Amanda M. Ball

Amanda M. Ball earned her PharmD degree from The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency and Critical Care Specialty Pharmacy Residency at the University of Kentucky. After a career shift into leadership and management, she returned to UNC to earn her master's degree with an emphasis in pharmacy administration and leadership. After spending time as a front-line clinical pharmacist primarily in the Medical Intensive Care Unit she transitioned into a clinical pharmacy manager role at Duke University Hospital.

Current Responsibilities:
She currently works as a clinical pharmacy manager overseeing approximately 30 clinical pharmacists in anticoagulation management, medical cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, neurosciences and clinical night shift roles. These are primarily acute care clinical pharmacists with some ambulatory roles in anticoagulation and cardiology service lines. Ball also serves as a preceptor for Advanced Immersion students in Pharmacy Leadership. She is also a preceptor for the HSPAL PGY1 and PGY2 residency years, member of the HSPAL Resident Selection Committee and HSPAL Residency Advisory Council.

Facility:
Duke University Hospital is a 1048-bed tertiary care teaching facility offering a broad array of inpatient and ambulatory care services. The Department of Pharmacy provides comprehensive pharmaceutical care to patients with a staff of more than 250 pharmacists and 250 technicians. Duke University Hospital is the flagship hospital and part of Duke University Health System located in Research Triangle, North Carolina.

Recent Significant Projects:
I have recently worked to expand clinical pharmacy services within our ambulatory cardiology platform to include a pharmacist-managed heart failure clinic at Duke University Hospital. In addition, I work in our ambulatory anticoagulation management services with expansion to a second pharmacist-managed hematology clinic role. I have spent much time at Duke working on improving scheduling practices for the acute care clinical pharmacists, including an updated schedule writing charter, use of alternative schedules and self-scheduling pilot work. In addition, I have worked with Hospital Leaders in the Heart Services and Neurosciences service lines to improve relationships with Clinical Pharmacy and to support initiatives that include clinical pharmacy services in these Clinical Service Lines. I have spent years working to learn and research in the area of Pharmacy burnout and resiliency for knowledge sharing and how to improve employee retention and job satisfaction. My interest in how to support and create a pipeline of Clinical Pharmacy Leaders has also led to a new Clinical Leadership Intern Program that will begin this summer at Duke University Hospital.

Advice for Someone New to a Specialty Area:
Build relationships. Those in leadership and management may not have direct patient care as part of their role, but the individuals who they manage can impact patient care and patient safety in such positive ways. Take the time to get to know them. Spending time learning what is important to them, their personal and professional goals, and treating people with respect, dignity and kindness is so important to successful leadership. Finally, not being complacent about your leadership learning. Treat improvement in leadership similarly to continuous education in any clinical or operational topic. By being open to continuous learning and improvement of management skills & styles you invest in yourself and all those who you work with directly.

Involvement with ASHP:
I am currently a member of the Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders and the New and Emerging Leaders Section Advisory Group. I also served as an invited member to The Summit: Implementing Solutions: Building a Sustainable, Healthy Pharmacy Workforce and Workplace held last year in Washington, DC.

Reason for ASHP Involvement:
I have been a member of ASHP since 2015. My interest in well-being, resiliency and burnout led to research collaboration opportunities with ASHP, which sparked an interest in becoming more engaged in the SPPL section. My interest in how to improve employee retention and create a pipeline for new clinical leaders drew me to involvement in the New and Emerging Leaders Section Advisory Group.

Value of ASHP for Peers or Colleagues:
ASHP supports educational needs and career advancement opportunities for Pharmacists and Technicians. Whether a New Practitioner or a more experienced professional, there are programming, involvement opportunities, and ways to contribute to the advancement of the Pharmacy Profession.

Value of ASHP for the Profession:
ASHP is an important organization for the advancement of the pharmacy profession. Serving as a member in ASHP enhances the professional journey of pharmacists across various practice settings by providing continuous professional development through educational programs and publications, facilitating networking opportunities for collaboration, and career growth.