Steven Silverstein

His Story

Dr. Silverstein earned his Pharm.D. degree from the University of Illinois-Chicago - College of Pharmacy and his BA degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. He obtained his board certification in pharmacotherapy (BCPS) in 2008 and Apexus 340B ACE certificate in 2019. Prior to his current role, he served as the Pharmacy Health System Director at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center (MHMC) in Chicago beginning in 2012 where he was responsible for all inpatient and outpatient pharmacy activities, overseeing over 50 FTEs across four pharmacies as well as PGY1 and PGY2 pharmacy residency programs. Previous positions include Inpatient Director of Pharmacy and Inpatient Assistant Director of Pharmacy also at MHMC.

Dr. Silverstein currently works at CPS – Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. As the Director of Pharmacy, Dr. Silverstein oversees all pharmacy related inpatient and outpatient activities at the institution. He is also an adjunct instructor at the University of Illinois – College of Pharmacy where he precepts 4th-year pharmacy students.

Facility

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), is the global leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation for adults and children with the most severe, complex conditions — from traumatic brain and spinal cord injury to stroke, amputation and cancer-related impairment. Shirley Ryan AbilityLab expands and accelerates leadership in the field that began at RIC in 1953 — its care and research designated the “No. 1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America” by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1991. Upon opening in March 2017, 1.2-million-square-foot Shirley Ryan AbilityLab became the first-ever “translational” research hospital in which clinicians, scientists, innovators and technologists work together in the same space, surrounding patients, discovering new approaches and applying (or “translating”) research in real time. This unique model enables patients to have 24/7 access to the brightest minds, the latest research and the best opportunity for recovery.

Recent Significant Projects

During his time at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, his pharmacy department has led efforts to improve medication safety by limiting override capabilities at automated dispensing cabinets, improving guardrails around appropriate intervals between medication administrations, and adopting AUC driven vancomycin dosing to decrease potential adverse effects. Additional projects have included transitions of care improvements through pharmacist review of all discharge medication orders anddevelopment of a pharmacist workflow dashboard.

Involvement in ASHP

I have served as a member of the Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders (SPPL), Section Advisory Group (SAG) on Front Line Leaders since 2019. I previously served as a member of the Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers Section Advisory Group on Manager Development and the Section Advisory Group on Pharmacy Operations Automation- Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Technology. I have been involved in ASHP Section Advisory Groups since 2008.

Why did you become involved in ASHP? 

For me, involvement in ASHP provides an opportunity to network with colleagues across the country. Hearing about best practices from others and sharing personal experiences helps me become a better practitioner and helps to improve the patient care we provide at my institution. 

Advice for Someone New to Specialty Area 

I think the approach to the work of pharmacy should remain the same regardless of your specialty - always do your best work, have rationale for your decisions, and remain focused on patient care. Working in administration gives me the opportunity to impact patient care on a macro level - building efficient pharmacy systems and tools that allow the pharmacy staff to maximize their impact on our patients’ medication management.

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?

ASHP is a trusted resource for the health system pharmacist, and advocate for health system pharmacy-related issues. It’s the only organization where health system generalist and specialist pharmacists can share ideas, develop tools and access resources relevant to their practice setting.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?

ASHP advocates for pharmacists to be the kind of integrated, healthcare professional that I envisioned when I decided to become a pharmacist. Seeing the role of the pharmacist evolve in today's healthcare landscape is an exciting thing, and ASHP is at the forefront of this charge.