Kelly Martin

Kelly’s Story

Dr. Martin completed a combined two-year pharmacy administration residency program at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, Wisconsin in 2012, concurrently earning her Masters of Science in Health System Pharmacy Administration. Dr. Martin earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

Currently, Dr. Martin is the Vice Chair of the Section Advisory Group on Leadership Development for the Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers of ASHP. In addition, Dr. Martin serves as the President-Elect for Region 4 for the Virginia Society of Health System Pharmacists (VSHP) and serves as the Chair of the Early Careerist Network (ECN) for the Central Virginia Healthcare Executives Group (CVHEG) chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Facility

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System is comprised of the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Hospitals & Clinics, MCV Physicians, and Virginia Premier Medicaid HMO. The combination of the VCU Health System with the five, on-campus health science schools (Allied Health, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy) creates VCU Medical Center. As a university teaching and research center, and the largest acute care hospital in Virginia with 779 beds, VCU Health System provides diverse and comprehensive services, such as transplantation for heart, kidney, liver and other organs. VCU Medical Center offers state-of-the-art care in more than 200 specialty areas. The clinics and outpatient services create a major ambulatory care facility with more than 650,000 outpatient visits annually.

Significant Projects

Dr. Martin is the Manager of Specialty Pharmacy at VCU Health. In this role, Dr. Martin is leading the development and expansion of Specialty Pharmacy services for the health system. This service was initiated in 2015 with an initial focus on hepatitis C treatment. Growth is now focused on building and strengthening relationships with the hepatology, oncology, and neurology clinical teams and patients, coordinating and overseeing prior authorization and reimbursement services, and standardizing daily processes for specialty medication distribution and delivery. This novel service line for the department of pharmacy has provided the opportunity to deliver comprehensive outpatient pharmacy services for many complex patients.

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

“If someone were beginning their journey in pharmacy administration, I would remind them to always keep the patient at the center of all day-to-day projects and long range decisions. It is easy to get caught up in making operational changes to improve efficiency or workflow, but one must keep the impact on the patient at heart to ensure positive outcomes.”

“Regarding the field of specialty pharmacy, it is easy to get overwhelmed because of the quick rate of change and growth. The focus must be placed on the fact that specialty pharmacy allows for excellent opportunities to improve patient care, develop new interdisciplinary relationships, and provide great financial benefits to the health system. This is an exciting time to be entering the field of Specialty Pharmacy.”

Involvement in ASHP

“I became involved with ASHP as a pharmacy student at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. At the time, I was unaware of the many benefits provided by being a member of ASHP but was excited by the prospect of being part of a large professional organization that has a profound impact on the profession of pharmacy. My involvement has grown exponentially from that point, first as a resident, and now in my role as a manager. The greatest benefit that I have received from being an active member of ASHP is the strong professional network that I have developed over the years. The support system of friends and colleagues that I have met through ASHP provides an avenue to collaborate and share ideas about day-to-day items and long range planning topics. I am forever grateful for the professional relationships that I have developed through ASHP.”

ASHP’s Value to Members

“I would explain the many benefits that I have gained through being a member of ASHP. In addition to the solid network of professional colleagues that I have built, there are countless tools and resources that I have access to as a member of ASHP. The American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (AJHP) provides thought-provoking articles on current topics and the Daily News Brief and other regular emails keep me up-to-date on key topics that impact pharmacy practice. Also, ASHP Connect provides the opportunity to communicate with other pharmacists on relevant topics through a message board type setting. In addition, I am actively engaged in the ASHP Political Action Committee (PAC) which supports advocacy for the profession of pharmacy at a national government level.”

“ASHP provides great value for the profession because it serves as a centralized voice for pharmacists practicing in health system settings. There are many dedicated ASHP staff members and eager volunteer ASHP members that collaborate on projects and initiatives to help move the profession of pharmacy to the next level. The professional network that is built and supported by ASHP allows for professional connections to grow among members, leading to improvements in pharmacy practice and ultimately improved care for our patients.”