interactive video conferencing network.
Supervised Project in Health-System Pharmacy
Students are encouraged to develop extensive skills and expertise in specific segments of pharmacy administration that are of personal interest. The chosen areas of interest will be emphasized throughout both the didactic and experiential portions of the program over the two years of study with the guidance of their mentor and academic and experiential program advisers. Students will take six credit hours of Supervised Project in Health-System Pharmacy during their second year to accomplish the project objectives, which is a requirement for the master of science. This project will serve in lieu of a master’s thesis.
Practice and Administrative Residency Requirements
Students will participate in a two-year ASHP-accredited residency program to be completed simultaneously with coursework and related program requirements for the MS degree. Over the two-year duration of the program residents will complete the learning objectives of both PGY1 and PGY2 residency programs.
Rotations will include the essential elements for a pharmacy practice residency to ensure competence as a qualified caregiver is achieved, but elective rotations will be planned based on the experience, needs and preferences of the graduate student as well as the sponsoring organization.
Residency programs need to be ASHP-accredited and to include the following core training components:
- Clinical Experience: Maintenance of clinical competence during the graduate experience is essential to meeting the competency expectations of the graduate students. Students and sponsoring organizations will have considerable flexibility in pursuing clinical experiences throughout the first and second years based on the needs and career aspirations of the graduate student.
- Leadership and Administrative Experience: The majority of the second year will be dedicated to experiential learning and practical application of knowledge and experiences of the first year. During this year the graduate student develops expertise in departmental leadership and administration, quality improvement and patient safety, automation and informatics as it applies to pharmacy services, policy development, interdepartmental relationships and collaboration, human resource management, and current trends in the profession of pharmacy.
- University of North Carolina Medical Center
- Stephen Eckel, Pharm.D., MHA
- seckel@unc.edu
- Duke University Hospital
- Kuldip Patel, Pharm.D.
- kuldip.patel@duke.edu
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
- Katie Mieure, Pharm.D., BCPS
- kmieure@wakehealth.edu
- Cone Health
- Nick Gazda, Pharm.D., M.S., BCPS, CSP
- nick.gazda@conehealth.com
- Eskenazi Health
- Christopher Wickesberg, Pharm.D., BCPS
- christopher.wickesberg@eskenazihealth.edu
- Boston Medical Center
- Sebastian Hamilton; PharmD, MBA
- Sebastian.Hamilton@bmc.org
- Advocate Health
- Chad Smith; PharmD, MBA, BCPS, BCSCP
- chad.smith@aah.org
- Medical University of South Carolina
- Jennifer Carter, PharmD,BCPS
- cartekat@musc.edu
- UNC Rex
- Russell Laundon, PharmD, MS, BCPS
- Walter.Laundon@unchealth.unc.edu
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Christopher Fortier, Pharm.D., FASHP
- cfortier@partners.org
- BayCare Health System
- Benjamin Philip, Pharm.D., MS, CPh
- benjamin.philip@baycare.org
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
- Alison Apple, R.Ph., M.S.
- Alison.Apple@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
- Novant Health
- Joe Maki Pharm.D., M.S.
- wjmaki@novanthealth.org
- University Hospitals Cleveland
- Jacalyn Rogers, Pharm.D., M.S.
- Jacalyn.Rogers@UHhospitals.org
- New Hanover Regional Medical Center
- Mike Melroy, Pharm.D., MHA, BCPS, FASHP
- mike.melroy@nhrmc.org
- Baptist Health South Florida
- Leah Marcelin, PharmD, MS
- halenam@baptisthealth.net
- University of Kentucky
- Ryan Naseman, PharmD
- Ryan.Naseman@uky.edu
Final Written Comprehensive Examination
A comprehensive examination will be administered to all students before the completion of the last semester of their program. The examination is intended to validate students’ ability to apply the knowledge and experience gained throughout the program in coursework and experiential components of their education and training.
Tuition
| Individual In-State Student Tuition Cost | Individual Out-of-State Student Tuition Cost | |||||||
| Fall | Spring | Total | Fall | Spring | Total | |||
| PY1 | $5,276.00 | $5,276.00 | $10,522.00 | PY1 | $8,000.00 | $8,800.00 | $16,800.00 | |
| PY2 | $4,103.61 | $4,103.61 | $8,207.22 | PY2 | $5,600.00 | $5,600.00 | $11,200.00 | |
|
Total Student Tuition Investment |
$18,759.22 |
Total Student Tuition Investment |
$28,000.00 |
|||||
*Student fees are also charged by the University each semester. Fee amounts can be found at the following University website. https://cashier.unc.edu/tuition-fees/
Paul W. Bush, Pharm.D., M.B.A., BCPS, FASHP
Vice President for Global Resource Development and Consulting
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
Bethesda, MD
PBush@ashp.org
Paul Bush is the Vice President for Global Resource Development and Consulting for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). He has held the positions of Chief Pharmacy Officer for Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC, Director of Pharmacy Services for Medical University of South Carolina, St. John Hospital and Medical Center and Detroit Osteopathic Hospital and was Corporate Director for Clinical Pharmacy Services for Horizon Health System.
Dr. Bush received his B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Michigan and Pharm.D. and M.B.A. from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He serves on the faculty of University of North Carolina Eschelman School of Pharmacy and Campbell University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He previously served on the faculty of the Medical University of South Carolina (1999-2009) and Wayne State University (1984-1999) and served as Clinical Associate Dean for Medical Center and Health Systems for the South Carolina College of Pharmacy.
He has served as presidential officer, board member and Chair of the Board of Directors of ASHP. Dr. Bush is Past-Treasurer of the Michigan Pharmacists Association. He has served on the Michigan Society of Health System Pharmacists Board of Directors and held the position of President-elect. Dr. Bush is Past-Chair of the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers, Past-Chair of the University HealthSystem Pharmacy Council and has served as a member of the ASHP House of Delegates, Commission on Credentialing, Commission on Goals, and the Practice Model Summit Advisory Committee. He is a member of APhA and ACCP.
Dr. Bush was awarded the John W. Webb Lecture Award by Northeastern University and ASHP, an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Campbell University, the Distinguished Service Award by the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers and the NCAP Pharmacy Ambassador Award
He co-authored Managing and Leading – 44 Lessons Learned for Pharmacists, and chapters in Building a Successful Ambulatory Practice, Financial Management Basics for Health System Pharmacists, Handbook of Institutional Pharmacy Practice, and the Pharmacy Certified Technician Training Manual.
