Industry Award Winners Recognized at ASHP Midyear 2018

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) honored Abdul Latif Sheikh, BS Pharm, MS, FFIP, President of the Pakistan Society of Health-System Pharmacists, with its prestigious Donald Francke Medal at the 2018 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in Anaheim, CA on Monday. The award was one of multiple honors that the society announced during the Opening Session, which featured a keynote address by Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

The Francke Medal was established by the ASHP to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to international pharmacy practice. Among other roles, Francke was the first American Vice President of the Hospital Pharmacy Section of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), according to the ASHP.

Sheikh was selected for the medal as a strong advocate for international patient safety and quality of care. He has been instrumental in advancing state-of-the-art hospital pharmacy services and pharmaceutical supply chain systems in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Oman, East Africa, and Saudi Arabia, said ASHP officials, in a prepared statement.

In addition to Sheikh, the following ASHP award recipients also were honored Monday:

ASHP Board of Directors Award of Honor

Brock Slabach, MPH, FACHE, Senior Vice-President for the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) was recognized ast the ASHP Board of Directors' Award of Honor. This distinction recognizes individuals outside the pharmacy discipline who have made extraordinary national or worldwide contributions to the health care field.

Slabach was recognized for his leadership on rural health issues, including advocating for healthcare policies that address the needs of patients receiving care in small and rural hospitals, according to the ASHP. His work includes leading the NRHA in joining the Patient Access to Pharmacists’ Care Coalition to expand patient access to care in medically underserved communities by granting pharmacists provider status.

Distinguished Leadership Award

Christopher A. Hatwig, RPh, MS, FASHP, President of Apexus, LLC, in Irving, TX, and Mark H. Siska, BS Pharm, RPh, MBA, Technology Management, Chief Pharmacy Informatics Officer at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN received the Distinguished Leadership Award. This honor was established in 2001 to recognize individuals who have achieved excellence in pharmacy practice leadership.

Hartwig and Siska were recognized for their longstanding contributions to pharmacy services within hospitals and health systems through the 340B Drug Pricing Program, as well as the adoption of healthcare information technology to improve patient care, said ASHP officials, in a press release.

Additional Awards

The ASHP honored 6 pharmacy teams with its Best Practices Award, which is sponsored in cooperation with Amgen. Established in 1999, these awards recognize pharmacists who demonstrate leadership and innovation in enhancing patient care and other areas of pharmacy practice.

Best Practices Award recipients include teams at Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI; SSM Health DePaul Hospital, St. Louis, MO; University of North Carolina Medical Center, Chapel Hill, NC; Memorial Hospital, Marysville, OH; Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Portland, OR; and University of Rochester Medical Center-Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, NY.

In addition to these award winners, the ASHP recognized Clinical Skills Competition winners Brooke Barlow and Ashley Barlow, students at Jefferson University’s College of Pharmacy in Philadelphia, PA, as well as one if its own staff members.

ASHP Controller Tracy Yaklyvich received the organization’s 2018 CEO Award for Staff Excellence, a recognition that acknowledges staff members who perform their job duties with distinction. In addition, recipients must have demonstrated exceptional initiative in contributing to ASHP and upholding its staff values of serving members and embodying a spirit of teamwork, respect, and excellence.

Yaklyvich, who has been on the ASHP staff for 27 years, was honored for sustained contributions to the Financial Management Division, including playing a key role in the implementation of 3 major financial management systems for the organization: an upgraded new payroll system, a new budgeting and forecasting system, and an upgraded accounting system.