Pharmacy Practice Annual Report 2025

Welcome

The Department of Pharmacy Practice is an academic department within the University of Illinois Chicago Retzky College of Pharmacy (Chicago and Rockford Campuses). The Department is also a service unit that provides pharmacy services within the UI Health and affiliated sites. Among the most comprehensive units of its type in the United States, the Department is comprised of the faculty and staff who are teachers, scholars and/or practitioners.

Message from the Head

Edith Nutescu

Department Head

Dear Colleagues and Friends of Pharmacy Practice,

The Department had another outstanding year, and our faculty, staff, and trainees continued their significant contributions to our education, research, service, and entrepreneurship mission. We made significant progress on our 5-year (20212025) Strategic Plan, with over 90% of our 77 objectives completed.

Seventy faculty, staff, and trainees joined our department this past year. (See page 8 of the report.) Four faculty members were promoted: Zackery Bulman to Associate Professor with tenure, Alice Hemenway to Clinical Associate Professor, Jeffrey Mucksavage to Clinical Associate Professor, and Lori Wilken to Clinical Associate Professor. (See page 10-11) Drs. Melissa Badowski and Mat Thambi were appointed Associate Directors, Clinical Pharmacy Services for Ambulatory Care and Inpatient Clinical Pharmacy Services, respectively. I would like to recognize Max Blake for dedicating 30 years of service to the department; Lourdes Abdallah, Margaret Byun, Juliana Chan, John Garofalo, Kristen Goliak, Vicki Groo, Shiyun Kim, Rita Soni, and Eljim Tesoro for dedicating 25 years of service to the department. I also want to thank our faculty and staff, Donna Clay, Chris Godwin, Mike Koronkowski, Madan Manocha, and Jeanne Ryan, who retired this past year, for their years of dedicated service to the department. (See page 9)

Many of our faculty received both internal and external recognition for their accomplishments and professional contributions. Dr. Melissa Badowski was awarded the 2024 Departmental Publication of the Year, Judith Prince was recognized with the Administrative Staff Excellence Award, Dr. Renee Petzel-Gimbar was the recipient of the Clinical Practice Award, Dr. Scott Benken received the Educator Award, Dr. Jeff Mucksavage received the Departmental Service Award, and Dr. Zack Bulman was recognized as the Investigator of the Year.

Drs. Andy Donnelly, Matt Gimbar, Renne Petzel Gimbar, Kirsten Ohler, and Andrew Posen were awarded the 2024 Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists Best Practice Award in recognition of the Emergency Department Migrant Prescription Program; Dr. Jessica Tilton was awarded Fellowship in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy; Dr. Liz Van Drill was recognized with the ACCP Endocrinology PRN Leadership Award; Dr. Rob DiDomenico was recognized with the ACCP Cardioology PRN Service Award; Dr. Kirsten Ohler received the ACCP Pediatrics PRN Chair Award; Maya Campara was recognized with the ACCP, Pharmacotherapy, Editor’s Choice Award

for her paper “Consensus Recommendations for the use of Maintenance Immunosuppresion in Solid Organ Transplantation”; Drs. Scott Benken, Renee Petzel-Gimbar, and Eljim Tesoro were the recipients of the 2024 Frederick P. Siegel Innovative Teaching Award. Please see the “In the News Section” of our report starting on page 44 for many more faculty accomplishments, awards, and highlights.

Our grant-funded research has increased to over $7.5 million and continues to be funded by the National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute, the US Department of Health and Human Services, Illinois Department of Public Health, Medicaid Services, American Heart Association, and several additional foundations and industry partners. The faculty and trainees published over 600 journal articles throughout the year and presented their research at several regional, national, and international meetings.

Our postgraduate training programs had another outstanding year, with another 29 residents and fellows completing our programs. To date, over 1,000 residents and fellows have graduated from our programs, and in 2024, we also celebrated 55 years since the inception of our 1st residency program. This year, we’re launching the ‘UIC Residency Village’, an engagement program that offers opportunities for our alumni to connect with us and our Residency and Fellowship Programs. For more information and to join the ‘Residency Village’, visit go.uic.edu/ResidencyVillage. For additional highlights of our post-graduate programs, please see pages 38 - 43 of our report.

While this report isn’t a comprehensive list of everything we’ve accomplished this past year, it gives a glimpse into the productivity and many successes of our faculty, staff, and trainees. I’m looking forward to continuing our work with another strong year in 2026, to further advance the educational, research, service, and entrepreneurship mission of the Department.

A huge THANK YOU goes to all our faculty, staff, and trainees for another successful year and all those that support the Department by serving as preceptors and/or with financial contributions. I know you realize the importance of this support and am grateful for your contributions that ensure we maintain the high standards of our clinical and training programs. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

About the Department

The Department of Pharmacy Practice is the largest of the three academic departments within the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Retzky College of Pharmacy (Chicago and Rockford Campuses). Departmental activities revolve around four key pillars that support our education, research, service and entrepreneurial efforts. The department also operates and serves as the academic home for the hospital and ambulatory pharmacies that deliver pharmacy services and clinical pharmacy services within the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System (UI Health) and affiliated sites.

Mission

To optimize public health by serving our learners, the University of Illinois system, the community, and our world-wide strategic partners through innovations in education, research, patient care, and professional engagement.

Vision

Leading pharmacy innovations to advance health care across the world.

Strategic Initiatives

Foster a culture of collegiality, inclusiveness and professional growth among our faculty, staff, and trainees.

Ensure the long-term financial sustainability and growth of the department.

Develop new and align existing internal and external partnerships and collaborations.

Increase world-wide recognition of our education, research, and services.

Align the department to achieve our education, research, and service vision and mission.

Members of the Department

Faculty & Staff Highlights

Welcome to the Department

Seventy faculty, staff and trainees joined the department in 2024.

TENURE TRACK

Tristess Burton, Assistant Professor

Bharath Chelluboina, Assistant Professor

Abigail Elmes-Patel, Research Assistatn Professor, Fellowship Director

CLINICAL TRACK FACULTY

Jenna Adams, Infectious Diseases (Hospital)

Reham Awad, Mile Square Health Center

Rachel Christensen, Clinical Transplant Team

Sally Falahat, Inpatient Medicine Team

Nivan Khair, Surgery Team (Hospital)

Joseph Albarran, Specialty Care Building Pharmacy

Bernice McLaurin, Hospital Central Pharmacy

Erica Smith, Hospital Central Pharmacy

Antoinette Martinford, Opioid Use Disorder Team

Leyla Rashid, Opioid Use Disorder Team

Brendan Steiner, Clinical Transplant Team

Jacqueline Wasynczuk, Drug Information Group

36 Residents and Fellows joined our post-graduate clinical and research training programs

RESEARCH SPECIALISTS

Eileen Castillo, Dr. Rosas’ Lab

Briana Keller, Dr. Burton's Lab

Natalia Nikolic, Dr. Burton's Lab

Nisha Patel, Dr. Rosas’ Lab

Monte Staton, Dr. Elmes-Patel's Lab

PHARMACY TECHNICIANS

Nykia Ford, Wood Street Pharmacy

Ariel Jones, Specialty Care Building Pharmacy

Denise Lopez, Wood Street Pharmacy

Tiwanna Lowery, Wood Street Pharmacy

Ashley McGill, Specialty Pharmacy

Tammy Mitts, Specialty Care Building Pharmacy

Paul Choh, IT Specialist

Megan DeWitt, Program Assistant

Jorge Santana, Ambulatory Finance Associate

Aaliyan Moore, Wood Street Pharmacy

Nicole Porter, 340B Compliance

Erinika Thurston, Wood Street Pharmacy

Ireyon Wright, Specialty Care Building Pharmacy

Karla Zapata, Specialty Care Building Pharmacy

Years of Service

25 Years

15 Years

10 Years

Scott Benken, Ebony Buchanan, Angelica Bueno, Tamika Cosby-Sanders, Amanda Eades, Nina Huynh, Tomasz Koziol, Lisa Kumor, Tarah Lidman, Jaison Mani, Elizabeth Modrzyk, Victor Olavarria, Eric Solis

5 Years

Retirees

Thank You to our 5 retirees for their dedicated service and contributions to the Department!

Donna Clay, Associate Director & Clinical Instructor, Medicaid Programs.

Dr. Christina Godwin, Assistant Director & Clinical Assistant Professor/ Clinical Pharmacist, Ambulatory Pharmacy/Outpatient Care Clinic.

Dr. Mike Koronkowski, Clinical Assistant Professor/Clinical Pharmacist, Inpatient Medicine Clinical Team.

Madan Manocha, Clinical Instructor/Clinical Pharmacist, Ambulatory Pharmacy/Wood Street Pharmacy.

Jeanne Ryan. Human Resource Associate, Department of Pharmacy Practice.

Jeffrey Allen, Rodora Camoras, Jason Chan, Tara Driscoll, Zenia George, Lorraine Johnson, Sheryl Mathew, Sherri Ojikutu-Frohnapple, Adriana Palencia, Nikko Williams

Lourdes Abdallah, Margaret Byun, Juliana Chan, John Garofalo, Kristen Goliak, Vicki Groo, Shiyun Kim, Rita Soni, Eljim Tesoro

Faculty Promotions

Academic Promotions

Zackery Bulman

promoted to Associate Professor with tenure.

Alice Hemenway

promoted to Clinical Associate Professor.

promoted to Clinical Associate Professor.

promoted to Clinical Associate Professor.

Jeffrey Mucksavage

Lori Wilken

Service Promotions

promoted to Associate Director, Ambulatory Clinical Services.

promoted to Assistant Director, Outpatient Care Center Pharmacy.

promoted to Associate Director, Inpatient Clinical Services.

Vince Oluwaleke

Mathew Thambi

Melissa Badowski

Research

We had another strong year and continued the growth of our research enterprise with over $7.5 million awarded to our faculty in federal, foundation and industry funding. This research included more than 120 active IRB protocols contributing to our impact in pharmacy research.

In 2024 we had 3 new research focused faculty join our department that include Drs. Bharath Cehlluboina, Tristesse Burton, and Abigail Elmes-Patel.

Jeremy Johnson

Associate

Head for Research

Dr. Bharath Chelluboina’s research focuses on neuroscience, focusing on understanding ischemic stroke pathogenesis in the presence of comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease) and developing strategies for healthy aging and after brain damage.

Dr. Tristesse Burton successfully transitioned from the Bridge to Faculty program in 2024 received a BIRCWH Supplement for her project, DASH for Us, which creates a plant-based dietary intervention to prevent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Black pregnant women. This research employs community-based participatory methods to enhance maternal metabolic health and investigate dietrelated mechanisms such as gut microbial metabolites.

Dr. Abigail Elmes-Patel's research centers on advancing the clinical implementation of mobile van-based services to deliver substance use disorder treatment, with a particular emphasis on medications for opioid use disorder across diverse geographical contexts.

Dr. Paola Rosas received the UIC College of Pharmacy Vahlteich Award to examine how short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), beneficial gut microbiome by-products linked to dietary fiber, influence heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a condition affecting up to 50% of all heart failure cases and lacking effective treatment.

Dr. Zackery Bulman was awarded the Investigator of the Year Award by the UIC Department of Pharmacy Practice as recognition for his substantial contributions to the research mission of the Department. He also received an Outstanding Service Award for his service as Editor for the Journal mSystems, which is a journal for the American Society for Microbiology.

Dr. Gail Mahady lab is investigating the anti-cancer effects of combinations of vitamins A and D for colon and breast cancers with support from the Regenstein Foundation and the First Analysis Institute for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Jeremy Johnson is continuing his research project focusing on developing high throughput screening assays to identify novel allosteric binders of BiP for prostate cancer with support from an R37 award and UI Cancer Center.

The UICHeart Summer Research Program is sponsored by the American Heart Association

Dr. Rosas being presented Vahlteich Award with Dr. Johnson

Karina Bonilla, undergraduate in Dr. Rosas' Lab who was accepted into UICHeart Summer Research Program

Education

The Education Team for the Department of Pharmacy Practice had a productive year. We appointed Dr. Kay Yamamoto to Administrative Course Coordinator. In her role she will work with Drs. Margaret Byun and Brigit Jaki to provide consistency and better coordination of our 10 PDAT courses. Our first cohort of our new department concentration students started their P3 year, with 12 students in total. Our class of 2027 cohort currently has 9 students, and we will be accepting applications for the 2028 cohort later this spring.

We are happy to report that several faculty members received teaching awards for 2024.

Nancy Shapiro

Associate Head of Education

Dr. Scott Benken was the first recipient of the department Educator Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who has substantially contributed to the education mission of the Department. Dr. Drew Posen is the recipient of the Frank P. Paloucek Preceptor of the Year award, as selected by the PGY1 Residency Class of 2023-2024 and Keith Nguyen was awarded the staff award by the residents. For the 3rd year in a row, Dr. Brianna Hudak was recognized with the Interprofessional Teacher of the Year Award by the UIC Family Medicine residents for AY 2023-2024. Congratulations to these distinguished pharmacists for their dedication and commitment to the educational development of our graduates.

