CLUSTER GROUPS
Bios for 2008 Cluster Group Co-Chairs
(updated on April 24, 2008)
Cardiovascular Cluster Group Co-Chairs
Stephen Kogut, PhD MBA RPh
Dr. Stephen Kogut is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Rhode Island. In his research and service activities he collaborates with various local and national stakeholders to study and improve medication management in health systems. These activities include collaboratives with the Rhode Island Medicaid pharmacy program and with Quality Partners of Rhode Island, the state’s Medicare-contracted Quality Improvement Organization. Prior to joining the faculty at the College of Pharmacy Dr. Kogut gained experience in managed care pharmacy with the Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan of New England. He served as project manager for the Study of Clinically Relevant Indicators for Pharmacologic Therapy, an initiative funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop and test performance indicators for improving medication management. Dr. Kogut earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island in 1991, and his Masters of Business Administration from Bryant University in 1998. In 2001 he earned his Doctoral degree in Pharmaco-epidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics from URI. He is a member of the Rhode Island Board of Pharmacy, and has served as an expert panelist for Medicare in its efforts to define quality under Part D, and for the National Quality Forum’s National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Therapeutic Drug Management Quality.
Heather Rickertsen, PharmD
Heather Rickertsen graduated from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy in 2005 and completed the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy Community Care Pharmacy Practice residency with Mercy Family Pharmacy. Following her residency, Heather began working for Miller-Purcell Inc (MPIC) as a consultant pharmacist. With MPIC, she provides pharmaceutical care for Iowa Pharmaceutical Case Management, Medicare MTM patients, diabetes care for community health center patients, heart failure clinic patients, employee health screenings, Zostavax administration, and pharmacy consultant services and 340b management for federal community health center. MPIC is also active with the University of Iowa, College of Pharmacy and serves as Community Care Pharmacy Practice residency site coordinator and student preceptor for Mercy Family Pharmacy.
Consumer Feedback & Assessment Group Co-Chairs
David Chen, RPh, MBA
David Chen, RPh, MBA is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' (ASHP) Director, Pharmacy Practice Sections and the Director for the Section of Home, Ambulatory, and Chronic Care Practitioners. David has also published and made multiple presentations on quality, practice models, and methods of reimbursement for medication therapy management. Additionally, he has coordinated the efforts of ASHP members in publications and education on continuity of care, pain management and palliative care, and Medicare’s Modernization Act. He has been with ASHP starting September 2004, and had most recently served the role as Director of Pharmacy at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville, MD, including the Kessler/Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital. Prior experience includes different Director of Pharmacy roles in Texas and Florida, and Operations Manager for the University of Maryland Medical Center Pharmacy.
Carey Cotterell, RPh, FAMCP, FCSHP
Carey Cotterell, RPh, FAMCP, FCSHP, is the Pharmacy Quality & Patient Safety Leader for the Northern and Southern California Regions of Kaiser Permanente. Throughout his career, Carey has been actively involved in the improvement of quality and the advancement of programs that assess and enhance the delivery of pharmaceutical care. He has extensive experience in the development, implementation, operations, and evaluation of a wide range of pharmaceutical care services. In his current role, he has direct responsibilities within the California Regions for pharmacy quality management, medication safety initiatives, medication-use system components of the KP HealthConnect system (electronic medical record), performance improvement, and provides national leadership on these matters throughout Kaiser Permanente. Mr. Cotterell has been a member of the Boards of Directors of the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the ASHP, and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, and is a Past-President of CSHP and AMCP. He is a Fellow of both the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and the CA Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and is a member of the ASHP Commission on Credentialing and of several NCQA committees.
Cost of Care Cluster Group Co-Chairs
Karen L. Rascati, RPh, PhD
Karen Rascati, RPh, PhD, is the Eckerd/ Stuart Turley Centennial Endowed Professor of Pharmacy Administration and a faculty member of the Center for Pharmacoeconomic Studies at the University of Texas (UT) College of Pharmacy. She received her Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida and worked as a pharmacist in both community and hospital settings. She returned to the University of Florida and received her PhD degree in Pharmacy Administration, with a concentration in health care policy and economics. Upon graduation, she joined the University of Texas, where she has won the Texas Excellence Teaching Award and serves as advisor to the UT chapter of the Rho Chi National Pharmacy Honor Society and advisor to the first student International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) chapter.