Stephen Eckel, Pharm.D., M.H.A.
Stephen Eckel, Pharm.D., M.H.A., is associate dean for global engagement and a clinical associate professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education. He is the division’s vice chair for graduate and postgraduate education. In addition, he is director of graduate studies overseeing the two-year Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in health-system pharmacy administration. This degree is hosted at multiple sites across North Carolina. At UNC Hospitals, he is associate director of pharmacy, where he leads and develops a dynamic group of patient-care providers, and director of pharmacy residency programs. He has worked with almost 200 residents over the years. Eckel is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist.
As an innovator and entrepreneur, Eckel spearheaded the development of UNC Pharmacy Grand Rounds with ASHP and launched ChemoGLO, LLC with Bill Zamboni, Pharm.D., Ph.D. He is the editor of the health-system edition of Pharmacy Times and a passionate supporter of the role of the pharmacist in patient care. He conducts and publishes his research and is frequently asked to speak around the world on these issues.
Eckel has been very active in the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists and current serves as president. He has also served many years in the American Pharmacists Association and ASHP House of Delegates. In 2012, he was presented with the APhA the Distinguished Achievement Award in Hospital and Institutional Practice, and in 2013, he was awarded the Excellence in Innovation award by the North Carolina Association of Pharmacist. He is a fellow of ASHP, APhA, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the National Academies of Practice in Pharmacy.
Christopher R. Fortier, Pharm.D., FASHP
Chief Pharmacy Officer
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
cfortier@partners.org
Christopher Fortier is the Chief Pharmacy Officer at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. Chris is the Chair of the Partners Healthcare Chief Pharmacy Officers Council and works to move pharmacy strategic initiatives forward at the Partners system-level.
Dr. Fortier received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Connecticut in 2003 and completed both a PGY-1 Practice Residency and a PGY-2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina Medical Center. Additionally, Chris serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University School of Pharmacy, and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy.
In 2013 Dr. Fortier was recognized as a Fellow of ASHP and received the Tradition of Excellence Award from the University of Connecticut Alumni Association. Additionally, in 2008 he received the ASHP New Practitioner Forum’s Distinguished Service Award.
Robert P. Granko, Pharm.D., M.B.A., FASHP
System Director of Enterprise Pharmacy Pharmacy Innovation Alliance at Geisinger
Robert Granko, B.S. Pharm., Pharm.D. , M.B.A., FASHP (Rgranko@geisinger.edu) is System Director of Enterprise Pharmacy, Pharmacy Innovation Alliance at Geisinger. His previous experience includes roles as Director, Field Pharmacy Services with Premier, Director of Pharmacy at The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital and has held multiple senior Pharmacy leadership positions at UNC Healthcare.
Dr. Granko earned his B.S. Pharm. from Long Island University School of Pharmacy, his Pharm.D. from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, and his M.B.A. from Pfeiffer University, School of Graduate Studies. He maintains an academic appointment as Associate Professor of Clinical Education and serves as course director at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in the combined MS/Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Program.
Dr. Granko has been active in ASHP’s Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders since 2008, completing his term as Director-at-Large of the Section’s Executive Committee in 2020. Additionally, his service includes membership within the Section of Pharmacy Practice’s Advisory Groups on Emerging Leaders as well as Strategy and Industry Disruptors. He is past chair of the SAG on Manager Development, a participating content member for the Conference for Pharmacy Leaders Steering Committee, and a Pharmacy Forecast Survey Panel Member. He was past faculty with ASHP’s Managers Boot Camp and ASHP’s Australia Leadership Boot Camp for The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia.
Dr. Granko has served as ASHP Delegate representing North Carolina and in 2011, he was part of a team awarded an American Society of Health – System Pharmacists Best Practices Award. In 2013, Dr. Granko and team were awarded the Leadership Excellence in Pharmacy Award (LEAP) Gold Award for research in clinical benchmarking.
In 2016, Dr. Granko was awarded the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers Distinguished Service Award and in 2018, he was recognized as an ASHP Fellow. In 2021, Dr. Granko successfully lead the NC Association of Pharmacists (NCAP) Fellow Practitioner Recognition Program Task Force. In 2022, Dr. Granko will begin his 2-year appointment to the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy Editorial Board as co-contributing editor for pharmacy leadership.
He has authored over 30 publications and has been invited to present nationally and internationally on topics related to leadership development, clinician well-being and resilience, operations management, finance, benchmarking, and data and analytics.
Jacqui McLaughlin, Ph.D., received her undergraduate degree in biological engineering from North Carolina State University, her master of science in biomedical engineering from the University of Memphis/University of Tennessee, and her doctorate in educational research and policy analysis from North Carolina State University. She spent one year as a postdoctoral fellow with the Office of Strategic Planning and Assessment (OSPA) at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and currently serves the school as an associate professor in the division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education and as the director of CIPhER. Dr. McLaughlin has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles about higher education, is on the editorial board for the journals Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning and Education in the Health Professions, and serves as associate editor for BMJ Medical Education. Her published research spans a wide range of education topics, including admissions, flipped classrooms, experiential education, student organizations, diversity, graduate training, cognitive apprenticeship, and research methodology.
Kathryn Morbitzer, Pharm.D., M.S., is an associate professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education, associate director of the Center for Innovative Pharmacy Education & Research (CIPhER), and assistant director of the MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a concentration in Health-System Pharmacy Administration program at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Wayne State University and her Master’s in biomedical and health informatics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency at the Medical University of South Carolina and an academic research fellowship at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Currently, her research focuses on expanding pharmacy student opportunities for impact in health care through the study of non-direct patient care (nonclinical) experiences and career pathways and on improving teaching and student learning.
Kriss Petrovskis, PharmD, MS, currently serves as Director, Pharmacy Business and Revenue Management at Duke University Health System where he oversees the 340B Drug Pricing Programs, finance, and revenue integrity. Prior to Duke, Kriss was the Clinical Manager, Pharmacy Supply Management at UNC Health from 2017-2020 where he oversaw centralized pharmacy purchasing, distribution, repackaging, ADC replenishment, and code tray replenishment. Kriss completed a two-year residency in Health-System Pharmacy Administration at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in May 2017. He completed a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2015 and Master of Science in Health System Pharmacy Administration 2017, both from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. Kriss’ professional interests include pharmacy practice management, resident education, 340B advocacy, supply chain optimization, and pharmacy automation.
