James Lee

James’ Story

Dr. Lee graduated with his Pharm.D. from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy in 2010. He then moved to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, where he completed his PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency in 2011 and PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency in 2012. He is currently a clinical faculty member at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System and the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy. He practices in ambulatory care clinical pharmacy and is involved in the teaching and advising of UIC students and residents, as well as international pharmacy students and visiting international pharmacist scholars.

Dr. Lee currently serves as a member of the Section of Clinical Specialists and Scientists Advisory Group on Preceptor Skills and Development and is a reviewer for the CV Review Program. Lastly, Dr. Lee has had the opportunity to develop mentoring relationships with pharmacy students and residents from across the country through ASHP Connect’s Mentor Match. Previously, he was a member in various Student Forum and New Practitioners Forum advisory groups with charges related to leadership development, residency training advancement, public affairs, membership affairs, and advocacy efforts.

Facility

The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health) provides comprehensive care, education, and research to the people of Illinois and beyond. A part of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), UI Health comprises a clinical enterprise that includes a 495-bed tertiary care hospital, 22 outpatient clinics, and 13 Mile Square Health Center facilities, which are Federally Qualified Health Centers. UI Health is the state’s largest public healthcare provider, with over 500,000 patient visits at the hospital and clinics. It also includes the seven UIC health science colleges: Applied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Public Health, Social Work; Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing, including regional campuses in Peoria, Quad Cities, Rockford, Springfield, and Urbana. UI Health is dedicated to the pursuit of health equity. The College of Pharmacy, established in 1859, is the oldest academic unit of the University of Illinois at Chicago and is the home to a fully integrated pharmacy practice department between the College of Pharmacy and the health system.

Significant Projects

Dr. Lee has been involved with the implementation of anticoagulation care-based projects, specifically those related to the impact of pharmacogenomics and point-of-care testing on anticoagulation care in ethnic and racial minority populations. These projects have helped expand pharmacist practices within Dr. Lee’s institution and beyond, as well as advance the utilization of personalized medicine knowledge and practices in his predominantly minority patient population.

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

“Continuously utilize, expand, and leverage the clinical and personal skills you have gained through school and additional training in an effective way in which all of your patients can tangibly definite from. “ The essence of ambulatory care clinical practice to me is to help equip and empower one’s patients so they can further improve their health and those around them. Like the many individuals who have said it to me: “Networking with other individuals, organizations, and in other practice areas can only expose you to new ideas and opportunities. Be willing to take chances in expanding and changing the scope of pharmacist care in the ecosystem you find yourself to be a part of.“

Involvement in ASHP

“I became involved with ASHP through my pharmacy school’s SSHP chapter out of curiosity of wanting to learn more about careers in Health-System Pharmacy. That led to me becoming more involved with SSHP committees and ultimately the state affiliate and the ASHP Student Forum. Whether it has been reviewing CVs or being a member of an advisory group, I find myself fortunate to have been able to stay actively involved through finding ways to serve my fellow ASHP members since my student and residency years, and now in my post-new practitioner years.”

ASHP’s Value to Members

“ASHP offers a wide variety of opportunities to its membership to serve the organization and profession. These opportunities range from being a meeting volunteer, serving as a mentor, reviewing CVs, publishing opportunities, to committee membership. ASHP also actively seeks volunteers no matter what stage they are at in their professional career. Any individual that joins ASHP will only make ASHP stronger while personally benefiting and developing in many ways, immediately and long-term.”

“ASHP, through its sheer size, dedicated membership, and proactive staff are well equipped to be major players in advancing pharmacy practice in the twenty-first century. Essentially all major advances and innovations made in Health-System Pharmacy in the twentieth century involved ASHP as a major player. Similarly, these changes have had profound effects on the whole pharmacy profession - nationally and worldwide. ASHP has largely achieved these accomplishments thanks to the brightness of its membership and members’ positive response to the call for active contribution through the organization.”