Denise Kelley, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP ([email protected]), is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy and an internal medicine clinical pharmacy specialist at Dell Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas. She is also the residency program director for the Ascension Seton PGY2 Internal Medicine pharmacy residency. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy followed by a PGY1 residency at UF Health Jacksonville and a PGY2 Internal Medicine Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Kelley currently serves ASHP as Chair of the Section of Clinical Scientists and Specialists (SCSS) Meeting Planning Committee. Other ASHP involvement includes past membership on the SCSS Educational Steering Committee, ASHP Council on Education and Workforce Development, and various New Practitioners Forum advisory groups. She has served state/regional affiliates in numerous capacities, including prior service on the Board of Director for the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists (FSHP) and as a member of the task force to create a Transitions of Care Certificate Program for the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP). She has also served as treasurer and Education chair at the regional affiliate level. She has been recognized for her experiential teaching and contributions to pharmacy through various awards including the University of Florida New Inpatient Preceptor of the Year, FSHP New Practitioner of the Year, and was named a Fellow of ASHP in 2023.
I believe that pharmacists are uniquely poised to be disrupters of the healthcare system. We are skilled at filling existing gaps, bucking the status quo, and ultimately leaving an indelible mark on improving patient care outcomes. To support this work, we need innovation, strategy, and teamwork across the profession.
During my time with ASHP, I am continuously rejuvenated at the adaptive stance ASHP maintains, willing to ebb and flow based on the voices of its members and the leading issues currently being faced in healthcare. It is no secret that the pharmacy workforce has been plagued by issues of burnout, particularly during recent years. Many are faced with mounting pressures to show their worth, take on additional responsibilities, achieve extracurricular professional goals, all while often juggling personal demands at home. ASHP continues to spearhead efforts to combat these challenges, including tasking SCSS committees that I proudly participated in with creating novel educational opportunities that fit the busy lives of its members.
If elected as Director-at-Large, I aspire to continue leveraging my voice and the voices of others to affect positive change. I plan to support ASHP in seeking innovative approaches that allow its members to excel in balancing goals and aspirations with the demands both in and out of the workplace. My experiences within ASHP, along with my passion for empowering pharmacists, make me an ideal candidate for this role in working to continue elevating the profession, both in education and practice advancement.