We celebrated our 55-year residency reunion at the ASHP MCM in New Orleans in 2024, with many current and former alums and preceptors in attendance. We continue our outreach to residency alumni with the launch of the Residency Village. All past residents and fellows are asked to review their directory listing, make any corrections that are necessary, and provide updated contact information. Our Residency Annual Report for 2024 is also available. Both the directory and the annual report can be found here: https://pharmacy.uic.edu/ programs/residency-and-fellowship/ 14 16 16 21

The Department is an innovative leader in pharmacy education. To address the national crisis on NAPLEX performance, we are leading improvements at the College. Dr. Jeffrey Mucksavage directs these efforts and spearheads transformations spanning the curriculum. Dr. Kathryn Sawyer was appointed to lead a task force to create and implement foundational drug knowledge assessments. These assessments will be deployed horizontally and vertically throughout the curriculum, aiding our understanding of student progression. Dr. Mat Thambi is celebrating the second year of offering a didactic component to the APPE curriculum. This year, the program was further tailored to offer rotation-specific supplemental content to suit the needs of our students better.

Jeffrey Mucksavage Director, Teaching Innovation

Our tradition of innovative excellence continues with members of the Department being awarded the Frederick P. Siegel Innovative Teaching Award. Drs. Benken, Petzel-Gimbar, and Tesoro have developed an elective course entitled Media’s Influence on Critical Care and Emergency Medicine. This elective course fosters critical thinking skills by critiquing the portrayal of critical patient care in the media. Students investigate textbook cases of disease states and compare that with what is portrayed in art. Student-led discussions with faculty facilitation then round off the experience. This innovative experience is an example of the ingenuity of our faculty.

Experiential Education

Sheila Allen

Senior Director, Experiential Education

The Office of Experiential Education (OEE) which is comprised of Drs. Sheila Allen (Senior Director Experiential Education), Allison Schriever (Director Experiential Education), Marlowe Djuric-Kachlic (IPPE Director), Tara Driscoll (IPPE Director), Amanda Eades (Patient Care Skills Lab Coordinator), Kathryn Sawyer (Patient Care Skill Lab Coordinator), Asish Biju (Patient Care Skills Lab Faculty), Jennifer Casamassimo (Program Coordinator) and Rhonda Larkin (Office Administrator) had another successful year.

These are some of our accomplishments:

We held our annual preceptor conference “Promoting Adaptive Expertise in the Experiential Environment” which was attended by over 100 preceptors. During the conference, we recognized Marissa Booth from OSF St. Elizabeth as our External Preceptor of the Year and Lori Wilken from UI Health as our Internal Preceptor of the Year. We are so very thankful for all our preceptors, as we truly could not do it without them.

Kathryn Sawyer and Allison Schriever presented a poster at the ASHP National Pharmacy Preceptors Virtual Conference on, “Engaging Pharmacy Students in RealWorld Scenarios through Role-Play.”

Asish Biju, Kathryn Sawyer, and Megan Magnuson presented a poster at the ASHP National Pharmacy Preceptors Virtual Conference on, “Exploring Student Perceptions of Peer, Self, and Multiple Sources of Feedback in Pharmacy Education.”

Nina Huynh, Margaret (Peggy) Choye, Allison Schriever, and Tara Driscoll presented three posters at the 82nd FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on, “Development and Implementation of a Case-based Assessment for Proficiency Examination in Experiential Education,” “OSCEs and Clinical Competence in Ambulatory Direct Patient Care Experiential Education,” and “TILTing Assessments in Experiential Education to Promote Inclusive Teaching and Equity.”

Jennie Jarrett and Abigail Elmes-Patel with co-investigators from the Office of Experiential Education: Sheila Allen, Marlowe Djuric Kachlic, Allison Schriever, and Tara Driscoll were awarded the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Education and Training PRN Overall Best Education and Training Poster Award at the ACCP Annual Meeting for their poster entitled, “Longitudinal Preceptor Assessment in Pharmacy Experiential Education Using Entrustable Professional Activities.”

Amanda Eades and colleagues published a manuscript on, “Preceptor Feedback on Utilization and Pre-APPE Performance Expectation of Pharmacy Practice Skills,” in the American Journal of Pharmacy Education (doi: 10.1016/j.ajpe.2024.101250)

Abigail Elmes-Patel, Sheila Allen, Marlowe Djuric Kachlic, Allison Schriever, Tara Driscoll, Jennie Jarrett and other colleagues published a manuscript on, “Preceptor Perspectives Using Entrustable Professional Activity-Based Assessments During Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences,” in the American Journal of Pharmacy Education. (doi: 10.1016/j.ajpe.2024.101332)

Kathryn Sawyer gave a podium during the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP)

National Pharmacy Preceptors Virtual Conference on “Agile Precepting: Navigating Change with Discipline Agile Methodology.”

Finally, we are excited for our new site partnerships with the following institutions/organizations:

La Rabida Children’s Hospital

Biodesix

TerSera Therapeutics

Alwood Pharmacy Citrus Health Group

Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA)

PharmaLogic – Hot Shots Nuclear Medicine

Community First Medical Center

Xeris Pharmaceuticals

Alexian Brothers Health System

Insight Hospital & Medical Center

As always, we contribute all our successes to our extraordinary faculty and preceptors. Our office is so very thankful for each and every one of them. We truly could not do it all without them and our students will be better pharmacists from having the opportunity to learn from them.

International Clinical Program

We had our 9th offering of the 4-week international summer program ‘Contemporary Clinical Pharmacy Education and Practice’ in June-July, 2024. Thirty-six pharmacy students, residents, pharmacists and faculty from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, and Vietnam participated in the Program. Nearly 40 UIC faculty and residents participated in the teaching. Over 450 participants have completed this program since its inception. The program was coordinated by Drs. Nancy

The department hosted 10 pharmacists for clinical observations from 5 different locations.

Burapha University, Thailand

Hong Kong Hospital Authority

University of Malta

National Taiwan University

Taipei Medical University

Shapiro, Alan Lau, Benito Valdepenas, Margaret Byun, and Ms. Kate O’Brien.

Dr. Noor Naffakh gave invited presentations to faculty and students at Meiji Pharmaceutical University in Oct. 2024 on oncology topics.

Meiji Pharmaceutical University came for a visit in July 2024: Dr. Manabu Akazawa, Dr. Junko Nagai, and Dr. Tomiyuki Sugi were here to explore the possibilities of further clinical training and research collaborations.

A delegation from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka were here for meetings in September 2024 to learn more about UIC and to build potential research and education collaborations. standardized anticoagulation stewardship across Australian hospitals.

Dr. Julianne Chong came to UIC in August for a 2-day visit as part of her Churchill Fellowship given by the Winston Churchill Trust in Australia to meet with several of our clinical pharmacists in the Antithrombosis Clinic and other UI-Health clinical service areas to learn more about how we provide antithrombotic stewardship to our patients. Her visit to UIC was one of several stops throughout the US, the UK, and Canada with the goal of implementing

Elida Zairina, from Airlangga University in Indonesia, came in Sept. 2024 as part of a 6-month Fulbright scholarship to do research in pharmacoepidemiology and outcomes research. Her primary mentor is Dr. Rob Didomenico.

Five faculty members form China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing, China, visted in Nov 2024 for a 1-day visit to explore a dual degree arrangement.

Dang Nguyen Doan Trang, Head, Department of Pharmacy, University Medical Center, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Hochiminh City, Vietnam visited with her student for a 3-day visit of our facilities, and to learn about our didactic and clinical teaching.

Pharmacy Services

Andrew Donnelly

Executive Director, Pharmacy Services

I am happy to share that the ED prescription medication program for migrant patients that we implemented in 2023 won the 2024 ICHP Best Practice Award. It was also published as a letter in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. This program definitely met a critical need at the period of time in which it was implemented. As in any organization, space is always at a premium. We were fortunate to be given space that became available in the basement of our college and the Goldberg building to provide newly remodeled and expanded offices for our Ambulatory Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy IT groups. As our IT and automation/ technology needs continue to increase, this additional space will be needed to accommodate our growing IT teams. Significant time was spent this year evaluating a medication robot for our central pharmacy. Visits were made by members of our operations and

pharmacy IT teams to two sites using the robot. A decision will be made in early 2025 on whether to move forward with submitting a formal proposal to hospital administration. On a similar note, members of our ambulatory oncology pharmacy team and ambulatory pharmacy IT team have been working to implement image capture for chemotherapy compounding, which will add another layer of safety to this process. The image capture pilot is scheduled to go-live in early January 2025.

Similar to last year, we once again were successful at getting two new inpatient clinical pharmacist positions approved. The new Family Medicine (FM) position

467,386

has been one that we have wanted for many years. This position will provide coverage of the two FM teams, also being available to participate in resident education and collaborate in research activities. Our oncology workload continues to increase both in the hospital and in the ambulatory settings, which allowed us to justify a new oncology position. In mid-2024, the hospital submitted an application to receive NCI designation for its cancer center. If received, it is pretty much a given that the number of clinical trials will increase significantly with additional pharmacists potentially being needed.

The new organizational structure that I mentioned last year is performing well. Jen Halsey, our Director of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services, has done an excellent job at developing and tracking metrics for the key activities of our pharmacies and staff and has used these to drive positive change in the care provided to our patients. A successful program that Jen and Jamie Paek, Senior Associate Director for Medication Use Policy and Pharmacy IT spearheaded was to provide free bowel prep for patients scheduled for a colonoscopy. The cancellation rate for this procedure has decreased by approximately 20% as a result. Our two new Associate Directors of Clinical Pharmacy Services, Mat Thambi and Melissa Badowski, are doing an excellent job leading their teams, allowing John Garofalo, Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services, to be more strategic in his position. An exciting informational series being coordinated by Mat and Melissa, called the Clinical Seminar Series, allows each of our clinical teams to share what they do in an informal question and answer format with either Mat or Melissa as the moderator.

My resident from last year, Vinh Thai, transitioned to the second year of our combined PGY1/2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) residency with Joanne Shen starting the first year of the two-year program. From this point moving forward, the plan is to always have a resident in the first and second years of the residency. Joanne did an excellent job with her seminar, Million Dollar Therapies: Financial and Operational Challenges, which was quite relevant as all organizations struggle with how to handle these ultra-expensive medications. Vinh’s residency project, which will carry over into 2025, is to develop a pharmacy-run program for admission medication histories in the ED prior to patients being sent to the floor. This is a critical first step in the medication reconciliation process.

Finally, I would like to thank my leadership team and all the pharmacists, technicians, and other staff in our department for their hard work and dedication over the past year and keeping the patient the focus of all we do. Working in healthcare today is certainly not easy.

Ambulatory Pharmacy Services

About Dr. Halsey

After starting my professional life as a research molecular microbiologist, I decided that I wanted to help others more directly. Pharmacy was a great way to combine service and science. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 2005, I worked as a hospital clinical pharmacist and then clinical coordinator and residency program director for 9 years. After earning my Masters in Healthcare Administration, I served in combined operational and clinical leadership roles as director and system director for inpatient and ambulatory programs. I feel fortunate to now be at UIC where I can be closer to family and help serve our most vulnerable patients, support our caregivers, educate our learners and help to continue to advance pharmacy practice.

Since starting in September 2023, I am honored to lead a team dedicated to improving patient care and ensuring that the right medications are provided at the

Jennifer Halsey Director, Ambulatory Pharmacy Services

right time, every time. In the past year, our department has worked hard to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care while optimizing both operational and clinical outcomes and controlling the cost of care.

Key Accomplishments in 2024

Continued prescription growth.

Continued growth of our Meds-to-Beds program with 48% of discharging patients, and over 80% of patients discharged home during SCB business hours, receiving their prescriptions before leaving the hospital. This program is instrumental in ensuring patients have what they need to heal and prevent hospital readmissions.

Our adherence management program has delivered impressive results as well. Patients managed by our teams experience 15 to 20% higher target patient days covered rates than those who are unmanaged.

Wood Street Pharmacy Team

Infusion Pharmacy Team

Our Future

As we look ahead, we will continue to build upon the great work of 2024 by:

Expanding Collaboration and Care Coordination

Strengthening connections between inpatient, outpatient, and clinic pharmacy services to create a more cohesive experience for patients. In 2025, we will prioritize further collaboration between pharmacy caregivers, ensuring that communication and care transitions are seamless and that patients benefit from a fully integrated pharmacy care model. Our patients benefit when we effectively collaborate.

Improving Care Through Data

Leveraging data to identify and monitor patients at risk of negative outcomes will help us create appropriate care plans and interventions.

Measuring Clinical and Operational Outcomes

Measuring the effectiveness and impact of all ambulatory pharmacy services, will help ensure clinical outcomes and operations are optimized.

Expanding Enrollment and Retention in Targeted Programs

Increasing the enrollment of patients with diabetes, post-transplant, and other co-morbid conditions in our targeted intervention programs will help to focus our efforts on personalized, evidence-based care. In addition, we plan to expand patient assistance with premium, transportation and food assistance where available.

I am incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received from my colleagues across the department and the entire organization. The passion and commitment I see every day inspires me to be the best servant leader I can be. I look forward to another year of growth, collaboration, and success as we continue to deliver exceptional care to the patients we serve.

Clinical PharmacyServices

The clinical pharmacists at UI Health function as an integral part of the patient care team. The clinical pharmacists collaboratively contribute to the quality of patient care by assuming responsibility for the comprehensive management of the patient’s drug therapy. This interdisciplinary approach to patient management maximizes the training and skills of the various members of the health care team, and enhances the quality, efficiency, and continuity of patient care provided by the various health care services.

