Lamy Center Names Inaugural Champions

New coalition will help the Center advance its mission and develop clinical and educational initiatives to improve geriatric care across the state of Maryland and beyond.

By Malissa Carroll
December 15, 2017

The Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has named five renowned practitioners in the field of geriatric health care to its inaugural Lamy Champions coalition. Through their work as Lamy Champions, these individuals will help the Center advance its mission to improve drug therapy for aging adults, disseminating best practices for the care of older adults, developing innovative educational offerings to empower older adults and caregivers in the community, and providing high quality continuing education offerings to health care professionals in the field.

“Faculty and staff at the Lamy Center are excited to embark on this new initiative to make a special, significant, and influential impact on the care of geriatric patients across the state of Maryland,” says Nicole Brandt, PharmD, MBA, BCPP, BCGP, FASCP, professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science (PPS) and executive director of the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging at the School of Pharmacy. “Our Lamy Champions have been celebrated for their expertise and passion for advancing the pharmacy profession in caring for older adults, and we are eager to learn from their leadership and experience as we work together to improve drug therapy for aging adults.”

The Lamy Champions coalition features a diverse group of interprofessional health care practitioners who provide specialized geriatric care in various practice settings. These individuals have demonstrated sustained service to a geriatric-focused clinical practice, displayed leadership in the area of geriatrics, and currently serve as preceptors for the Experiential Learning Program (ELP) or Lamy Center post-graduate training programs at the School of Pharmacy. Their activism on both practice and advocacy levels has been critical to advancing the role of the pharmacist and interprofessional teams across the state of Maryland and beyond.

Appointed by the Center’s executive team, the inaugural members of this year’s Lamy Champions coalition include:

• Michelle A. Fritsch, PharmD, BCGP, BCACP
  Founder and President
  Meds MASH, LLC

• Joshana K. Goga, PharmD, BCPP
  Clinical Pharmacy Program Manager
  Sheppard Pratt Health System

• Jessica W. Merrey, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, BCACP, BCGP
  Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
  Johns Hopkins Hospital

• Stephanie M. Ozalas, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP
  Long-Term Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
  VA Maryland Health Care System

• Avra Thomas, PharmD, FASCP
  Division Director of Pharmacy Services
  Sava Senior Care Consulting, LLC

Lamy Champions will collaborate with the Center’s faculty and staff on a wide range of research, education, and clinical initiatives; participate in interprofessional networking events; and pursue professional portfolio development through new consulting, leadership, and advocacy opportunities. Practitioners will participate in a minimum of two activities sponsored by the Lamy Center, collaborate with providers in other professions to help advance the Center’s mission, and attend ongoing Champion meetings.

“Serving on the coalition not only provides practitioners with direct access to the expertise and resources of the Lamy Center, but also offers many opportunities for them to pursue professional growth, including access to continuing education programs, mentorship for promotion, and leadership opportunities,” says Chanel Whittaker, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP, FASCP, associate professor in PPS and director of education and training for the Lamy Center. “We look forward to collaborating with these individuals on the development of new, innovative clinical and educational initiatives that will improve geriatric care for patients and further support the need for provider status for pharmacists in Maryland.”

The Lamy Center hosted its first Champions Meeting on Aug. 24, during which the seven practitioners were officially recognized and installed as members of the new Lamy Champions coalition.

If you would like to nominate a health care professional you know to serve as Lamy Center Champion, please contact Dr. Chanel Whittaker at (410) 706-5535 or cwhittaker@rx.umaryland.edu.

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