SUMMER 2018 • Volume 40 • Issue 3
The Pharmacist
THE THE CLINICAL CLINICAL ISSUE ISSUE
A publication of the UIC College of Pharmacy
BUILDING
MODELS OF CARE Three pioneering programs are solidifying UIC’s standing as one of the nation’s top pharmacy schools.
On the Cutting Edge A close-up look at our innovative pharmacy services.
A Perfect Fit for 3 Decades UIC’s renowned residency program has thrived under Frank Paloucek.
Momentum The Drug Information Group is providing valuable service to industry partners.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
14
20 Features 14 On the Cutting Edge
Treating HIV-positive inmates in Illinois prisons is just one of the pioneering pharmacy services available through the College of Pharmacy
20 DIG — Momentum
“This is a much different business unit than is typically found in a college of pharmacy.”
24 A Perfect Fit for 3 Decades
The residency program was tailor-made for Frank Paloucek.
In September of 1868, our college published the first issue of a trade journal simply named “The Pharmacist.” The magazine you see before you is named in honor of that historic journal.
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
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28 EDITORIAL CREDITS Publisher Dr. Glen T. Schumock, PharmD, MBA, PhD Professor and Dean Editors Ben Stickan, MBA, CFRE Assistant Dean of Advancement
24 Departments 2
From The Dean
UIC: The Epicenter of Innovative Pharmacy Services
3 Calendar 4
College News
7
Student News
19
Alumni Profile
LAUREN VITRANO: Lauren’s Legacy
28 Graduation 30
Honors
32
Alumni News
33 Obituaries
Chris Gummert Associate Director of Donor Relations Deb Fox, M.eD Director of Engagement and Participation Proofreaders Ben Stickan Deb Fox Glen Schumock Nate Downing Contributing Editors Chris Gummert Daniel P. Smith Michael Dhar Photography Barry Donald Designed by Studio V Design, Inc +++ The Pharmacist 833 S. Wood St. (MC 874) Chicago, IL 60612 Phone: (312) 996-7240 E-mail: pharmacy@uic.edu ©2018. All rights reserved.
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FROM THE DEAN
UIC: The Epicenter of Innovative Pharmacy Services BY DR. GLEN T. SCHUMOCK, PHARMD, MBA, PHD
By now you may have heard me state my five-point vision for building on the remarkable legacy of the UIC College of Pharmacy. These are: 1 Provide unparalleled pharmacy education and training
2 Lead the nation in pharmaceutical research that impacts health
3 Be the epicenter of innovative pharmacy services
4 Advance the profession through leadership and advocacy
5 Foster a culture of excellence,
collaboration, and inclusiveness
This issue of The Pharmacist focuses largely on point number three. Since the 1970’s the UIC College of Pharmacy has had a history of leadership in the development, implementation, and assessment of new and innovative clinical pharmacy services. The literature record shows this quite clearly – with many important publications on the topic written by UIC faculty. This history is not lost on our current clinical faculty, who maintain this tradition by continuing to push the envelope of pharmacy practice. You will read about some of those faculty and programs in the pages that follow. One article describes three different innovative programs in telemedicine, transitions of care, and pay-for-performance. The telemedicine program, provided by Drs. Melissa Badowski and Juliana Chan, is a great example of how pharmacists can work in an interdisciplinary team and use technology to serve an isolated patient population. The transitions of care program, called “RxCares” and run by Dr. Mat Thambi, is an innovative way to minimize medication errors and reduce readmissions when patients transfer from the hospital to community setting. The article also describes
Online pharmacy.uic.edu go.uic.edu/PharmFBChicago go.uic.edu/PharmFBRockford go.uic.edu/PharmTwitter go.uic.edu/PharmLinkedIn go.uic.edu/PharmInstagram go.uic.edu/PharmYouTube
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a program where pharmacists help physicians and clinic patients reach medication-related treatment targets, and by doing so, secure performance-based payments from an insurance company. Dr. Christine Foanio, who provides this service, notes that the financial model is beneficial for both the insurance company and the clinic. In fact, all three of the programs described in this article either save money or generate revenue, while also improving patient outcomes. Generating income for services provided is also part of the entrepreneurial approach of the UIC Drug Information Group (DIG). A separate article in the magazine describes how the team of Mary Lynn Moody and Michael Gabay have helped create and manage a variety of innovative information-based services over the past 20 years. Contracted drug information service, medical writing, and consulting are some of the fee-for-service programs provided by a team of almost a dozen pharmacists in the DIG. Soon the DIG will also expand into continuing education – taking over that effort for the College. The clinical programs described in the articles in this magazine exist not just to provide exceptional care to patients, but they also serve the teaching mission of the College of Pharmacy. To that end, the final article in this issue of UIC Pharmacist is about the UIC pharmacy residency program and its long-time director, Dr. Frank Paloucek. After leading one of the largest such programs in the country for 20 years, Frank is stepping down. The residency programs at UIC dates to the early 1970s, and all told over 600 pharmacists have received residency training at UIC - many of whom now serve in pharmacy leadership positions throughout the US and World. Almost 250 residents have passed through the doors since Dr. Paloucek took over. He has clearly had a profound influence on many aspiring pharmacy practitioners and we salute him for his commitment to the pharmacy profession and UIC.
Our Digital Edition issuu.com/uicpharmacy
The Pharmacist would like to hear from you and welcomes your letters: UIC Pharmacist (MC 874) 833 South Wood Street, Room 184KM Chicago, Illinois 60612-7230 E-mail: pharmacy@uic.edu
Letters are edited for length and clarity. All reader correspondence to the magazine and its editorial staff will be treated as assigned for publication unless otherwise specified.
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ILLINOIS TRANSPLANT SYMPOSIUM
New developments in pharmacotherapy and a better understanding of immunosuppression continue to revolutionize the field of solid organ transplantation and challenge the clinical pharmacist to stay abreast of emerging therapies with novel toxicities. This conference will examine approaches to the utilization of maintenance immunosuppression and provide an overview of pharmacologic interactions.
CALENDAR
AUG
www.regonline.com/ITPA2018 For more information, contact Jill Wilson – jrmiller@uic.edu
AUG
25
CHICAGOLAND CRITICAL CARE CONFERENCE
Critical care practice & related pharmacotherapy encompasses a wide variety of disease states. New developments challenge the practitioner to stay abreast of emerging therapies & novel treatment strategies. www.regonline.com/C42018 UIC College of Pharmacy, Room 134-1 For more information, contact Jill Wilson - jrmiller@uic.edu
SEP
6-10 SEP
13-15 NOV
09
IPHA ANNUAL MEETING
The IPHA Annual Meeting will be held in St. Louis, Missouri. The College will be hosting at the St. Louis Marriott Grand. Details TBA.
ICHP ANNUAL MEETING
The ICHP Annual Meeting will be held at Drury Lane in Oak Brook, Illinois.
