Credentials: Pharm.D., BCPS
Position/Title: Clinical Specialist-Emergency Medicine/Critical Care
Organization: University of Kentucky HealthCare
Primary Specialty: Emergency Medicine
Specialties: Critical Care
Education/Advanced Training
After receiving my undergraduate degree and graduating from pharmacy school, I then completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residencyand a PGY2 Critical Care Residency.
Type of Patient Population Served
I work in the Emergency Department of a Level 1 Trauma Center and University Teaching Hospital. Our population consists of a wide array of different patients who come to us from all areas of the state with varying conditions. We average about 45,000 patients a year, with one third of those being pediatric patients. Our patients can range in severity from the sickest of the sick to fully ambulatory patients with minor conditions.
Roles and Responsibilities
As a clinical specialist, I have multiple responsibilities. My primary responsibility is providing pharmacotherapy recommendations and overall care to those patients that present to our Emergency Department. We provide coverage 7 days a week from 1pm-11pm (our peak time frame for admissions). I am also responsible for designing protocols and ensuring continuous quality improvement for the pharmacotherapy utilized in my practice area. I am also expected to contribute to the research mission of the institution, co-coordinate courses and lectures at the College of Pharmacy, and precept students and residents. I am also responsible for being program director for our new PGY2-Emergency Medicine Residency Program.
How I Got Where I am Today
My undergraduate, graduate, and residency training have all provided me with invaluable experience to practice in this area. The preceptors, educators, and mentors I have had along the way helped me find the right career path based on my desires, strengths, and goals. The strong desire to improve patient care and optimize outcomes has been a great asset in helping me maintain my focus throughout my career. The excitement of the opportunity to conduct research in order to explore therapeutic problems and look for solutions is something that continues to make my position interesting and “new.”
Advice for Students Pursuing this Career Path
The continued quest for knowledge and discovery is a necessity for pursuing this career path. The Emergency Department is a fast-paced, challenging environment that demands an equally matched quick-thinking individual with a well-rounded knowledgebase. Equally important is the desire to optimize patient care and provide all around Best Practice to every patient, every time. As the Emergency Department is an area full of research opportunities, an ideal quality is the desire to participate in designing, conducting, and publishing research activities aimed at improving patient care.
Professional Organizations/Activities Outside Day-to-Day Job Responsibilities
I began getting involved in professional organizations early on in pharmacy school, and this has served me well as I moved into my professional career. Currently, I am a member of ASHP, ACCP, and SCCM. I continue to be an active member of each organization through participation on various committees. I am also active on a local level through my participation in the local chapters of these organizations as well. In my spare time, I spend time with my family and friends, write, participate in various outdoor activities, and occasionally skydive.
Contact Information
You can reach me by e-mail at [email protected]