Our department has the equivalent of over 70 fulltime clinical pharmacists who are deployed throughout the UI Health enterprise. Ambulatory Care clinical pharmacists work in 25 diverse clinical

John Garofalo Director, Clinical Pharmacy Services

environments. Services are provided through two highly effective clinical practice models: a Pharmacy-Managed clinic model and a Clinic-Based service model. Our specialty-trained clinical pharmacists work closely with physicians and nurses to optimize drug therapy, facilitate access to medication therapy, prevent medication errors, reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and reduce adverse drug reactions.

Hospital clinical pharmacists are assigned to 20 different hospital services including adult critical care, emergency medicine, infectious diseases, medicine, oncology, pediatrics/ neonatology, solid organ transplant, and surgery. To assure the appropriate and cost effective use of medications, the clinical pharmacists attend medical rounds on assigned services and are involved in the selection, initiation, monitoring, continuation and modification of drug therapy.

We continue to look for opportunities to expand our clinical services. In the last year, we’ve added additional clinical services in the areas of Infectious Diseases, Solid Organ Transplant and Surgical ICU/General Surgery. In the coming months, we will also be expanding our services for the Illinois Department of Corrections Diabetes telemedicine clinic, Oncology inpatient and outpatient services, and Inpatient Family Medicine team.

Protocols

UI Health has implemented 55 medication-related protocols, with 31 of them supporting independent clinical activities. Clinical pharmacists in specialties like neurosurgery, solid organ transplant, medication therapy management clinic, sickle cell clinics, and antithrombosis clinics follow care protocols tailored to their specific areas of practice. Additionally, protocols are in place for general clinical pharmacist activities in ambulatory care, including immunizations, travel vaccines, asthma, hypertension, and diabetes management. For hospitalized patients, pharmacists work according to protocols related to parenteral nutrition support, clinical pharmacokinetics, and renal dosing.

UI Health Committee

Participation

Clinical Pharmacists serve on over 50 UI Health clinical care committees including serving as co-chairs of the Glycemic Control Committee, Antiinfective Subcommittee and the Guideline and Protocol Oversight Committee.

Precepting

Clinical pharmacists served as preceptors for a variety of learners in 2024.

Mat Thambi

Associate Director, Clinical Pharmacy Services

In 2024, Drs. Melissa Badowski and Mat Thambi were appointed Associate Directors, Clinical Pharmacy Services. In these roles, Melissa and Mat assist me in planning the direction, administration, auditing, and management of the clinical pharmacists who are assigned to hospital services or work in our clinics. Melissa’s primary responsibilities are for clinical pharmacists working in the clinics and Mat’s is for those who mainly work in the hospital and for those who rotate working in the hospital and clinics

Our vision as Associate Directors of Inpatient and Ambulatory Care Clinical Pharmacy Services is to build upon the foundation of leading innovation in patient-centered care, teaching, and scholarship. By fostering a culture of collaboration, not only in the department of pharmacy practice but also through interdisciplinary partnerships, our goal is to elevate patient experiences and clinical outcomes, promote scholarship and research, and enrich the experiences of our learners’. By providing clear pathways for professional growth, promotion, and advancement, we will ensure that our clinical pharmacists feel supported and empowered to deliver exceptional care, mentor future healthcare leaders, and drive impactful research that enhances our institution and the communities we serve. We will strive

to elevate the status of our clinical pharmacy teams and continue to push the boundaries of innovation. Together, we will cultivate an inclusive environment where every team member thrives and contributes to our shared vision of excellence.

Leadership

As the ACCP PRN

These initiatives reflect our ongoing commitment to increasing the visibility and engagement of the clinical team, ultimately advancing care for patients across Illinois.

and Engagement Committee, I lead student programming initiatives that provide pharmacy students with opportunities to present clinical pearls and case presentations throughout the year. I also assist the chair in executing key committee responsibilities, ensuring that we meet our yearly objectives and continue to enhance trainee involvement within the PRN.

Kim

As the co-chair of the Guidelines Committee for the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS), I coordinate an interprofessional group of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and advanced practice providers in the development of guidelines and scientific statements for the Society. I personally authored and facilitated the creation of many of the most recent top priorities for NCS, which guide patient care for this unique patient population. I am honored to have been recognized for my excellence in streamlining workflow and improving communication within NCS.

Lauren Cunningham

As the Secretary/Treasurer and Chair of the Communication Committee for the ACCP Endocrine and Metabolism (Endo) PRN, my goal for the 2024-2025 year is to shine a light on the amazing work our members are doing. By sharing their stories and helping our members connect with each other, I hope to make a positive impact not just for ACCP, but also back at UIC Retzky College of Pharmacy, where I believe this kind of collaboration and recognition can help us become better educators and practitioners, and ultimately improve patient care.

Erica Hellenbart

I am honored to serve as the Cardiology PRN Secretary/Treasurer and will be seeking opportunities to engage our diverse membership. The mentorship I have received through our department, ACCP and the Cardiology PRN have been invaluable to my personal and professional growth and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to pay it forward.

Julio Rebolledo

As a clinical pharmacist and faculty member, my vision on the Board of Directors for the Association of Asthma Educators was to advocate for the essential role of the pharmacist in optimizing asthma management and patient education. In my current leadership roles within the APhA’s Diabetes and Immunization communities, my goal is to foster collaboration and innovation that advances pharmacy practice in these critical areas.

Vicki Groo

Since 2019, I have proudly served as the Cardiovascular (CV) Team Representative for Illinois, advocating for membership, education, and engagement within the state. One of my first initiatives was to integrate CV Team members into the annual Illinois state meeting, ensuring they had a platform to share their expertise. We successfully featured a CV Team member in each session, where they provided five-minute presentations on their role in managing specific disease states. This was met with enthusiasm, increasing awareness among physician colleagues about the crucial contributions of the CV Team.

Associate Director, Clinical Pharmacy Services

Melissa Badowski

Sally Falahat

AMED Vice Chair for the Trainee

Keri

Advocacy Efforts to Expand Clinical Pharmacist Roles

Optimizing Self-Management for Outpatient Pharmacy Patients With Diabetes

Drs. Nazia Babul and John Garofalo advocated for amending state practice acts to support the expansion of pharmacy services, allowing pharmacists to enter and modify orders for blood glucose testing and insulin administration supplies in outpatient pharmacies, per state protocol. In their recently published research, the team found that a significant number of orders generated through the implementation of a protocol at UI Health reflected the positive uptake of the program. Additionally,

survey responses from both the medical center’s providers and nonaffiliated outpatient pharmacists supported this expanded role for outpatient pharmacists.

Expansion of clinical pharmacy services in corrections facilities

Drs. Melissa Badowski, Juliana Chan, Emily Drwiega, Blake Max, and Julio Rebolledo provided over 2,000 clinical telemedicine visits to

justice-involved individuals in the Illinois Department of Corrections living with diabetes, HIV, and/or hepatitis C. Drs. Badowski, Chan, and Rebolledo also authored an editorial advocating for the expansion of clinical pharmacy services in corrections.

Cost-Effectiveness of a Pharmacist-Led Medication Therapy Management Clinic for Management of Type 2 Diabetes

Drs. Sheryl Mathew and Jessica Tilton collaborated with the Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes, and Policy to evaluate the lifetime costeffectiveness of a pharmacist-led medication therapy management clinic (MTMC) compared to usual care for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), from a United States payer perspective, using a simulation model.

The findings from this study demonstrate potential cost-effectiveness of integrating clinical pharmacy services into comprehensive care strategies supporting broader coverage and reimbursement of these services to optimize clinical outcomes and reduce healthcare costs in the long term.

Managed Care / Internal Medicine

Drs. John Shilka and Liz Van Dril are at the forefront of managed care at UI Health’s internal medicine clinic. They lead targeted outreach efforts for approximately 1,300 patients with diabetes and 1,700 with hypertension, focusing on surrogate outcomes that impact pay-for-performance metrics across commercial and government payers. Their population health initiatives not only generate incentive payments for UI Health but also help identify patients who would benefit from comprehensive medication management within the

Drs. Shilka and Van Dril are members of the Utilization Management Committee and the Quality Improvement Committee in the Department of Managed Care at UI Health. They also serve as faculty for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' Quality Improvement for Pharmacy Professionals Certificate program.

In 2024, Dr. Shilka joined the Editorial Board of KeePosted, the official publication of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP). He now serves as an Associate Editor.

Dr. Van Dril was elected Chair of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Endocrine and Metabolism Practice and Research Network (PRN) and appointed Chair of ACCP’s Annual Meeting Program Committee. Additionally, she authored three chapters in ACCP’s Ambulatory Care Pharmacist’s Survival Guide, covering pharmacist billing and reimbursement, hypertension medication management protocols, and the pharmacist’s role in heart failure management.

Solid Organ Transplant

The UI Health Transplant Program remain leaders in pancreas and intestinal transplants in Illinois. The program expanded its reach with satellite clinics, including Rockford, and now ranks second in the state for kidney transplants.

In 2024, Dr. Campara coordinated the expansion of the transplant clinical pharmacy team from 7 to 8 members. Dr. Benito Valdepenas III transitioned to Director of Clinical Transplant Research. The team introduced several key innovations: Dr. Campara integrated patient education tools into Epic’s Transplant Medication Detail, Dr. Lynley internal medicine clinic. Based on the most recent data, these incentives generate approximately $200,000 annually.

Heinrich developed a new guideline for Cytomegalovirus Infection, and Dr. Jamie Benken launched a weight loss program for transplant candidates. Dr. Campara also advanced islet cell protocols and therapy plans, with the first type 1 diabetes islet transplants expected in 2025.

Teaching and Mentorship

The team precepted 2 off-site PGY2 residents, 13 PGY1 residents, 17 APPE students, 16 IPPE students, and mentored 12 students through the 380/390 PMPR elective course. Faculty members co-coordinate three courses at the College of Pharmacy, contributing lectures and recitations across the curriculum and the Malta Program.

Scholarship and Leadership

In 2024, the team presented over 20 research abstracts and published 9 peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Campara was awarded the 2024 ACCP Editor's Choice Award. Dr. Benken presented at Emory University Transplant Center Grand Rounds, and Dr. Campara lectured at the ACCP Annual Meeting and Saturday Symposium.

Service to the Profession

Dr. Christensen serves as Vice President of the Illinois Transplant Pharmacists Association. Dr. Pierce chairs the ACCP Transplant PRN Research Committee, while Dr. Campara continues to serve as an editor for the ASHP/ACCP Solid Organ Transplantation Review Course

Drug Information Group

The Drug Information Group (DIG) is a team of 13 clinical pharmacists who specialize in retrieving, analyzing, and synthesizing evidence used to inform clinical decision making. The purpose of this business unit within the College is to develop and maintain customized, high-quality drug and medical information content for a variety of clients and to educate and train pharmacy students, residents, and healthcare professionals.

2024 was a very productive year for the DIG with regard to scholarship, teaching, and service!

Our faculty were involved in scholarly pursuits which resulted in 13 publications, 2 posters, 3 ACPE-accredited continuing education presentations, 8 ACCME-accredited continuing education presentations, and one podcast. Many members of the DIG

Jen Phillips Director, Drug Information Group

group were involved in several key opinion papers in the area of drug information centering on topics of medical misinformation, artificial intelligence, and the future of drug information practice. In addition, 2 of our faculty authored a 2-part article series on the History of Pharmacy, which, although just recently published, has already resulted in invited platform presentations at 2 different state pharmacy society meetings. Our faculty published 36 frequently asked questions on our website last year and four of our faculty were the recipients of a

Awarded Grant

$1000 grant from the ACCP EDTR PRN that will be used to complete an artificial intelligence-based research project.

From a leadership perspective, members of the DIG were well represented across various state and national pharmacy associations serving in leadership roles and committees in several organizations including AACP, ACCP, ASHP, and ICHP. Our faculty were also well represented in various Department and College committees.

With regard to education, the group continued to precept P4 students and residents as well as coordinate 2 required and 2 elective courses within the PharmD curriculum as well as one course within the BSPS curriculum. This year, the group worked with 10 independent study students on special projects/ research; many of these endeavors have led to scholarship. Under the leadership of Dr. Heather Ipema, several members of the DIG worked together to reimagine our residency program. Recruitment for the updated program began this year for the 2025-2026 residency cycle.

From a service perspective, the DIG continued to respond to drug information requests from healthcare institutions as well as complete medical writing and other projects for our many different clients. This year we were excited to bring on WebMD as a new client and expand work with some of our existing clients. In January of this year, the group said goodbye to Dr. Michael Buege, as he transitioned to the Oncology Group within the College. In May 2024, we welcomed Dr. Jackie Wasynczuk as our newest faculty member. Dr. Wasynczuk joined us as an experienced drug information faculty member/practitioner from Thomas Jefferson University. Her new ideas and wealth of experience have made her a wonderful addition to our group

CE Presentations by the Drug Information Group

Medicaid Group

Mary Moody

Director, Medicaid Group

Springfield Policy

The Springfield-based UIC Pharmacy Team at the Bureau of Ancillary and Professional Services (BPAS) plays a key role in supporting and managing Medicaid pharmacy policies and programs. Responsibilities include administering and contributing to various boards and councils, such as the Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board, Drug & Therapeutics (D&T) Board, and the Advisory Council on Financing and Access to Sickle Cell Disease Treatment and Other High-Cost Drugs. The team serves as a liaison to pharmaceutical manufacturers and manages the department’s Supplemental Rebate Program. Additionally, staff maintain the Illinois Medicaid Preferred Drug List and pharmacy software system while serving as subject matter experts on legislation, surveys, FOIA requests, audits, procedures, and policy development.

