TEXAS CHAPTER 2014 ELECTION CANDIDATE BIOS

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1 TEXAS CHAPTER 2014 ELECTION CANDIDATE BIOS PRESIDENT-ELECT Amie Taggart Blaszczyk, Pharm.D., CGP, BCPS, FASCP Amie Blaszczyk received her doctor of pharmacy degree from Duquesne University in 2003, and went on to complete two years of residency before joining the faculty of Texas Tech University HSC School of Pharmacy in Dallas. With Tech, she leads the dynamic and growing Geriatrics Division across all 4 campuses of the school of pharmacy. Blaszczyk became a member of ASCP in 2004, and has been an active member ever since. Amie has served the organization by giving a variety of consultant pharmacist-focused presentations at the Annual and Spring meetings, as well as helping plan several national meetings as a part of the Education Advisory Council with ASCP. She also sits on the editorial board of The Consultant Pharmacist. Amie currently practices with Senior Care Centers, LLC in Dallas as a research and outcomes consultant. Her current position blends consultant pharmacy practice and practice-based research in an effort to improve outcomes not only for those in Senior Care Centers homes, but also for the broader longterm care environment. Her practice at Senior Care Centers allows her to expose many pharmacy students to the opportunities within senior-care pharmacy. Amie believes there is untapped potential in the Texas ASCP, including the addition of a West Texas Regional Director position to the state chapter Board. She feels strongly that West Texas consultant pharmacists should have a seat at the chapter level where they can represent the needs of consultants and patients in the Panhandle and surrounding areas. She is also a staunch supporter of getting students and residents involved in the state chapter and she believes that an effective president would ensure that all graduates of Texas schools of pharmacy would have an understanding of the role of a consultant pharmacist. Amie is committed to being the face of consultant pharmacy for the state of Texas. She also envisions the annual continuing education conference becoming the must-attend event for Texas pharmacists wanting to get more involved or simply increasing their knowledge in geriatrics. ASCP has been my professional home since beginning my career in geriatrics, and it is the organization where I ve found amazing opportunities for growth and advocacy of our senior population. I would be humbled if I were elected president-elect of the Texas chapter, and would commit the next 4 years to the growth and development of the state chapter, and the consultant pharmacists it serves.

2 WEST REGIONAL DIRECTOR Rachel Basinger, Pharm.D, BCPS Rachel Basinger is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy Amarillo. She received her PharmD from The University of Texas College of Pharmacy in She completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at Christus Santa Rosa Health System in San Antonio, Texas and a PGY2 Geriatric Specialty Residency at UNC Hospitals and Clinics in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She practices at the Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center and Texas Tech Internal Medicine clinic. She currently serves as the faculty advisor for the Beta Rho chapter of Phi Delta Chi, residency director for the Community Care PGY1 residency at Texas Tech, and Program Coordinator for the Panhandle Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She is part of the Texas Tech GEC grant project and is a guest lecturer for the School of Medicine Geriatric Division First Friday Noon Lecture series. Though her name does not currently end with CGP, she hopes to remedy that this fall. Rachel s passion for her patients is only matched by her passion for her students. Her favorite part of working with pharmacy students and residents is that they keep her on her toes and motivate her to always be learning as well. As the demographics of the nation continues to get older and the practice of pharmacy keeps expanding, she feels privileged to help groom the next generation of pharmacist to take on the challenges and responsibility of taking care of older adults. As West Texas Regional Director, Rachel will support chapter initiatives and ensure chapters have the resources they need to be successful. She plans to help chapters manage themselves efficiently and effectively, while also allowing for each chapter to govern with autonomy. Vicki Rutherford, Pharm.D., CGP Vicki Rutherford is a consultant pharmacist in private practice in West Texas since She is currently a consultant to long-term care facilities, ICF-MR group homes and assisted living facilities. She has been the co-instructor for the medication aide training program at Odessa College in Odessa, Texas since Vicki graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. She completed her Pharm.D. through the University of Florida in She has been a Certified Geriatric Pharmacist since She is active in ASCP, where she has served as the Secretary/Treasurer for the Texas Chapter. She has also been active in the Texas Pharmacy Association s Academy of Consultant Pharmacists, where she has served as a Director, Vice Chair and Chair.

3 Vicki is committed to representing the pharmacists of West Texas within the Texas chapter. She looks forward to working together with the other officers to meet the needs of the membership, including the provision of in-state educational opportunities and timely updates on Texas-specific regulatory issues. SOUTH REGIONAL DIRECTOR Abimbola Farinde, Pharm.D. Abimbola is a clinical pharmacy specialist and instructor who have gained knowledge and experience in psychopharmacology/mental health and geriatric pharmacy since graduating from pharmacy school. Dr. Farinde earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Texas Southern University and went on to complete her post-graduate training as a generalist at Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System and specialist training in psychopharmacology at Parkland Health and Hospital System and North Texas Veterans Healthcare System. Her research interests focus on the elderly population and the identification and treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders with this group. Her various clinical practice experiences have allowed her to develop and enhance her skills and practice skills over the years. One of her favorite clinical practice is working with elderly veterans. Dr. Farinde strives to maintain a commitment towards achieving professional growth as she transitions from one phase of her career to the next. Dr. Farinde welcomes the opportunity to serve as the South Regional Director of the Texas Chapter of ASCP because of her desire to make an impact on consultant pharmacy and geriatric pharmacy. At the same time she wants to promote the continuous growth and the advancement of ASCP for many years to come. Diane Kayser, R. Ph Diane received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from University of Houston College of Pharmacy in Diane began her career in pharmacy as a technician for Eckerd Drugs working throughout pharmacy school. Upon graduation, she worked as Pharmacist in Charge for Eckerd Drugs and Randall s Pharmacies. In 1997 Diane began her long term care experience as a consultant Pharmacist for Pharmerica consulting for Skilled Nursing Homes, Assisted Living and MHMR facilities. In 2005, she became Director of Pharmacy Operations and Clinical Services for LTC Pharmacy. Diane is currently working as a senior care consultant pharmacist with Medication Therapy Solutions.

4 Diane has been active in ASCP, as well as in State and Local pharmacy organization. She also has served as an adjunct professor and preceptor for the University of Houston College of Pharmacy since 1986 and believes that mentoring our future pharmacists is vital to our profession. She believes that we must continue to develop and work with long term care health care providers and organizations to ensure a multi- disciplinary approach for geriatric care. Diane welcomes the opportunity to serve as the director for the South Regional Director of the Texas ASCP chapter to enhance geriatric patient care and appropriate medication use in the elderly. Heather Lewandowski Heather received her Bachelor of Science of Pharmacy degree from the University of Houston in Her early experience was in retail as a cashier and technician thru Pre-pharmacy and pharmacy school. She began her Longterm Care experience in 1991 prior to graduating from Pharmacy school with Instacare (now Pharmerica) as an intern and later in operations, and then consulting. Lewandowski has been active in her State organization as well as ASCP on the state level. Heather owns a small consulting company Consulting Matters, in Katy, Texas and works in Skilled nursing, Assisted Living, MHMR facilities. She has been a preceptor since the first year she was eligible in 1992 and believes strongly that the strength in our profession lies not only in ourselves but also in the students we guide and teach. She also believes it is very important to strengthen our collaborative ties with Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants to improve overall efficacy for the residents from the medications that are prescribed for them. Heather would also like to continue to improve our communication with the Survey teams and Quality Monitors. She would like to see the Texas State Chapter work together with other state and national groups to further the potential for Pharmacist to be recognized as Healthcare providers and further expand our scope of practice.

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