ALUMNI REUNION
Dean Glen Schumock invites you to join us for a terrific evening with classmates and friends. This year we are proud to celebrate the classes of Update years to: 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013. Reconnect, reminisce and share memories with classmates, faculty and students and enjoy one another’s company. Festivities will take place on Friday, November 9 at Carlisle Banquets in Lombard, Illinois.
Got News?
For further information, please visit go.uic.edu/PharmReunion
Change jobs? Get a promotion? Publish a paper? Publish a book? Get married? Have a baby? We want to hear about it all! Now you can send your news directly to the magazine editor. Simply go to: go.uic.edu/PharmNews We’ll do our best to fit it into our publications and/or social media! If you don’t see it in The Pharmacist please go to go.uic.edu/PharmNews.
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COLLEGE NEWS
PEOPLE
Dr. Maya Campara, Clinical Assistant Professor, was the ACCP Clinical Expert member of the panel that submitted the petition to the Board of Pharmacy Specialties to recognize Solid Organ Transplantation Pharmacy as a specialty.
Dr. Rob Didomenico, Associate
Dr. Katie Suda, Associate Professor, was
Dr. Dan Touchette,
Dr. Nazia Babul, Clinical Associate
Dr. Rosalyn Vellurattil, Clinical Associate Professor, was a member of the team that received the 2018 Award for Excellence in Education Design from the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions.
invited to participate on the expert panel and writing group for the American Dental Association’s Antibiotic Therapeutic Clinical Practice Guidelines.
Professor, was appointed President of the Associate Board at CommunityHealth, the largest volunteerbased free clinic in the nation.
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Professor, was named a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.
Associate Professor, was recognized by Annals of Internal Medicine as a best reviewer in 2017 after receiving the top grade from the editors for his reviews.
PEOPLE
Faculty members Drs. Aan
Lau, Nancy Shapiro and Beatrice Drambarean
spoke at the Hong Kong Pharmacy Conference.
Dr. Samantha Spencer, Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Director, Drug Information has
been selected by the College’s Assessment Committee as this year’s Fred Siegel Award recipient. The award recognizes faculty who have developed an innovative teaching or learning strategy. Dr. Spencer was selected for her incorporation of team-based and group activities, coupled with independent, self-paced learning, in teaching drug information. Her approach was considered both innovative and consistent with ACPE standards to use teaching/learning methods to actively engage learners, foster collaborative learning, and promote student responsibility for self-directed learning. Additionally, the teaching techniques employed were based on learning theory, and she was able to demonstrate benefits to the new course design using evidence.
Dr. Dima Mazen Qato, Assistant
Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes and Policy and an affiliate in the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomic Research was named 2017’s UIC Rising Star in the area of Social Sciences. Dr. Qato has been recognized for her work with ‘pharmacy deserts’ and also identified evidence that older adults are using increasing numbers of prescription drugs, often in potentially deadly medication combinations. ‘Pharmacy deserts’ has been coined to identify the lack of accessibility to medication in poor and minority communities, which is particularly relevant to the current national conversation on systematic racial and ethnic health disparities.
Welcome Ben Stickan back to UIC. Ben is stepping into the role of Assistant Dean for Advancement at the College of Pharmacy. Some may remember Ben from his tenure in the College of Pharmacy from 2009 to 2014 as a Senior Director of Development. Since then, Ben has served as the Director of Development for the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. Ben is a UIC alumnus with an MBA from our Liautaud Graduate School of Business.
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COLLEGE NEWS
CONGRATULATIONS
UIC Urban Health Program Celebrating 40 Years This Fall The UIC Urban Health Program will celebrate 40 Years of providing and improving the access to education for underrepresented students interested in pursuing healthcare careers and producing minority health practitioners on September 22, 2018. The UIC Urban Health Program has graduated more than 7,000 health professionals of African American, Latino, and Native American descent since its inception. This 40th anniversary is truly a celebration of the program’s accomplishments and its positive impact on healthcare particularly, in Chicago’s underserved communities, its surrounding areas, and certainly, in the nation.
$38,870 GRANT RECEIVED
UIC College of Pharmacy at Rockford Receives Community Foundation of Northern Illinois Grant The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Pharmacy at Rockford announced receiving a $38,870 grant for its project entitled “Investing in the Recruitment and Retention of Top Talent to the Profession of Pharmacy” from the Community Grants Program of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) with support from the Dr. Louis and Violet Rubin Foundation. “The Community Foundation is honored to support UIC’s project,” said CFNIL President Jon Bates. “The project will put promising students on the path toward the varied and in-demand profession of pharmacy and show them they have a bright future right here in our region.”
UIC Health Sciences Campus Opioid Crisis Summit The UIC College of Pharmacy in Rockford co-hosted the Opioid Crisis Summit for Rockford area physicians and other prescribing professionals and pharmacists on Wednesday April 11. “The spread of opioids in our community and our country has reached epidemic levels and it’s entirely accurate to call it a crisis,” says Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. “We need a comprehensive approach to address this problem and I appreciate the organizations and agencies coming together at this event.” This half-day continuing medical education session focused on what health care professionals can and are doing right here, right now that makes an impact on this major public health problem. “This is simply the beginning of a larger plan to bring the medical community together and develop actionable items we can bring forward to help combat this medical emergency.” said Dr. Kevin Rynn, Vice Dean of the UIC College of Pharmacy in Rockford.
Illinois Pre-Pharmacy Fair The six schools of pharmacy in Illinois in addition to St. Louis College of Pharmacy banded together to create awareness of careers in pharmacy on Tuesday, March 6, 2018. The Illinois Pre-Pharmacy Fair was held at College of DuPage’s Student Resources Center. The experience included a presentation on careers in pharmacy, an admissions panel, and a student experience question and answer session.
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“This generous grant from the Foundation will help these vital recruitment programs, bringing and retaining bright and talented individuals to Rockford and our College of Pharmacy, ranked 6th in the nation by US News and World Report.” DR. KEVIN RYNN THE COLLEGE’S VICE DEAN
The UIC College of Pharmacy at Rockford is committed to providing highly skilled and educated pharmacists to the surrounding community and the State of Illinois. This grant helps support and grow the High School Pharmacy Camp (HSPC) and Summer Pharmacy Institute (SPI) programs built to retain and attract exceptional high school and college students to the pharmacy profession and the UIC College of Pharmacy at Rockford. “It’s an opportunity to draw talented Rockford area students to our campus and expose them to pharmacy as a career option,” said Ken Smith, Director of Student Affairs.
STUDENT NEWS
EVENT
Student Leadership Dinner On April 18, Dean Schumock and Vice Dean Rynn hosted over 50 student leaders at the annual Leadership Dinner.