The Medicaid Services Unit consists of groups focused on Medicaid Operations, Illinois ADVANCE Academic Detailing (AD), Springfield Policy, and Illinois DocAssist.

All groups in this Unit are under project agreements with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (IL-HFS). The Unit totals 31 clinical pharmacists, 3 certified pharmacy technicians, 4 physicians, 6 psychiatrists, and 2 social workers located in Chicago and Springfield.

Prior Authorization Services

The Unit develops policies for medication use and clinical approval criteria for non-preferred medications, reviews medication profiles of higher risk clients chronically taking more than four prescriptions per month, coordinates the Illinois Drugs and Therapeutics and Drug Utilization Review committees, and responds to proposed legislation and legislative inquiries for Illinois Medicaid Fee-ForService programs.

Due to the Change Healthcare cyberattack that occurred February 2024, the prior authorization (PA) and four prescription policy (4RX) services were taken down and remain in the process of being reinstated. During this time, staff updated over 600 internal criteria, engaged in additional HFS projects, and dedicated extra focus and efforts on the academic detailing arm of the unit. Additionally, pharmacists provided customer service and education regarding prior PA policies and billing issues for pharmacies and healthcare providers, attended appeal hearings, and precepted P4 pharmacy students on rotation. Students on rotation were exposed to a variety of PA operations, medication use policy, and AD activities.

Academic Detailing Services

Illinois ADVANCE, the Unit’s legislatively required AD service, continued to expand its roots in 2024. Several team members assisted in revamping our website illinoisadvance.uic.edu to be more user friendly, easier to navigate, and feature pertinent components for healthcare providers. The group also implemented an innovative outreach/recruitment strategy that enhanced teamwork and led to increased engagement from the community.

The pharmacists attended several organization events to broaden the reach and widen brand awareness for IL ADVANCE, including PainWeek, IL Rural Health Association, Women in Medicine, and IL Public Health Association. The team also conducted presentations at conferences for the Aetna Value-Based Care Summit, IL Pharmacists Association, NaRCAD International Conference, Chicago Asthma Consortium, and AMCP Midwest Day of Education.

Academic detailers further developed collaborative connections with multiple medical and pharmacy residents across the State, including MercyHealth Rockford, Southern Illinois University, Humboldt Park Health, Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, and many others, to routinely provide information on the latest advancements in pharmacotherapy.

Through focused, concerted efforts, the team contacted all 102 counties in Illinois, completed 7,734 outreach attempts leading to 228 introductory organization meetings, and conducted 4,491 in-person and virtual AD visits in 2024.

Doc Assist Service

The IL DocAssist Service is a free psychiatrist phone consultation, training, and referral service to assist primary care clinicians screen, diagnose, and treat mental health and substance use in children, adolescents up to age 21 years, and perinatal women. In 2024, the program provided 557 mental health consultations to healthcare providers across the state of Illinois with 60 follow-up consultations. This past year, IL DocAssist faculty focused on expansion of our network with school-based healthcare providers. Educational programs reached over 385 school nurses and social workers. A second focus was to expand access to resources and referral tools for our healthcare partners. Our website continues to be updated to include new resources and tools IllinoisDocAssist (866) 9862778 | University of Illinois Chicago (uic.edu).

Illinois DocAssist continues our work on HRSA Grant 21-122 American Rescue Plan Act – Pediatric Mental Health Care Access - New Area Expansion, which began in 2022. This grant was renewed for 2 additional years and aims to expand access to IL DocAssist consultation, resources, and education throughout the state by strengthening partnerships and collaboration with primary care entities and government agencies providing services to populations most in need.

Infectious Diseases

The Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy Section provides a wide range of scholarly, teaching, and clinical services to the University and the Chicagoland area since its inception in 1996. The Section was founded by Co-directors Larry Danziger and Keith Rodvold. Dr. Rodvold is now UIC Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Dr. Danziger continues to provide leadership and vision for the Section.

The Section provides infectious diseases (ID) clinical pharmacy services to the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in the inpatient and outpatient settings. Members of the section also provide ID and primary care to patients in the Family Center for Infectious Diseases (FCID Clinics) and various HIV Outreach Clinics throughout the city. Faculty provide service to five outpatient clinics, which include a main campus HIV/ ID clinic and four HIV outreach clinics in Chicago neighborhoods with the highest

Larry Danziger

Director, Section of Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy incidence of HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and limited access to healthcare. Furthermore, the Section’s HIV pharmacotherapy group provides care for 26 correctional facilities within the Illinois Corrections system via an interdisciplinary HIV telemedicine clinic. The Telemedicine effort is led by Dr. Melissa Badowski.

The Section has one of the largest and longest-standing ID Pharmacy Fellowship training programs in the U.S. The Section also oversees one of the few PGY-2 Advanced HIV/ID residencies in North America. Dr. Renata Smith serves as the director of the PGY2 Advanced residency in HIV. Dr. Rodrigo Burgos oversees the PGY2 Advanced ID residency. To date, over 85 Infectious Diseases Fellows/ Trainees have completed these programs under the leadership and expertise of the ID Section’s faculty. In addition, the Section has partnered with the Illinois Department of Public Health as a cosponsor of the annual Illinois Antimicrobial Stewardship Summit programs.

The faculty in the ID Section are very involved in teaching in the PharmD and BSPS programs. As part of the Section Drs. Renata Smith, Rodrigo Burgos, Melissa Badowski, Emily Drwiega, Blake Max, and Christopher Schriever contribute to the mission of the college through scholarly, teaching, research, and service activities in HIV and basic infectious diseases pharmacotherapy.

Beyond its academic mission, the Section remains active in both clinical and basic science research. The Microbiology Research Laboratory (UIC-MRL), managed

by the Section, explores the activity of both new and old antimicrobials, and evaluates new pharmacotherapeutic options for the treatment of antibioticresistant infections. The research laboratory Dr. Zackery Bulman is also affiliated with the Section.

The faculty members of ID Section have published more than 500 articles in major pharmacy and medical journals, contributed book chapters, and serve on editorial boards and reviewers for numerous scientific journals.

Educational outreach has also led to the Section’s involvement in the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center (MATEC). Through these activities, the Section provides educational information and programming on ID and HIV pharmacotherapy to pharmacists in an eight-state area. Drs. Smith and Max have been integral in our relationship with MATEC.

Dr. Christopher Schriever is based at the UIC Retzky College of Pharmacy Rockford campus. His clinical practice site specializes in serving patients living with HIV and Hepatitis C. He is the Program Director for the PGY1 Residency at our Rockford campus. Dr. Schriever is the elected chair of the Illinois Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Committee for the Department of Health and Family Services.

The future of the Section builds on its history as it continues to grow and serve as a state and national leader in current aspects of Infectious Diseases pharmacotherapy, including antimicrobial stewardship both locally and throughout the state of Illinois.

Other highlights include:

ID Section faculty and trainees had 14 scientific publications, and 1 book chapter published.

The ID faculty gave 7 invited presentations at scientific meetings.

Creation of a new infectious diseases OPAT service with the UI Health System.

The ID Section faculty and trainees had 15 scientific poster presentations at both national and international infectious disease meetings.

The ID Section provides care for over 500 HIV patients annually at 26 Correctional Facilities throughout the state of Illinois.

Implemented interdisciplinary rapid response team for measles and zoster outbreaks in Chicago Department of Public Health migrant shelters through expedited IVIG administration.

Engagement & Inclusion

The Department of Pharmacy Practice continues to demonstrate a commitment to Diversity, Equity, Engagement and Inclusion (DEEI) initiatives through the leadership of Dr. Daphne Smith Marsh, Director of DEEI and members of the DEEI committee, cochair, Dr. Marlowe Djuric Kachlic, Drs. Rodrigo Burgos, Christina Carrivales Cortez, Eden Keller, Charles McPherson, Faria Munir, Jewel Younge, Sara Hovey, Alexis Coffee and Ms. Kimberly White. The committee members and other faculty have increased awareness of the importance and value of equitable and inclusive environments within this department and in our communities.

Daphne Smith Marsh presented the “Inclusive Language in Education” seminar for our department in April 2024. Dr. Smith Marsh serves as Inclusive Practices Subcommittee chairperson for the ICHP DEI committee and has presented practical DEI aspects to the ICHP Ambulatory Care Network. Dr. Smith Marsh also attended the first ADA ADEPT conference on Health Equity in Diabetes.

Daphne Smith Marsh

Director, Diversity, Equity, Engagement, and Inclusion

Christina Carrivales Cortez, along with pharmacy students, participated in the Viva Tu Vida: Get Up Get Moving Health Fair to provide medication safety demonstrations in August 2024. Dr. Carrivales Cortez also provided a medication management presentation for the Solutions for Care: Medication Management at CHA Wicker Park Apartments event in September.

Marlowe Djuric Kachlic and UIC APhA-ASP participated in Family Science Day at the Hollywood Elementary School in Brookfield, IL. Fifty children engaged with pharmacy students to do science experiments and learn about poison prevention.

Charles McPherson participated in the “Mission Critical: SCOTUS and the Future of Diversity in Health Care” summit as a member of the IDPH Task Force in October 2024. Dr. McPherson served as facilitator for the Admissions Process group discussion.

Sara Hovey received a Presidential Citation from the Pediatric Pharmacy Association for her leadership in establishing a DEIA committee for the organization.

Alexis Coffee, Academic/Family Medicine Fellow, research thesis is “The Rx for Respect: Assessment of Cultural Humility in Student Pharmacists After a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Class.”

Drs. Tristesse Burton and Jewel Younge lead a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study entitled “Greenlining in collaboration with Urban Junction and Boxville Marketplace” in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. The goals of the project are to: 1) Identify community strengths and the gaps or barriers in resources while enhancing community engagement related to health and food access/nutrition; 2) Collaborate with Urban Junction and Boxville Marketplace to address local health and nutrition needs; and 3) Train Pharmacy Practice students in CBPR methodology and cultural competency. Activities have included food access and nutrition focus group discussions and a cooking demonstration.

Tristesse Burton, PhD has recently received training at Northwestern University for the NIH-funded project (Sponsor: National Institute on Drug Abuse) titled: Community Engagement: A Short Course to Optimize Research Endeavors (CE-SCORE), led by Drs. Leah C. Neubauer Gregory Phillips II. " Dr. Burton's research project, DASH for Us, aims to prevent gestational diabetes mellitus in Black pregnant women by using Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methodology. This approach addresses a significant health disparity that affects the overall cardiometabolic health of Black pregnant women.

Kevin Rynn Vice Dean, Rockford Campus

Rockford

Campus

Through the efforts and dedication to teaching, mentoring, clinical service, and professional innovation, Rockford faculty have substantially impacted students, residents, and patients while advancing the department's mission. Dr. Alice Hemenway was promoted to Clinical Associate Professor, reflecting her dedication to academic and clinical excellence. Drs. Marianne Pop and Manar Kandil achieved board certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEMP), underscoring their expertise and leadership in the field. Faculty members demonstrated leadership and scholarship in pharmacy organizations, including ACCP, AACP, ASHP, ICHP, the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP), and the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), where Drs. Erin Carson, Marianne Pop, Alice Hemenway,

and Asish Biju held numerous high-profile roles.

Residency training is going strong on the Rockford Campus. The faculty welcomed its fifth PGY1 resident and third PGY-2 resident in Emergency Medicine (EM). The EM program celebrated a successful ASHP accreditation site survey and was granted full accreditation status. The residency programs have a sustained impact on training exceptional pharmacists, representing UIC well at the local and national levels.

Department faculty work tirelessly with the Office of Student Affairs to attract the best students. Rockford hosted its tenth annual Summer Pharmacy Institute for fifty college students interested in the profession. Over the years, 360 students have attended, with almost a third of students applying to the UIC Retzky College of Pharmacy. Faculty from the department are instrumental in the success of this program.

Rockford Team

Community service is a primary goal for the campus. Faculty and students helped launch another successful season of blood pressure screenings at three county fairs. A total of 439 screenings were conducted, adding to over 3900 screenings since the program’s inception. UIC faculty and students partnered with the Winnebago County Health Department assisting with seven influenza immunization clinics. Together, they volunteered over 40 hours of their time. Faculty partnered with Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful for Medication Collection Days, contributing 34 hours to safely dispose of 716 pounds of unused medications, demonstrating a commitment to public health, environmental sustainability, and community engagement.

Faculty secured a three-year, $864,347, grant from the McKesson Foundation to roll out “RFIT: Rural-Focused Interventions to actively develop and Train for rural pharmacy careers”. Led by Drs. Olson, Hemenway, Rynn, Allison Schriever, and Chris Schriever, this initiative is designed to strengthen the pipeline of pharmacists trained to address the unique needs of rural communities and offer training and resources for students and pharmacists committed to rural practice. The Department faculty are excited about this project's potential impact in helping improve health outcomes in underserved rural communities by ensuring these communities have access to skilled pharmacy professionals.

Dr. Asish Biju supervised student pharmacists at a medication take-back day.

Heidi Olson; Jade De Vera, P3; & Elizabeth Okyne, P3

Post-Graduate Training Programs

Residents

UIC’s PGY1 Pharmacy Residency is a one-year program, during which the resident effectively makes the transition from student to independent practitioner. The main goals of the program are to develop competent clinical pharmacists capable of practicing in any setting by providing exposure to a diverse scope of pharmaceutical care services while fostering leaders in clinical pharmacy practice and education.

