Maria Osundele McErleane

Her Story

Maria Osundele McErleane, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCGP, MBAHM, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Long Island University in 2007 and completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in 2009. She went on to receive her Masters in Business Administration with concentration in Healthcare Management from Western Governor's University. She holds a dual board certification in pharmacotherapy and geriatrics. She serves as a preceptor to IPPE and APPE students from various pharmacy schools and has been appointed as Adjunct Professor at Albany College of Pharmacy and Adjunct Clinical Faculty at Wilkes University School of Pharmacy. She has received many awards including Top 75% Engagement Leader (Gallup Engagement Survey 2019), Baldrige Excellence Award (2018), Quality and Patient Safety Awards (2017), and Exceptional Pharmaceutical Care (IV Medication Guideline and Standardization (2015).

Facility

Garnet Health (formerly Greater Hudson Valley Health System,) is a New York State, not-for-profit Corporation headquartered in Middletown, New York, approximately 60 miles north of New York City. Garnet Health is comprised of Garnet Health Medical Center, Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills, Garnet Health Doctors, Garnet Health Foundation and Garnet Health Foundation - Catskills. Garnet Health is dedicated to developing specialty services, medical programs and needed healthcare services that allow residents to remain close to home to receive quality care.

Providing healthcare to nearly 450,000 residents in Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster counties, Garnet Health was designed to improve the quality, stability, and efficiency of healthcare services in the mid-Hudson and Catskill region. Services provided by more than 3,300 employed professionals and over 850 medical staff members, makes Garnet Health one of the largest healthcare providers in the tri-county area. The System’s three hospital campuses including Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills (Harris and Callicoon, NY) and Garnet Health Medical Center (Middletown, NY) plus several outpatient facilities, offer a broad spectrum of care.

Recent Significant Projects

I continue to advocate for the development of cost effective clinical programs to improve patient safety such as antimicrobial and opioid stewardship programs, IV guideline standardization, and our geriatric safety initiative. Our antimicrobial stewardship efforts have been successful through the implementation of policies and procedures, leveraging technology to drive prescribing practices, daily monitoring of patients, and continued staff and patient education. Our opioid stewardship program resulted in ~50% reduction in opioid consumption in its first year, which was accomplished through staff education, order sets modification, and EHR ordering protocols. I also recently worked on reducing incidence of hospital onset hyperkalemia through updating potassium replacement protocols and modifying electronic medical records to guide the appropriate selection, duration, and monitoring of electrolytes. A standardization effort recently led to the updating of our hospital medication infusion guideline for adults, pediatrics, and oncology patients, maintaining infusion pump compliance >95%. Lastly, I was instrumental in establishing our PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program.

Initial Involvement in ASHP

I currently serve as a member of the ASHP Section of Inpatient Care Practitioners Small and Rural Hospitals Section Advisory Group (SAG).

Why did you become involved in ASHP?

I became involved in ASHP because of the organization's robust commitment to the profession of pharmacy, networking opportunities, knowledge sharing opportunities, and gaining best practices that improve patient outcomes.

Advice for Someone New to Specialty Area

Inpatient pharmacy provides an exciting and diverse opportunity to work with various interdisciplinary teams. It will challenge you to continually learn in order to keep abreast of latest treatment guidelines for the various disease states. My advice is to embrace the opportunity to empower, encourage, and develop your colleagues and upcoming clinicians while making a positive impact on patient outcomes.

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

ASHP delivers value through opportunities to engage with various pharmacists, investment in professional development, and sharing of best practices.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?

ASHP aims to promote the value of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians on various levels, provide educational and professional development opportunities, and dedicate resources toward improving medication use and patient safety.