AWARDS
Dr. Ruixuan Jiang, and Alexandria “Ally” Young, PhD candidate, were awarded the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. This award is given to an individual who, in the judgment of the scientific review panel, have met criteria including: demonstrated superior academic achievement, has exceptional basic science knowledge, and exhibit strong interpersonal and collaborative skills. UIC Pharmacy Students Selected To Serve As Kappa Psi Epsilon Rho Delegates Amolee Patel, was awarded the first ever Mid-America Province Scholarship for her efforts within Kappa Psi Epsilon Rho. Patel was also elected as the Grand Council Convention (GCC) Delegate and Vice Regent. Morgan Bollech was elected as the Alternate GCC Delegate to the Province Executive Board. They are proud and excited to be serving as delegates for the 59th Grand Council Convention next year in Washington, D.C.
Congrats!
Chancellor’s Student Service and Leadership Awards Fourteen College of Pharmacy students were awarded a Chancellor’s Student Service and Leadership Award (CSSLA). The Award honors students who have made an outstanding contribution to the University through service to campus and the UIC community. Student nominees must have dedicated a significant amount of time, effort, and creativity to one or more campus- or communitybased service project(s). The Pharmacy award winners are: Crissel Marie Arban Tanya Chaudhri Alexander Infante Katherine Katsivalis Ahlam Shaabneh Michelle Smith Elaine Trinh
Waymond Zhou Sruthi Adimadhyam Jenny Guadmauz Alexander Infante Inyoung Lee Katie Ozenberger Jasmin Sanchez
Winners of the Jane Addams Distinguished Service Award Katherine Zink Crissel Arban
Manar Kandil, P4 (Class of 2018) and Dr. Chris Schriever, Clinical Assistant Professor, were named 2018 AACP Walmart Scholar Program Recipients. The goal of the scholarship program is to strengthen the recipient’s skills and commitment to a career in academic pharmacy through their participation at the AACP Annual Meeting.
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EVENTS
IPhO Wins Big In VIP Competition The UIC Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) chapter placed second in the National IPhO Value of Industry Pharmacists (VIP) Case Competition. Students were given a hypothetical drug and asked to develop a comprehensive drug development plan (including clinical development, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, and marketing) and describe the value of pharmacists in these areas. The UIC team consisted of 21 students from both the Chicago and Rockford campuses. They placed second out of 29 chapters that participated.
FUNDRAISING
Kappa Psi Epsilon Rho Take The Plunge Seven Epsilon Rho brothers participated in the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics raising over $700.
MuPhSA Fast-A-Thon A Raises Money for Clean Water
Pharmacy’s Got Talent! AIPhA held its 7th Annual Cultural Show on Friday, April 27. This year the show grew to include the College of Applied Health Sciences as well, through their Indian classical fusion performance done by a group called In Taal. The show featured performances from Filipino Tinikling, African dance, Polish dance, student musicians and magicians, and of course, the always beloved AIPhA Indian dance to end the show. The show raised hundreds of dollars for Alzheimer’s Awareness, as it is the philanthropy set at the heart of the Cultural Show.
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Every year, the Muslim Pharmacy Student Association (MuPhSA) hosts Fast-A-Thon to raise money for a different cause. This year, the focus was water sanitation. MuPhSA raised money for The Humanity Project to build a well in Haiti. The goal was to raise $1,500 and $3,500 was raised!
FUNDRAISING
EVENTS
Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Series Celebration Luncheon:
Phi Delta Chi Is Always On The Run
Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS) hosted the Leadership Luncheon which celebrates those who completed the Leadership and Professional Development Series. Guest speaker, Grace Elsey, is entering her P4 year at the Medical University of South Carolina. She was recently elected a Member-at-Large on the Phi Lambda Sigma National Executive Committee at the PLS House of Delegates during APhA Annual meeting in Nashville. She gave a presentation called the “Real Game of Life” where she talked about how to make the most of the experiences that pharmacy school has to offer to set yourself apart in the post-graduate world.
On February 25, 13 members participated in Hustle up the Hancock, climbing 94 flights of stairs, all to raise awareness for lung health and the Respiratory Health Association.
Ian Hesch, coordinated a successful 5K for St.
Jude, April 15, despite the worst weather Chicago could throw: freezing rain, gale force winds, and freezing temperatures all in the name of St. Jude. Over the entire year, upwards of $17,000 was raised for the children’s research hospital.
Kappa Psi Chi Members Participated Run For Pediatric Aids Foundation The Spring 2018 Kappa Psi Mid-America Province (MAP) Assembly was held at Purdue University College of Pharmacy. During this assembly, members participated in a 5K Glow Run that benefited the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.
Annual Albert Ebert Lecture Rho Chi fraternity invited Dr. Jenelle Sobotka from the University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy to speak at the 46th Annual Albert Ebert Memorial Lecture on April 20. Dr. Sobtka shared her story as a new clinical pharmacist in her early career at the VA as well as her patient experience battling and overcoming breast cancer last year. Her talk, entitled “Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Your Future” encouraged students to be courageous, compassionate, and to constantly advance the profession of pharmacy.
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UIC Pharmacy Students Join Forces for Legislative Day
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On March 7th, 120 students from the UIC College of Pharmacy, Rosalind Franklin, Roosevelt University, Midwestern University, and Southern Illinois University attended Illinois Legislative Day. “Leg Day” is an opportunity for pharmacy students and pharmacists to advocate for the profession by visiting Illinois state legislators in their offices in Springfield, Illinois. Students
are greeted by members of both IPhA and ICHP and debriefed on relevant polices in the House and Senate that affect the practice of pharmacy. The rest of the day, students met with legislators to begin discussions on these policies in order to provide education as well as to offer up their unique perspective.
Networking
SNPhA Banquet
On January 22nd, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy hosted the Networking Seminar with the Pfizer Medical Outcomes Pharmacist, Marina Sagalovich, PharmD. Dr. Sagalovich provided great tips to the 172 student attendees on improving their networking skills. This was an interactive session that allowed students to speak with her and the other pharmacy students who have interacted with pharmacy directors and specialists through internships, conferences, and work experience.
SNPhA hosted their 24th annual banquet in April. The theme was Bridging the Patient Provider Gap. The key note speaker Dr. Tolu Taiwo, gave an inspiring message that encouraged listeners to “work towards better patient-centered outcomes.” The banquet also served as an avenue to honor the graduating P4’s: Abir Mneimneh
Johnpaul Agupusi
Cassandra Clermont
GenieLil Herrera
Darby Rosenfeld
Myrna Rivas
Jobin Joseph
Olayinka Fadowole
Jared Lang
Stephanie Martinez
AIPHA Hosts Medication Reconciliation, Education, and Counseling Event The Association of Indian Pharmacists in America (AIPHA) hosted the Medication Reconciliation, Education, and Counseling (MREC) event. The clinic provides primary care, lab, and a limited range of non-narcotic pharmacy services to low-income residents in the Chicago neighborhoods surrounding the clinic. The MREC service involves UIC College of Pharmacy students who volunteer to strengthen their counseling skills. Students have a chance to shadow a pharmacist, search drug information, and discuss concerns with the healthcare team at the clinic. At our last MREC event, the pharmacy students were able to explain when to take medications because many of the patients were fasting and had not mentioned this to the physicians. The pharmacists volunteering with our group have been able to speak with the physicians to make adjustments in the patient’s medications.