The 2023-2024 PGY1 pharmacy residency class was very productive in the area of research and scholarship with at least 25 research abstracts submitted to professional organizations including American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, American Transplant Congress, American Heart Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and American College of Clinical Pharmacy. The 2023-2024 class had an 83% match rate into post-graduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residencies and fellowships with our other residents pursuing clinical positions. Our Community Service Committee organized a clothing drive that collected a carload of clothes to help support the Brown Elephant Initiative and Howard Brown Health Center which provides LGBTQ+ healthcare and funds care for the uninsured and under-

insured in the Chicagoland area. In the spring, we traveled to the University of Iowa for a professional development trip. End-of-the-year awards were given to Dr. Mark Pulver, PGY1 resident (Richard A. Hutchinson Award for Excellence in Pharmacy Practice); Dr. Vinh Thai, PGY1 HSPAL resident (John McBride Award for Excellence in Hospital Pharmacy); Dr. Drew Posen, emergency medicine preceptor (Frank P. Paloucek Preceptor of the Year Award); and Dr. Keith Nguyen, clinical staff pharmacist (Residency Appreciation Award). Our new 2024-2025 PGY1 class of 12 residents includes 5 from UIC, and 1 each from the University of California San Francisco, University of Colorado Denver, University of South Carolina, University of Cincinnati, University of North Carolina, Purdue University, and University of Texas Austin. For more information about the great things our residents are doing, follow us on social media (Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/UICRxResidency/ ; Instagram | @uicrexresidency).

DR. KIRSTEN OHLER

PGY1 PROGRAMS DIRECTOR

The UIC College of Pharmacy offered 11 different PGY2 pharmacy residency programs at our Chicago and Rockford campuses. PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build upon skills and competencies from PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. Residents who successfully complete a PGY2 pharmacy residency at UIC are well prepared for practices in advanced patient care, academia, and leadership.

In 2023-24, 8 residents completed PGY2 training in one of our programs. Residents had previously completed PGY1 residencies at UIC (2 residents), Northshore University HealthSystem, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, SSM Health St. Louis MO, University of California Davis Medical Center, and VA North Texas Health Care System.

DR. JOHN GAROFALO

PGY2 PROGRAMS DIRECTOR

RESIDENTS

January 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024

PGY1 - Pharmacy Practice Residents

Neda AbuGharbiyeh, PharmD

Hannah Ayers, PharmD

Seth Carroll, PharmD

Yiwen Chung, PharmD

Emilio De La Rosa Gonzalez, PharmD

Avery Claire Jones, PharmD

Nivan Khair, PharmD

Sara Lira, PharmD (Veterinary) (not pictured)

Skye Miles, PharmD

Natalie Pettit, PharmD

Mark Pulver, PharmD

Erin Ryan, PharmD

Vinh Thai, PharmD (HSPAL)

Nicholas Truong, PharmD

Carrie Yu, PharmD

PGY1 - Community Pharmacy Residents

Vanessa Cortez, PharmD – Walgreens (UIC Liaison: Sheila Allen)

PGY2 - Specialty Residents

Deepali Bhandari, PharmD – Ambulatory Care (RPD: Liz Van Dril)

Rachel Christensen, PharmD – Organ Transplant (RPD: Lynley Heinrich)

JinJoo Chung, PharmD - Cardiology (RPD: Stephanie Dwyer)

Elizabeth Ferengul, PharmD – Pediatric (RPD: Lauren Oliveri)

Shannon Goniwiecha, PharmD – Oncology (RPD: Sandra Puri Cuellar)

Christine Pan, PharmD – Ambulatory Care (RPD: Liz Van Dril)

Caitlyn Patton, PharmD – Em Med, Rockford (RPD: Marianne Pop)

Mary Margaret Maddox, PharmD – Em Med (RPD: Renee Petzel Gimbar)

Elbron Odisho, PharmD – Community Specialty, UIC (RPD: Lisa Kumor)

Jennifer Takamura, PharmD - UIC (RPD: Marlowe Djuric Kachlic)

July 1, 2024 - December 31, 2025

PGY1 - Pharmacy Practice Residents

Kara Brown, PharmD

Sylvia Choi, PharmD

Anh Dam PharmD

Laila Hammad, PharmD

Travis Hanson, PharmD

Sky Harrigfeld, PharmD

Hidaya Hassan, PharmD (Specialty)

Abdulrahman Khormi, PharmD (Int'l)

Armin Pashaeimofrad, PharmD (Rockford)*

Richard Ramos, PharmD

Andrew Russo, PharmD

Daniel Schreiber, PharmD

Joanne Shen, PharmD (HSPAL)

Luke Stickler, PharmD

Tom Szwajnos, PharmD

Teresa Valadez, PharmD

Tracy Van, PharmD

*(not pictured)

PGY1 - Community Pharmacy Residents

Hadeel Fouad, PharmD – Walgreens (UIC Liaison: Sheila Allen)

PGY2 - Specialty Residents

Hannah Ayers, PharmD – Ambulatory Care (RPD: Liz Van Dril)

Emma Dittmar, PharmD – Cardiology (RPD: Stephanie Dwyer)

Tony Duong, PharmD – Infectious Disease (RPD: Rodrigo Burgos)

Kimberly Kue-Tsemo, PharmD – Oncology (RPD: Sandra Puri Cuellar)

Natalie Pettit, PharmD – Em Med (RPD: Renee Petzel Gimbar)

Katrina Seidel, PharmD – Clinical Pharmacogenomics (RPD: Dyson Wake)

Charlie Spuhler, PharmD – Pediatric (RPD: Lauren Oliveri)

Keaton Tauer, PharmD – Organ Transplant (RPD: Lynley Heinrich)

Vinh Thai, PharmD – HSPAL (RPD: Andy Donnelly)

Michelle Tsai, PharmD – Critical Care (RPD: Scott Benken)

Carrie Yu, PharmD – Ambulatory Care (RPD: Liz Van Dril)

Heather Zimmerman, PharmD – Em Med, Rockford (RPD: Marianne Pop)

Joseph Shen, PharmD – Jewel Osco, UIC (RPD: Beatrice Drambarean)

Karina Sowa, PharmD - UIC (RPD: Marlowe Djuric Kachlic)

Post-Graduate Training Programs Fellows

Academia & Family Medicine Pharmacy Fellowship

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)’s Academia/Family Medicine Pharmacy Fellowship is a two-year training program in family medicine and the scholarship of teaching and learning to develop advanced competencies in clinical research, practice, and workforce development, with a specific focus in substance use disorder. Completion of the program enables the fellow to become a full-time faculty member and leader within health professions education, training, and clinical practice. The primary goals of the program are to develop fellows into independent researchers that can lead high-impact research endeavors in a variety of family medicine and teaching and learning environments, advance fellows into autonomous clinician-educators who possess indepth therapeutic knowledge and research experience, and position fellows to be superior candidates for their desired career goals, especially academic roles.

Abigail Elmes-Patel Director, Academia & Family Medicine Fellowship

Our 2022-2024 fellow, Alexander Infante, PharmD, BCPS, in his second year focused on integrating scholarship and teaching into his role supporting opioid use disorder (OUD) clinical pharmacy services at UI Health and the Community Outreach Intervention Project’s Mobile Medical Unit. Dr. Infante sought to determine the impact of clinical services on medication-assisted recovery initiation and linkage to outpatient care as well as explore patient and provider perceptions of services, disseminating findings locally and nationally. In addition to precepting numerous interprofessional learners such as nurse practitioner fellows, pharmacy residents, and medical residents, Dr. Infante developed lecture content and facilitated recitations for the UIC Patient Care Skills Labs. Dr. Infante supported numerous publications that went on to receive awards like the UIC College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmacy Practice Publication of the Year Award. He challenged scientific thinking with a commentary questioning the rationale behind the use of long-acting opioid antagonists such as nalmefene over naloxone, which sparked academic debate. After graduation, Dr. Infante secured a position as Clinical Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy.

Our 2024-2026 fellow, Alexis Coffee, PharmD, has focused on enhancing her skills across the pillars of academia during the first quarter of her fellowship. Dr. Coffee provides clinical pharmacy services for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) on both the Community Outreach Intervention Projects (COIP) medical mobile unit and the inpatient OUD MedicationAssisted Recovery (OUD MAR) consult service. Her professional service has been widespread including both the Diversity, Equity, Engagement, Inclusion (DEEI) Committee and the Residency/Fellowship Preparation Committee in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and the Health Equity, Education and Training, and Community-Based Practice and Research Networks at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).

Her research includes assessing patient-specific factors that impact the selection of methadone or buprenorphine for OUD treatment on discharge from OUD MAR consult service, which was presented at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ 2024 Midyear Meeting. Additionally, Dr. Coffee will present a Continuing Education session at the Illinois Council of HealthSystem Pharmacists’ 2025 Spring Meeting outlining nicotine pouch usage and what pharmacists should know about this emerging trend. Dr. Coffee has been improving her teaching skills through teaching in the PHAR 411, PMPR359, PHAR414, HON201, and Foundations of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (FICP) courses. In addition to her fellowship responsibilities, Dr. Coffee is pursuing her Master of Health Professions Education (MHPE) at the UIC Department of Medical Education with her thesis addressing cultural humility in pharmacy students.

Alexander Infante

Alexis Coffee

Larry Danziger Director, Infectious Diseases Fellowship

Infectious Diseases Fellowship

Our 2‐year Infectious Disease fellowship is unique in that we have combined clinical and research into one program. During the first year, our post‐doctoral program includes 3‐6 months of clinical rotations focusing on infectious diseases in different settings and hospitals. During the second year, 2‐3 months of clinical infectious diseases rotations are also programmed. In addition, each post‐doc participates in an HIV clinic for a half‐day per week during the two years. The remaining time (e.g., 14‐17 months) focuses on scholarly, teaching, and research training. In brief, our fellows participate in a wide range of research projects, including in vitro testing of new agents, pharmacokinetics‐pharmacodynamics of older and newer agents, surveys, retrospective analysis of antimicrobial therapy and clinical trials.

Our ID Fellows were very productive for the 2024 year.

Five different research posters were presented in 2024. Four Posters were presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) meeting in Vienna, Austria and one poster was presented at the annual ID Week meeting in Los Angles. Additionally, our Fellows published 3 articles in 2024.

The Fellows have also been active in the A Phase II randomized, observer-blind, placebo-controlled study, to assess efficacy of meningococcal Group B vaccine, Bexsero, in preventing gonococcal infection. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of Bexsero in prevention of urogenital and/or anorectal gonococcal infection. To estimate efficacy of Bexsero in prevention of overall gonococcal infection and by anatomical site (urogenital, anorectal or pharyngeal). To assess the safety of Bexsero.

Aaron Hunt

Yifan Wang

Jysheng Hou

Zack Bulman Director, Infectious Diseases Pharmacology Fellowship

Infectious Diseases Pharmacology Fellowship

The Infectious Diseases Pharmacology Fellowship, directed by Dr. Zackery Bulman, addresses the critical challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance. This program is designed to develop the next generation of experts in the field, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to confront the pressing threat of resistant bacterial pathogens. Fellows engage in rigorous training that spans the entire spectrum of antimicrobial pharmacology, with a particular emphasis on the rational optimization of antibiotic regimens to overcome multidrugresistant bacteria. The program integrates advanced training in antimicrobial pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/

PD), bacterial resistance, infectious diseases, translational pharmacology, and dynamic infection models to foster a holistic understanding of antibiotic action and infectious diseases. Participants in our fellowship benefit from a dynamic learning environment that combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on research opportunities, thereby preparing the fellows for a diverse array of career opportunities.

In 2024, our Infectious Diseases Pharmacology fellow, Dr. Brooke Curry, expanded on several critical projects that address the challenges of antimicrobial resistance and expanded her skills as a clinician-researcher. She performed extensive phenotypic resistance testing and developed models to predict resistance based on bacterial genome. This work was presented at the American Society for Microbiology’s Annual Meeting in Atlanta. Dr. Curry has also contributed to an ongoing collaboration with our critical care colleagues where we are elucidating pharmacokinetics for new compounds. Her work has culminated in several manuscripts, which are under review. Dr. Curry's achievements exemplify the impactful work of our fellowship program and highlight their contributions to the fight against antibiotic resistance.

Brooke Curry with Dr. Bulman at a conference and in the lab

Residents enjoying NOLA during ASHP Midyear

In the News

ICHP Best Practice Award Honors Dr. Donnelly and Team

Dr. Andrew Donnelly along with Drs. Renee Petzel Gimbar, Matt Gimbar, Andrew Posen, Kirsten Ohler, Lauren Smith, and Colleen Morley were awarded the 2024 Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP) Best Practice Award in recognition of the Emergency Department Migrant Prescription Program that the team developed and implemented.

The ICHP Best Practice Award recognizes the development of innovative or creative pharmacy practice programs or approaches to existing pharmacy practice challenges in health systems within Illinois.

Drs. Matt Gimbar and Andrew Donnelly

Drs. Andy Donnelly and Vinh Thai

Pharmacy Practice Members Named ICHP Shining Stars

Drs. Vince Oluwaleke (pictured left), John Shilka, Joseph Simon, Kay Yamamoto, and Armin Pashaeimofrad, and P4 student Bintou Timbine were recipients of the 2024 ICHP Shining Star Award.

The ICHP Shining Star Award recognizes ICHP members who have shown increased initiative as an ICHP Champion or committee member over the past year.