Mary G. Petrovskis, Pharm.D., M.S., BCPS
Mary G. Petrovskis, PharmD, MS, BCPS, is the Director of Operations at UNC Rex Healthcare. She also serves as Assistant Professor of Clinical Education at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2016 at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. She completed a two-year residency in Health-System Pharmacy Administration at the UNC Medical Center and her Master of Science Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in health-system pharmacy administration from UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in 2018. Mary values involvement in state and national professional organizations and serves on committees within ASHP and Vizient, Inc. Her professional interests include practice management, data analytics, automation and the integration of education and research into practice.
Gene Rhea, Pharm.D., M.H.A.
Gene Rhea, PharmD, MHA serves as the Associate Chief Pharmacy Officer for Retail and Specialty Pharmacy Services for Duke University Hospital where he oversees multiple retail and specialty pharmacy operations as well as a robust patient assistance and prior authorization program. Dr. Rhea received his Bachelors in Chemistry from DePauw University, his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Purdue University and his MHA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Most recently he had also served as the Director of Pharmacy Finance, Business Intelligence and Analytics at Duke where his work specialized in financial analysis and planning as well as revenue cycle management. He is also Chair of the 340B Oversight Committee and coordinates program operations and compliance activities.
Patricia Roberts, Pharm.D., M.S., BCPS, BSCSP
Patricia.Roberts3@UHhospitals.org
Patricia Roberts is the Director of Pharmacy for Oncology at University Hospitals. Dr. Roberts grew up in the Cleveland area, attended Ohio University for her BS degree and received her Pharm.D. degree from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. She completed a 2 year combined HSPAL program at The University of North Carolina Medical Center during which she also obtained a master’s degree from UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She is published in the areas of sterile compounding, medication use safety, and IV workflow systems. Patty has served ASHP for the past 4 years as an active member of the Section for Pharmacy Practice Leaders. She is passionate about technician education and development and safety within the medication use process. Patty serves as an APPE preceptor, residency preceptor and is the PGY2 coordinator for the HSPAL program at UH.
Scott W. Savage, Pharm.D., M.S.
Scott W. Savage, PharmD, MS received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Masters degree with a PGY2 residency certificate in Health System Pharmacy Administration from The Ohio State University Medical Center and The OSU College of Pharmacy.
Currently, Scott serves as the Executive Vice Dean-Chief Operating Officer for the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and Chief Financial Officer for the Eshelman Institute for Innovation. Prior to joining the School, he served in a myriad of leadership positions for UNC Pharmacy Services within UNC Health Care System. Most recently as the Regional Director of Pharmacy for UNC Medical Center, its associated campuses in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, NC, and Chatham Hospital located in Siler City, NC. He is an Associate Professor of Clinical Education within the Practice Advancement and Clinical Education division of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and serves as a course coordinator within the MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences in Health System Pharmacy Administration.
Prior to joining UNC, Scott served in leadership and management roles in other academic medical centers and a community based hospital. He is an active member of AACP, NCPA, ASHP, ASPL and AMCP. He enjoys developing and implementing new approaches to integrating pharmacy services in all facets of patient care. Additionally, he enjoys time at home with his family, UNC and Ohio State sports, running, and advocacy for individuals living in recovery from addiction.
Tyler A. Vest, Pharm.D., M.S., BCPS, BCSCP
Tyler A. Vest, PharmD, MS, BCPS, BCSCP, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Education at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Tyler received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy and his Master of Science Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. He completed his PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at the University of North Carolina Medical Center. Tyler’s professional interests include acute care operations, leadership development, oncology, pharmacy practice and pharmacy technician advancement, distribution models, productivity and monitoring, and the medication-use process.
Advocate Health – Chad Smith
Chad Smith is the Vice President of Pharmacy Operations at Advocate Health, branded locally in Wisconsin as Aurora Health Care where he has been a pharmacy leader since 2011. He has leadership accountability for eleven hospitals in Southeastern Wisconsin as well as Investigational Drugs, Research, Training/Education, and Residency programs for Advocate Health’s Wisconsin and Illinois Region. Chad is the Residency Program Director for the PGY1/2 HSPAL program. Prior to his current role, Chad was the Director of Pharmacy Services at St. Luke’s Medical Center for seven years where he was instrumental in expanding pharmacy student and resident training programs as well as clinical pharmacy service expansion. Chad is a graduate of Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professionals and Creighton University School of Business earning his PharmD and MBA, respectively. Chad is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist and board certified sterile compounding pharmacist.
BayCare Health System – Benjamin Philip
Ben serves as the Regional Director of Pharmaceutical Services for the BayCare Health System in Tampa, Florida as well as the Residency Program Director for the BayCare Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership program. Dr. Philip is responsible for the oversight of 10 hospitals in Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties as well as overseeing the Medication Safety and Controlled Substance Surveillance programs across the Health System. Dr. Philip has been active in the Southwest Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists and has served as a past President as well as a Board Director.
Dr. Philip received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Texas Southern University. He also completed a combined PGY1/PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center along with a Master of Science degree in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from The Ohio State University.
Boston Medical Center – Sebastian Hamilton
Dr. Sebastian Hamilton is the Chief Pharmacy Officer of Operations and Community & Ambulatory Partnerships for the outpatient pharmacy division at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Leading a highly motivated pharmacy team of over 250, 1.5M prescriptions a year are filled from three locations (soon to be 4) on the BMC campus, seven community health centers, and BMC’s mail order pharmacy securing over $600 MM in topline revenue for BMC a safety net hospital in FY22’.
Dr. Hamilton is charged with furthering the pharmacy’s growth and success. This entails continuing to grow prescription capture, specialty, consolidation of the pharmacy’s processing and filling among pharmacies, leveraging automated solutions where applicable, operating a mail order pharmacy to allow increased capacity at the BMC campus located pharmacies, partnering with community health centers to provide BMC branded patient centered services, as well as keeping the pharmacy team engaged and motivated.
Appointed by Governor Baker, Dr. Hamilton currently serves on the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy where he is the current sitting President for 2022. Dr. Hamilton also serves on several of the National Association Board of Pharmacy (NABP) Task Forces.
Dr. Hamilton is also a Board Trustee for Codman Academy Charter Public School whose mission is to provide an outstanding, transformative education to prepare students for success in college, further education, and beyond.
Dr. Hamilton is proud to have served our veterans by working for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for 15 years.
Dr. Hamilton was born in Harlem, NY, and raised in The Bronx, NY. He received his BS in Pharmacy from Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, his MBA in Health Care Administration from Wilmington University, and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida (GO GATORS!).