APhA-ASP Annual Meeting During the 2018 Awards Reception at APhA Annual in Nashville, Tennessee the UIC chapter of APhA-ASP received the national award for our Policy and Legislative efforts. This award is granted based on the submission of our annual Chapter Achievement Report. Chapter members also presented a cross-country research collaboration with pharmacists from Oregon contrasting the scopes of pharmacy practice. Katherine Katsivalis named the first runner-up for the National Patient Counseling Competition.
PAPA Hosts Tour of Compounding Lab Student PAPA organizations from Roosevelt and Midwestern Colleges of Pharmacy joined us for a tour and presentation of the pharmaceutics lab that was led by Dr. Pluta, Dr. Mancini, and Dr. Bartels. During the tour of the pharmaceutics lab members of PAPAs presented compounding of sterile and nonsterile products to our guests. Members of Parent PAPA were also invited to participate in the compounding activities.
Katherine Katsivalis
MIKI Conference: The Department of Medicinal and Pharmacognosy hosted the 56th Annual Meetingin-Miniature Medicinal Chemistry Conference (MIKI) at the College of Pharmacy. MIKI brought together over 240 graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty members, and alumni from the Universities of Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, and Wisconsin-Madison for three days in a multidisciplinary exchange of ideas across all specialties of medicinal chemistry. There was a total of 89 poster presentations, 16 student oral presentations, and an exciting Keynote Lecture from Dr. Michelle Arkin, co-director of University of California at San Francisco’s Small Molecule Discovery Center, on “Tackling Challenging Targets, a Biophysical Perspective.”
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Chicago & Rockford Class Awards Community Preceptor of the Year
Academic Achievement Award
Hospital Preceptor of the Year
Experiential Student of the Year
Dr. Ammie Hodges Dr. Virginia Nash, PharmD ‘10
Angelique Lintz UIC Preceptor of the Year
Dr. Mike Koronkowksi
Indirect Patient Care Preceptor of the Year
Dr. Kevin Shah
Golden Apple Recipient
Interdisciplinary Champion
Dr. Michael Werckle Faculty Preceptor of the Year
Dr. Laura Meyer-Junco
Nashvil e
Samantha Wheeler
Dr. Paul Pluta, BS ‘70, PhD ‘76 External Preceptor of the Year
Tracie Jacobson
Phi Lambda Sigma Wins Chapter of the Year The Alpha Iota Chapter of Phi Lambda Sigma at UIC was named the National 2018 Chapter of the Year at the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. The Phi Lambda Sigma Chapter of the Year Award was established in 2006 to recognize
an outstanding Phi Lambda Sigma chapter. The winning chapter is selected based on information provided in the chapter’s annual Chapter Report from the previous academic year. The winning chapter must have participated in the Leadership Challenge during that year.
Phi Lambda Sigma faculty members.
Phi Lambda Sigma class of 2018.
AMCP National P&T Competition The UIC Pharmacy P&T Team, comprised of Samuel Hong, Jae Hyun (Jason) Lee, Kevin Meyer and David Silva took second place at the 2018 AMCP National Student Pharmacist P&T Competition! Each year, schools from across the nation are invited to compete in the Annual Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Foundation P&T Competition. Sixty AMCP Student Chapters expressed
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intention to compete and 46 chapters completed their submissions. The student chapter submissions are evaluated, Sixteen Teams advance, but only the Top Eight Teams are selected for National Level Competition. The UIC team is advised by Dr. Margaret Byun and Dr. Christine Rash-Foanio.
Donate Life Month Students in the Advanced Transplant Therapeutics elective celebrated Donate Life month in April, to promote awareness and advocate for nearly 115,000 of our patients on the organ transplant waitlist.
Benito Valdepenas, class of 2018,
coordinated UI Health’s pinwheel garden. Each pinwheel has eight spokes supported by one stem, symbolizing the power one person has to save up to eight lives through organ donation.
Save the Date
November 9, 2018 Alumni Reunion
Dean Glen Schumock invites you to join us for a terrific evening with classmates and friends.
This year we are proud to celebrate the classes of 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013. Reconnect, reminisce and share memories with classmates, faculty and students and enjoy one another’s company. Festivities will take place on Friday, November 9 at Carlisle Banquets in Lombard, Illinois. For further information or to nominate an alum for an award, please visit
http://go.uic.edu/PharmReunion
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BY DANIEL P. SMITH
On the Cutting
Edge From virtually treating HIV-positive inmates in Illinois prisons to leveraging students to correct medication errors in transitions of care to tying patient health and financial incentives, the UIC College of Pharmacy continues pioneering innovative pharmacy services.
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Telemedicine
Rxca
res
Chronic Disease Management
hen it comes to pharmacy services, the UIC College of Pharmacy hasn’t been afraid to challenge the status quo and pioneer innovative new models of care. In the Department of Pharmacy Practice alone, three pioneering programs are strengthening patient care, providing unique learning opportunities to students and solidifying UIC’s standing as one of the nation’s top pharmacy schools.
W
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Telemedicine Addressing HIV and Hepatitis C in Illinois prisons ince 2010, Dr. Melissa Badowski, Clinical Associate Professor, and Dr. Juliana Chan, Clinical Associate Professor, have been treating Illinois state prisoners affected by HIV and Hepatitis C with the help of modern video conferencing technology and other high-tech tools. The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) Clinic with UI Health Telemedicine Clinic currently serves all of IDOC’s 26 correctional facilities, providing care to some 600 HIV patients and 100 Hepatitis C patients each year.
S
While an IDOC physician directs the diagnostic decisionmaking, Badowski and Chan – HIV and Hepatitis C experts, respectively – take the lead on education and medication plans, providing medication counseling, managing side effects and simplifying inmates’ regimens. “We’re able to provide care to high-risk individuals who otherwise wouldn’t have had access to it,” Badowski says. Those efforts have been, in a word, transformative. Prior to the Telemedicine Clinic’s debut, most Illinois prisons relied on one general practice doctor overseeing care to these vulnerable patients, a practice that often produced inefficient care and exposed other prisoners and correctional staff to health risks. With Badowski and Chan offering specialized care, however, treatment and results have endured a dramatic shift. Prior to Badowski’s arrival, for instance, 58 percent of HIV patients in the IDOC system were virologically suppressed. Today, Badowski’s work has pushed that near 100 percent. “We’re providing high-quality subspecialty care that has improved quality of life as well as efficacy, safety and treatment,” says Badowski, adding that the Telemedicine Clinic’s efforts have also saved IDOC millions in healthcare costs each year and decreased viral load when individuals leave prison. In the fast-rising telemedicine field, UIC’s innovative work has emerged a prominent early example of telemedicine’s potential to revolutionize care and spurred other healthcare institutions to develop similar programs.
