Kimberly Novak

Her Story

Kimberly (Kim) Novak, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, FPPAG is the Advanced Patient Care Pharmacist in Pediatric and Adult Cystic Fibrosis at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Novak completed her Doctor of Pharmacy at West Virginia University in 2002 and then continued her training at University of Kentucky for her Pharmacy Practice Residency, Pediatric Specialty Residency, and Teaching Certificate. She has held a specialist position in Pulmonary Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital since 2004. She has been the residency program director for the PGY2 pediatric pharmacy residency since 2006 and has trained 25 PGY2 pediatric pharmacy residents during her tenure. She also serves as a preceptor for residents in the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY1/PGY2 Health-system Pharmacy Administration Residency programs as well as visiting residents from programs in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. She has an adjunct appointment as Clinical Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and regularly teaches in the Pediatrics Elective and Therapeutics courses in addition to precepting students. Her practice and research interests include cystic fibrosis, pharmacokinetics, antimicrobial optimization, mental health, and mentorship of pharmacy residents and students.

Overview of Facility/Health System

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a 673-bed academic, comprehensive, and integrated pediatric healthcare delivery system serving patients in central Ohio, all 50 states, and 45 countries through more than 1.5 million patient visits in 2018. Nationwide Children’s Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality care to all children and their families, regardless of ability to pay, and provides more than $191 million in charity care and community benefit services annually. Nationwide Children’s is committed to patient safety through its Zero Hero program and its goal of achieving zero preventable harm. Nationwide Children’s is named to the U.S. News and World Report Honor Roll for top children’s hospitals and is ranked in all 10 specialties. The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the top-10 NIH-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities in the U.S.

Significant Projects

Lately I have been involved in several projects related to patient care and practice advancement. Through my work with the cystic fibrosis (CF) population, I have been collaborating with the multidisciplinary care team to design individualized care plans for initiation and monitoring of CFTR modulator therapies which are a new class of drugs designed to treat the underlying cause of CF. I have also been involved in the CF adult transition program to ensure smooth transition in adult medical care needs. From a practice advancement perspective, I have worked with our state ASHP affiliate, the Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacists (OSHP), to promote statewide legislative and regulatory changes to allow pharmacists to practice at the top of our license. Institutionally, I am collaborating on our department’s privileging and credentialing efforts to ensure appropriate application of our state regulations as we continue to grow the breadth and depth our clinical services across our health system.

What is your current involvement with ASHP? 

Currently I am a member of the Section Advisory Group on Pediatrics for the Section of Clinical Specialists and Scientists. Through the SAG, I have served as the pediatrics liaison for the Section's Educational Steering Committee and have been actively involved in growing our social media presence. Through my leadership in OSHP, I have been actively involved in state affiliate leadership programming, presenting on OSHP's collaborative practice agreement efforts at the 2018 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.

Initial Involvement in ASHP

I initially became involved with ASHP as a student because I knew ASHP was a valuable resource in growing my professional skills and abilities as I would be pursuing residency training. Getting involved in my local SSHP leadership set the foundation for my continued leadership involvement in OSHP and ASHP after residency.

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

The advice I give all new practitioners or those taking on new roles is to actively demonstrate your worth to your medical/multidisciplinary team and your pharmacy department. Instead of asking what you should do in your role, show your teams all that you can do. Be of service at your highest level to your patients and teams, and you will find yourself in an essential, necessary, and rewarding role. In doing so, you will push yourself out of your comfort zone, take on new challenges, and grow professionally well beyond your expectations.

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

The value of ASHP at a personal level is very specific to that individual. Of course, I would highlight the benefits to our profession as explained in the other section; however, it is important to tie ASHP's core services and mission to that of your friend or colleague. For preceptors and residency program directors, it will be residency support services and preceptor development opportunities. For those taking on new clinical roles, it might be more continuing education programming and certificate programs. For those in new and/or rapidly expanding fields of practice (like Specialty Pharmacy or advanced technician roles), it might be developing relationships with others in similar practice sites to establish new best practices and navigate a rapidly changing work environment. This discussion would be a great opportunity to get a friend or colleague excited to not only be an ASHP member but also to find their home within ASHP and truly understand all the opportunities for leadership and active participation within the organization.

Value of ASHP for the profession

ASHP is THE pharmacy organization that represents all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in health-system practice across all specialties and patient populations. Whether you work in a front-line operational position, integrated position within a multidisciplinary team, an ambulatory clinic, a specialty pharmacy, or pharmacy leadership position, you need to have a unified voice for professional advocacy and supporting best practices. ASHP services as that voice for advancing our profession at the national level and as a resource as we advance our profession at the state level.