Dr. Rascati’s research interests include economic and outcomes evaluations for several disease states as well as for pharmacy services. She has conducted over 30 funded research projects and has served on various grant review panels (including the National Institutes of Health [NIH]). She serves as a reviewer for many research journals and is a member of the Clinical Therapeutics Editorial Advisory Board. She has authored or co-authored more than 80 publications (including five textbook chapters) and more than 100 national and international presentations. Her new textbook, Essentials of Pharmacoeconomics was published in February 2008.
Sybil M. Richard, RPh, MHA, JD
Sybil Richard currently serves as the Deputy Secretary for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. As chief operating officer of DHH, she acts as spokesperson for the department in the absence of the Secretary.She is the coordinator for DHH's Human Services InteragencyCouncil (HSIC). She is solely responsible for direct supervision over the Department’s program offices including the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, Office for Addictive Disorders, Office of Mental Health, Office of Public Health, Office of Aging and Adult Services and the Bureau of Internal Audit.
Prior to her appointment at DHH, she served as the Assistant Deputy Secretary for Medicaid Operations for the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. In this position since 2005, she was the COO for Florida’s $16 billion Medicaid program. Richard previously served under the agency’s former Secretary Alan Levine as the Director of Planning and Development, assisting Levine in health care planning by identifying critical and evolving health care issues and conceptualizing health care reform proposals and initiatives. During her stay in Florida, Richard held gubernatorial board appointments on the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Board of Directors (Florida’s SCHIP program), the state Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged and the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities. Richard was the 2000 David Winston Health Policy Fellow, through which she completed an internship at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, formerly known as the Health Care Finance Administration. Richard has a bachelor’s in pharmacy from Xavier University in New Orleans, and a master’s and doctorate in health administration from Indiana University.
Diabetes Cluster Group Co-Chairs
Holly Divine, PharmD, CGP, CDE
Dr. Holly Divine is an Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, at the University of Kentucky, College of Pharmacy. She currently serves as a clinical pharmacist and is the co-founder of the 2005 APhA Pinnacle Award winning PharmacistCARE program and as Residency Director of the Community Pharmacy Residency Program with PharmacistCARE, Kroger Pharmacy, and American Pharmacy Services Corporation. Dr. Divine coordinates a Medication Therapy Management service focusing in diabetes and cardiovascular care for University of Kentucky employees, retirees, and dependents. She earned her BS and PharmD degrees from the University of Kentucky, College of Pharmacy and is a Certified Geriatric Pharmacist and a Certified Diabetes Educator.
David Medvedeff, PharmD, MBA
David Medvedeff serves as President of Informed Decisions, LLC, a Gold Standard Company providing innovative solutions for healthcare. Previously, he served as Gold Standard’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Programs. Prior to joining Gold Standard, Dr. Medvedeff worked with The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, where he coordinated the State's Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee. Dr. Medvedeff's professional background includes a variety of positions within the Eckerd Corporation, where while managing the Clinical Services division, he led a team of pharmacists who were recognized with the APhA Pinnacle award for innovative patient care services. In 2006, Dr. Medvedeff became the only two-time APhA Pinnacle Award recipient when he and his Informed Decisions' team received the award for their role in the development and implementation of KatrinaHealth, an online source of comprehensive prescription histories for evacuees of Hurricane Katrina. He received both his PharmD and MBA from the University of Florida, where he also serves as an Associate Clinical Professor in the College of Pharmacy.
Long Term Care Cluster Group Co-Chairs
Albert R. Barber PharmD, CGP, FASCP
Dr. Barber is a Director of Pharmacy for Golden Clinical Services, a provider of long-term and sub-acute care for residents needing skilled nursing and assisted living services. He is responsible for professional consulting services and cost effective medication therapy for 110 nursing facilities in five states. He has been a consulting pharmacist to Hope Homes of Ohio, a provider of residential services to mentally-retarded adults, for over 25 years. Al provides drug therapy consultations to seniors living in the community through his consulting practice, Clinical Rx Consulting.