Dr. Juliana Chan
“We’ve proven ourselves a leader in this growing field,” Badowski says, who, like Chan, regularly presents the Telemedicine Clinic’s work in professional forums. Badowski and Chan also expose UIC students to the novel world of telemedicine. Both faculty members regularly host UIC residents in their clinics, while pharmacy students can participate in a telemedicine rotation or take an elective course in telemedicine designed to educate students on the intricacies of the still-blossoming service. “We’re graduating students familiar with telemedicine and have many telling us that it’s proving to be a differentiator for them in the working world,” Badowski says.
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Rxcares Minimizing errors in transitions of care nder the direction of clinical assistant professor Dr. Mat Thambi, RxCARES addresses transitions of care for high-risk medicine inpatients.
U
Established in 2011 to counter an unacceptably high number of discharge errors, the innovative program is designed to minimize medication errors and spur improved patient health. Once a program involving simple follow-up phone calls to patients, RxCARES has evolved into a more robust reconciliation program to ensure proper medication use during patients’ hospital stay and following their discharge.
“Given how harmful and costly medication errors can be, I’m proud we’ve been able to be at the forefront of something that’s improving patient health while giving our students important training,” Thambi says.
“ RxCARES is empowering for students. They’re catching errors no one else would’ve caught and seeing firsthand how pharmacists can make a difference.” DR. MAT THAMBI
“Transitions of care sound so easy, but can be so complicated,” Thambi says. A six-week rotation for fourth-year Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience students, RxCARES requires students to follow a specific medication management protocol for patients discharged from the hospital’s Internal Medicine service. The process includes creating detailed medication histories, resolving any medication list discrepancies, reviewing discharge plans and making follow-up phone calls to patients to assure medication and clinic adherence. Students also identify any potentially harmful interactions and suggest medication changes. “Prior to RxCARES, errors just went unchecked,” says Thambi, who created the RxCARES program alongside colleague Dr. Adam Bursua. In the 2016-2017 academic year, RxCARES served more than 450 patients, discovering some 1,000 errors and making more than 1,000 changes to patients’ pre-admission medication lists. “We’re helping to ensure that patients are on the appropriate medications while in the hospital as well as at discharge, the latter being especially important given that patients will be taking those medications until their next doctor’s visit,” Thambi says. Since its debut seven years ago, RxCARES has broadened its services to discharge counseling and prescription filling while also integrating automatic referrals into pharmacy-run clinics. Thambi says the program provides valuable professional experience to students, allowing them to learn a structured approach to patient care and to better understand the pharmacist’s value in the healthcare ecosystem. As similar efforts become more commonplace at healthcare institutions across the country, Thambi says many look to UIC for inspiration.
Dr. Mat Thambi The Pharmacist | 17
Chronic Disease Management Tying patient health and financial incentives hrough a clinical incentive program offered by its largest commercial HMO payer, UI Health in the Internal Medicine Center pursued upwards of $700,000 in bonus earnings for hitting clinical benchmarks in diabetes and asthma. After some years of solid performance, financial earnings began sliding in 2013. That prompted UI Health leadership to bring Dr. Christine Foanio, a clinical pharmacist in Ambulatory Pharmacy Services, into the mix.
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“The thinking was that a more interdisciplinary approach and the involvement of a clinical pharmacist could be particularly advantageous in managing these chronic disease states,” Foanio says. She crafted a pragmatic program focused on direct interaction with the most vulnerable patients, including hour-long face-to-face visits, telephone calls and regular communication through a secure portal system. “It’s difficult for physicians to manage these conditions in a brief 20-minute office visit, so we initiated more direct intervention with patients to get them the care, feedback and direction they needed in a much more targeted visit,” Foanio says. With Foanio’s involvement sparking a jump in performance incentives, UI Health added a second clinical pharmacist, Dr. Kelly Schmidt, and extended the program to include hypertension in 2016. Today, Foanio and Schmidt oversee a pool of some 1,200 patients with diabetes, 5,000 with hypertension and another 200 with asthma, providing hands-on care that has improved patient outcomes and helped UI Health meet its partner’s incentive benchmarks. Since 2013, in fact, the overall financial yield of the quality contract has more than doubled, leaping from 28 percent to 58 percent.
Dr. Christine Foanio “ With the healthcare model trending more and more toward value-based care, this is a prime example of how the involvement of pharmacists can add significant value to patients as well as to multidisciplinary healthcare teams.” DR. CHRISTINE FOANIO
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“This is really one of the only programs linking pharmacy intervention to dollars earned,” Foanio says, adding that UI Health has thus far devoted incentive earnings to various patient care initiatives. And by regularly including pharmacy students and residents in their work – students, for example, attend managed care meetings, learn how to risk-stratify patients and execute protocols that close gaps in care – Foanio and Schmidt provide trainees a unique opportunity to understand the increasingly important linkages between clinical care and finances. “With the healthcare model trending more and more toward value-based care, this is a prime example of how the involvement of pharmacists can add significant value to patients as well as to multidisciplinary healthcare teams,” Foanio says.
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Lauren’s Legacy Students rally to create scholarship in honor of the late Lauren Vitrano Darby Rosenfeld, PharmD ‘18 remembers the shock and sting of the news. Traveling back to Chicago from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s annual meeting in Phoenix, where Rosenfeld had presented research co-authored with fellow UIC PharmD candidate Lauren Vitrano, Rosenfeld received word that her collaborator and friend had passed. Though many around Vitrano, including Rosenfeld, saw an intelligent, genuine and humble young woman, a former high school cheerleader with a devout penchant for helping others, Vitrano fell victim to depression and struggled to break through the malaise. On Oct. 9, 2017, Vitrano ended her life at age 24. “You never would’ve guessed Lauren was struggling,” Rosenfeld says. “She never seemed stressed.” A native of Chicago’s southwest side, Vitrano was a member of UIC’s Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity as well as the Rho Chi Society. She was also among a group of five PharmD students who worked on the hepatitis C virus (HCV) Prior Authorization Team led by clinical assistant professor Dr. Michelle Martin. That group assisted with research projects and helped HCV patients obtain insurance coverage for treatment. “She was a fantastic student; kind, caring, hardworking and intelligent,” Martin says of Vitrano, who was awarded her PharmD degree posthumously in May. “We are all worse off for her loss and the profession is missing a bright young pharmacist who could have been out in the world helping people.” In the aftermath of Vitrano’s sudden passing, a group of Vitrano’s classmates led by Rosenfeld and Helen Sweiss,
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PharmD ‘18, launched plans for a memorial scholarship at the College, one that would not only honor Vitrano’s life, but also drive mental health awareness. The group established a GoFundMe campaign, later rallying Vitrano’s classmates, family and friends as well as College faculty and staff. That fundraising effort continues today. In addition to gifts made through the College, an upcoming event, Learn for Lauren, will also raise funds for the Lauren Taylor Vitrano Memorial Scholarship. The $1,000 award is open to any UIC Pharmacy student with demonstrated financial need and a special interest in mental health. “Knowing that there was a way to remember Lauren and everything she had done and achieved motivated me even more to become a proponent in creating this scholarship,” Sweiss says. “Lauren left a mark on my life and, through this scholarship, her legacy will make a mark on so many other lives as well.” At the College’s Honors Convocation in April, Vitrano’s younger sister, Amanda Vitrano, presented the inaugural Lauren Taylor Vitrano Memorial Scholarship to Hannah Roppo, someone Lauren Vitrano knew personally and had, in fact, trained to join Martin’s HCV Prior Authorization Team. Amanda Vitrano calls the scholarship “a perfectly fitting way to reinforce Lauren’s legacy of giving back.” “Coming from a single-parent household, we know a little bit of money can have a significant impact,” Amanda Vitrano says. “We also know we don’t want to stop talking about Lauren’s death and advocating for mental health support.”
