2017 Lifetime Leadership Finalists

2017 Lifetime Leadership Finalists

Diane B. Ginsburg, PhD, MS, RPh, FASHP

Clinical Professor and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy

Austin, Texas

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS

I have had the honor and privilege of serving, advocating, and representing the profession at the local, state, and national levels, including serving as president of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and as chair of the ASHP Research and Education Foundation board of directors.

SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

Pharmacy school was initially my way to get into medical school. Had I chosen a different direction and not applied to pharmacy school, the wonderful opportunities that have come my way would have never been presented to me.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

When teaching my students, I tell them to remember that every patient is someone significant. These patients deserve the very best we have to give them; therefore, we should use all of our resources and knowledge to help them. Someday, someone significant to you might need care, and, hopefully, their practitioners will treat them as if they were family.

VISION FOR PHARMACY

Pharmacists will be equal members of the patient care team, bringing their perspectives as the drug experts to improve patient outcomes. Pharmacists will be in the best position to manage patients as drug therapy continues to grow in complexity.

Jeff Goad, PharmD, MPH

Professor and Department of Pharmacy Practice Chair

Chapman University School of Pharmacy

Irvine, California

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS

I consider training thousands of pharmacists and student pharmacists to provide lifesaving vaccines to people of all ages, helping to stimulate the growth of pharmacist-based travel health services in the United States, being the first pharmacist to become president of the California Immunization Coalition, and becoming the first North American pharmacist to be selected as a fellow in the International Society of Travel Medicine to be my greatest accomplishments.

SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

Before I went to pharmacy school, I volunteered with an amazing neonatal intensive care unit pharmacist who showed me how great of an impact we can have on the lives of our patients.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

In work and in life, if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.

VISION FOR PHARMACY

Pharmacists will become medication therapy providers for all patients, and pharmacies will become immunization, wellness, and self-treatment centers. Pharmacists will dispense care, not drugs. Pharmacists will also become the most valuable health care team member in all settings.

Daniel Kus, BSPharm, RPh

Vice President, Pharmacy Advantage

Henry Ford Health System Pharmacies

Troy, Michigan

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS

My greatest accomplishments include being a founding member of Excelera and proving instrumental in developing a national network of academic institutions and health care systems to provide greater access to limited distribution drugs. I also helped in the development of Dromos PTM, a comprehensive specialty pharmacy management software and data warehouse linking information on patient care and operational efficiency.

SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

Growing up in a small town on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I witnessed firsthand the financial struggles many families faced accessing health care and prescriptions. Observing this type of hardship at a young age helped me realize that I wanted to make a difference for my neighbors and community. I envisioned a system that made access to health care a basic right and not a luxury, regardless of a patient’s socioeconomic status.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

My personal philosophy stems from the words of celebrated motivational speaker Leo Buscaglia, PhD: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Following this fundamental mantra, I aim to inspire my pharmacy team to give a voice to those who normally don’t have one.

VISION FOR PHARMACY

I envision that as the dynamic of health care continually shifts, the views on traditional pharmacist roles and functionality must be revised and elevated in the public eye. Including pharmacists on the integrated care team should be standardized, and their services deemed reimbursable due to significant contributions enriching therapeutic outcomes and improving operational efficiencies. As the pharmacy profession drives forward and evolves, I dare to hope my esteemed colleagues across the nation keep rising to the call, accepting every challenge in the name of enhancing patient care.