Edward Woo

Edward's Story

Edward Woo is originally from Mississippi, and studied at the University of Mississippi. From there, he earned two Bachelor of Science degrees, one in Electrical Engineering and one in Pharmaceutical Sciences, as well as a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Edward now resides in Nashville, TN.

Edward is currently a member of the Pharmacy Informatics and Technology Section Advisory Group on Ambulatory Care Informatics.

Facility/Health System

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is a comprehensive health care facility dedicated to patient care, research, and biomedical education. Its reputation for excellence in these areas has made it a major center for patient referrals from throughout the Mid-South. VUMC comprises four hospitals - Vanderbilt Hospital, Vanderbilt Behavioral Health, Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital, and Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt – representing 1,100 patient beds, as well as clinics and facilities throughout the region. In 2015, patients made nearly 2 million outpatient visits at VUMC. The mission of VUMC is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Significant Projects

Recently, Edward has been driving the development of a new application that supports VUMC’s specialty pharmacy business. The application is designed to identify patients that would benefit from VUMC's services, refer them into the VUMC network, and provide them tailored support and counseling for managing their often complex medication therapies. The application is a win-win for both the medical center and patients when it comes to continuity of care.

Edward has also been involved with data extraction and analytics for Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy and also hospital-wide.

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

"Network and learn!! Go to events in your town, research leaders in your field who live nearby, introduce yourself at conferences – this will help you find mentors or preceptors with vast amounts of information in your specialty area from whom you can learn. Individuals with real-world experience are the best resource you can have if you’re stepping into unchartered territory."

"I also recommend staying up-to-date with the literature in your field. Whether it’s academic or business-related, you need to stay on top of what’s happening in your area – this is key for developing your skillset."

Initial Involvement in ASHP

"I became involved in ASHP to network and learn from others in my field – the organization is a great resource for connecting with people who work in areas I’m interested in, such as informatics and pharmacy. Leveraging ASHP, I was able to not only learn new concepts from others, but to also share what has or hasn't worked for me in my institution."

Value of ASHP

"ASHP has been extremely valuable for me. For one, it’s provided access to a number of fellow colleagues, who provide opportunities for me to learn and share. It’s also great from a practical perspective – ASHP means I can problem-solve in real time and see solutions of current challenges others like me are facing."

"I’m passionate about ASHP not only because it has benefited me personally – I’ve gained contacts, grown my network and gained a ton of new knowledge – but also because it’s been such a strong advocate for our profession. ASHP is behind numerous advancements in pharmacy and will continue to be as our profession evolves."