Wyoming Pharmacist of the Year

The Wyoming Pharmacy Association held the 91^st Annual Convention in Casper June 26-28. It was during this convention that they recognized Tim Seeley, RPh as the Wyoming Pharmacist of the Year.  At left, Karen Burk, WPhA President, is presenting Tim Seeley with his award.

Seeley graduated from the University of Wyoming, School of Pharmacy in 1984. He has worked in a variety of practice settings including retail, long term care, and is now the Director of Pharmacy at Powell Valley Healthcare. He has worked very hard to make the Pharmacy Department a fun, safe place to be. His entire staff is very proud of our pharmacy department and the leadership Seeley brings. 

It is his leadership and compassion that bought him to assist NorthBigHornHospital with the delivery of their pharmacy services by becoming their Pharmacy Director. He is also often used as a resource to assist other pharmacy directors and pharmacists throughout the Brim facilities, who is the management company for Powell Valley Healthcare. 

In addition, Seeley volunteers a great deal of his time helping to further the profession of pharmacy. He is the President-Elect of the Wyoming Society of Health System Pharmacists and was and has served as a delegate to American Society of Health System Pharmacists. He was also the president of the Wyoming Pharmacy Association from 2006-2007. He worked extensively on the Wyoming Clinical Recommendations for Diabetes Mellitus Prevention and Control Program revision committee put out by the Wyoming Department of Health. Currently he is the chairman of the USP 797 Taskforce for Wyoming and is working very hard to help make these guidelines manageable for pharmacists in the state of Wyoming.

Wyoming Technician of the Year

Christina Andrade, AS, CPhT was recognized as the Wyoming Pharmacy Technician of the Year. At left, Andrade is accepting her award from Karen Burk, WPhA President.  Andrade has worked in pharmacy for 9 years. She has an Associates of Science Degree in Pharmacy Technology and is currently working on a Bachelor Degree in Health Administration. It was this love of knowledge that led her to become an instructor for the Pharmacy Technician Program at Casper College. 

She is a member of the Wyoming Pharmacy Association and the National Pharmacy Technician Association. She also serves as one of the Technician Board Members for the Wyoming Pharmacy Association. She has been a presenter for the Association at the last 2 Technician Conferences. She also presented education at this year’s convention on “Effective utilization of Pharmacy Technicians”. She has attended State Board of Pharmacy meetings to provide information on technician education and continues to be an advocate for the profession of pharmacy.

Bowl of Hygeia Award Winner

James T. Carder, RPh was recognized as the Bowl of Hygeia Award Winner for the state of Wyoming.  Carder was presented his award by Jennifer Nevins, Wyoming State Board of Pharmacy Board Member.  This award is presented by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals to an individual who has devoted their time, talent, and resources to better their community and the profession of pharmacy.  This year’s recipient was no different. 

Carder was the Executive Director of the Wyoming Board of Pharmacy from 1998 – 2008.  During his ten years of service to the profession of pharmacy in Wyoming, he was instrumental in promoting technician education and licensure, implementing legislation that now allows pharmacists to administer vaccines, and pharmacists to enter into collaborative practice with physicians.  He also implemented and through the Board of Pharmacy, maintains the controlled substance drug monitoring program for the state of Wyoming.  Mr. Carder and his staff traveled over the entire state one summer educating both pharmacists and physicians on the drug monitoring program.  He has completely computerized all of the office records and implemented on line renewals for the State Board of Pharmacy.  Mr. Carder has also taught classes yearly for the University Of Wyoming School Of Pharmacy on the law, the Board, and the functions and benefits of each.  His teaching lead to starting rotations with 4th year pharmacy students at the Boards Office.  The students continue to stop by the office just to visit.

Mr. Carder’s entire focus while serving the State of  Wyoming was aimed at moving the practice of pharmacy toward total Pharmaceutical Care and the Wyoming Pharmacy Association believes that he has done a wonderful job.  The Association was honored to recognize him for these achievements. 

Mr. Carder organized and spearheaded a "stakeholders" meeting for all entities involved in pharmacy and where practitioners in the state saw the practice going.  Mr. Carder then used the information gathered at the meeting to provide guidelines for where the Wyoming Board of Pharmacy needed to direct its energies. He also opened up the lines of communication with the Board of Medicine as well as the Board of Nursing which is evidenced by attendance at each other’s meetings.   

Wyoming Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year

Whitney Buckley, Pharm D was recognized as the Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year for Wyoming.  At left, Buckley is receiving her award from last year's recipient, Dr. Jaime Hornecker.  This award is sponsored by Pharmacists Mutual Company to recognize a pharmacist whose leadership abilities have made contribution to the practice of pharmacy.