Cone Health – Nick Gazda
Nicholas P Gazda, PharmD, MS, BCPS, CSP, FNCAP is Assistant Director of Pharmacy at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina. He oversees URAC/ACHC accredited specialty pharmacy operations including the specialty pharmacy call center, home-delivery program, and medication access program as well as the embedded ambulatory clinical pharmacists. Nick completed his BS and PharmD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy and a two-year PGY1/PGY2/MS Health-System Pharmacy Administration residency at Cone Health. He is faculty at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy as a Clinical Professor and helps coordinate multiple courses through the PharmD curriculum and the Master’s in pharmacy administration and leadership.
Duke University Health System – Kuldip Patel
Kuldip R. Patel received his Bachelor of Sciences in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. He worked at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation as a Clinical Pharmacist to care for step-down cardiac surgery patients immediately upon graduation in 2001. After completing a two-year ASHP accredited Pharmacy Practice Management residency at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), in Charleston, SC, Kuldip joined the Hospital Corporations of America (HCA) at Centennial Medical Center as the Assistant Director of Pharmacy. In 2006, Kuldip joined Orlando Regional Medical Center (Orlando Health) as the Pharmacy Operations Coordinator. He currently serves as an Associate Chief Pharmacy Officer at Duke University Hospital and has been in this role since 2010. More recently, Kuldip has been appointed as the Chief Pharmacy Officer and Director of the Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency Program Director.
Kuldip has been an active member of ASHP’s Pharmacy Practice Leadership (PPL) network. He is has been involved in the Section Advisory Group (SAG) on Financial Management and Reimbursement, SAG on Quality and Compliance, and has served as Chair of the SAG on Managing the Pharmacy Enterprise. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Education Steering Committee with ASHP. Locally, Kuldip has been a member of NCAP and has lead activities in different capacities since 2014.
Kuldip also serves with the United States Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention to serve as a Compounding Expert Panel member of the Microbiology Committee. He has authored articles in peer reviewed journals as well as written chapters in textbooks used to train Pharmacy Technicians (Pharmacy Certified Technician Training Manual) and Pharmacy Leaders (Managing and Leading: 44 Lessons Learned for Pharmacists). While working for HCA, Kuldip served as an Associate Professor at The University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. He joined the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) as an Associate Faculty member during his time in Orlando, FL. Currently, Kuldip serves as an instructor at The University of North Carolina’s (UNC) health system pharmacy administration Master of Sciences program and a preceptor for Campbell University College of Pharmacy students.
Eskenazi Health – Christopher Wickesberg
Christopher Wickesberg, PharmD, MBA, BCPS is the Director of Pharmacy at Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis, Indiana and the Residency Program Director for the Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership residency program. During his 20-year tenure with the organization, Christopher has served in a variety of roles, including Pharmacy Manager – Inpatient Services, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Pulmonary/Critical Care. In his current role, he has oversight of the Eskenazi Health pharmacy enterprise, including acute care, ambulatory care, retail, and pharmacy business services.
Christopher obtained his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Purdue University College of Pharmacy, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Quantic School of Business and Technology. He is active in local and national pharmacy organizations, and has strong interests in care of the underserved, the business of pharmacy, and professional advocacy.
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania – Alison Apple
Alison Apple oversees all of the inpatient pharmacy services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and serves as the PGY1/PGY2 Health-system pharmacy administration residency program director. She received her BS in pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island and her MS in pharmacy at the University of North Carolina where she also completed a residency in hospital pharmacy. Most of Alison’s career was spent in Memphis, TN at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare serving in many roles over the years including Director of Pharmacy, Administrator for the Cancer Center, Administrative Director of Clinical Services, Transplant Program Administrator and System Director of Pharmacy. She was an Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy and served as a residency program director for a PGY1/PGY2 Health-system pharmacy administration program for fifteen years.
Alison has been very active with residency accreditation over the past fifteen years including serving on the American Society of Health-system Pharmacy Commission on Credentialing as Chair and as a Lead Surveyor in both domestic and international residency accreditation.
In 2012 Alison was the first recipient of the Fred M. Eckel Pharmacy Leadership Award from the University of North Carolina Hospitals and Clinics.
Massachusetts General Hospital – Chris Fortier
Christopher Fortier is the Chief Pharmacy Officer at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. Chris is the Chair of the Partners Healthcare Chief Pharmacy Officers Council and works to move pharmacy strategic initiatives forward at the Partners system-level.
Dr. Fortier received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Connecticut in 2003 and completed both a PGY-1 Practice Residency and a PGY-2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina Medical Center. Additionally, Chris serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University School of Pharmacy, and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy.
In 2013 Dr. Fortier was recognized as a Fellow of ASHP and received the Tradition of Excellence Award from the University of Connecticut Alumni Association. Additionally, in 2008 he received the ASHP New Practitioner Forum’s Distinguished Service Award.
Medical University of South Carolina- Jennifer Carter
Jennifer serves as the System Director of Specialty Pharmacy Services for the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, South Carolina. She has served in a variety of capacities within the URAC/ACHC accredited special pharmacy including patient-facing clinic roles and accreditation and regulatory roles. She also serves as the Residency Program Director for MUSC’s Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) program and oversees the Oncology Clinical Specialists.
Dr. Carter received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy. She also completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at Greenville Health System and a PGY2 HSPAL Residency at MUSC.
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center – Mike Melroy
Mike has been with Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center since March of 2020 and is currently the System Director of Pharmacy and HSPAL Residency Program Director. Prior to that, he held multiple pharmacy leadership positions at Novant Health and Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, GA. Mike has been actively involved in residency training for more than 23 years and has been a member of the accrediting body for residency programs, the ASHP Commission on Credentialing. Mike is a graduate of the University of Georgia and completed a pharmacy practice residency at the James A. Haley VA in Tampa, Fl. He received his MHA from Pfeiffer University and is a Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. He is a past president of the Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists, where he also served as Chairman of the Board. Mike is also a member of the Health System Executive Committee for the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists.
Novant Health – Joe Maki
Joe Maki, Pharm.D., M.S., is Vice President of Pharmacy at Novant Health. He is responsible for leadership of ambulatory and pharmacy business operations across the 17-hospital system based primarily in North Carolina. His focus is on expanding and optimizing current pharmacy business lines while setting the organization up to be successful in a value-based world through better alignment and partnership across the continuum. Joe has been program director for the HSPAL Residency at Novant Health since 2019 and was instrumental in the launch of the two-year combined residency/masters program in 2018.