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DIG BY DANIEL P. SMITH
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MOMENTUM For more than 20 years, UIC’s Drug Information Group has provided unique value to industry partners and an undeniable boost to the College of Pharmacy.
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Mary Lynn Moody, Clinical Associate Professor, and Dr. Michael Gabay, Clinical Associate Professor, make quite a productive team.
“That’s no small transition,” observes Gabay, who followed Moody as DIG director in 2008 after joining the group a decade prior.
For the last two decades, the two UIC College of Pharmacy faculty members, both clinical associate professors in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, have guided the College’s Drug Information Group (DIG), shepherding its transformation from a traditional drug information services unit into a pioneering entrepreneurial force working with a diverse array of external partners. Today, the DIG serves as an accessible resource for clinicians, an innovative model for other aspiring academic-based drug information centers and a positive contributor to the College’s operations and its marketplace standing.
Thus began the DIG’s steady ascent. The Cardinal Health deal underscored the unit’s potential to both internal and external stakeholders and launched a multi-faceted evolution that continues bringing the DIG into new corners of the industry.
“This is a much different business unit than is typically found in a college of pharmacy,” confirms Moody, the DIG’s former director and current director of business development. “With our entrepreneurial approach, we’ve been able to bring new opportunities to the College, boost its profile and bring in revenue all while improving pharmaceutical services. It’s been a win all around.”
Evolution of UIC’s DIG In its earliest incarnation, the DIG provided basic drug information services ranging from a bimonthly newsletter to answering pharmaceutical-related inquiries from Chicago area providers and patients. In 1997, however, College leadership directed the unit to become a selfsupporting entity, a charge that demanded the DIG embrace an entrepreneurial bent. In its first significant external contract as a feefor-service business unit, the DIG inked a long-term deal with Ohio-based Cardinal Health to provide drug information services to approximately 450 hospitals in the Cardinal enterprise. That 1998 contract immediately reshaped the upstart unit, compelling Moody, the DIG’s founding director, to add two drug information specialists to its initial staff of three and to expand the group’s operating hours.
Over the last 20 years, the DIG’s client list has expanded to include pharmaceutical powerhouses like Takeda and Astellas, healthcare giants such as Baxter and Scripps Health and civic-minded brethren such as the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Its services continue to multiply as well, driven by a mix of client needs, marketplace realities and industry partners eager to leverage the DIG’s vast experience and wideranging expertise. According to Gabay, the DIG’s most substantial business derives from its medical research and writing. These projects include standard response letters, dossiers on drugs, disease-specific treatment algorithms and patient-focused literature demystifying the often-complex language of science. In the last year, for instance, the DIG has updated approximately three-dozen standard response letters for Takeda related to gastrointestinal, diabetes and psychiatric medications. True to its roots, addressing requests from healthcare providers remains the DIG’s second core business. Each month, the group answers about 200 calls from healthcare providers and hospital-based pharmacists about an array of issues from managing tetanus exposure and the effectiveness of flu vaccines to evidence for the use of high-dose intravenous vitamin C for cancer treatment. “People come to us when they need help getting information to practitioners,” Moody says, citing a client list that still includes Cardinal as well as Vizient and other individual hospitals and healthcare systems scattered around the U.S. “With this service, we’re helping pharmacists become better clinicians with the evidence and research to make better decisions.”
“ Initially, we did very little medication writing, but that piece of our business has grown immensely over the years as we’ve matured and fostered relationships.” DR. MICHAEL GABAY DIG DIRECTOR
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“ We have built professional relationships that have opened up different opportunities through the years and we want to keep that momentum going.” MARY LYNN MOODY DIG DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Other DIG services include: formulary reviews; consultative services for pharmacy and therapeutics committees; drug information slide kids; continuing education programs; advisory board guidance; drug information and literature evaluation courses; and training programs for sales representatives and medical science liaisons. “A number of our clients don’t have a healthcare background or drug information support, so we provide that needed expertise and exposure on the clinical side,” Gabay says. And there are, Moody says, those unique one-off projects that “come out of the blue.” About three years ago, for instance, Healthline, a San Francisco-based provider of health information, contracted the DIG to pen drug content for its site, the DIG’s first relationship with a healthcare startup. “Many of our partners look to us for leadership in drug information and they appreciate that we function as an objective, balanced source that relies on the totality of evidence and research,” Moody says.
Continuing its charge
The DIG’s internal talents, diverse experiences and proven quality continue to attract clients such as Postgraduate Healthcare Education (PHE), one of the nation’s foremost pharmacy education providers and the firm behind the well-known Power-Pak educational platform. PHE began working with UIC’s DIG about eight years ago and the New Jersey-based firm has leaned on the DIG to pen needs assessments as well as some programs that appear on Power-Pak, including its popular Medication Therapy Management certificate program. Gary Gyss, PHE’s executive vice president of educational programs, says the DIG has contributed to PHE steady annual growth over the past eight years, adding that a number of DIG-produced needs assessments have turned into fully funded grants for PHE.
Together, Gabay and Moody continue driving the DIG’s rise, a united front ushering the unit into a third decade of operations. While Moody seeks and secures new marketplace opportunities, Gabay operationalizes and completes projects, the Mr. Inside to Moody’s role as Ms. Outside. That collaborative action combined with the DIG’s ability to deliver for its clients has fueled its growth. Once a staff of three full-time pharmacists, the DIG now consists of 11 drug information specialists as well as support staff in IT and finance. The DIG’s steady progress has also enabled the group to consistently support the College’s students and its operations. PGY1 residents regularly cycle through the DIG, while the College has used DIG revenue to acquire much-needed resources to support the College’s research and teaching objectives. In the marketplace, meanwhile, the DIG has cemented its reputation as a leader in the drug information field. Both Gabay and Moody have advised other academicbased drug information centers looking to adopt the groundbreaking approach UIC has employed for more than two decades, while DIG staff continue crafting innovative new ways to bring drug information to the public and practitioners. To that end, the DIG recently developed an online formulary certificate program with the University of Wisconsin, an effort to improve practitioners’ ability to evaluate medical literature and make decisions based on research. The group also recently unveiled plans to host a consensus conference this November on the safety of intravenous drug delivery systems. “We’ve worked hard to be at the tip of the spear when it comes to adding new information to the field and moving practice forward,” Moody says. “We have built professional relationships that have opened up different opportunities through the years and we want to keep that momentum going.”