Dr. Buckley graduated from the University of Wyoming, School of Pharmacy in 2004.  Even as a student she was recognized for her leadership abilities when she received the Pfizer US Pharmaceuticals Outstanding Student Leader Award in 2004.  She has worked as a retail and consultant pharmacist and is now the Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Wyoming Family Medicine Residency Program in Cheyenne. 

Dr. Buckley has been a member of the Wyoming Pharmacy Association since 2005 and served as President of the Association during 2007-2008.  It is this leadership that earned her the National Community Pharmacists Association Pharmacy Leadership Award and the McKesson Empowering Healthcare Leadership Award in 2007.  Dr. Buckley has been a presenter at various healthcare meetings throughout the state.  She has also represented WPhA in various legislative issues important to the profession of pharmacy.

In 2007 Dr. Buckley has served on the AIDS Education and Training Centers National Workgroup to Address Resource Needs of Community Pharmacists and as a committee member of the Medicaid Preferred Drug List Advisory.   She also continues to serve on the Wyoming Department of Health HIV/Hepatitis C Care and Prevention Planning Committee, Red Ribbon Advisory Committee and the Wyoming Children’s Society Board of Directors in the capacity of Secretary.

Dr. Buckley is the Wyoming Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year for her continued commitment to the profession of pharmacy.  The Association was honored to recognize her for these achievements.

Wyoming Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award

Tonja M. Woods, Pharm. D. was awarded the Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award by Linda Martin, Pharm D.  This award is sponsored by the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations to recognize innovative pharmacy practice resulting in improved patient care. 

Since her employment with the School of Pharmacy began in August 2003, Dr. Tonja M. Woods has been instrumental in establishing innovative practice sites.  As with all innovations, the early prototypes make the final product successful.  As of summer 2007, Tonja has taken the chronic disease management and the peri-surgical anticoagulation models into the area of private enterprise.  She has a thriving practice at Laramie Valley Medical, an internal medicine clinic in LaramieWyoming.  This private practice model is extremely rare and the peri-surgical piece is unique.  In addition, she has co-produced diabetes workshops at Senior Centers throughout the state and, this summer, will be doing the same with computer training on Medicare Part D.    

Dr. Woods is the Innovative Pharmacy Practice Recipient of the Year for her continued commitment to the profession of pharmacy through innovative practice models.  The Association was honored to recognize her for these achievements.

Wyoming Health System Pharmacist of the Year

During the convention Leith Culver, RPh was recognized as the Wyoming Health System Pharmacist of the Year. The presentation was extra special because the award was given by his daughter Erin who is currently a pharmacy student at the University of Wyoming.  Leith began practicing pharmacy over thirty years ago after graduating from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1976. He began practice as a retail pharmacist in Cody, Wyoming and made the switch to hospital pharmacy in 1979 when he moved to Rock Springs. Ten years later the Culvers relocated to Roseburg, Oregon for two years. In 1991 Leith embarked on a new area of pharmacy when he took a position with a home infusion pharmacy in Las Vegas. Finally, after eight years in sunny Las Vegas the Culvers returned to Wyoming to enjoy the great outdoors. Leith was able to transfer to Casper with Coram healthcare and has since been working with what is now CareTrust IV for nearly ten years.

Leith has demonstrated exemplary service to the profession of pharmacy. He has an active interest in learning about new treatments and strives to provide the best care possible for all of his patients. Leith also promotes the profession of pharmacy by speaking to first year pharmacy students at UW about home infusion, and he is always willing to give an interested student a tour of the pharmacy. Through his work in learning and implementing USP 797 Regulations he has served as a resource and an example to others throughout the state. Leith has also served his community by being a leader in the youth program at First Presbyterian church and has also recently become a member of the church session. Finally, he has also been a leader on a personal level in showing his daughter what it means to be a great pharmacist through dedication and patient care.

Karen Burk Honored for Leadership

During the 91st Annual WPhA Convention, Karen Burk, RPh was elected President of the Wyoming Pharmacy Association.  She also received awards from McKesson and the National Community Pharmacists Association for her leadership efforts in pharmacy and the state of Wyoming.  

Burk graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy in 1992 and has worked in a variety of practice settings.  She is currently the Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator for Powell Valley Healthcare.  Burk is an active member of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and the medication Safety Committee.  In addition, she is a preceptor for the University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy students in a healthcare setting. 

In 2005 Burk was also the Innovative Pharmacist of the Year for Wyoming.  It is this continued commitment to the profession of pharmacy that will make her a great president for the Association.