Prior to Novant Health, Joe worked in a variety of roles at Wake Forest Baptist Health including Director of Pharmacy at Lexington Medical Center and Assistant Director of Acute Clinical Operations at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. He graduated with his doctorate of pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and completed residency training in pharmacy administration and leadership at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center with an MS through UNC-Chapel Hill.
UNC Health – Stephen Eckel
Stephen Eckel, Pharm.D., M.H.A., is associate dean for global engagement and a clinical associate professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education. He is the division’s vice chair for graduate and postgraduate education. In addition, he is director of graduate studies overseeing the two-year Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in health-system pharmacy administration. This degree is hosted at multiple sites across North Carolina. At UNC Hospitals, he is associate director of pharmacy, where he leads and develops a dynamic group of patient-care providers, and director of pharmacy residency programs. He has worked with almost 200 residents over the years. Eckel is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist.
As an innovator and entrepreneur, Eckel launched ChemoGLO, LLC with Bill Zamboni, Pharm.D., Ph.D. He is the editor of the health-system edition of Pharmacy Times and a passionate supporter of the role of the pharmacist in patient care. He conducts and publishes his research and is frequently asked to speak around the world on these issues.
Eckel has been very active in the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists and served as a past president. He has also served many years in the American Pharmacists Association and ASHP House of Delegates. In 2012, he was presented with the APhA the Distinguished Achievement Award in Hospital and Institutional Practice, and in 2013, he was awarded the Excellence in Innovation award by the North Carolina Association of Pharmacist. He is a fellow of ASHP, APhA, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the National Academies of Practice in Pharmacy.
UNC Health Rex – Russell Laundon
Walter Russell Laundon, Pharm.D., MS, BCPS is the Director of Pharmacy Integration at the University of North Carolina Health Rex Hospital. In this role, Russell has responsibilities for pharmacy operations at two sites, 5 oncology infusion sites, and Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner practice in a variety of clinics in the state. He also works with colleagues at UNC Johnson to collaborate on patient care and financial improvement activities in the Triangle. Prior to this role, Russell has served in a variety of pharmacy leadership roles at UNC Rex for 10 years.
Russell completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. He completed a combined PGY1/PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at Duke University Hospital along with a Master of Science degree in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Health – Katherine D. Mieure
Katherine “Katie” Mieure is currently serving as the AVP for Pharmacy Services and Director of Graduate Pharmacy Education at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist where she is responsible for operations and clinical pharmacy services for five hospitals.
Katie has a passion for pharmacy practice advancement and comprehensive programs for graduate pharmacy education. She works to expand pharmacy driven programs that deliver evidence-based patient care to optimize medication-related outcomes. Over the years, Katie has facilitated efforts to maximize the use of pharmacy automation and technology to close gaps in the medication use process to improve efficiencies, safety, and regulatory compliance. She has also been committed to creating pharmacy student and resident training opportunities that develop well rounded clinicians, educators, researchers and practice leaders.
Following completion of her PharmD degree at Drake University College of Pharmacy, she completed ASHP-accredited residencies in Pharmacy Practice and Critical Care at the University of Kentucky Hospital. Katie is a graduate of ASHP Foundation’s Pharmacy Leadership Academy.
University Hospitals – Jacalyn Rogers
Jacalyn Rogers, PharmD, MS, CHM, BCPS is the current Senior Director for the Academic Market at University Hospitals. As Senior Director she has oversight over pharmacy clinical services and operations for Cleveland Medical Center, Seidman Cancer Center, and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. She has been the Director of Pharmacy at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital since 2017. In this role, she has been able to develop decentralized clinical services, a retail pharmacy operation, and ensure safety and effective practices in this space. Dr. Rogers is active in ASHP’s Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders Section Advisory Group on Leadership Development from 2014-2019 and was active on SSPL’s Educational Steering Committee since 2019. She has served as Director-at-Large for The Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacists from 2016-2020, and is currently the Ohio Delegate for ASHP. She also been involved on the Premier Pediatric Executive Committee and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Dr. Rogers attended Northeast Ohio Medical University for her Doctorate in Pharmacy and completed a two-year Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital earning a Master’s in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from The Ohio State University. Dr. Rogers has also completed coursework earning a Certificate in Health – Care Management from the University of Akron.
Dr. Rogers holds an academic appointment as Clinical Assistant Professor with numerous Ohio Colleges and precepts learners from across Ohio. Dr. Rogers’ areas of interest and publication are in medication safety and transitions-of-care.
University of Kentucky – Ryan Naseman
Ryan W. Naseman, Pharm.D., M.S., BCPS, BCSCP, FASHP is the Senior Director of Pharmacy Business Operations and Development at University of Kentucky Healthcare (UKHC). In this role Dr. Naseman has responsibility for pharmacy procurement, 340b compliance, Medication Use Policy and Education, and off-campus partnerships and outreach. Dr. Naseman is the Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency Program Director and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice & Science at University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. Dr. Naseman received is Doctor of Pharmacy from Ohio Northern University and completed a Master of Science Degree in in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a Specialization in Health-System Pharmacy Administration at The Ohio State University. He completed a PGY1 and PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at The Ohio State University Medical Center.
Atrium Health
Noah Fawcett, Pharm.D. | Email:nfawcett@wakehealth.edu
Noah is a PGY2 Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. He is an Indiana native and received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. His professional interests include acute care operations, pharmacy automation, and supply chain. In his free time, Noah enjoys hiking through the state parks and mountains of North Carolina, playing tennis, watching sports, and spending time with his fiancée and their two cats.
Chance Partlow, Pharm.D. | Email: cpartlow@wakehealth.edu
Chance is a second year PGY1/PGY2 Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Chance is a native of Hartselle, Alabama. He received a BS in Chemical Engineering from The University of Alabama and a PharmD from Auburn University. Chance’s professional interests include acute care operations, 340B, and specialty pharmacy services. Outside of pharmacy, Chance enjoys traveling, hiking, and going to sporting events.
BayCare Health System
Justin Egan, Pharm.D. | Email: Justin.Egan@baycare.org
Justin was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. He attended the University of Florida College of Pharmacy – Orlando Campus, and began to acquire an interest in residency training while serving as a pharmacy intern at AdventHealth Orlando. Currently, Justin is a PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) resident at BayCare St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida. His longitudinal masters research project is focused on the creation of a metrics-driven dashboard to track and trend medication safety events to identify opportunities for systematic fixes and promote Just Culture. His current interests include inpatient operations, specialty pharmacy, and supply chain. When Justin is not at work, he enjoys watching baseball, spending time with friends and family, trying new food, and playing golf.
