COUPLE
NAME: KRISTIN
NOMINATED BY: SELF
ENTRY: I am a clinical pharmacy specialist for the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center. I work at a smaller primary care community-based outpatient clinic in Charlottesville, Virginia. Most residency trained pharmacists at the VA have a scope of practice and work one-on-one with veterans to manage their chronic diseases. In other words, once the physician provides the patient with a diagnosis, the veteran is referred to my pharmacotherapy clinic. I work with veterans to pick the best medication and correct dose for their specific situation. Then I prescribe the medication and follow up regularly to determine if the medication continues to be the appropriate choice for each patient. I manage patients with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and more. I completed 10 years of training to work as a clinical pharmacy specialist and I absolutely love helping our nation’s heroes. Another aspect of my job that I enjoy is training future pharmacists. Several times each year I have pharmacy students assigned for five-week blocks to complete their advanced pharmacy practice experience requirements. COVID-19 has drastically changed how the VA provides primary care, but I’m thankful to still interact with my patients each day whether it be here in the clinic, by telephone or video conference. My husband and I were planning to travel to South Korea this month to celebrate five years of marriage. That trip has been postponed due to COVID-19, but I would love to surprise my husband by celebrating with a Hoffer Photography photoshoot.
FAMILY
NAME: ROSS
NOMINATED BY: HOLLY
ENTRY: Ross is an Emergency Medicine physician at NY Presbyterian-Cornell Hospital, in the very hotbed of Covid-19. He wears a respiratory and PPE for 12 hours at a time so he can take care of his patients – which every one has Covid-19. He is saving lives, all the while hoping he doesn’t get sick himself so he can come home and help me take care of our diabetic toddler (another Herculean feat). He is truly a hero, but if I didn’t brag about him, no one would know because to him, this is “just what [he] does”.
Individual
NAME: KATHLEEN
NOMINATED BY: HELEN
ENTRY: Kathleen is a nurse practitioner at HUP in the neurosurgery ICU which is being converted to a COVID-19 ICU. I’m partial but she’s the beyond the best and is tireless as a clinician and patient advocate.
Note: We’ve had the pleasure of shooting Kathleen and couldn’t agree more :)
Thanks again to all that entered and that do the amazing work that we count on every day! If you won, check your email :)