This webpage is provided to allow for greater visibility of the 2017-2018 American College of Clinical Pharmacy Infectious Diseases Practice and Research Network (ACCP ID PRN) nominations. The nominees have provided the information below and this page is published with the permission of the PRN.
Here are the nominees. Their biographical sketch and candidate statement is below.
~ CHAIR-ELECT CANDIDATES ~
Olga DeTorres, Pharm.D., FASHP, BCPS-AQ ID
Whitney Jones Nesbitt, Pharm.D., BCPS
~ SECRETARY-TREASURER CANDIDATES ~
Brandon Dionne, Pharm.D., BCPS, AAHIVP
Ashley Marx, Pharm.D., BCPS
Chair-Elect Candidates
Olga DeTorres, Pharm.D. FASHP, BCPS-AQ ID
Biographical Sketch: Olga DeTorres, PharmD, FASHP, BCPS-ID has been an Infectious Disease Clinical pharmacist for over 30 years. She was the first clinical pharmacist to be awarded Added Qualifications in Infectious Diseases. She currently practices at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose and St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, California. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. Her teaching, research, and patient care activities have focused on Antimicrobial Stewardship. She has been on the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Stewardship since 2011. She was instrumental in developing the CDPH ASP Tool Kits for hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Candidate Statement: The Infectious Diseases PRN is the largest of the ACCP PRN’s. As we continue to increase in number, the range of activities will likely expand as well. Our mission statement encompasses the clinical practice, research, and education aspects of Infectious Diseases. Now that Joint Commission and CMS are requiring that all acute care hospitals and clinics have Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs, this is our opportunity to promote our role and expand our services. This PRN has been an excellent venue to share ideas and help implement new programs, including clinical services in community-based hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. Success in these areas depends, in part, on documentation of the improved outcomes because of our clinical practice and research. Through the Infectious Diseases PRN, we can focus on collaborative efforts to achieve these goals.
Whitney Jones Nesbitt, Pharm.D., BCPS
Biographical Sketch: Whitney Jones Nesbitt is the Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist for Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). She has served as the ID PRN Secretary/Treasurer since October 2016. Additionally, Whitney has been an active member of the Membership and Programming Committees for the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) and the Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Whitney also serves as the Secretary of the Antimicrobial Subcommittee of the Pharmacy Therapeutics and Diagnostics Committee and PGY-2 Infectious Diseases Residency Director at VUMC. She has been active in the field of infectious diseases for 7 years. Her most recent areas of research include the development of antimicrobial stewardship bundles and feedback mechanisms, risk factors associated with the development of multidrug-resistant enterococcal infections, and genetic markers associated with increased risk of daptomycin myositis. She has given many presentations related to infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship at both state and national meetings, including ACCP. Most recently she co-authored chapters awaiting publication in Kucers’ The Use of Antibiotics and for the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America’s landmark textbook on antimicrobial stewardship, Practical Implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs.
Candidate Statement: I am truly honored to be nominated for the ACCP ID PRN Chair-Elect position. As one of the largest PRNs, the ID PRN’s commitment to membership promotion, involvement, and growth is strongly evidenced by the development of new awards and recognition categories, support of member involvement in the development of educational sessions, the addition of residents and fellows to the executive committee, and development of Social Media and Research Committees. Through the efforts of the Social Media Committee, the ID PRN has experienced exponential growth in its social media presence, further illustrating their outreach and desire to connect with its members. It has been an honor to serve as this year’s ID PRN Secretary/Treasurer and it is my humble hope to continue to be a part of such an executive committee which supports the growth and success of its members. Thank you for your membership in the ID PRN and for supporting infectious diseases pharmacy.
Secretary-Treasurer Candidates
Brandon Dionne, Pharm.D, BCPS, AAHIVP
Biographical Sketch: Brandon Dionne is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Pharmacy at Northeastern University where he practices in Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of New England followed by a PGY1 and a PGY2 in Infectious Diseases at the University of New Mexico. He is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and AAHIVM-certified HIV Pharmacist. Dr. Dionne has been an active member of ACCP for several years and has been strongly involved in the ID PRN, most recently serving as the Vice Chair of the Awards Committee. He is also active in the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists as a member of the Elections Committee. His recent areas of research include implementation of a post-splenectomy vaccine order set and development of a combination antibiogram to guide empiric treatment of pseudomonal nosocomial pneumonia.
Candidate Statement: The ID PRN has seen some significant changes in the past few years! The increased presence on social media, including the ID PRN Twitter account with themed chats and live broadcast of the business meetings, have helped to connect the ever-growing membership of the PRN beyond the listserv. With the recent inclusion of antimicrobial stewardship in Joint Commission accreditation standards, communication and networking through the ID PRN will be even more important to facilitate sharing of information about the new survey process. It will also be crucial to collaborate with other stakeholders, such as ASHP and SIDP, to expand both formal and informal ID training opportunities to ensure that pharmacists remain key members of the inpatient stewardship team and continue to expand our role in ambulatory and long term care stewardship efforts. Through the ID PRN, we can work together to achieve these goals. Thank you for the nomination—I am honored to be considered for Secretary/Treasurer of the ID PRN.
Ashley Marx, Pharm.D., BCPS
Biographical Sketch: Dr. Ashley Marx is a Clinical Specialist, Infectious Diseases at UNC Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Clinical Education at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Ashley has been a practicing ID specialist for 10 years, focused on developing antimicrobial stewardship programs and providing pharmacotherapy services for general and immunocompromised host ID consult patients. She provides didactic and experiential instruction for pharmacy students, precepts PGY1 and PGY2 residents, and is active in the training of ID fellows and physician assistants. Her research interests include antimicrobial utilization and resistance, and the quality of infection-related care. She previously practiced at Emory University Hospital Midtown (2007-2009) and Inova Fairfax Hospital (2009-2013).
Candidate Statement: Greetings from Chapel Hill! I have benefitted tremendously from the Infectious Diseases PRN, and believe it is an important resource for practicing clinicians, scholars, and researchers alike. As the Secretary/Treasurer, I will strive to provide timely and effective communication about PRN activities to aid our membership. I look forward to working with the Newsletter and Web Page Committee to continue to make our resources more widely accessible, especially for PRN members who may not be able to attend business meetings and educational sessions. If selected, I will be delighted to work on behalf of the infectious diseases clinicians, scholars, and researchers that comprise our PRN. Great leadership has made this PRN strong, and I am humbled to be considered for the job.
Learn more about the ACCP ID PRN Here
Visit the ACCP ID PRN Facebook Page Here
Visit the ACCP ID PRN Twitter Profile Here