“They have deep clinical insight and a thorough understanding of what information pharmacists need to practice effectively,” Gyss says of the DIG. “It’s hard to find a partner with this range of expertise and that’s been a strong partnership for us as a company.”
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A PERFECT FOR 3 DECADES
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For 30 Years, Frank Paloucek Has Helped Produce Confident, Self-Reliant Residents
The residency program at UIC pharmacy trains a particular type of pharmacist particularly well, says the program’s director. And for nearly three decades, it has benefited from the work of a man particularly suited to the goal — that same director, Dr. Frank Paloucek. Paloucek started his work with the residency program in 1989, as an advisory committee member. He took over as director of the PGY1 (year-one) residency program in 1999, serving in that role ever since. In that time, he learned that the job of mentoring and leading residents fit him like a medical glove. The school originally approached Paloucek to run the residency program for only three to five years. But the director and the program were too good a match to quit that soon, he said. “I stuck it out,” he said. And he found that he enjoyed helping residents find their own way in the profession. “I discovered I was really good at it.” Paloucek also started and ran a second-year emergencymedicine residency program while with the committee. Additionally, he currently acts as preceptor for the PGY2 (second-year) ER and critical care residents; teaches at UIC; and works with the Illinois Poison Center.
a perfect fit Saying that he “talks a lot” and speaks his mind bluntly, Paloucek said he’s been good at pushing residents to be independent and self-reliant — something at which UIC’s program excels, he said. “I just give them the freedom to do things they like doing. Then, they’re happy, and they do more of it” he said. “It’s what I’m good at.” And though he’s had chances to take on other jobs, Paloucek said he never wanted to change. Working with an independent-minded (and talkative) director brings clear benefits to the residents, said Dr. Rachel Murdock. A current PGY2 resident in ambulatory care, Murdock also did her PGY1 residency at UIC. “Frank was great,” she said. “He really makes that program work the way that it does. And he also made sure that the year was an entertaining one. He was always making us laugh.” The program’s on-call reports, in particular, bear Paloucek’s stamp, Murdock said. In these sessions, residents gather to discuss the events, lessons and challenges of their on-call nights, in which they spend 24 hours working at the hospital.
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“The noon reports, I think would be a very different thing without him there,” Murdock said. “He makes sure that, no matter what, you’re getting something out of that hour.”
reputation and results Under Paloucek’s directorship, the UIC residency program has maintained a sterling reputation, not only among its residents, but also in the field in general. That’s a big reason Dr. Kersten Weber Tatarelis, who did her PGY1 residency in 2007, chose to stay in Chicago after completing her pharmacy degree at UIC. “It was one of the best programs in the country,” she said. “I think anybody who goes to UIC knows it’s going to set you up for success.” Murdock, who earned her pharmacy degree at the University of Kentucky, agreed that the UIC program’s reputation was a big draw. “Every single one of the people I asked talked to me about UIC,” she said. Results for UIC’s PGY1 grads help bolster that reputation, Paloucek said. Published data shows that more than 80 percent of UIC first-year residents who seek a PGY2 do get one. The national average is around 60 percent. “I think we do very, very well there,” he said. The program places PGY1 grads at some premier institutions as well, Paloucek said, including Memorial Sloan-Kettering and MD Anderson, which seek UIC residents every year. Once they set out on their careers, graduating residents find that the program’s reputation is well-earned, Weber Tatarelis said. She went on to work as a clinical pharmacist at the University of Chicago, before rising through various administrative roles at Advocate Health Care (now merged with Aurora Health Care), where she’s now the executive director of clinical pharmacy services. That career trajectory began with her residency training, she said. “I’ve been asked to do so many things in my career path, and the residency program, they challenge you to do all those things throughout the year,” she said. Most residents agree. In a study of PGY1 alumni from graduating classes 2000-2017, 93 out of 94 said the on-call program had high value for their careers, said Dr. Jennie Jarrett, the UIC pharmacy professor who ran the study with current resident Dr. Nicole Coglianese.
Dr. Frank Paloucek PROGRAM DIRECTOR
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what sets UIC’s residencies apart
“I definitely remember on-call pushing me outside my box,” Weber Tatarelis said. “Everyone has one experience from call that they’re never going to forget.”
The first-year residency program currently consists of 12 PGY1 pharmacy residents, who gain a more-general experience in clinical pharmacy. In addition, UIC offers also offers PGY1 programs in international residency, community and specialty pharmacy, along with PGY2 residencies in 10 specialties.
one last class
The PGY1 program, which Paloucek oversees, sets itself apart from others in a few ways, Paloucek said, such as the on-call program, which UIC was the first to implement. People also know UIC for the resident reports and the specialties it offers.
He’ll still consult with the program, he said, and may continue his teaching and Poison Center roles. But after 20 years, Paloucek said he felt the program needed a fresh perspective.
In about a year, those noon review sessions may, in fact, change, as Murdock predicted. Paloucek recruited his last class of residents in December and will step down as program director in 2019.
Mostly, however, UIC is known for training specialist clinical pharmacists, Paloucek said.
“I do believe that my skillsets, my clinical knowledge has not maintained at the rate that new information and skillsets are coming out,” he said. “There’s got to be a somebody else in charge come July 1, 2019.”
“We’re a very good program at training a certain type of resident,” he said. UIC trains “pure clinicians,” not the pharmacists who do the more-traditional hospital jobs of dispensing and making IVs. “We’re a cooking school that is training sushi chefs alone. We are not a cooking school that’s training classic French and sushi and vegan and molecular chefs all at once.”
The timing of his tenure’s end fits with the history of the program, Paloucek said. With six different directors, including one committee, since its inception in the ‘70s, the residency program has always periodically found new leadership, he said. “I think it’s time for some fresh blood,” he said.
And these specialists are very good at what they do, taking on a lot of the director’s independence of thought, Paloucek said.
“ I’ve been told by people that hire our residents that they’re decisive and quick-acting. They don’t need much hand-holding. We’re good at training those people.” DR. FRANK PALOUCEK PROGRAM DIRECTOR
The on-call program, in particular, helps residents gain an invaluable sense of self-confidence, Paloucek said. “When you’re left alone at night and … more and more, you’re taking care of things that a nurse or physician is missing, you really learn to trust yourself,” he said. “I think they all walk away with substantially greater self-confidence than an average residency program gives them.” The on-call experience also stands out for the residents.
