Gillian Leung

Professional Bio:

I am a board-certified cardiology pharmacist, passionate about the care of patients with pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. After graduating from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and completing additional residency training in cardiology, I started my professional career establishing new medication management services at the University of Kentucky Healthcare Gill Heart and Vascular Institute - Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic.

During the day, I provide patient-centered care for complex patients with pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, and other cardiovascular ailments. I strongly believe that our patient is the biggest team-player of their own care. With my current practice, I work with patients during and in-between clinic appointments, providing accessible healthcare and addressing any medication-related concern for patients residing across the state of Kentucky, southern Ohio, and western West Virginia. I am also involved in the education and training of student pharmacists and pharmacy residents both at academic and clinical settings. When not at work, I am particularly enthusiastic about serving on different professional committees within cardiology and pharmacy organizations. Through these leadership opportunities, I learn from and get inspired by clinicians across the nation, which helps me continue to grow clinically and professionally.

Reasons for selecting this career path and professional interests:

I have been amazed by the physiology of the heart since my second year in pharmacy school. I was able to solidify my interest in pursuing a career in cardiology after my rotational experiences and numerous discussions with mentors. Cardiology is a specialty built on an elaborate and immense body of clinical research and evidence. The specialty also allows me to impact patients in multiple phases of care, from critical care, acute care, to ambulatory care. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with and building connections with my patients to choose the best therapy option(s) for them.

Professional Interests:

• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Heart Failure
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Patient-centered Care
• Professional Organization Involvement

Interest in serving on the NPF Executive Committee:

I have been highly involved in professional organizations since pharmacy school. Being able to connect with and learn from clinicians from different practice locations and areas has brought much excitement and enrichment to my professional career and personal growth.

As part of different professional committees, I have loved creating useful resources for the pharmacist community and forming lifelong friendships along the way. After being involved in NPF advisory groups for 3 years (Membership and Outreach Advisory Group & Career Development Advisory Group), and most recently as a work group lead, I am excited to utilize what I learned and serve new practitioners at a larger scale. I hope to learn much more about what ASHP offers, share important resources, and promote the benefit of being an active member of this community.

Benefits of being involved in ASHP as a New Practitioner:

The best part of being involved in ASHP is the connections you make. I have enjoyed working with fellow new practitioners on multiple projects, including but not limited to hosting the New Practitioners Networking Session at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting 2019, recording a podcast on non-traditional career paths, and creating a resource guide and podcast interview on impostor syndrome. Through these deliverables, not only did we form enriching friendships, we were also able to make a positive impact on our pharmacist community. In addition, through different projects and conference calls, I have been able to hone my leadership and teamwork skills. As a side note, I always like to tell people that as part of these committees, we were using video conferencing before video conferencing was “cool”! My involvement in ASHP and NPF has fueled my passion for the profession, catalyzed my professional growth, and added colors to my career.