Rita Edwards Named ICHP Technician of the Year

Rita Edwards was the recipient of ICHP’s Technician of the Year Award. The Technician of the Year Award recognizes and identifies exceptional performance by a certified pharmacy technician within the State of Illinois.

340B PharmD Externs

Shine with ICHP Student Poster Award

Our 340B PharmD Student Externs Jean Lee, Phoenix Yeung, Giancarlo Garcia, Felicia Tan, and faculty mentor Dr. Christina Carrizales Cortez received the Student Poster Award at the ICHP Spring Meeting.

Pictured left are Phoenix Yeung, Felicia Tan, and Giancarlo Garcia.

Dr. Jen Halsey on Extended Downtime Procedures in Pharmacy Practice News

Dr. Jennifer Halsey was quoted in a Pharmacy Practice News article titled "Prepare Now for Extended Downtime During a Breach" where she talked about downtime planning procedures.

Read the article here: go.uic.edu/HalseyPPN

WTTW News Features Dr. Halsey on Drug Affordability and Access

Dr. Halsey was quoted in a WTTW News article titled "Illinois Officials Seek Greater Oversight of Prescription Drug 'Middleman' That Some Say Drive Up Prices" where she emphasized that patients need access to care and affordable prescriptions.

Read the article here: go.uic.edu/HalseyWTTW

Dr. Rosas Receives 2024 Vahlteich Award for Her Innovative Research

Dr. Paola Rosas is the recipient of the 2024 Vahlteich Award for her research titled "The Impact of Short-chain Fatty Acids on Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications." The Vahlteich Award helps to support research by early career faculty members in the College of Pharmacy via competitive internal grants that encourage preliminary studies and innovative research and lead to the development of continuing research program.

Drs. Choye and Ohler Write About Obstacles for non-US PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Candidates

Drs. Margaret Choye and Kirsten Ohler published an article in the Journal of American College of Clinical Pharmacy where they discussed navigating obstscles for non-US PGY1 pharmacy residents from the perspective of resdiency directors. Read it here: doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1993

UIC Pharmacy Practice Thought Leaders at the ICHP Spring Meeting

Our faculty members made their mark at the ICHP Spring Meeting, held in Collinsville, IL, demonstrating their commitment to advancing the field.

Presentations

Christina Cortez, Jen Halsey, Kathy Mosio, Vince Oluwaleke and trainees

^

^ Daphne Smith Marsh & Noor Naffakh

Nehrin Khamo & Lisa Kumor ^

^ Faculty & Trainees

^ Jennifer Halsey

Dr. Martin's Survey on the Role of Pharmacists in HCV Management Featured in HCP Live

Dr. Michelle Martin discussed the results of a survey in a HCP Live article titled “Survey Highlights Critical Role of Pharmacists in HCV Management.”

Read the article here: go.uic.edu/MartinHCP

Dr. Kim's Poster at the Thrombosis & Hemostasis Summit in Chicago

Dr. Keri Kim presented a poster at the Thrombosis & Hemostasis Summit of North America, held in Chicago, IL. The title of her poster was “Time to stable therapeutic anticoagulation using

weight-based IV heparin dosing clinical decisions support program.” Co-authors on the poster include: Jean Lee, Miranda Hart, John Garofalo, and Jeffrey J. Mucksavage.

Dr. Johnson Delivers an Address on the

Health Promoting Properties of Rosemary at

Symposium in Istanbul

Dr. Jeremy Johnson was an invited speaker at the 10th International Mediterranean Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants at Istanbul University in Turkey. The title of his presentation was “Characterizing the Health Promoting Properties of Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus).”

Dr. McQuade Comments on Stereotype Threat in AJPE

Dr. Brianna McQuade, with colleagues, published a commentary in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (AJPE) on why we need to pay attention to stereotype threat phenomena and the impact on pharmacy education. Read it here: doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpe.2024.100669

Drs. Badowski and Max Speak at ACTHIV

Drs. Melissa Badowski and Blake Max were invited speakers at the American Conference for the Treatment of HIV(ACTHIV), held in Atlanta, GA.

The title of Melissa’s presentation was “HIV Basics: Antiretroviral Therapy."

The title of Blake’s presentation was “Complex ART Cases.”

Dr. Nutescu Wrote About Breast Cancer in US Women in JAMA Network Open

Dr. Edith Nutescu, with colleagues, wrote about socioecologic factors and racial differences in breast cancer multigene prognostic scores in US Women in an article published in JAMA Network Open Read it here: doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4862

Drs. Donnelly and Phillips Develop Policy at the ASHP RDC

Drs. Jen Phillips and Andy Donnelly attended the ASHP Regional Delegate Conference (RDC), held in Rosemont. Jen attended the first session and Andy attended the second session. The purpose of this conference was to review policy statements that will be voted on at the ASHP House of Delegates (HOD) Meeting and identify potential changes to the statements to further strengthen them.

ASHP Pharmacy Futures Meeting Well Attended by Pharmacy Practice Faculty

Drs. Andy Donnelly and Jen Phillips were two of five delegates who represented the state of Illinois at the ASHP House of Delegates (HoD) sessions at the Pharmacy Futures meeting in Portland.

Dr. Vinh Thai, a PGY1 HSPAL Resident, also presented a poster titled “Impact of New ASHP Standard on PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Experience.”

One of the exhibits has two llamas, which Kay Yamamoto, Jamie Paek, Vinh Thai, and Andy Donnelly were quick to pose with.

Dr. Bulman's Pharmacodynamic Activity Research Funded by Merck & Co

Dr. Zack Bulman recieved funding from Merck & Co Inc for a project titled "Pharmacodynamic activity of imipenem-relebactam against Mycobacterium abscessus in time-kill assays and the hollow fiber infection model."

Dr. Van Dril's Pharmacotherapy Publication on Risk Factors and Acute Kidney Injury

Dr. Liz Van Dril, with colleagues, published an article in Pharmacotherapy on identifying risk factors associated with acute kidney injury in patients taking sodium-glucose contransporter-2 inhibitors. Read it here: doi.org/10.1002/phar.2902

Senator Durbin Discusses the Inflation Reduction Act with UIC Leaders

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) visited the College and discussed the Inflation Reduction Act and price reductions for 10 of the most expensive and frequently-dispensed drugs in the Medicare program. Dr. Daphne Smith Marsh also made remarks regarding the pharmacist’s perspective on caring for patients treated with these high-cost medications. Chancellor Miranda and department and college leadership were also in attendance.

Pictured above are Pharmacy Practice

Faculty Dale Rush, Andy Donnelly, Edith Nutescu and Daphne Smith Marsh with Chancellor Miranda and Senator Durbin

Dr. Pham Spoke on Respiratory Syncytial Virus at Lurie Children's Hospital

Dr. Jennifer Pham was an invited speaker at the 17th Annual Controversies in Neonatal and Perinatal Clinical Care: American Academy of Pediatrics District VI Association of Neonatologists Conference held at the Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. The title of her presentation was “Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Nirsevimab: An Update.”

Best Original Research Paper Awarded to Dr. Pham at PPA

Dr. Jennifer Pham received the 2024 Best Original Research Paper at the Pediatric Pharmacy Association (PPA) Conference in Minneapolis, MN.

She was invited to give a scientific presentation in addition to a poster on her research titled “Impact of Meningitis PCR Panel in Decreasing Antibiotic Therapy for Presumed Neonatal Meningitis.”

Dr. Munir Explores ChatGPT and Pharmacy Practice

Dr. Faria Munir, with colleagues, published an evaluation of ChatGPT as a tool for answering clinical questions in pharmacy practice in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice

Read it here: doi.org/10.1177/08971900241256731

Dr. Ohler Comments on Attaining a Pharmacy Residency Interview

Dr. Kirsten Ohler, with Dr. Valerie Moore from UChicago Medicine, published a commentary on factors associated with attaining a pharmacy residency interview in the Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Read it here: doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1989

Transplant Clinical Pharmacy Team was Prominent At ATC

The Transplant Clinical Pharmacy Team represented the department well at the 2024 American Transplant Congress (ATC) meeting in Philadelphia, PA, with 13 poster presentations. ATC provides a forum for exchanging new scientific and clinical information relevant to solid organ and tissue transplants. See photos of our transplant team with colleagues at the conference below.

Dr. Jamie Benken presented at the “Shedding Light on GLP-1 Agonists and SGLT2 Inhibitors in Transplant Practice” Session, with her presentation titled “Who” and “What” of GLP-1s in transplant: Clinical considerations and comorbid benefits."

Photos show Drs. Jamie Benken, Cassie Muran, and Dana Pierce with colleagues while at the conference.

Dr. Sarwar Leads Another Successful Effort with the Urban Pathways Program for High School Students

Under the mentorship of Dr. Monazza Sarwar, SCB externs and APPE students worked with high school students through the Urban Pathways Program to educate them on the pharmacy profession.

Pictured below, SCB Externs: Sharon Huang (P3), Emily Pranskevicius (P2); APPE Students: My Patterson (P4), Micky Lang (P4, Rockford), Shayesteh Sarkeil (P4) along with the visitors.

Departmental Stars are Recognized with Honors and Awards

The UIC Department of Pharmacy Practice annually recognizes excellence in administration, clinical practice, education, research, and service through awards. The awards inspire continued excellence and leadership within the Department and the broader pharmacy community.

Administrative Staff Excellence Award

Judith Prince is the recipient of the Administrative Staff Excellence Award for outstanding contributions and exemplifies the core values of the Department.

Clinical Practice Award

Dr. Renee Petzel Gimbar is the recipient of the Clinical Practice Award for being an expert in her field and having a sustained track record of delivering impactful, cost-effective, and/or innovative clinical pharmacy services.

Educator Award

Dr. Scott Benken is the recipient of the Educator Award for demonstrating excellence through education focused research, continuing education programs, development of new education programs, and recognition of their teaching by peers, trainees, or other organizations.

Investigator of the Year

Dr. Zack Bulman is the recipient of the Investigator of the Year Award for developing a focused and impactful research program as demonstrated by significant publications, substantial and competitive grant funding, and related presentations.

Publication of the Year

Dr. Melissa Badowski is the recipient of the Publication of the Year Award, for her noteworthy paper "Consensus recommendations for use of long-acting antiretroviral medications in the treatment and prevention of HIV-1: An executive summary."

Service Award

Dr. Jeff Mucksavage is the recipient of the Service Award providing sustained support to non-clinical mission of the Department through service on committees, administration, and mentorship.

UIC Pharmacy Practice Makes an Impact at the ACCP Meeting

The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ, witnessed a strong presence from our faculty, highlighting their commitment to excellence and innovation in clinical pharmacy research and practice.

Platform Presentations

15

Posters

Jessica Tilton Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy

Awards

Sheila Allen, Marlowe Djuric Kachlic, Tara Driscoll, Abigail Elmes-Patel, Alison Schriever, and Jennie Jarrett Best Education and Training Poster Award "Longitudinal Self-Assessment of Students in Pharmacy Experiential Education Using Entrustable Professional Activities"

Liz Van Dril Endocrinology PRN Leadership Award

Rob DiDomenico Cardiology PRN Service Award

Kirsten Ohler Pediatrics PRN Chair Award

Maya Campara Editor's Choice Award " Consensus Recommendations for the Use of Maintenance Immunosuppression in Solid Organ Transplantation"

Photos above show Faculty and Students Presenting Posters

Hannah Ayers & Carrie Yu are enjoying Phoenix ^

Leadership & Committee Service

Sheila Allen, Chair 2026 Annual Meeting Committee

Hannah Ayers, Member Resident Advisory Committee

Melissa Badowski, Member Board of Regents Liaison, Certification Affairs Committee

Jerry Bauman, Editor-in-Chief

Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy

Scott Benken, Chair Critical Care PRN for 2024-2025

Zack Bulman, Chair ID PRN Nominations Committee

Maya Campara, Member, Credentials: Fellowship Committee

Julianna Chan, Member, Credentials: Fellowship Committee

Robert DiDomenico, Chair, Research Affairs Committee

Abigail Elmes-Patel, Chair, Education and Training PRN for 2024-2025

Member, Research Fellowship Program Review Committee

Jin Han, Member 2026 Annual Meeting Committee

Faria Munir, Member Public and Professional Relations Committee

Jen Phillips, Member Awards Committee

Kevin Rynn, Member Awards Committee

Nancy Shapiro, Chair, ACCP Awards Committee

ACCP Representative of the ASHP Commission on Credentialing 2024-2025

Paul Stranges, Member Credentials: Fellowship Committee

Elizabeth Van Dril, Chair 2025 Annual Meeting Program Committee

Pharmacy Practice Faculty Honored with 2024 Fred Siegel Teaching Innovation Award

Drs. Scott Benken, Renee Petzel-Gimbar, and Eljim Tesoro are the recipients of the 2024 Fred Siegel Teaching Innovation Awards for the course “Media’s Influence on Critical Care and Emergency Medicine.”

The Frederick P. Siegel, PhD Innovative Teaching Award, was named after a former faculty member and outstanding teacher, and it is used to recognize faculty who have developed innovative teaching or learning strategies.

Dr. Martin Discussed Viral Hepatitis Education

Dr. Michelle Martin, with colleagues, published a survey of viral hepatitis education in pharmacy curricula in the United States in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. Read it here: doi.org/10.1007/s11096-023-01691-w

Dr. Hudak Spoke on Marijuana Rescheduling with ABC 7

Dr. Brianna Hudak was interviewed by ABC 7 News on the impact of changing marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule III drug in their article titled " What marijuana rescheduling would mean for Illinois, from tax changes to health studies."

