2015 TSHP Award Recipients

During the TPA Annual Convention in July 2015, the Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP), a Society of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association, honored two individuals and two health-system pharmacies for their accomplishments and commitment to excellence. Congratulations! We appreciate your dedication to health-system pharmacy and the patients you serve!

Please click on the names below to learn more about TSHP’s award-winning individuals!

JEANNE R. EZELL, MS, FASHP

Health System Distinguished Service Award

Jeanne R. Ezell, MS, FASHP, of Maryville, Tennessee, was recently presented the 2015 Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP), Distinguished Service Award, for her sustained service and accomplishments in a career of more than twenty years, and her extensive contributions in health-system pharmacy practice, research and publications, implementation of innovative practices, and enhancement of the profession in the public’s view. She was presented the award on July 16, during a ceremony at the TSHP’s annual programing, held in conjunction with the 128^th Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) Annual Convention and Exposition, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Dr. Ezell has been Director of Pharmacy at Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, Tennessee, for over 20 years, and Director of the Post Graduate Year-1 Residency Program since its implementation in 2006. She previously was Director of Pharmacy and the Director of the Residency/Fellowship Program at Western Missouri Mental Health Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Ezell completed a Master’s in Hospital Pharmacy and a Residency Program at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She is also a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy.   Dr. Ezell has been very active in professional organizations, serving as President of the Kansas City Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Chairman of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Council on Professional Affairs, and President of the Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Throughout her career, Dr. Ezell has focused on medication safety and leadership. She has made many presentations at state and national meetings on the use of technology and process improvements for prevention of adverse drug events. Dr. Ezell received the Tom C. Sharp 2007 Tennessee Pharmacist of the Year Award, the 2001 Tennessee Hospital Pharmacist of the Year Award, and the 2011 Harold N. Godwin Leadership Legacy Award.

ROBERT A. “ROB” LUCAS, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, FASHP

Health System Pharmacist of the Year

Robert A. “Rob” Lucas, PharmD, MBA., BCPS, FASHP, of Maryville, Tennessee, was recently presented the 2015 Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP) Pharmacist of the Year Award, in recognition of his significant contributions to the profession of pharmacy and hospital practice; development and implementation of advanced hospital pharmacy practice, programs, research, and/or publications; his personal enrichment endeavors through specialized training and advanced degrees; and his demonstrated leadership qualities. He was presented with the award during a ceremony on July 16, at the TSHP’s annual programing, held in conjunction with the 128^th Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) Annual Convention and Exposition in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Dr. Lucas is a clinical pharmacist at Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, Tennessee, where he is the pharmacy clinical coordinator and the coordinator for the PGY1 Residency program. In this position, Dr. Lucas is responsible for planning, implementing, and managing clinical pharmacy services and coordinating the Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Formulary, and Institutional Review Board committees. He also provides clinical pharmacy services for a wide variety of patients throughout the hospital. Dr. Lucas precepts PGY1 Resident rotations, as well as clerkship students in internal medicine for the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy and Samford University, McWhorter School of Pharmacy.

Dr. Lucas received his PharmD degree from Samford University, McWhorter School of Pharmacy and is a retired Major from the U.S. Army Reserves. He served in aviation for ten years and as a pharmacist for over 11 years in the Army. He is board certified in pharmacotherapy and completed a pharmacy practice residency at Saint Thomas Hospital, in Nashville, Tennessee. More recently, Dr. Lucas completed the Pharmacy Leadership Academy (PLA) through the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and completed an MBA in Healthcare with New England College. Additionally, his career-long accomplishments were highlighted this past June, when he was officially made a Fellow by ASHP.

Dr. Lucas is an active member of the TPA and TSHP, a society within the association, and served as president of TSHP from 2013-2014.

LeCONTE MEDICAL CENTER PHARMACY

Innovative Health-System Pharmacy Practice Award
—100 Beds or Less

Marti MacDonald, Kim Bristo, Amanda Russell, Claudia Ogburn, Julie Masterson, Karen Arwood, and Sarah Dotson (not pictured: Amanda Miller, Kasey Grisham, Misty Messer, Janet Kelley, and Melissa Rutherford)

LeConte Medical Center Pharmacy in Sevierville, Tennessee, was recently honored with the “Innovative Health-System Pharmacy Practice Award to a Pharmacy Practice with 100 Beds or Less” by the Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP) in a ceremony held Thursday, July 16, during its annual programing, in conjunction with the 128^th Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) Annual Convention and Exposition, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. LeConte Medical Center Director of Pharmacy, Claudia Ogburn, DPh, accepted the award.