Robert Medina, Pharm.D. | Email: Robert.Medina@baycare.org
Since a very young age, Robert knew he wanted a career in the medical field. More specifically, a career in pharmacy. Growing up in the small town of Las Cruces, New Mexico, he recognized there was a substantial gap in access to care for the community. This led Robert to acquire a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology, and obtain his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Midwestern University. Currently, Justin is a PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) resident at BayCare St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida. His longitudinal masters research project focuses on implementing the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) within the electronic health record to improve opioid utilization throughout the health-system. His current interests include decentralized pharmacy operations, ambulatory care management, and executive hospital leadership. In Robert’s spare time, he enjoys listening to music, working out, spending time with friends and family, and exploring new places around the Tampa Bay area.
Cone Health
Samantha Gruber, Pharm.D. | Email: Samantha.Gruber@conehealth.com
Samantha Gruber, PharmD is a PGY-2 Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. During residency, she is also pursuing a Master of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. At Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, she serves as the Chief Resident for 2022-2023 and is the Perioperative Services Pharmacy Resident Manager. Samantha is currently involved in ASHP’s Pharmacy Administrative and Leadership Resident’s Collaborative, and was appointed the Media Relations Committee Chair for the Student and Resident Engagement Workgroup. Her professional interests include medication safety, quality, operations, and regulatory management.
Austin Price, Pharm.D., MBA | Email: austin.price@conehealth.com
Austin Price, Pharm.D., M.B.A., is a PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Business Administration degrees from Campbell University and will be completing the Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in health-system pharmacy administration at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in the spring. At Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, he serves as the resident supply chain coordinator and sits on the Drug Shortage Management committee. His professional interests include ambulatory practice management, data analytics, and revenue cycle optimization.
Duke University Hospital
Blake Barta, Pharm.D. | Email: blake.barta@duke.edu
Blake T. Barta is the PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. He also serves as Chief Pharmacy Resident and Chair of the Formulary and Informatics Subcommittee. Blake received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Florida and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Blake’s professional interests include inpatient operations management, supply chain, and 340B. His Thesis Substitute will evaluate a pharmacist-led workflow for the FDA Expanded Access Program.
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
William Raley Jr., Pharm.D., MBA, BCPS |Email: William.RaleyJr@pennmeidicne.upenn.edu
William Raley is a PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. William is from Greenville, South Carolina and is an avid college football fan of all of his alma maters. He is earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from University of South Carolina in 2017, Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis in 2020, and Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy in 2021. His professional interests include finance and supply chain management, operations, and executive leadership. Outside of work William enjoys cooking, fishing, trying new restaurants, and watching TV with his 2 cats.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Syndey Tu, Pharm.D. |Email: SYTU@mgh.harvard.edu
Dr. Tu is from Southern California. She obtained both her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from St. Louis College of Pharmacy. She is the PGY-2 HSPAL Resident at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and is pursuing a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences with an emphasis in Health-System Pharmacy Administration through UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She currently serves on the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders’ Advisory Group on Business Development and System Integration. Her practice interests include management in pharmacy operations, ambulatory care, and transitions of care. She enjoys traveling, trying new cuisines, and creating art pieces. Dr. Tu plans to pursue a career in pharmacy administration at an academic medical center after completing her PGY-2.
Mission Hospital
Meena Mattamana, Pharm.D. | Email: meena.mattamana@hcahealthcare.com
Meena Mattamana is the current PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. She attended The Ohio State University earning a Bachelor of Science in pharmaceutical sciences and then attended the University of Colorado where she earned her Doctor of Pharmacy. In addition to clinical rotations and staffing in the central pharmacy, she helps manage the third shift pharmacy team and is a part of the Medication Safety Committee at Mission. Her areas of interest include pharmacy operations, medication safety, and supply chain management. Outside of pharmacy, she enjoys hiking, yoga, and cheering on the Buckeyes.
University of North Carolina Medical Center
Katherine Donnowitz, Pharm.D. | Email: Katie.Donnowitz@unchealth.unc.edu
Katie Donnowitz is a PGY-2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident at UNC Medical Center. She attended the University of Kentucky for her undergraduate studies and received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy. During her PharmD studies, she was involved in policy and advocacy through the Illinois Council of Health System Pharmacists. She has continued her organizational involvement as a resident member of the ASHP Multi-Hospital Pharmacy Executive Committee and is currently completing the ASHP Well-Being and Resilience Certificate program to become a Well Being Ambassador. Her Master’s thesis is on the standardization and optimization of epidural infusion concentrations. Her professional interests include pharmacy business operations, supply chain management, and inpatient operations. In her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants, exploring new cities, and spending time at the lake with friends and family.
Rebekah Placide, Pharm.D. | Email: rebekah.placide@unchealth.unc.edu
Rebekah Placide is a PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration & Leadership resident at UNC Medical Center and a 2023 MS candidate at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) for her undergraduate studies and obtained her PharmD from High Point University Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy. Rebekah held many leadership positions throughout pharmacy school, including Class of 2021 Vice President, Founding ASHP-SSHP Practice Advancement Vice President, Founding SNPhA Chapter President, and the National SNPhA Region I Facilitator. Dr. Placide continues to maintain her organizational involvement through ASHP’s Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residents’ Collaborative (PALRC) Media Relations Committee, as well as Vizient’s Pharmacy Practice Advancement Committee (PPAC). Her master’s thesis involves automation of an abbreviated medication regimen complexity index which aims to augment risk-stratification measures in identifying patients who may benefit from pharmacy interventions across an integrated healthcare system. Dr. Placide currently serves as the Resident Manager of Perioperative Services at UNC Medical Center, where she oversees HR operations and daily workflow of 7 direct reports. Her professional interests include 340B compliance, policy/advocacy, strategic alignment, population health, and ambulatory care. Dr. Placide volunteers her time and efforts by serving underrepresented communities through various interprofessional healthcare clinics and point-of-care testing events. She enjoys music festivals, traveling, and discovering local eateries.