Watch or read the interview here: go.uic.edu/HudakABC7

International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents Appoints Dr. Bulman Editor

Dr. Zack Bulman was appointed editor for the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. The journal provides comprehensive and up-to-date peer-reviewed reference information on the physical, pharmacological, in vitro, and clinical properties of individual antimicrobial agents (antiviral, antiparasitic, antibacterial, antifungal, etc.).

Drs. Hemenway and Olson on Pharmacist Participation on Rounds in Cureus

Drs. Alice Hemenway and Heidi Olson published a scoping review of student pharmacist participation on interprofessional rounds in Cureus. Read it here: doi.org/10.7759/cureus.58737

Dr. Elmes-Patel Funded to Expand Mobile Services

Dr. Abigail Elmes-Patel received a Research Pilot Grant from the UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science for a 1-year project. The title of the project is “Meeting Patients Where They Are: Expansion of Mobile Low-Threshold Buprenorphine and Van-Based Harm Reduction Services into Nonurban Settings.”

This project will utilize the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to identify barriers and facilitators and develop an implementation plan for expanding mobile low-threshold buprenorphine and harm reduction services in nonurban communities. This is a component of a larger scale expansion of mobile services to target populations in Illinois including the South Side, post-incarcerated individuals, and Boone and Winnebago counties.

Dr. Burton Studied Dietary Perspectives in Black Pregnant Women

Dr. Tristesse Burton, with colleagues, published a focus group study about food choice and dietary perspectives of young, urban, black pregnant women in Nutrients.

Read it here: doi.org/10.3390/nu16060781

Dr. Naffakh Named American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Fellow

Dr. Noor Naffakh was selected for the 2024-2025 FDA-AACR Oncology Educational fellowship! This is a one-year fellowship designed to promote scientific progress by exchanging scientific knowledge in oncology education, collaborative learning, and research for clinicians in their early careers.

More information about the fellowship can be found at the AACR website: go.uic.edu/AACRFellow

Presidential Citation for Dr. Hovey's Service to PPA

Dr. Sara Hovey was awarded a 2024 Presidential Citation for her dedicated service to the Pediatric Pharmacy Association (PPA). Dr. Hovey has served as chair of the newly formed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee and worked tirelessly over the year to establish the committee and tackle important DEIA initiatives.

Dr. Johnson's Research Studies Funded by UICENTRE, UI Cancer Center, and NIH

Dr. Jeremy Johnson received funding from UICENTRE and UI Cancer Center for a project titled "Identification of Allosteric BiP Binding Agents that Promote Androgen Receptor Degradation". This is to support the development of high through put assays that will allow screening of large chemical libraries to identify novel agents.

He also is a co-investigator on a R01 with Dr. Pavel Petukhov, with a project titled "Development of novel TGR inhibitors for the treatment of schistosomiasis". The goal of this project is to develop agents to treat a parasite native to sub-Saharan Africa that impacts 200 million people worldwide. The R01 is a 5-year project.

Pharmacy Practice Faculty are ASHP Leaders

Dr. Sandra Cuellar was appointed to serve as a member of the ASHP Commission on Credentialing for the 2024-2025 term.

Dr. Jen Halsey was appointed to serve on the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders (SPPL) Advisory Group on Strategy and Industry Disrupters for the 2024-2025 term.

Dr. Karen Thomas was elected to serve as the ASHP Section of Specialty Pharmacy Practitioners Chair-Elect for the 2025-2026 term.

Dr. Benken Debates at the AACP Interim Meeting

Dr. Scott Benken, as an ALFP Fellow, participated in a debate on “Should Pharmacy Education move toward a Tiered Model of Education and Licensing" where two teams of fellows presented opposing sides of the issue at the AACP Interim Meeting held in Phoenix, AZ.

Dr. Driscoll's Presentation at ACCP Annual Meeting Covered by Pharmacy Times

Dr. Tara Driscoll was mentioned in a Pharmacy Times article recap about the 2024 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting (ACCP). The article mentioned her session where she discussed social determinants of heath.

You can read the article here: go.uic.edu/DriscollACCP

Dr. Carrizales Cortez Spoke on Health Equality at the 340B Coalition Winter Conference

Dr. Christina Carrizales Cortez attended the 340B Coalition Winter Conference 2024, which was held in San Diego, CA.

During the Coalition Conference, she served as a moderator for “Introduction to 340B Workshop, Part 2: Applying the Basics in Small Group Discussions” and was an invited speaker at the “340B and Health Equity” session.

Christina also received recognition as a 340B champion.

Drs. Shapiro and Badowski Shared Their Expertise On Pharmacy and Older Adults at the Gerontological APN Conference

Drs. Nancy Shapiro and Melissa Badowski gave presentations at the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association Contemporary Pharmacology and Prescribing in Older Adults Conference at the Hilton Chicago. Dr. Shapiro’s presentation was “Anticoagulant Considerations for Older Adults” and Dr. Badowski spoke on “Antiretroviral Therapy for Older Adults Living with HIV.”

MHC Recognizes Dr. Jhawar for Outstanding Article

Dr. Archana Jhawar was recognized with the Mental Health Clinician (MHC) Editors’ Choice Award for Outstanding Articles for her paper “Microdose induction of buprenorphine-naloxone in a patient using high dose methadone: A case report.”

The MHC Editors’ Choice Award for Outstanding Articles identifies manuscripts that garnered the most interest from readership. The winners were chosen from articles published in the last 4 years with the highest number of article views through PubMed.

Dr. Shilka Named Associate Editor for KeePosted

Dr. John Shilka was named associate editor for KeePosted. You can read his intro in the May 2024 edition on page 30. See the issue here: go.uic.edu/KeePostedMay24

Dr. Carrizales Cortez Recognized as a 340B All-Star

Dr. Christina Carrizales Cortez was recognized as a 340B Health 2023 Champion with All-Star status at the recently held 340B Conference. The 340B Health Champions Recognition Program is designed to recognize and promote advocacy and expertise among 340B professionals.

Dr. Babul Interviewed by Pharmacy Times on Nontraditional Pharmacy Services

Dr. Nazia Babul was interviewed by Pharmacy Times on nontraditional pharmacy services and highlighted our novel clinical services in the SCB Pharmacy. This was in anticipation of the PharmTalk presentation Dr. Babul delivered at APhA on our comprehensive pain management service. Watch her interview here: go.uic.edu/BabulPT

AACP Recognizes Dale Rush for His Contributions and Leadership

Dale Rush, Instructor in Pharmacy Practice, received the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)

AFO-SIG 2024 Excellence in Leadership Award at the AACP Annual Pharmacy Education 2024 Meeting.

Dale received this award for his continued contributions and leadership of the Special Interest Group (SIG).

Transplantation Appoints Dr. Campara Associate Editor

Dr. Maya Campara has been appointed to serve as an Associate Editor (Clinical Pharmacology) for the journal Transplantation, which is the journal of the Transplantation Society.

Dr. Rosas' Research Digs into Peru and the Heart with Two Different Projects

Dr. Paola Rosas was awarded a one-year AHA International Visiting Professorship Award. The project title is “Exploring the Microbiome of native Peruvians to Understand Dietary Influence on Cardiovascular Health.” This program encourages collaboration between countries, and the name of the visiting PI for this grant is Dr. Julio Valdivia Silva from Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia (UTEC) in Peru.

She also received funding as a co-investigator from the American Heart Association for a project titled "UICHeart: University of Illinois Undergraduate Mentoring and Experience in Heart Research."

Dr. Hovey on Enteral Feedings in Infants in Pediatric Journal

Dr. Sara Hovey, with colleagues, published an article in the Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics on how enteral feedings doesn’t increase the risk of NEC in ELBW infants undergoing treatment of patent ductus arteriousus with acetaminophen.

You can read the article here: doi.org/10.5863/1551-6776-29.3.278

Dr. Munir on AI and Answering Drug Information Questions

Dr. Faria Munir was quoted in a Pharmacy Practice News article titled "Does AI + Humans = Better Drug Information Answers?" The article discusses InpharmD, which uses artificial intelligence plus human curation to answer drug information questions while also trying to overcome the tendency for AI to make up fake references or omit key findings that can compromise patient care.

Read it here: go.uic.edu/MunirAI

Dr. Johnson Elected as President of ACMAP

Dr. Jeremy Johnson was elected as President of the American Council for Medicinally Active Plants (ACMAP). ACMAP is a professional scientific society with the goal to promote and foster research, development, production, and conservation of medicinal, aromatic, and other bioactive plants useful to human health.

UIC Pharmacy Practice has a Strong Presence at the AACP Annual Meeting

Boston, MA became a hub of academic exchange and intellectual discourse as our faculty and trainees made their mark at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Annual Meeting, delivering impactful presentations and fostering collaborative connections.

Posters

Jen Halsey ^

Practice Faculty and Colleagues ^

Tara Driscoll ^

Faria Munir & Honey Joseph ^

COP Faculty at Reception ^

Dale Rush, Kevin Rynn, Kristen Goliak, Mary Kopale, and Dean Glen Schumock ^

Experiential Education Team ^

Dr. Campara's Article in Top 10% Downloaded from Pharmacotherapy

Dr. Maya Campara’s article “Consensus recommendations for use of maintenance immunosuppression in solid organ transplantation: Endorsed by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Society of Transplantation, and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation” in Pharmacotherapy was one of the top journal articles downloaded during the calendar year, meaning it was in the top 10% of articles for the year in Pharmacotherapy.

Read the article here: doi.org/10.1002/phar.2716

Presidential Citation Awarded to Dr. Mucksavage

Dr. Jeff Mucksavage received a Presidential Citation for his service to the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS). The award was presented to him during the 22nd Neurocritical Care Society Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.

Drs. Benken, Bulman, and Johnson Investigate the Impact of Dialysis Modality

Dr. Scott Benken received new funding as PI along with Dr. Zack Bulman, Co-PI, and Dr. Jeremy Johnson, Co-I, from Takeda Pharmaceuticals for a one-year project.

The project title is “Maribavir Clearance during in vitro Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.” This project will investigate the impact of this dialysis modality on Maribavir pharmacokinetics.

Dr. Stranges on Cost-Effectiveness of Opioid Agonists in Outpatient Settings

Dr. Paul Stranges, with colleagues, published a perspective in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment on the cost-effectiveness of full and partial opioid agonists for opioid use discorder in outpatient settings. Read it here: doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2023.209237

Drs. Gross and Adams Place First and Second at the Annual UI Health Quality and Safety Fair

Drs. Alan Gross and Jenna Adams presented their work as part of multidisciplinary groups on two system-wide interventions conducted at UI Health. These were awarded first and second place at the Annual UI Health Quality and Safety Fair.

First place went to Alan for "Journey to a Zero Harm Organization: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Reducing CLABSI."

Second place went to Jenna and Alan for "Opportunity in a Crisis: Blood culture diagnostic stewardship in response to a national shortage of blood culture media bottles."

Dr. Rebolledo Worked on APhA Immunization Tool Kit

Dr. Julio Rebolledo, as co-Chair of the 2023-2024 APhA-APPM Immunizing Pharmacist Special Interest Group Immunization Reference Guide Task Force, helped to review and update the Immunization tool kit recently published by APhA. You can find the tool kit here: https://www.pharmacist.com/immunizationcenter.

Dr. Smith Marsh CANTV 21 Guest Speaker on Diabetes Awareness

Dr. Daphne Smith Marsh was an invited guest for the Illinois Medical District (IMD) Guest House’s monthly CANTV 21 program where she discussed diabetes awareness and management.

Dr. Tesoro Speaks at the Neurointensive Medicine Conference in Germany

Dr. Eljim Tesoro was an invited speaker at the NeuroIntensive Medicine Conference 2024, a joint conference with the Neurocritical Care Society, held in Kassel, Germany. The title of his presentation was "Pharmacotherapy of ICU Delirium."

Dr. Chan Named Women Pharmacist of the Year

Dr. Juliana Chan was selected as the 2024 Health-System Women Pharmacist of the Year by the Pharmacist Moms Group (PhMG) for the 2024 Women Pharmacist of the Year Awards. The award recognizes Dr. Chan's outstanding contributions to pharmacy practice and dedication to advancing women in healthcare. Read more here: go.uic.edu/ChanPhMG

Pharmacy Times Spotlight Features Dr. Cheetany

Dr. Dima Cheetany was featured in the Pharmacy Times' MTM Spotlight for their February 2024 issue focusing on heart health. Read Dima's full spotlight interview here on page 30 of the document: go.uic.edu/CheetanyMTM

Pharmacy to Dose Podcast Features Dr. Benken

Dr. Scott Benken was a guest speaker on the Pharmacy to Dose Podcast with a segment titled: "Trial of the Week - The PARAMEDIC2." Listen to it here: go.uic.edu/BenkenPtD

Pharmacy Practice Faculty Travel to FIP World Congress in Cape Town

Drs. Nina S. Huynh, Margaret A. Choye, and Tara Driscoll, with Pharmacy Colleges pictured above, attended the 82nd FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences conference in Cape Town, South Africa. While at the conference they presented three posters.

Huynh NS, Choye MA, Schriever AE, Driscoll TP. Development and implementation of a case-based assessment for proficiency examination in experiential education.

Driscoll TP, Choye MA, Schriever AE, Huynh NS. OSCEs and clinical competence in ambulatory direct patient care experiential education.

Driscoll TP, Choye MA, Schriever AE, Huynh NS. TILTing assessments in experiential education to promote inclusive teaching and equity.