LeConte Medical Center is a community acute-care hospital serving Sevier and surrounding counties, and is licensed for 79 in-patient beds. In 2013, the pharmacy at LeConte Medical Center initiated an inter-disciplinary Antibiotic Stewardship Team which provides daily antibiotic consultations, reviews, and interventions, based on the Institute for Healthcare Improvement guidelines and drivers.

All the pharmacists on staff are involved in concurrent review and drug and dose compliance, based on accepted industry standards, and participate in daily rounding with hospitalists to ensure safe medication therapy. There is also pharmacist oversight of Medical Center-owned 54-bed Fort Sanders Sevier Nursing Home.

Sponsored by the McKesson Corporation, the Innovative Health-System Pharmacy Practice Award is given annually to a pharmacy department staff in a hospital with less than 100 beds, in recognition of efforts which advanced the level of pharmacy services within the past 24 months.

SAINT THOMAS RUTHERFORD HOSPITAL PHARMACY

Innovative Health-System Pharmacy Practice Award
—More than 100 Beds

Maggie Goodman, Novella Wade, Allyson Wunderlich, Angie McGraw, Melaina Perry, John Farringer, Amy Hodgin, Julie Hudgens, Mark Johnson, Priscilla Smith, and Nick Brakefield

Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Pharmacy in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was recently honored with the “Innovative Health-System Pharmacy Practice Award to a Pharmacy Practice with More Than 100 Beds” by the Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP) in a ceremony held Thursday, July 16, during its annual programing, in conjunction with the 128^th Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) Annual Convention and Exposition in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The award was accepted by Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Director of Pharmacy, John Farringer, PharmD, and Clinical Pharmacy Supervisor, Amy Hodgin, PharmD, BCPS.

Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, formerly Middle Tennessee Medical Center, is a 286-bed private, not-for-profit hospital. In the past 24 months, Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Pharmacy converted its pharmacy practice model from a traditional centralized model utilizing a couple of Clinical Specialists, to the Nursing Unit Based model recommended by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI). The change has increased therapeutic interventions by 230% and has resulted in a 75% reduction in medication errors. The increased presence of pharmacists on the nursing units has elevated the visibility of and respect for pharmacy within the organization. The PPMI practice model has given staff a greater sense of pride in the work they do in caring for patients. In addition, a rich learning environment has been established for training the students and residents who will be the future leaders in pharmacy.

Sponsored by the McKesson Corporation, the Innovative Health-System Pharmacy Practice Award is given annually to a pharmacy department staff in a hospital with more than 100 beds, in recognition of efforts which advanced the level of pharmacy services within the past 24 months.

Shawn McFarland and Diane Shackelford

VA TENNESSEE VALLEY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM PHARMACY SERVICE

Innovative Health-System Pharmacy Practice Award
—Other Pharmacy Practice Types

The VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Pharmacy Service in Nashville and Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was recently honored with the “Innovative Health-System Pharmacy Practice Award to Other Pharmacy Practice Types” by the Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP) in a ceremony held July 16, during its annual programing, in conjunction with the 128^th Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) Annual Convention and Exposition in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Chief of Pharmacy Service, Diane Shackelford, PharmD, MHA, accepted the award and was joined by Associate Service Chief of Pharmacy, M. Shawn McFarland, PharmD, FCCP, BCACP, BCPS.

The Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) is an integrated healthcare system comprised of two medical centers located in Nashville and Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Additionally, a total of 12 community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) are located throughout Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.

The mission of the TVHS Department of Pharmacy is to honor America’s veterans by providing exceptional pharmaceutical care that improves the veteran’s health and well-being. Over the past two years, the TVHS Pharmacy Department has continued to grow and expand innovative pharmacy services, while improving access of care and quality of care to veterans.  In the past year, the pharmacy department has expanded to nearly 170 full-time employment equivalent and has begun to provide inpatient pharmacy services, with clinical pharmacists rounding on every medicine team in the hospital, providing inpatient medicine services seven days a week, coupled with coverage of every specialty unit at both main campuses.  The pharmacy department has continued to embrace the concept of comprehensive medication management in primary care, specialty mental health services, and outpatient chronic pain management, and now has 26 Clinical Pharmacy Specialists operating under a scope of practice where they are empowered to independently manage complex medication management issues in the outpatient arena.  The service has expanded into unique areas, including telemedicine, where veterans are seen via modalities other than face to face appointments, allowing for care to be extended to where the veteran resides.  In addition to direct patient care, the pharmacy department has expanded efforts with pharmacy residency training and now has nine PGY-1 residents and four PGY-2 residents. Since 2008, members of the service have authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and have participated in numerous research opportunities focusing on the provision of pharmaceutical care.

Sponsored by the McKesson Corporation, the Innovative Health-System Pharmacy Practice Award is given annually to a pharmacy department staff of “other pharmacy practice types,” in recognition of efforts which advanced the level of pharmacy services within the past 24 months.