Leadership position in ICHP

Director of Professional Affairs

Tell us about your position and practice site. 

Medication Safety Pharmacist for OSF HealthCare.  I am based in Peoria, but we have practice sites all over Central and Northern Illinois!

Tell us about a time you made a difference.

I will always remember this situation, because I was a new pharmacist and still in orientation at OSF-Saint Franice Medical Group. Xigris® had been approved the month before (I know, that dates me…), and our P&T had decided to add it to formulary just the day before. It was a Saturday in December, and I answered a call from an ICU attending who wanted Xigris® for a young septic patient.  It was peak Christmas season, so I had a hard time finding someone who could help us order it.  I ended up coordinating a drop shipment flight to get the drug there within 12 hours, doing “just in time” education with pharmacy and nursing staff, and keeping in touch with the attending all day. We got the patient the drug, and I got a personal “Thank You” note from the attending (whom I later learned was a very hard person to impress!). Now, I realize that Xigris® was later pulled from the market and may not have actually helped the patient…but the entire situation gave me so much confidence in my ability to handle a situation that seemed “above my paygrade”.

How did you know that pharmacy was for you?

I decided in 6^th grade that I wanted to be a pharmacist.  My brother had a “Careers” magazine that he brought home from high school.  I looked up my favorite subjects, math and science, and one of the options was pharmacy.  I boldly declared that I was going to be a pharmacist when I grew up.  Stubbornly, I stuck to that declaration all through high school! Luckily for me, I ended up choosing a career that was a great fit for me.  I love all the different places a pharmacy career can take you!  Over the last almost 20 years, I have had some great experiences and met some amazing people.

Fill in the blank:  ICHP is _____ because…

ICHP is vital, because it gives all of us an outlet to be able to see outside of ourselves and our current role.  I have learned so much about what pharmacy can be by meeting pharmacists and techs from across the state in hospitals and clinics big and small.  I also see ICHP’s role in advocacy as vital to our profession, and I love that it gives me easy access to get involved.

Tell us about when you first joined ICHP. 

I have always been involved in pharmacy organizations since my time at Drake University.  I knew that I wanted to be a member of ICHP once I started working at Saint Francis.  Working at a facility with multiple pharmacists who were not just members but involved in committee and leadership positions definitely helped me stay engaged!  It was easy to say that I was “too busy” with work and family to get involved in committees, but seeing my co-workers make it all happen and benefit from the relationships made me decide it was time to jump in!

Special thanks to so many people who have made me who I am today.  My mom was a bedside nurse for 40 years.  She always kept her passion for her care of her patients, and she showed me that you don’t have to have a title to earn respect.  I had some amazing professors at Drake who made me look at pharmacy in a way I didn’t even know I could.  There were a few specific preceptors during rotations and residency who greatly influenced how I saw myself as a pharmacist.  I have had some very intelligent and motivated co-workers who keep me on my toes and push me to do more.  And, of course, my family.  I want my girls to know that I am working hard to help people.

What advice do you have for students?

Never exclude an area of pharmacy as a career option.  I never would’ve thought I would be a Medication Safety Pharmacist.  As a new grad, I would never have found my current role to be exciting enough.  I wanted ICU or transplant or cardiology.  But every little project I did that related to medication safety made me realize that I would really enjoy Medication Safety as a career.  There are more areas in pharmacy than you realize, so keep your options open!

Any special interests or hobbies outside of work?

You will often find me in my “Mom uniform” at one of my daughters’ sporting events.  Whether it is soccer, basketball, volleyball, or cross country, I love watching my girls do their thing!

For “me” time, I enjoy playing slow pitch softball with both my co-workers and my church league teams.  I also enjoy running and training for the St Jude Run every August.

What is your favorite place to vacation?

We try to check out different places, but our favorite would have to be Park City, Utah.  We were there for the bobsledding World Cup the year before the Salt Lake City Olympics, and we really enjoyed ourselves.  Then we went back for the Winter Olympics the next year and we really fell in love with the place!  They have great snow for snowboarding in the winter and great trails to hike, bike, and horseback in the summer.