Addison Ragan

Her Story
Dr. Ragan received her PharmD degree from Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy in Auburn, Alabama in 2000 and immediately started her career as a primary care clinical pharmacist with Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System, in Montgomery, Alabama. She currently serves as the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) Pharmacy Program Manager.

Facility
VHA’s Clinical Resource Hub is the first ever enterprise-wide VHA virtual hub-and-spoke model to improve Veteran access to care through telehealth modalities. The CRH employs over 2,300 remote clinicians, including 160 clinical pharmacist practitioners (CPPs). To date, the CRH has provided care to over one million Veterans into all VA Medical Centers (VAMCs). The CRH care model leverages the CPP to provide comprehensive medication management as part of interdisciplinary telehealth teams in the practice areas of primary care, mental health, pain, substance use disorder, and medicine specialties. This model allows CPPs to provide care into multiple medical centers simultaneously via telehealth providing access to care during VA medical facility staffing shortages. In addition, this model increases access to specialty care CPP services that are often not available at lower complexity and rural VAMCs.

Recent Significant Projects
I am currently leading the design and deployment of a CRH Health Care Professional Trainee and Preceptor survey and evaluation to better understand virtual training model perceptions with a subsequent focus of using the results to expand PGY-1 and PGY-2 pharmacy training experiences within CRH. In addition, I am championing a proof-of-concept study to evaluate the impact on patient access when a virtual cardiology CPP is added to an in-person interdisciplinary cardiology team.

Involvement in ASHP
I am a newly appointed member of the ASHP Section of Digital and Telehealth Practitioner Executive Committee. In addition, I am an active member supporting ASHP as a poster presenter and speaker. I provided an educational session at the 2022 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting titled “The Future of Clinical Pharmacy Practice: Leveraging an Integrated Telehealth Team-Based Model” and will be presenting on “The Future of Healthcare Is Now! Integrating Innovative Technologies to Improve Patient Care” at the 2024 Midyear Clinical Meeting.

Why did you become involved in ASHP?
I am passionate about exploring and utilizing technology innovations to advance clinical pharmacy practice. I have been fortunate to be a leader of innovation and interdisciplinary pharmacy practice integration across the VHA enterprise. I have a strong desire to give back to the pharmacy community by sharing my knowledge and expertise in this area. There is no better way to accomplish this goal than by working with ASHP to help create tools and resources to expand digital health and telehealth pharmacy practices.

Advice for Someone New to Specialty Area
In today's healthcare setting of increasing burnout, staffing shortages, and an aging population there is tremendous opportunity for the clinical pharmacist practitioner to fill healthcare gaps and expand reach through the use of telehealth modalities. Don't be afraid to think outside the box of how to use all your digital health tools, especially your ability to leverage telehealth visits into the clinic, hospital room, ED, or home, to expand care and services into sites or practice settings that lack clinical pharmacy services or have need for additional support.

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?
ASHP is the national pharmacy organization that advocates for the advancement of clinical pharmacy practice across the entire spectrum of practice areas and settings. They provide pharmacy leaders, clinical pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians with the resources, education, and legislative advocacy needed to support their well-being and professional growth. In addition, ASHP serves as the accrediting body for post-graduate pharmacy trainee programs setting the standards that ensure our future pharmacist practitioners improve patient outcomes, quality of life and continue to be well respected clinicians.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?
ASHP is the collective voice for health systems pharmacists providing incredible advocacy, education, trainings, certifications, and resources to support pharmacy practice advancement. ASHP creates foundational documents and resources to provide healthcare systems the needed framework to support their pharmacist in optimizing patient outcomes and quality of life. In addition, the organization leverages their members’ expertise to expand knowledge using the interconnectivity of ASHPs board, executive committees, and workgroup structures. ASHP also continues to invest in training the future pharmacy workforce through the support and growth of post-graduate pharmacy residency programs.