Brian Fung

Brian’s Story

Brian received his Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and his Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Florida. He completed a PGY-1 in Pharmacy Practice at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and a PGY-2 in Pharmacy Informatics at the University of Utah Healthcare. Brian is board certified in pharmacotherapy and has also received additional training in antimicrobial stewardship through the certificate program from MAD-ID. Throughout Brian’s professional career, he has developed a strong interest in public health and is a vocal advocate for antimicrobial stewardship. Brian is currently involved with the Section Advisory Group for Professional Development in Pharmacy Informatics. Brian has been a member of ASHP ever since his second year in pharmacy school and plans to continually grow his involvement through various work groups and leadership positions.

Facility

Mayo Clinic is a tertiary, academic medical center located in Rochester, Minnesota. It is comprised of its 794-bed Methodist Hospital and 1,265-bed Saint Mary’s Hospital. Additionally, Mayo Clinic has major hospitals located in Florida and Arizona and the Mayo Clinic Health System includes hospitals located throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Significant Projects

Brian is currently involved in the implementation of Epic across the Mayo Clinic Enterprise. Specifically, he has been given the opportunity to lead the implementation of Mayo Clinic’s Antimicrobial Stewardship program into Epic; this will primarily be reflected through the design and build of a scoring system for monitoring and optimizing antimicrobial use. Additionally, Brian is coordinating the design and build of workflow reports for Epic’s Infection Control Module that will allow reporting to the NHSN. Brian is also coordinating the implementation of clinical decision support rules from Mayo’s Hospital Rule-Based System into Epic.

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

As a fairly new informatics practitioner, I would suggest being open-minded and willing to learn. This field allows you to fully express your creativity as you bridge the gap between clinical practice and information technology. Keeping an open mind will take you very far in this field since it is constantly changing. As Steve Jobs once said, “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish”.

Involvement in ASHP

“I originally became involved with ASHP to explore my options after pharmacy school and to learn more about residency training. I was immediately drawn to the ASHP community after my first ASHP Midyear Meeting. It was quite impressive to see the sheer volume of individuals in attendance and their commitment to the profession. The meeting also presents a unique opportunity for students to meet and learn from some of the most influential leaders in pharmacy.”

ASHP’s Value to Members

“Becoming a member of ASHP is invaluable. I have been a strong advocate for ASHP ever since I was a student and I have encouraged others to join as well because of the networking opportunities. Personally, it was through ASHP’s Midyear Conference and their PPS program that has allowed me to obtain my post-graduate training and current position.”

“ASHP is a strong advocate for the pharmacy profession as a whole. They encourage and support pharmacists to practice at the top of their license. Their commitment to the profession is evident through the progress they have made towards provider status, residency programs, and additional resources and training they provide.”