Holly Byrnes

Her Story

Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dr. Holly Byrnes obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy in 2006, completed her postgraduate year one residency training at the University of Louisville Health Care and is  a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist.

Currently, Dr. Byrnes is a member of the Section of Clinical Specialists and Scientists Section Advisory Group on Preceptor Skills Development and President-elect of the Kentucky Society of Health System Pharmacists. She also routinely serves as moderator and poster mentor at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.

Overview of Facility/Health System

Sullivan University College of Pharmacy is located in Louisville, Kentucky and offers a year-round accelerated three-year Doctor of Pharmacy program. The college admitted its first students in 2008.

Significant Projects

As Residency Program Coordinator, one of Dr. Byrnes' job functions is to provide the oversight and execution of the Sullivan University College of Pharmacy Teaching Certificate Program. This includes developing the goals, content and requirements of the program, as well as overseeing the logistics of the program such as scheduling the sessions, coordinating with faculty educators for the program, as well as collaborating residency partners. Within the past year, program participation has doubled and expanded further to include residency preceptors. Dr. Byrnes was able to speak at the 2016 ASHP National Pharmacy Preceptors Conference on this topic and enjoyed interacting with others who have a passion for helping pharmacists bolster their skills as educators.

Another major event that Dr. Byrnes is involved with is theKentucky Pharmacy Residency Network (KPRN)'s Annual Summer Meeting. KPRN is a coalition of residency programs from across the Commonwealth of Kentucky who gather periodically for discussion, idea sharing and networking. The Sullivan University College of Pharmacy hosts the Summer Meeting on an annual basis and as such, Dr. Byrnes is routinely charged with development and execution of the meeting, including programming, networking functions and social activities. Educational programming is organized by track (preceptor, resident etc.) and included such topics in 2016 as Layered Learning, PharmAcademic Tips and Tricks, Conflict Resolution, Emotional Intelligence and more. Also in 2016, a new networking activity, Pharmacy Trivia,was added in which attendees were stratified into diverse teams to compete in a trivia style game, like you might find at a local restaurant.

Initial Involvement in ASHP

 "I became a member of ASHP in 2002 as a first year pharmacy student. I wanted to get involved with an organization that bettered my practice as a pharmacist, provided cutting edge education and services, and provided me a forum to network with like-minded individuals in engaging and dynamic formats. I also appreciate that ASHP is the leader in residency program development, education and accreditation, which helps meet my needs and fulfill my interests and passions for mentoring others." 

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

 "If someone were new to academia and/or residency coordination, I would say that you need to be very organized and a thorough communicator. I am constantly juggling multiple projects, with varied timelines and other individuals (both internal and external to my organization). I also think that networking is very important, so establishing and maintaining thoughtful connections is key." 

Value of ASHP

 "I feel as though ASHP is an investment in my practice, career, professional development and profession, as a whole. Experiences and individual relationships that I have because of ASHP are irreplaceable and have helped me to get where I am today."

"ASHP is a leader in the pharmacy profession through their work on patient care initiatives, practice advancement, advocacy, postgraduate training and education. I count on the timely information and tools provided by ASHP to better myself as a practitioner and educator."