Ee Vonn Yong

Her Story 
Ee Vonn is the Investigational Drug Service (IDS) Pharmacy Manager at Stanford Health Care (SHC) in Stanford, CA. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama in 2010, and completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice residency at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She served as an inpatient pharmacist at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo with a focus in critical care and infectious disease for two years before transitioning to the IDS pharmacist role.

Facility
Stanford Health Care is a 619-bed academic medical center that serves the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2003, SHC has had over 1.3 million outpatient visits and over 77,000 emergency room visits. The medical system includes Stanford Health Care, along with Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley and Stanford Medicine Partners, which is part of the adult health care delivery system of Stanford Medicine. The institution has roughly 17,200 employees, 2,600 physicians, 4,000 nurses, and nearly 1,500 residents and fellows. Their mission statement is healing humanity through science and compassion, one patient a time. By combining clinical care, research, and education to advance the understanding and practice of medicine, Stanford Health Care provides compassionate, coordinated care personalized for the unique needs of every patient.

Recent Significant Projects
Ee Vonn has played a key role in several initiatives aimed at standardizing the operation of research studies at Stanford Health Care. The three main components of this standardization project include: 1) implementing automated surveys to gather information for clinical trial feasibility and setup, 2) documenting the steps for clinical trial builds within Epic, and 3) using automated alerts to notify stakeholders of completed steps, thereby increasing efficiency and creating a single source of truth.

Involvement in ASHP
I am currently an active member of ASHP and have been since my time during pharmacy school. I now serve as a member of the Section of Inpatient Care Practitioners Educational Steering Committee.

Why did you become involved in ASHP?
I started to get involved in ASHP to start making connections with others outside of my direct work area. I felt it was important to make these connections to others to continue to stay current and learn best practices within pharmacy. I also like the ability for my thoughts and ideas to be heard by others in pharmacy. Getting involved gives you the ability to help shape the practice of pharmacy in a meaningful way. It is a wonderful place to connect with people from the profession and allows you to grow and develop new ideas in a collaborative.

Advice for Someone New to Specialty Area
The Investigational Drug Service area of pharmacy offers a wide range of exciting opportunities, including clinical counseling, research operations, inventory management, drug accountability, auditing, and protocol development. While it may seem overwhelming at first, pharmacists in this field are empowered to support research in diverse and meaningful ways. You'll have the chance to collaborate with study teams across various disease states, giving you exposure to many areas of medical practice. The critical thinking problem-solving skills needed to ensure smooth research operations, while adhering to federal and state regulations, make each day a new opportunity to learn and grow.

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?
ASHP has so many opportunities for you to make an impact that don't require extensive pages on a resume or the best GPA in your class. All you truly need is a desire to serve, and ASHP will meet your energy. ASHP is a way that you can connect with other colleagues in your field, and to realize your impact as a pharmacist amongst your peers and patients.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?
ASHP is a strong advocate for the pharmacy profession, offering numerous opportunities and platforms for pharmacists to share ideas and collaborate effectively. Through its extensive resources, committees, and initiatives, ASHP opens doors for pharmacists to engage beyond their daily responsibilities, helping them to plan for long-term goals and contribute to the advancement of the profession.