APhA Member News
A minute with …
Sara Wettergreen, PharmD, BCACP
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aurora; and Ambulatory Care Pharmacist, UCHealth Lone Tree Primary Care, Lone Tree, Colorado
Member since 2008
"I have been a member of APhA since 2008, and ever since that time I have considered APhA my professional home. I truly believe in and connect with the mission of the organization, to ‘lead the profession and equip members for their role as the medication expert in team-based, patient-centered care.’ This is incredibly impactful for my clinical practice and for the practice of pharmacy across all settings. During my time with APhA, I’ve been fortunate enough to hold multiple leadership roles as a student, new practitioner, and now as a pharmacist. Through my involvement in the Medical Home/ACO SIG, I’ve been able to leverage my clinical experiences to help develop practice resources for other members and advance our profession forward.”
What is the most valuable aspect of your membership in APhA?
My favorite thing about being an APhA member is supporting advocacy for the profession of pharmacy. The organization supports advancement of pharmacists’ roles across all practice settings. The legislative success we’ve already begun to see in individual states is a testament to the strength we wield as one collective voice.
What lessons learned or tips would you share based on your experience in your practice setting?
When entering a new practice setting, there is often inconsistent background experience working with a clinical pharmacist. One strategy that has worked well for me is to work closely with the providers who are most interested in clinical pharmacy services. Sharing successful outcomes from your collaboration may help other providers learn the value you bring and how you can best support them.
What advice do you have for others who may be interested in your career path?
As a new practitioner, I struggled with saying “no.” The most helpful advice I’ve received is that a “yes” to one opportunity is always a “no” to something else. That advice has led me to a well-balanced career today. I truly enjoy my job as both a faculty member and a clinical pharmacist. As an ambulatory care pharmacist, I find it rewarding to have the opportunity to interact with patients directly to help solve their medication-related problems, provide education, and be a resource for them. I also appreciate the clinical challenges that come from curbside provider consults. I learn something new every day.
Can you share a meaningful story about a time you interacted with a patient? Perhaps a time you felt like you really made a difference for them?
There are countless patient encounters from my clinical practice that I will never forget. One of these situations occurred when following up with a patient for hypertension and diabetes management. During the visit, I learned that she was recently discharged from the hospital and lived in a nursing home facility. It was a challenge to sort out what medications she should be taking and what she was actually receiving from her facility so we could ensure her final regimen was appropriate and accurate. When checking the patient’s vital signs during the visit, I found that she had tachycardia, and thus brought in a provider for further assessment. The patient was sent to the emergency room and was newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation! I am proud of the care I delivered in this situation, as I was able to help make sure the patient received the appropriate medications in a complex care scenario while also coordinating care for a newly diagnosed condition.
Members in motion
Sandra Leal honored by Kappa Epsilon fraternity
Sandra Leal, BSPharm, PharmD, was selected for Kappa Epsilon Fraternity (KE) Honorary Membership by KE’s Grand Council. The honor was announced during the professional pharmacy fraternity’s 100th Anniversary Convention in August 2021.
There have been 7 KE Honorary Members in its 100 years, and Leal represents 1 of 3 who were also American Pharmacists Association (APhA) presidents. Honorary membership is bestowed upon individuals “who have given distinguished service to the profession and/or KE.”
Leal is a first-generation American of Mexican ancestry who rose from humble beginnings in Arizona to become the CEO of a major pharmacy company and current APhA president. She began her pharmacy career at the University of Colorado, supported by a major scholarship that helped enable her to receive her BSPharm and PharmD degrees. She later received a Public Health Master (MPH) degree from the University of Massachusetts. Throughout her career, she has maintained close ties with the University of Arizona (UA).
Leal has given much to her profession during her pharmacy career. Her letter of nomination for KE Honorary Membership stated that “she is an advocate for change in pharmacy. She wants to improve health care for all, but especially for those who cannot speak for themselves.
“As president of APhA, she is a strong advocate for provider status for pharmacists and being a voice for pharmacy.”
Leal has been Director of Clinical Pharmacy at El Rio Health in Tucson, Arizona (2001–09) and Medical Director of their Broadway clinic (2012–13). Thereafter, she joined SinfoniaRX in Tucson, serving as Vice President for Innovation (2014–17), Chief Operating Officer (2017–19), and CEO (2019–20). After SinfoniaRX was purchased by Tabula Rosa Health Care, Leal was named Executive Vice President of Tabula Rosa Health Care’s Solution Health Plans and Payers Business Unit. The SinfoniaRX name will soon disappear under the Tabula Rosa Health Care title.
