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On Monday Feb 2nd, 2009 the bucktoothed rodent known as Punxsutawney Phil saw his own shadow, which means, if you believe in this sort of thing, we can expect six more weeks of wintry weather. For us in Michigan, I have a feeling this will come to be a truth! Greg Baron, our Director of Governmental Affairs for MPA, is looking for individuals in each local and regional association that he can send information regarding proposed rules, legislation and fundraising events that should and would be of interest to pharmacists. His hope is that these individuals would then share the information with their membership and help formulate responses with him. If interested in being a contact for Greg, please let me know. In March, we look forward to meeting to discuss the topic of "Inpatient Glycemic Control". Please join us at the Bistro Bella Vita Downtown in Grand Rapids!
As we all continue to stay safe and warm in this bitter cold I had the pleasure of attending both my first MSHP Committee Day as well as my first MSHP Board Meeting! Areas of discussion at Committee Day included (but was certainly not limited to!) forming a list serve for Michigan Residents on the MPA website, organizing a networking location for residents at future ACE and ASHP meetings, as well as providing information for the underinsured residents in Michigan on where they may obtain assistance for both medical treatment and medication assistance. Participating in these events was extremely inspiring and I look forward to working with all of the great pharmacy colleagues we have in Michigan! Our MSHP President Jim Lile discussed his theme for 2009 which includes "membership participation". This can mean anything from taking part in a small task needed to be completed to sharing and engaging others in MSHP. As a reminder, the ACE Meeting will be held this year from 2/27-3/1/09 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. What a great way to participate and network with other Michigan Peers! Please join us on February 19th (note this is the 3rd Thursday of the month) at the Radisson in Kalamazoo Michigan. Laura Aykroyd, PharmD, BCPS will be discussing "Achieving Blood Pressure Control in Severe Hypertension". Until then, please stay safe and warm! Cherie Woodhams
Remember to Vote: The ballots are out! By now, you all should have received an official WMSHP ballot in the mail. The ballot may be mailed back to Brad Miller, WMSHP Secretary, handed in to an Executive Board member, or turned in at the November WMSHP meeting in Kalamazoo. There won't be extra ballots available at the monthly meeting, so keep that in mind. To verify that WMSHP has your current address, click here. MSHP Annual Meeting: Try to make it to the MSHP Annual Meeting being held November 14 at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing. There are a variety of topics for both Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacists. You can register on-line at www.michiganpharmacists.org. Join us at our next monthly meeting where Kevin Hess, MD will discuss "Similarities and Differences Among SSRI's for the Treatment of Depression." The meeting will be held at the Sol World Cafe inside the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo.
Important Notice - Please Read: After lengthy discussions regarding the best way to conduct WMSHP elections, the WMSHP Executive Board has decided to adopt a method of voting that is similar to the voting structure of both MSHP and MPA. The new WMSHP voting structure is also in-line with our current bylaws. Each active WMSHP member will be mailed an official ballot. The ballot may be mailed back to Brad Miller, WMSHP Secretary, handed in to an Executive Board member, or turned in at the October WMSHP meeting in Grand Rapids or the November WMSHP meeting in Kalamazoo. To eliminate the possibility of voting multiple times, there will not be extra ballots available at the monthly meetings. Please do not attempt to fax the ballots. To verify that WMSHP has your current address, log in to our website at www.wmshp.net and select "Update Address". We are still working on developing the best process to obtain CE and funding for our monthly meetings with the new Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) guidelines. The updated code will take effect January 2009. We are still not sure how this will affect our monthly meetings, but we will be sure to let you all know as soon as possible. Volunteer Opportunity: The Michigan Pharmacy Week Health Fair is being held in Baldwin, MI on Saturday, October 18 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at St. Ann's Human Services Center on 690 9th Street. Volunteers are needed to help with medication reviews and screening activities. Please join us for our October meeting being held in at Tre Cugini Grand Rapids. Gregory Pratt, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Michigan Pharmacists Association will be speaking on Bioterrorism.