Killian Rodgers, Pharm.D. | Email: Killian.Rodgers@unchealth.unc.edu
Killian Rodgers, PharmD is a second-year Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident at the UNC Medical Center. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the Ohio State University. During pharmacy school and into his residency career he has been active within the Phi Delta Chi pharmacy fraternity and ASHP. Through ASHP Killian has served as co-chair and now chair of the Resident Resources Workgroup of the newly established Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residents Collaborative (PALRC). Additionally, Killian has been involved in the Vizient Pharmacy network as a member of the Supply Chain Optimization Committee. His master’s thesis brings in his passions for informatics and automation, creating a model of automated dispensing cabinet replenishment and using it to simulate the impact of package-conscious replenishment strategies. Killian’s professional interests include informatics, analytics, automation, and health equity. When not at work Dr. Rodgers enjoys hiking, baking, trying new breweries, and traveling.
Elizabeth Tinoco, Pharm.D. | Email: elizabeth.tinoco@unchealth.unc.edu
Elizabeth Tinoco is a PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Medical Center. Prior to pursuing residency, she obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of California, San Francisco with an emphasis in Health Services and Policy Research. Elizabeth completed her undergraduate studies at Florida International University in her hometown of Miami, Florida. She is currently completing a Master of Science degree in health-system pharmacy administration at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Her master’s thesis focuses on developing a process to identify pharmacist-impacted clinical outcomes in the acute care setting. Her professional interests include clinical management, population health, and practice advancement. Outside of pharmacy, Elizabeth enjoys music, art, spending time with family and friends, and exploring new places.
Atrium Health
Savannah Elliott, Pharm.D., M.B.A. | Email: snelliot@wakehealth.edu
Savannah Elliott, Pharm.D., M.B.A is a PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration an Leadership Resident at Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Savannah is originally from Wichita, Kansas, and completed her undergraduate degree, doctor of pharmacy, and master of business administration from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Her clinical practice interests include emergency medicine and oncology, while administrative interests include clinical management, supply chain management, and advocacy. Her research project is titled, “Impact of a Pharmacy-led Pain Stewardship Program Utilizing an EHR Integrated Dashboard.” Outside of the hospital, Savannah enjoys playing tennis and running.
Emily Hainer, Pharm.D.| Email: ehainer@wakehealth.edu
Emily Hainer, is from Zionsville, Indiana. She completed pre-pharmacy and PharmD at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. In addition to pharmacy administration and leadership, she is interested in medication safety, pharmacy operations, academia, and ambulatory care. For fun she enjoy listening to podcasts and playing cards around the kitchen table. Emily is thrilled to have the opportunity to train at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and receive an MS from UNC! She knows through this comprehensive clinical and administrative training, she will be equipped with the skills, experiences, and mentors to have success improving patient care, pharmacist job satisfaction, and ultimately advancing the profession of pharmacy.
BayCare Health System
Griffin Blunk, Pharm.D. | Email: griffin.blunk@baycare.org
Griffin was born and raised in the Hoosier heartland, specifically in the suburbs of Indianapolis, IN. He then stayed in Indy and attended Butler University to complete his PharmD and MBA. While at Butler, he was a cheerleader and played football. After graduating from Butler University College of Pharmacy in May of 2022, Griffin is currently a PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) resident at BayCare – St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida. His longitudinal masters research project is focused on the assessment and implementation of a drug procurement process at the BayCare Central Pharmacy. Griffin’s current interests include supply chain, pharmacy operations, and medication safety. When Griffin is not at the hospital, he enjoys spending time with his friends and family, watching sports, and being outside with nature.
Akereya Wilson, Pharm.D. | Email: Akereya.wilson@baycare.org
Akereya began her pursuit of pharmacy during her senior year of high school as an early-admitted student at her local community college in West Palm Beach, Florida. After graduating high school, Akereya earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida. During her matriculation, she served as the Lead Pharmacy Research Assistant for the FAMU-FSU Global Health Research Project Collaboration and collaborated with the Florida Department of Health on a grant focused on providing COVID-19 vaccine information to underserved communities. Through these experiences, a passion for women’s health, servant leadership, and bridging the gaps of health disparities was ignited. Currently, Akereya is a PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) resident at BayCare – St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida. For her longitudinal masters research project, she will be evaluating the impact of a recently implemented inpatient pharmacy-coordinated glycemic management program. In Akereya’s leisure time, she enjoys going to the beach, spending time with her family, and reading books.
Cone Health
Amanda Choi, Pharm.D., M.B.A. | Email: amanda.choi@conehealth.com
Amanda Choi, Pharm.D., M.B.A., is a PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina. Amanda is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to North Carolina with her family in 2006. Prior to pharmacy school, Amanda completed her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at North Carolina State University. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Business Administration from Campbell University and is working towards her Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Her professional interests include leadership development, clinical pharmacy management, pharmacy operations, medication safety, quality/process improvement, and lean six sigma management. Outside of pharmacy, Amanda enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, taking barre classes, hiking, and reading.
Marin Weiskopf, Pharm.D. | Email: marin.weiskopf@conehealth.com
Marin Weiskopf, Pharm.D., is one of the PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Pharmacy Leadership residents at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina. She is initially from Denver, CO and completed her BA in Biochemistry from Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA. She went to UNC Eshelman School of pharmacy for her Pharm.D. Dr. Weiskopf is excited to be back at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy working towards her Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences. In her HSPAL residency at Cone Health, she is excited to continue to develop her leadership skills, to advocate for pharmacy initiatives, and to refine her clinical skills. In her free time, she enjoys working out, playing with her rescued corgi, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.
Duke University Hospital
Krishna Shah, Pharm.D. | Email: krishna.shah@duke.edu
Krishna Shah is the PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Wofford College and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She also received her Master of Business Administration degree through The Citadel. Krishna’s administrative interests include clinical management and population health. Her Thesis Substitute will evaluate the impact of the Meds to Beds service on hospital readmission rates at Duke University Hospital.
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Jessica Clancy, Pharm.D. | Email: Jessica.clancy1@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Jessica Clancy, PharmD, is a PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Thomas Jefferson University, also in Philadelphia. During her pre-pharmacy and pharmacy training, she interned at WellSpan York Hospital and Jomici Apothecary. Her professional interests include medication safety, regulatory affairs, and ambulatory care.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Kash Bettiga, Pharm.D. | Email: KBETTIGA@mgh.harvard.edu
Dr. Bettiga is from Jackson, Mississippi. He completed his undergraduate and Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Mississippi and is completing his Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences with specialization in Health-System Pharmacy Administration through the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy. His practice interests include pharmacy operations, clinical pharmacy management, and compliance. Dr. Bettiga enjoys hiking, sports, and spending time with friends and family. Dr. Bettiga will be continuing as a PGY-2 in Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident after the completion of the residency year.