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The First Day of the Rest of Your Career! The UIC College of Pharmacy proudly graduated 188 PharmDs on May 10. This included a posthumous degree to Lauren Vitrano (see story on page 19.) Biopharmaceutical Sciences conferred six PhDs and one Master’s degree, Forensic Sciences gave out two Master’s degrees, Medicinal Chemistry awarded seven PhDs, and Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes and Policy granted four PhDs and one Master’s degree. Thank you to the Golden Grads from the class of 1968 who came out to support commencement speaker, former dean of the College, and Golden Grad, Dr. Henri Manasse. Congratulations to all our graduates!
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HONORS Honors Convocation On April 5th the College celebrated the 66th Annual Honors Convocation by handing out over $111,000 dollars in scholarships. This included the new Class of 2016 Scholarship presented by Jelena Saric, the ICHP Past Presidents’ Scholarship presented by Tom Westerkamp Recipient, and the Lauren Taylor Vitrano Memorial Scholarship presented by Amanda Vitrano. The night was an overwhelming success. Thanks to all our friends and donors who made it all possible. î ľ 30 | pharmacy.uic.edu
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e r u t fu PLAN TODAY & INVEST IN THE
The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy is continually strengthened by the generosity of our dedicated alumni and friends. As you reflect on your own goals, we hope that you’ll also consider a gift in your will that will benefit the college.
A gift in your will to support future students is simple and convenient. We suggest the following language to include the University of Illinois Foundation for the benefit of the college in your will or living trust: “I give, devise, and bequeath to the University of Illinois Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation (Tax ID 37-6006007) located in the state of Illinois, [dollar amount, percentage, specific asset, or residue] to increase educational opportunities for students and to enhance academic excellence at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy.” The knowledgeable team at the University of Illinois Foundation can also assist you in evaluating the benefits of other options beyond a gift in your will. Whether your assets include bank deposits, securities, real estate, or closely-held stock, a conversation may help you find cheaper, easier, and smarter gift options that also allow you to make a larger impact at the college than you previously thought possible. To discuss these gift options or any other questions, please contact Director of Gift Planning Jason Shuba, JD, at (312) 413-3394 or shuba@uic.edu.
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ALUMNI NEWS
Babies Brian Hrad, PharmD ‘07, and his wife Brooke welcomed twins on September 23, 2016. Their names are Kayla Grace and Casey James.
Nour Alzein, PharmD ‘15, and husband Anass Zaitoon, welcomed their first child. Daughter, Lana, was born February 17, 2017.
Ed Donnelly, BS ‘80, MBA ‘84, and his wife, Helen, BSN ‘84, welcomed their first grandchild. Emery Margaret Donnelly was born September 30, 2017 at 7:07 p.m. weighing 6 lbs., 10 oz.
Babies Felicia (Bartilotta) Pryor, PharmD ‘13, and her husband Anthony welcomed twins daughters, Elliana Maria and Aria Victoria on March 17.
Marlowe Djuric-Kachlic, PharmD ‘05, and her husband Mark welcomed their second child, son Harrison Michael, on March 24. Harrison joins big brother Henry, age 4.
Kit Moy, BS ‘84, and husband Hilbert became grandparents. Granddaughter, Tristen Lee, was born November 10, 2017 and weighed 7 lbs., 8 oz.
Bryan Zobeck, faculty member, and his wife Lisa welcomed their first child, Wesley Joseph Zobeck on February 22. He tipped the scales at 8 lbs., 1 oz. and 21 inches long.
Nicole (Sinsabaugh) Joyce, PharmD ‘14, and her husband Josh welcomed their first child, son Isley Doyle. Isley was born on March 25 and weighed in at 7lbs., 2oz. (NO PHOTO) Kyle Gordon and Maria Tangonan, PharmD ‘14, welcomed their first child on April 17. Son, Sean Patrick Gordon, arrived at 12:47 p.m., weighing 5lbs., 6oz and 19.5” long. (NO PHOTO) Brittany (Allen) Tefft, PharmD ‘10, and her husband Brandon welcomed their second child, daughter Vanessa James, on February 6. Vanessa joins big sister Mariah, age 3. (NO PHOTO)
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Kudos
Ciby Chacko, PharmD ‘14, is now a Clinical Consultant at UnitedHealth Group. Samantha Landolfa, PharmD ‘15, is now the Clinical Pharmacy Supervisor, Anticoagulation Clinics at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Delaware. Matsa Radic, PharmD ‘12, is now a Clinical/Staff Pharmacist at Franciscan St. James Hospital and Health Centers in Olympia Fields. Steven Shoyer, PharmD ‘15 became engaged to Mollie Sloot on March 24. On Thursday, March 15, the new dean, Dr. Glen Schumock, hosted an alumni event at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona where the Chicago Cubs played the Arizona Diamondbacks in preseason play.
James Stock, PharmD ‘15 is now the Pharmacist in Charge at McHugh Drug Store, LLC. Jay Tran, PharmD ‘07, is now a Clinical Consultant at UnitedHealth Group. George Vass, PharmD ‘98, successfully defended his DHA Doctoral Project Defense. Margaret Yung, PharmD ‘15, started is now a Medical Information and Review Manager at Takeda. Nada Sizemore, has been confirmed as a judge in Connecticut. Sizemore is the sister of Zora Kosanovich, BS ‘84, one of the primary donors to the Zora Kosanovich Memorial Scholarship.
OBITUARIES Kelsey Johnson, PharmD ‘14, Neil Patel, PharmD ‘07, and Latha Radhakrishnan, PharmD ‘98, represented the Illinois Graduate Chapter of Kappa Psi. The meeting was hosted by the Kappa Psi Chapter at Purdue University College of Pharmacy.
Nicole Avant, PharmD ‘12, had her first manuscript as a lead author published. The paper is titled, “Qualitative Analysis of Student Pharmacists’ Reflections of Harvard Race Implicit Association Test.”
Kathleen Keaty, PharmD ‘07, passed away suddenly from injuries she sustained in an automobile accident on March 5. Kathy worked as a Pharmacist for CVS Pharmacy and Shopco Pharmacy. Bill Mastin, BS ‘71, passed away February 3. Bill practiced in California as a director of pharmacy at a mental hospital. Gerald S. Perlman, BS ‘62, passed away February 7. Dr. Michael Werckle was a beloved member of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford faculty for over 40 years where he served in many leadership roles. He was an advocate for the profession of pharmacy and worked with numerous pharmacy students and faculty. He was a valued member of the Dean’s Action Council and received numerous honors and awards during his tenure, including the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award, the Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence and the Faculty Distinguished Service Award.
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COLLEGE OF PHARMACY UIC College of Pharmacy (MC 874) 833 South Wood Street Chicago, Illinois 60612
UIC COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
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