PRESIDENT-ELECT SECRETARY BOARD MEMBERS: Angela Green currently serves as the Pharmacy Education Coordinator and geriatrics specialist for Mercy Health Partners and is a residency preceptor and adjunct professor for Ferris State University. She graduated pharmacy school from Ferris State University in 2006 and completed a residency with ambulatory focus at Mercy General Health Partners in 2007. She has been an active member of WMSHP since 2007. Kali Schulz is a 2007 graduate of Ferris State University, College of Pharmacy. Upon graduation, she went on to complete a PGY-1 Residency at Saint Mary's Health Care in Grand Rapids. While enrolled in the PGY-1 Residency program, she also completed the Teaching and Learning Certificate Program at FSU. Schulz most recently accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Ferris State University College of Pharmacy. This opportunity has allowed her to return to Saint Mary's while precepting fourth-year pharmacy students on their internal medicine clerkship. Schulz has been a member of WMSHP for two years and was the 2005 recipient of the WMSHP Scholarship. She is also an active member of ACCP and MPA. Bridgette Sharif graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Wayne State University in 2004 and subsequently completed a pharmacy practice residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. She relocated to western Michigan in 2006 and has since been working as a clinical pharmacy specialist at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her primary interest areas are cardiology and anticoagulation management. She has been a WMSHP member since 2006.
Once again it is time for another fall session of WMSHP. I hope that you all had a wonderful summer and are looking forward to a great year of education and networking within WMSHP. During the summer the WMSHP Executive Board has been busy preparing for the year ahead. We are currently seeking nominations for Executive Board members. According to the WMSHP bylaws, only active members of WMSHP may be nominated for executive board positions. If you are interested in being a board member or know of other interested candidates, please submit their name, contact information, and a brief description of current practice and professional interests to WMSHP Secretary, Brad Miller, at email: webmaster@wmshp.net. Another important item to mention is the new code established by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to guide the interactions of pharmaceutical representatives and healthcare professionals. The new guidelines became effective July 2009 and may affect the ability of pharmaceutical companies to sponsor continuing education programs. To get an event sponsored, WMSHP may have to apply for educational grants each month. We will let you know more specific information as the effect of the new guidelines becomes clearer. Hope you can make it to our first meeting being held at Bravo Restaurant and Cafe in Portage (Kalamazoo). Dr. Jihad Mustapha will discuss the use of LMWH in the advanced cardiac setting.
Spring has sprung! The return of Spring reminds me of our upcoming WMSHP Spring Seminar, which is scheduled for May 22, 2008 at the 28th Street Hilton in Grand Rapids. Make sure you put it on your calendar. Another Spring event is the selection of a recipient for the annual WMSHP scholarship. One scholarship in the amount of $1000.00 is awarded to a 3rd year pharmacy student from Ferris State University, the University of Michigan, or Wayne State University. The pharmacy student must be a native or current resident of the Western Michigan area, demonstrate involvement and/or leadership within professional organizations, and express an interest in health-system pharmacy upon graduation. The applicant must fill out an application form before the deadline of March 31. The scholarship recipient will be selected by the WMSHP board and the scholarship will be presented at the Spring Seminar. Hopefully many of you were able to make it to the MPA ACE meeting. A highlight for WMSHP was the recognition given to our current Past-President, Ryan Bickel. Ryan received the MPA Distinguished New Pharmacist Practitioner award. This is the 3rd year in a row that a member of WMSHP has won this award. Previous winners were Jodie Backus and Jesse Hogue. Congratulations, Ryan! Our next meeting will be held April 10, 2008 at Sam's Joint in Plainwell. Two area pharmacy residents will be presenting their Great Lakes Pharmacy Residency Project. Bailee Wienke is a pharmacy practice resident at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids. Her project is entitled "Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia in the Critically Ill: Value of the 4T Score and Compliance with Evidence-based Guidelines". Betsy Hoida is a pharmacy practice resident at Mercy General Health Partners in Muskegon. The title of Betsy's project is "A Pharmacist-Managed Medication Reconciliation Process". For technical questions, contact webmaster@wmshp.net. |