Retired Army Col. W. Michael (Mike) Heath, the longtime manager and planner for federal pharmacy programming at the Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition, was this year’s William A. Zellmer lecturer. Many of us were delighted to see Mike during ASHP Policy Week in September when he presented his inspiring lecture on servant leadership. We look forward to joining him at the Midyear in December for the W. Mike Heath ASHP Federal Forum.

In October, ASHP named retired Lt. Col. Jasper W. (Jay) Watkins III the recipient of the 2024 ASHP–ABHP Joint Leadership Award in recognition of his leadership in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. Jay, who had many public health responsibilities during his 25 years in the U.S. Army, was recently elected to his second term as commissioner for District 3 in Gwinnett County, Georgia. He is creating a unique legacy of service that sets an example for us all, and we look forward to presenting the leadership award to Jay during the Opening Session at the Midyear.

As we honor veterans, ASHP invites you to listen to our Veteran Voices podcast series, which includes a new episode, Pharmacists’ Journeys in Service, featuring U.S. Army Lt. Col. Christopher Ellison as the moderator. His guests are retired officers Col. Peter Bulatao (Army) and Capt. Aaron Middlekauff (Air Force and U.S. Public Health Service) and retired Army Sgt. First Class Ryan Lampien.

We also encourage you to read our news center stories as we feature military pharmacists and training programs for those serving our country.

This week is also a perfect time to spotlight the work of pharmacy professionals providing patient care services to veterans at healthcare facilities within the Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense Health Agency, and Indian Health Service. The federal clinical pharmacist workforce continues to be an asset to its clinician colleagues — and to the nation’s veterans, whether they need traditional care or support for mental health or substance use concerns.

ASHP is proud of our strong relationship with the entire federal pharmacy workforce. Federal pharmacists have been pioneers in establishing direct patient care roles for pharmacists and advanced roles for pharmacy technicians. This work benefits the entire profession and the patients we serve.

For anyone who is contemplating a call to service, ASHP’s Midyear is a great place to learn about the range of opportunities available. We have a wealth of programming for and by the federal pharmacy workforce, including a special session, Lifting the Fog: Opportunities in Federal Pharmacy Practice, that’s geared toward students, residents, and new practitioners. We hope to see you there in December.

Thank you for all you do for your patients and our profession.

Sincerely,

Paul

Posted on November 8, 2024