Leal has served the members of many organizations including APhA, Alliance for Integrated Medication Management, American Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and National Center for Farmworker Health and American Diabetes Association, among others. She has received many honors and awards, including Arizona Pharmacist Association Hall of Fame, Good Government Pharmacist-of-the-Year (APhA), The Pinnacle Award (APhA Foundation), and the 40 under 40 Award (Tucson Chamber of Commerce). The latter is incredibly special because a pharmacist is rarely recognized by the Chamber. She has published many articles and is an invited speaker by colleges of pharmacy, pharmacy organizations, and other health care groups.
Metta Lou Henderson Excellence in Academia Award
Metta Lou Henderson, BSPharm, MS, PhD, was honored by KE during the 100th Anniversary Convention with the establishment of a major award in her name. The Metta Lou Henderson Excellence in Academia Award was created by KE Grand Council to recognize members who have made a significant contribution to pharmacy education through instruction/teaching, scholarly activity, leadership, service, and the advancement of the pharmacy profession. Henderson was honored as the initial recipient of the award.
Henderson received her degrees from UA, where she currently serves as research professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science. She is also professor emerita at Ohio Northern University (ONU), where she served the College of Pharmacy (COP) in various academic and administrative capacities, including professor, department chair, associate dean for pharmacy student affairs, and assistant to the vice president for academic affairs at the university level. Prior to being a member of the ONU faculty, she served as a faculty member at Ferris State University COP, instructor at Kellogg Community College (Michigan), and a graduate assistant at UA.
Henderson has been a mentor and friend to many in the pharmacy profession, especially those in academia. Lucinda Maine, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) stated that it was “people like Metta Lou, Mary Munson Runge, and Gloria Francke, and other female leaders who provided me support, encouragement, and guidance that accelerated my pathway into leadership in pharmacy.”
Henderson is considered the expert on the history of women in pharmacy, having spent much time during her career researching and documenting this history and publishing American Women Pharmacists: Contributions to the Profession.
Henderson has served KE in many ways including as grand president, national advisor, national historian, member of Grand Council, and chapter advisor at the college level. She has served the members of many organizations including AACP, APhA, and the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy (AIHP) through her leadership, expert, and mentoring roles.
Among Henderson’s many honors and awards, she was named APhA Honorary President (2015–16). She has received the APhA Gloria Niemeyer Francke Leadership Mentor Award, the UA COP Mortar and Pestle Award and UA’s Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award for Pharmacy, Arizona Pharmacy Association Honorary Membership, ONU Honorary Doctor of Pharmacy degree, AACP Rufus A. Lyman Award, KE Key of Excellence Award, and KE/Merck Vanguard Leadership Award, among others. Most recently, she received the AIHP Robert P. Fischelis Award primarily for the women in pharmacy history projects.
Did you know?
Our new APhA Vaccine Confident Playbook is the perfect resource to help you address vaccine hesitancy
Pharmacists are achieving success in building confidence with patients who are hesitant about receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Often, a single conversation can turn a “no” to a “yes.” The APhA Vaccine Confident Playbook is a user-friendly, action-oriented resource to inform pharmacist–patient conversations regarding COVID-19 vaccines, with the goal of reducing vaccine hesitancy, bolstering vaccine confidence, and increasing vaccine uptake. The purpose of the Vaccine Confident Playbook is to help you—the pharmacist and pharmacy team members on the front lines of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign—to have the most productive possible conversation with each and every patient. Our online resource provides guidance on several issues concerning vaccine hesitancy, including steps to engage in meaningful conversations with patients, topic-specific tips for reducing vaccine hesitancy, and increasing vaccine uptake.
You can access the APhA Vaccine Confident Playbook at apha.us/VCPlaybook
Get involved in APhA
Medical Home/ACO SIG
The APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice & Management (APhA–APPM) Medical Home/Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) Special Interest Group (SIG) facilitates a network of practitioners, administrators, and educators who share an interest in the development, implementation, and dissemination of information regarding new models for patient care, specifically the patient-centered medical home and ACOs.
The SIG aims to build a professional community of pharmacists who are involved in all aspects of patient-centered care, from the provision of care through the medical home to administration and payment of that care in the ACO model. This may include those who are developing medical home/ACO–related pharmacy services, teaching students and/or residents about medical homes and ACOs, and investigating reimbursement opportunities and performing research within a medical home/ACO. SIG members are charged with facilitating education and communication about medical homes and ACOs and creating resources aimed at advancing practice in these care settings.
Interested in getting involved in the Medical Home/ACO SIG? Learn more at apha.us/MedicalHomeACOSIG