Drs. Hemenway and Biagi Discuss Escherichia coli in Open Forum Infectious Diseases

Drs. Alice Hemenway and Mark Biagi, with colleagues, published a case study in Open Forum Infectious Diseases on the association of race or ethnicity with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production in Escherichia coli. Read it here: doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofae516

Pharmacy Practice Makes an Impact at the ICHP Annual Meeting

Our Department shines brightly at the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP) Annual Meeting in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, with a robust representation that speaks volumes about our collective expertise and engagement.

Platform Presentations

Marlowe Djuric Kachlic & colleague ^ Chirag Rathod & Bernice Man ^

Marlowe Djuric Kachlic, Sheila Allen, Oksana Kucher

Daphne Smith Marsh & colleagues ^

Pharmacy Practice Active Participation at IDWeek 2024

Several of our faculty attended and gave presentations at the IDWeek 2024 — Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) meeting held in Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Rodrigo Burgos participated in a debate on HIV PrEP initiation in community pharmacies titled “Status Neutral Squabbles: Should We Ramp Up PrEP Initiation in Pharmacies?” The 1.24-hr CE is available on demand at https://idweek2024. eventscribe.net/index.asp?presTarget=2717643

ID Fellow Dr. Jysheng Hou presented a research poster titled “A retrospective evaluation of methenamine safety and efficacy in an older population at an academic medical center” Drs. Rodrigo Burgos and Larry Danziger are also authors on the poster.

Dr. Jenna Adams presented a research poster titled “Risk factors for ceftriaxone resistant E.coli or K.pneumoniae infections in floor patients.” All authors: Westerkamp H, Knack OC, Adams J, Albarillo F.

Drs. S Benken, J Benken, and Pierce's Article Named One of the Top Downloads from Clinical Transplantation

Drs. Scott Benken, Jamie Benken, and Dana Pierce’s article “Effects of angiotensin II in the management of perioperative hypotension in kidney transplant recipients” in Clinical Transplantation was one of the top journal articles downloaded during the calendar year, meaning it was in the top 10% of articles for the year in Clinical Transplantation

Read the article here: doi.org/10.1111/ctr.14754

Dr. Chan Appointed to the Alliance Pharmacy Committee

Dr. David Chan was appointed as a member of the Alliance Pharmacy Committee. The Alliance Pharmacy Committee is a resource for research pharmacists at all Alliance member institutions, providing education and support that ensures maximal safety and adherence to Alliance treatment protocols.

More on the Alliance Pharmacy Committee can be found on their website: go.uic.edu/AlliancePharm

Dr. Sawyer Writes About Enhancing Pharmacy Precepting in KeePosted

Dr. Kathryn Sawyer wrote an article in KeePosted on enhancing pharmacy precepting by applying the one minute manager technique to student preceptorship.

Read it here, pages 18-20: go.uic.edu/SawyerKP

Pharmacy Practice Welcomes Faculty Back in its Fall Semester Atkins Garden Event

The Department hosted a lively Fall Semester Welcome Back gathering, extending warm greetings to our esteemed faculty, trainees, and staff members, heralding the start of the new academic term.

Dr. Wilken Named Retzky College of Pharmacy Preceptor of the Year

Drs. Lori Wilken and Marissa Booth were selected as Preceptors of the Year at the Retzky College of Pharmacy. Lori Wilken, pictured left, is a Clinical Associate Professor, UIC RCOP & Clinical Pharmacist, UI Health Am Care Tobacco Dependence and Pulmonary Clinic. Marissa Booth is a Clinical Pharmacist at OSF Healthcare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center.

Dr. Bulman and Team Attended and Presented at ASM Microbe

Dr. Zack Bulman and his team, including Nidhi Singh, Brooke Curry, and Arunkumar Karunanidhi, attended ASM Microbe in Atlanta, Georgia. The team presented 4 posters and 1 rapid-fire talk during the meeting.

Dr. Munir Discusses Combating Medical Misinformation in JACCP

Dr. Faria Munir, with colleagues, published an article on the pharmacists’ role in combating medical misinformation in the Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (JACCP). Read it here: doi.org/10.1002/jac5.2005

Faculty Representing at ACC's 73rd Annual Scientific Session & Expo

Drs. Vicky Groo, Rob DiDomenico, Stephanie Dwyer, and JinJoo Chung attended the 73rd Annual Scientific Session & Expo of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), held in Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Vicki Groo served as an invited moderator/co-chair for the session The Heart Failure Team Discusses the Advances in HFpEF: Joint Symposium of the Heart Failure Society of America and the American College of Cardiology. She also presented at the Health Equity Hub, with a presentation titled “Pharmacy Deserts.”

Dr. Rob DiDomenico presented “It’s All About the Drugs: The Latest in Optimal Medical Therapy for SIHD.”

Dr. JinJoo Chung presented a research poster titled “Predictors of Continuous Infusion Loop Diuretic Use Among Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Requiring Diuretic Escalation Therapies.”

Drs. Stephanie Dwyer and JinJoo Chung were authors on a poster presented at the ACC Complex Clinical Cases titled “When blood pressure cuff fails: a case of hemodynamic monitoring based on urine output and lactic acid.”

Drs. Rob DiDomenico, JinJoo Chung, Stephanie Dwyer, and Vicki Groo

Faculty Received ACCP Grant to Research AI-Driven Automated Writing Evaluation

Drs. Jen Phillips, Faria Munir, Heather Ipema and Kathy Sarna were awarded the ACCP EDTR PRN Teaching Enhancement Grant for their proposed project "Faculty vs. Machine: A Comparative Analysis of Rubric-based Assignment Grading". The study aims to explore the accuracy and efficiency of automated writing evaluation (AWE) tools within AI-driven platforms by comparing grading reports for a rubric-based assignment between pharmacy faculty members and ChatGPT, an advanced natural language processing AI model developed by OpenAI.

Drs. Elmes-Patel and Petzel Gimbar Discuss Nalmefene in the International Journal of Drug Policy

Drs. Abigail Elmes-Patel and Renee Petzel Gimber, with colleagues, published an article in the International Journal of Drug Policy on better opioid antagonists. Read it here: doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104323

Pharmacy Practice Hosts a Festive End of Year Celebration

We closed the year with a Holiday Celebration to recognize the hard work and contributions of our faculty, staff, and trainees.

UIC College of Pharmacy's 14th Annual Research Day

The Department was represented by twenty posters during the UIC College of Pharmacy's 13th Annual Research Day, three of which received awards. The presenting author is underlined, Pharmacy Practice Faculty and Trainees bolded

Riback Scholar:

Ashley Dahlquist, Pariksha Thapa, Jeremy J. Johnson

“α-Mangostin from Garcinia mangostana Enhances Enzalutamide Sensitivity to Overcome Drug-Resistant Prostate Cancer”

Rocío Rivera Rodríguez, Torunn Bruland, Ingunn Bakke, Jeremy J. Johnson

“Ulcerative Colitis Patient-Derived Colonoids are a Promising Model for Testing Inflammatory Modulation by Dietary Phytochemicals”

Peculiar Onyekere, Pariksha Thapa, Jeremy J. Johnson, Chun-Tao Che “Searching for Cytotoxic Constituents of Rinorea longiracemosa”

Elma Abdulbaki, Zeba Sayiad, Faria Munir, Heather Ipema

“Taking the Plunge Together: A Student-led Faculty Learning Seminar Series on Artificial Intelligence”

Maria Hajiharis, Julie Conrad, Sara Hovey

“Improving Inpatient Influenza Vaccination in the Pediatric Population”

Adam Elmkinssi, Jeffrey Mucksavage, Tara Driscoll

“Retrospective Analysis of the Medications Taught in Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics Courses at the University of Illinois, Retzky College of Pharmacy”

Nivan W. Khair, Johnny Ruiz, Amber Vu, Emily Drwiega, Mahesh Patel, Scott Borgetti, Melissa E. Badowski

“Evaluation of Achievement of Metabolic Goals in People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)”

Jadyn Gardner, Duyen Tran, Liomar Neves, Karina Bonilla, Shamim Chowdury, Natalie Malczewski, Paola C. Rosas

“Intestinal atrophy contributes to low-grade inflammation, cardiac dysfunction and metabolic syndromelike phenotype in a model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction”

Cailyn Persinger, Donald Hagen, Samuel Gutman, Nancy Shapiro, Melissa Badowski, Zachery P. Bulman, Paola C. Rosas, Robert J. DiDomenico

“Impact of Pharmacy Research Electives on Research Skill Confidence and Engagement”

Phoenix Yeung, Eduwardo Pallares, Lori Wilken

“The Effects of Counseling on Marijuana Smoking Abstinence and Lung Health”

Taylor Whitton, Faith Philip, Robert J. DiDomenico

“Comparison of Criteria Used to Identify Potentially Inappropriate Medications”

Nidhi Singh, Bikash Dangi, Jeremy J. Johnson, Arnold Louie, Arunkumar Karunanidhi, Brooke N. Curry, Satoshi Mitarai, Charles L. Daley, Sven N. Hobbie, Zackery P. Bulman

“Pharmacodynamic Assessment of Apramycin Against Mycobacterium abscessus in a Hollow Fiber Infection Model”

Pradeep Subedi, Bikash Dangi, Pariksha Thapa, Vamshikrishna Gone, Daniel Lantvit, Jeremy J. Johnson

“Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Selected Phytochemicals in C57BL/6 Mouse”

Hannah Ayers, Vicki Groo, Robert J. DiDomenico, Stephanie M. Dwyer Kaluzna, David Tofovic, Ali Alaraj, Melissa Ducket, Erika L. Hellenbart

“Missed Opportunities to Optimize Lipid-Lowering Therapy Following Revascularization in Patients with ASCVD”

Pharmacy Practice Well Represented at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting

Our faculty was well represented at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition 2024, held in New Orleans, LA. Midyear hosts more than 20,000 pharmacy professionals and students from all over the globe for presentations poster sessions and recruitment opportunities for our trainees and programs.

Hailey Soni, Marianne Pop & Kirsten Ohler

Showcase

Faculty at Reception

Edith Nutescu & Hailey Soni

^ Bottom Row: Nancy Shapiro & Residents ^

Rockford Faculty & Residents

Vinh Thai & Andy Donnelly

COP Students with Poster ^

Faculty Represent Department in Asia and Europe

Drs. John Shilka, Daphne Smith Marsh and Alan Lau represented the department at the 23rd Asian Conference in Clinical Pharmacy in Hong Kong and the Association of Indonesia Pharmacy Higher Education Preceptor Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia. They delivered presentations and workshops in both Hong Kong and Indonesia and visited a few hospitals to discuss potential future educational collaborations.

Read about their trip here: go.uic.edu/DeptAsia

Several of our faculty members traveled to Asia and Europe and visited several Universities with which we have ongoing collaborative agreements. Drs. Nutescu and Lau attended the graduation of the 9th PharmD class at the University of Malta, a joint UIC-University of Malta Program. They met with doctoral students, faculty, and visited Mater Dei Hospital Pharmacy and Milia’s Community Pharmacy, where they engaged with pharmacist colleagues from Malta. In June, Drs. Johnson, Lau, and Nutescu represented the department and gave presentations at the 4th International Conference on Pharmacy Education and Research Network of ASEAN 2024 and the USThai Pharmacy Consortium 30th Anniversary Commemoration. In November Drs. Allen, Lau and Nutescu visited Taipei Medical University, China Medical University and National Taiwan University in Taiwan, where they met with collaborators and delivered several presentations.

Drs. Johnson, Lau, and Nutescu at the US-Thai Pharmacy Consortium in Bangkok

Drs. Allen, Lau, and Nutescu with faculty, pharmacy staff, and students at the National Taiwan University in Taipei

UIC RESIDENCY VILLAGE

UIC Residency Village is an alumni engagement program for over 1,000 alumni of the UIC Pharmacy Residency and Fellowship programs. It offers opportunities for alumni to connect with the UIC Retzky College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice, our Residency and Fellowship Programs, our residents, fellows, and other alumni for networking, connections, and sharing your knowledge and expertise with our residents and fellows.

GIVING

The Department of Pharmacy Practice extends heartfelt thanks to the donors listed below. They targeted their donations to the Department of Pharmacy Practice or the Residency Program, and the department is very grateful for that. The Department of Pharmacy Practice is proud that the number of gifts directed to the department and its programs has increased over the last few years. Thank you for your growing support, and remember that every gift of any size truly does make, and remember that every gift of any size truly makes a positive difference for the residency program, students, and department faculty. If you want to donate to the department and help strengthen programs, you can do so online at: go.uic.edu/pharmgive

Thanks To:

Dr. Sheila M. Allen

Dr. Zackery P. Bulman

Dr. Adam Bursua

Dr. David Chan

Dr. Derrick M. Collins

Dr. James V. Dorociak

Dr. Ann M. Kuchta

Dr. Jeffery C. Larson

Dr. Leon J. Malone

Dr. Virginia A. Malone

Dr. Kit Y. Moy

Dr. Jeffrey J. Mucksavage

Dr. Edith A. Nutescu

Dr. Alice K. Pau

Dr. Jennifer A. Phillips

Dr. Daniel J. Salemi

Dr. John S. Shilka

Dr. Laura Shishkoff

Dr. Daphne E. Smith Marsh

Dr. Hailey Soni

JoAnn Stubbings

Dr. Mathew Thambi

Dr. Elizabeth Van Dril

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