March 2019
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
Winston S. Churchill
Change. It’s an evitable part of life. Some yearn for it, some fear it, and others envision it. The book “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson has impacted my leadership development throughout my professional life. The story describes two mice and two little people who live in a maze. Each day, a new serving of cheese arrives for them to enjoy. Over time, the cheese dwindles and then disappears. The mice, Sniff and Scurry, were prepared for this change and scamper off into the maze to find new cheese. The little people, Hem and Haw, stay behind, wondering if the cheese will return, and worrying about their future. Hem ultimately writes on the wall of the maze: “If you don’t change, you can become extinct”. This simple little parable reminds us that change will occur, and that the way we prepare for it and lead ourselves and others through it impacts our outcomes.
As healthcare professionals, we face significant changes every day. Drug shortages, rising healthcare costs, the opioid epidemic, and the transition to value based care create challenges and opportunities for ambulatory care pharmacists. My own community is experiencing significant changes including health sciences center expansion, hospital acquisitions, and changing practice models. Whatever changes lie ahead, Sniff and Scurry inspire us to greet it proactively and create new opportunities.
The Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners is undergoing changes of our own. At the ASHP Clinical Midyear Meeting, the Executive Committee made plans for restructuring our Section Advisory Groups (SAGs). Ambulatory Care practice is ever changing and the Section is evolving as well, as we keep our finger on the pulse of what our members are experiencing in practice. We strive to provide a medium for idea sharing, education, and elevating ambulatory care practice. With that in mind, the SAG structure beginning fall 2019 will include:
There are many ways that you can be involved with our Section:
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The ASHP Summer Meeting will be held June 8-12 in Boston and will include an Ambulatory Care Conference for forward-thinking pharmacists who strive to advance ambulatory care practice. The Section will host a Networking Session entitled “What the Ambulatory Care Pharmacist Needs to Know about Social Determinants of Health”.
At the end of “Who Moved My Cheese” (spoiler alert!), all of the characters realize that although change is inevitable, moving forward in a new direction leads them to new and better cheese. I look forward to seeing all that lies ahead as we travel our own mazes of life and work together to advance ambulatory care practice.
My best,
Mollie
Mollie Ashe Scott, Pharm.D., BCACP, CPP, FASHP
Chair, Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners
sections@ashp.org
PS Happy Match Day!