Al is a member of the board of directors of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and a preceptor for the ASCP Pain Management Traineeship held twice a year in Cleveland, Ohio. He also serves as faculty for the APhA/ASCP MTM Certificate Program.
Thomas R. Clark, RPh, MHS
Thomas R. Clark, RPh, MHS, is Director of Clinical Affairs for the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists Foundation. He worked for ASCP from 1994 to 2007, serving as Director of Policy and Advocacy and Director of Professional Affairs. Tom has created, edited, or authored a variety of resources for ASCP members, including the Consultant Pharmacist Handbook, the 100% Immunization Campaign Resource Manual, the Medication Guide for the Long Term Care Nurse, and a series of clinical reference cards. Tom has also served on a number of expert panels relating to medication use in the elderly, including those in nursing homes and assisted living. He recently served on three expert panels with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to revise the State Operations Manual for nursing facilities: the Pharmacy Services Panel, the Unnecessary Drugs panel, and the Quality Assessment and Assurance Committee panel. He also worked closely with CMS staff and other stakeholder organizations on issues relating to implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, especially those relating to long-term care residents.
Medication Adherence Cluster Group Co-Chairs
Jack Fincham, PhD, RPh
Dr. Jack Fincham is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, College of Pharmacy, and was a Kellogg Pharmaceutical Clinical Scientist Fellow at the University of Minnesota where he obtained his Ph.D. in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. He completed a Post-Graduate Degree in Health Economics at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Dr. Fincham has researched varying topics pertaining to health economics, international health, patient compliance, public health, medication management, avoiding medication risks, the Medicare Part D Drug Benefit, and drug use in the elderly. Dr. Fincham is a Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences, the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Pharmacy; and as Adjunct Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Georgia, College of Public Health.He also serves as the inaugural editor-in-chief of the Prevention Education Resource Center (PERC www.teachprevention.org) sponsored by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research. From 1994-2004, Dr. Fincham served as dean of the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy.
David Nau, RPh, PhD, CPHQ
Dr. David Nau is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice & Science at the University of Kentucky, where he also holds a joint appointment in the Martin School of Public Policy. He also serves as Director of Practice Improvement for the Pharmacy Quality Alliance. Dr. Nau received his B.S. in Pharmacy from Ohio Northern University and an M.S. in Pharmacy Administration from the University of Toledo. Dr. Nau completed a pharmacy residency program at The Toledo Hospital and a specialized residency in hospital pharmacy management. He received a PhD from the University of Florida in 1997. Dr. Nau’s work has focused on the improvement of medication-use within the healthcare system, and he is one of the few pharmacists to hold the designation of Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ). His work has included evaluating the quality of medication-use for patients with chronic diseases, the establishment of pharmacy-based disease management programs, and the development of quality improvement systems for pharmacy services. He has conducted research on the causes and consequences of medication non-adherence and he helped to develop methodological standards for medication-adherence research for the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research.
Medication Reconciliation Cluster Group Co-Chairs
J. Todd Barrett, RPh
Todd Barrett serves as the President and CEO of Covenant Pharmacy, specializing in serving the needs of residents of long-term care facilities. Covenant Pharmacy is a leader in providing long-term care facilities with individualized care plans for residents to ensure high quality pharmacy services while working to reduce overall costs. Advantage Pharmacy Services develops innovative solutions for institutions utilizing technology to provide more efficient pharmacy distribution and reduce waste associated with unused medications. Transcript Pharmacy is a specialty pharmacy that provides medication therapy and pharmacist services to individuals with chronic conditions. Todd has served on the Mississippi Medicaid Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee, and initiated several cooperatives and organizations including the Transplant Pharmacy Coalition, Specialty Pharmacies of America, and Diabetes Supply, Inc.
Mary Ann Kliethermes
Mary Ann Kliethermes currently serves on the faculty of the Chicago College of Pharmacy. She also serves as Co-Owner of Clinical Pharmacy Systems, Inc., a software consulting firm specializing in development of clinical pharmacy patient care applications. Her practice experience includes serving as clinical coordinator in the hospital setting, parenteral nutrition, drug information and ICU services; home care experience as a clinician and co-owner of a local home infusion pharmacy. Most recently she practiced in an ambulatory setting developing and managing a pharmacy based medication management clinic. Mary Ann received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Michigan and her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Sciences in Philadelphia.