New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Clay Ausdenmoore, Pharm.D. | Email: Clay.Ausdenmoore@novanthealth.org
Clay Ausdenmoore is a current PGY-1 Health System Administration and Leadership Resident at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. He is a recent graduate from the University of South Carolina, where he also received his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, and worked on his Master’s in Health Information Technology. He is originally from Cornelius, North Carolina, and enjoys spending his free time with his dog (Cedric) around any body of water. He is a huge fan of the Carolina Panthers, Hurricanes, and Gamecocks.
Novant Health
Yasmeen Alqaisi, Pharm.D. | Email: YAlqaisi@novanthealth.org
Yasmeen Alqaisi is the current PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center. She completed her Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in Chemistry and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Her areas of interest in pharmacy administration include pharmacy operations, medication safety, academia, and formulary management. Outside of pharmacy, she enjoys traveling and exploring new places, trying out new restaurants with friends and family, hiking and running new trails nearby. She is looking forward to completing her program with Novant Health and taking part in the collaborative UNC MS program.
Jordan Meaza, Pharm.D. | Email: jmeaza@novanthealth.org
Jordan Meaza is a current PGY-1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) resident at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center (NHPMC) in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a recent graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University where he received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Jordan is originally from Fayetteville, NC and prior to pharmacy school completed his Bachelor of Science degree at UNC Chapel Hill in Chapel, NC. Jordan’s practice interests include inpatient operations, practice advancement, and informatics. His personal interests include golf, soccer, and exploring Charlotte. Jordan is honored to be a part of NHPMC residency program and to be a part of such a strong UNC MS HSPAL cohort.
University Hospitals
Jessie Rupp, Pharm.D. | Email: Jessie.Rupp@UHhospitals.org
Dr. Jessie Rupp is originally from Pettisville, Ohio. She completed her undergraduate studies at Cleveland State University followed by her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University. Dr. Rupp’s professional interests include enhancing the quality and safety of patient care, pharmacy practice advancement, interprofessional collaborative practice, and leadership development. In her spare time, Dr. Rupp enjoys designing and sewing dresses, running trials in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, spending time with her cat Teddy, and brewing kombucha. Dr. Rupp would like to sincerely thank her family, friends, and mentors for their continued support and encouragement.
Stephen Wat, Pharm.D. | Email: SangKit.Wat@UHhospitals.org
Dr. Stephen Wat is originally from Queens, NY. He completed his undergraduate studies at Buffalo State University of New York followed by his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from SUNY Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He hopes to continue to develop his clinical and leadership skills through residency training. Some of his professional areas of interest include clinical/operational administration and acute care. He plans to continue professional development throughout his career to further develop himself as a leader. Lastly, he plans to stay involved in the growth of the Health-System Pharmacy Administration and leadership (HSPAL) residency program at University Hospitals, as well as many professional organizations. Stephen enjoys reading and playing with his cat. He also adores creative activities such as crafting, sketching, painting, and more.
University of North Carolina Medical Center
Megan Byrne, Pharm.D. | Email: Megan.Byrne@unchealth.unc.edu
Megan Byrne is a PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident at UNC Medical Center. Megan is originally from Massapequa Park, New York. She received her Doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy and her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Temple University. During her PharmD studies, Megan held many leadership positions including serving as Chapter President, Regional Member-at-large, and member of the National Standing Committee on Member Engagement for APhA-ASP. She currently serves as a member of the ASHP Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residents’ Collaborative HSPAL Resident Resources Work Group and as a member of the Vizient Pharmacy Business of Pharmacy Enterprise Committee. Her Master’s thesis is on the implementation and validation of clinical outcome measures in the acute care setting. Megan’s professional interests include clinical management, specialty pharmacy, transitions of care, and medication safety. In her free time, she enjoys group fitness classes, trying new restaurants with her husband Jack, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.
Noemie Kanene, Pharm.D. | Email: Noemie.Kanene@unchealth.unc.edu
Noemie Kanene is a PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident at UNC Medical Center. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, TX. She currently serves as the Vice Chair for the ASHP Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident Collaborative (PALRC) and on the Vizient Programming Innovation and Engagement committee (PIE) . For her Master’s thesis, Noemie is developing a framework to assist with guiding development of auto-verification of medication orders within EPIC at UNC. Noemie’s professional interests include supply chain, public policy, 340B, process improvement, revenue integrity, and practice advancement. In her free time, Noemie enjoys exploring new hiking trails, brunch, yoga, and local concerts.
Shannon Patterson, Pharm.D. | Email: Shannon.Patterson@unchealth.unc.edu
Shannon Patterson is a PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration & Leadership resident t UNC Medical Center and a MS 2024 candidate at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She attended University of Arizona for her undergraduate degree. She attended Washington State University for pharmacy school, and completed clinical fourth year rotations as a University of Washington Resident Scholar. During her PharmD studies, she served as the President of Washington State University College of Pharmacy Ambassadors as well as the APhA-ASP Operation Immunization officer. During residency, she currently is involved with Pharmacy Supply Chain Vizient committee. For her master’s thesis, Shannon is doing ‘A Retrospective Review on the Return on Investment for Historical Pharmacy Capital Investment Projects to Determine the Key Criteria for generation of a Pharmacy Business Case’. This aligns with her professional interests of pharmacy operations and finance. In her free time, Shannon enjoys hiking, biking, running, and all outdoor activities.
Nivedha Poondi, Pharm.D. | Email: Nivedha.Poondi@unchealth.unc.edu
Nivedha Poondi is originally from Bloomington, IL. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Illinois Wesleyan University and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Illinois Chicago. Nivedha is the current PGY1 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership resident at UNC Medical Center and is completing her Master of Sciences with specialization in Health-System Pharmacy Administration at UNC Eschelman School of Pharmacy. She is currently involved on a national level with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacy (ASHP) Pharmacy Administration Leadership Residents’ Collaborative, specifically serving on the Student and Resident Engagement Workgroup and Vizient’s Pharmacy Programming Innovation & Engagement Committee. Her Master’s project is titled “Spatial GIS Analysis of Pharmacy Deserts in North Carolina and UNC Catchment Population”. Her practice interests include specialty pharmacy, supply chain management, medication safety and practice advancement. Outside of the hospital, Nivedha enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.