UK HealthCare Pharmacy Employees Recognized for Extraordinary Patient Care
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 22, 2021) – More than two dozen UK HealthCare Pharmacy Services staff members are recognized for their outstanding contribution to patient care.
A Blue Jacket recognition is centered around UK HealthCare employees or faculty who have positively impacted a patient or their families’ experience in an extraordinary way through patient-centered care and safety.
The UK HealthCare Pharmacy Services team’s tremendous effort at the COVID Vaccination Clinic at Kroger Field has included months of work leading up to the clinic set-up and execution. From endless training, process-and-flow design, to working long hours away from their offices, homes and families, the group has shown their willingness to go above and beyond to take care of the safety of not only the people and patients of UK HealthCare, but for the larger UK and Kentucky communities.
Since the launch of the clinic at Kroger Field, this group has supported the massive Tuesday – Saturday operations there on top of their demanding full-time pharmacy responsibilities for UK HealthCare. Volunteers are now giving more than 4,000 vaccinations a day, with nearly 150,000 total vaccinations complete.
“During the COVID pandemic, we have experienced many challenges, which we have faced by working together,” Dr. Mark Newman, UK executive vice president for health affairs, said. “COVID vaccination means hope, and now we see a light at the end of this long tunnel. Pharmacy Services has shown extraordinary leadership in this vaccination effort, and we are grateful for their sacrifice.”
The recipients of the Blue Jackets are:
- Christy Ellis, Administrative Support Associate, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacy Services
- Lori Strange, Administrative Support Associate, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacy Services
- Andrew Hall, PharmD, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacist
- David Wilcoxson, Pharmacist, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacist
- Debbie Horn, PharmD, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacist
- Diana Klunk, PharmD, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacist
- Evan Endicott, Pharm D, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacist
- Latrice Strings, PharmD, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacist
- Ryan Babb, PharmD, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacist
- Patience Fort, Pharmacist, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacist
- James Hallahan, PharmD, MBA, Ambulatory/Retail Pharmacist, Hospital Admin Fellow
- Philip J. Almeter, PharmD, UKHC Chief Pharmacy Officer
- Lauren Dietz, PharmD, Pharmacist Intern Senior
- Madison Winstead, PharmD, Pharmacist Intern Senior
- Maribeth Wright, RPh CSP, Pharmacist Service Coordinator, Specialty and Infusion Pharmacy Services
- Dylan Nelson, PharmD, BCPS, Pharmacy Director Associate, Perioperative and Surgical Services
- Robert Rose, PharmD, MS, Pharmacy Director Associate, Pharmacy Supply Chain
- Brooke Rauch, PharmD, CSP, Pharmacy Director Associate, Specialty Pharmacy Operations
- Jeremy Flynn, PharmD, Pharmacy Director, Clinical Services
- Philip Fields, PharmD, MS, Pharmacy Director, DME Services
- Samantha Bochenek, PharmD, Pharmacy Director, Infusion Pharmacy Services
- Anthony Tagavi, PharmD, JD, Pharmacy Director, Retail and Community Pharmacy Services
- M. Keith Schweighardt, RPh, Pharmacy Director, Retail and Community Pharmacy Services
- Ryan Naseman, PharmD, MS, Pharmacy Senior Director, Acute Care Pharmacy Services
- Dan Grantz, PharmD, Pharmacy Senior Director, Retail and Community Pharmacy Services
- Debbie Duckworth, PharmD, Pharmacy Senior Director, Specialty and Infusion Pharmacy Services
- Karla Bertagnole, CPhT, Programmatic Manager, Retail and Community Pharmacy
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
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