Medication Therapy Cluster Group Co-Chairs
Julie Kuhle, RPh
Julie Kuhle, RPh is the Pharmacy Manager for the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care (IFMC), the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Iowa Her responsibilities include developing and directing pharmacy-related activities for IFMC and specifically for their QIO contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Julie also serves on several workgroups for the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA). Prior to taking the position with IFMC, Julie worked at the Iowa Pharmacy Association as project coordinator for the Iowa Medicaid Drug Utilization Program.
James Nash, PharmD, BCPS
James Nash, PharmD, BCPS is the clinical manager of Humana's RxMentor/ Medication Therapy Management program. In his role at Humana he has helped build both the internal and external components of the medication therapy management program. In addition, he serves as primary preceptor for the RxMentor/MTM rotation for internal Humana residents. He also has affiliations with several schools of pharmacy including University of Kentucky, Mercer University, Purdue University and The Ohio State University. Dr. Nash earned his PharmD degree from Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy. After graduation he completed an ASHP-accredited residency training in both pharmacy practice and primary care. In addition, he is board certified in pharmacotherapy and is working towards a Masters of Public Health at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and of Public Health and Information Sciences.
Mental Health Cluster Group Co-Chairs
Carol Alter, MD
Carol Alter, MD is the Director of Policy and Community Outreach and an Associate Professor in the Georgetown University Department of Psychiatry. In addition she serves as the Executive Director of Treatment Effectiveness Now (“TEN Project”) a private, non-profit policy action organization, dedicated to educating public officials, advocates and professionals about the clinical and policy implications of evidence-based treatment for co-occurring medical and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Alter is a psychiatrist with over 20 years experience in diverse settings in healthcare including clinical practice, research, administration, healthcare delivery and the pharmaceutical industry. Her clinical and academic areas of interest focus on the psychiatric care of AIDS and oncology patients.
Dr. Alter has been an active participant and leader in several professional organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association where she participates in several committees related to Psychosomatic Medicine, managed care and reimbursement, the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, where she is currently the President-Elect and the American Psychosocial Oncology Society, where she sits on the Board of Directors. Dr. Alter received her medical degree from the George Washington University in 1985 and did her psychiatric training at the Mayo Clinic, Cornell University Medical College and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Jason Carter, PharmD
Jason Carter, PharmDis currently in a dual faculty position with the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities as an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy. He also serves as the statewide Director of pharmacy services for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health.Dr. Carter’s Department of Mental Health responsibilities include oversight of pharmacy services and standardization of formularies for Tennessee state psychiatric hospitals, development and training with the Tennessee Medication Algorithm Project, and clinical oversight and regulation of opioid treatment facilities across the state. Dr. Carter’s academic and clinical areas of interest include psychiatric pharmacy practice and substance abuse.
Dr. Carter received his Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from the University of Tennessee in 1995. He completed a psychiatric pharmacy practice residency at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, and then served for several years as Director of Pharmacy Operations for Pharm-Care, a regional multi-state long-term care pharmacy. Dr. Carter is currently a member of Tennessee Pharmacists Association, College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and American Pharmacists Association. Dr. Carter serves as a member on: Department of Children’s Services Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee, Tennessee Drug
Patient Safety Cluster Group Co-Chairs
Diane Cousins
Diane Cousins is vice president for the Department of Healthcare Quality and Information at U.S. Pharmacopeia where she oversees standards-setting activities involving patient safety, medication errors, pharmaceutical compounding, nomenclature, and development of the Medicare Model Guidelines used in the administration of the Medicare Part D drug benefit. She began her career at USP in 1981, and under her direction, reporting programs for medication errors have become a significant component of the USP’s standards-setting processes. She organized the first USP Advisory Panel on Medication Errors and the first USP Safe Medication Use Expert Committee, and she spearheaded the development of the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. She currently serves as the USP delegate, and secretary, to this National Council. Ms. Cousins is a graduate of Rutgers University College of Pharmacy. In 2005, she received the Pinnacle Award for lifetime achievement from the American Pharmacists Association.
Neil J. MacKinnon, PhD, FCSHP
Dr. Neil MacKinnon is Associate Professor and Associate Director for Research at the Dalhousie University College of Pharmacy in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Neil is also cross-appointed to the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, and to the School of Health Services Administration, Faculty of Health Professions. Neil is one of 13 individuals selected worldwide for the Commonwealth Fund’s program in international health policy for 2007-08. Neil has edited two books published by the Canadian Pharmacists Association, “Seamless Care” and “Safe and Effective” and he is currently writing a new book with a family physician for patients. Neil serves on the Research Committee of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute and he is involved in several medication safety studies.
Prevention & Wellness Cluster Group Co-Chairs
Jean Venable R. Goode, PharmD, BCPS, FAPhA, FCCP
Jean Venable R. Goode, PharmD, BCPS, FAPhA, FCCP is an Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She is the Director of the VCU Community Pharmacy Practice Program and Community Pharmacy Residency Program. She worked for 10 years with Ukrop’s Pharmacy to develop enhanced patient care programs. Currently, Ukrop’s provides patient care programs in the areas of medication therapy management, wellness, immunization, pre-travel health, diabetes, osteoporosis, and smoking cessation. Dr. Goode is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist. Dr Goode is an APhA Trustee, a NACDS representative to the Pharmacy Services Technical Advisory Coalition, member of the PQA Research Coordinating Council, and Co-Chair of the PQA Cluster Group for Prevention and Wellness. Dr. Goode has received several awards including the 1997 VSHP Practice Innovation Award, 2003 VCU School of Pharmacy Teaching Excellence Award, 2003 APhA Fellow, 2004 APhA-APPM Clinical/Pharmacotherapeutic Distinguished Achievement Award, 2005 VCU Distinguished Service Award, 2007 ACCP Fellow, and 2008 APhA Community Pharmacy Residency Program Excellence in Precepting Award. Dr. Goode received her BS in Agricultural Economics from Virginia Tech and BS in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy from VCU.
Brian Hille, RPh
Brian Hille, RPh is the Director of Pharmacy Care at Safeway Food and Drug. He graduated from Oregon State University in 1991, with a BS in pharmacy. In 1998, Mr. Hille joined Safeway as a Regional Pharmacy Manager with responsibility for the operations of stores in Washington and Oregon.During his time as Regional Pharmacy Manager, he developed immunizationand health screening programs for Safeway Pharmacies which led to the newly created position, Director of Pharmacy Care at the Safeway corporate offices in Pleasanton, California in 2004. Under his watch, the Pharmacy Care program has been implemented in all divisions. Mr. Hille has directed the implementation of a number of pharmacist-provided services such as adult and adolescent immunizations, travel health services, medication therapy management, medication compliance, OTC advisor and a complete reengineering of the physical pharmacy design to adapt to the changing pharmacy practice. Mr. Hille is an active member of the American Pharmacist Association serving on the editorial advisory board for the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, the Pharmacy-Based Immunization Certificate Board and the Medication Management Certificate Training Board with APhA/ASCP. Mr. Hille is an active member of the Pharmacy Quality Alliance serving on the Data Aggregation and Reporting Workgroup as the co-chair of the pharmacists and pharmacy reporting workgroup.
Respiratory Disorder Cluster Group Co-Chairs
Jay Nadas, RPh, PharmD
Jay Nadas is employed with the Walgreen Co. in Deerfield, Illinois and serves as the Manager of Clinical Programs with their Retail Clinical Pharmacy Services Dept. He is currently involved in the development and implementation of cognitive based clinical programs at a retail pharmacist level. Jay started with Walgreens in 1995 as a pharmacy technician, graduated from Midwestern University- Chicago College of Pharmacy with a PharmD in 2003, and worked as a pharmacy manager until 2005, when he moved to Walgreens corporate to work on Medicare Part D and MTM services.
Melissa Fitch, RPh, PharmD
Melissa Fitch is employed with Walgreens Health Services, located in Deerfield, Illinois and is the Manager of Pharmaceutical Care Development and Medication Adherence. She is involved in the development and implementation of cognitive based clinical programs with a focus on improving medication adherence. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy and completed a post-graduate Community Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and Kerr Drug, Inc.
