Kristen Abbott

Her Story

Dr. Abbott earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Purdue University's College of Pharmacy in 2014. She then went on to the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina where she completed her ASHP-accredited PGY1 in ambulatory care at Mission Hospital in collaboration with the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). She worked to develop clinical pharmacy services in a rural clinic for the duration of her PGY2 with MAHEC and the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Ambulatory Care and Academia. While practicing in North Carolina, she was credentialed as a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner.

Dr. Abbott was recently appointed to the Section Advisory Group for Clinical Practice Advancement. She has been a member of ASHP for several years, participating in several seasons of residency recruitment. She also recently went to the ASHP Summer Meeting to partake in the Ambulatory Care boutique track which she found exceptionally useful for her everyday practice.

Facility

Dr. Abbott now works with Indiana University Health, Indiana's largest health care system that spans across the entire state. She works under a collaborative practice agreement in two primary care clinics in Indianapolis, focusing her disease state management efforts in diabetes, anticoagulation, and population health. 

Recent Significant Projects

During her PGY2 residency, Dr. Abbott was heavily involved in leading several population health and quality initiatives impacting her regional practices. In addition to traditional clinic responsibilities, she developed a systematic workflow for Medicare Annual Wellness Visits, then trained physicians and clinical staff in the entire region on procedures and documentation processes. She was also responsible for developing and implementing a process to better combat uncontrolled diabetes in the region through a combination of registry management and direct referrals. She also co-founded the Western North Carolina Ambulatory Care Task Force to provide an outlet for regional ambulatory and community pharmacists to collaborate, communicate, and standardize care across settings. 

Becoming Involved in ASHP

"I initially became involved in ASHP as a pharmacy student at Purdue. I was drawn to the opportunities to get involved at such an early level and continue to be excited by the practice advancement and advocacy efforts put forth by ASHP. This is an organization that is obviously dedicated to the investment in the future of healthcare in our country and to holding our pharmacy practitioners to a higher standard."

Advice for Someone New to Specialty Area

 "I would advise any new ambulatory care practitioner to always push themselves out of their comfort zone and be prepared to take on some unexpected challenges. Starting services can be uncharted territory so keeping an open mind and a smile on your face will always guide you in the right direction. I especially have learned the value of mentor support and guidance, realizing that reinventing the wheel is not always necessary and that bouncing ideas off of your colleagues can be the most helpful next step. Most of all, perseverance and compassion will always pay off."

Value of ASHP

"ASHP is an organization that stands to promote the future of pharmacy as we know it. This organization is widely known across the country as one that upholds the standards to which we train our pharmacists on the job through residency and continuing professional development. One of the most profound benefits comes in the way of the professional network afforded to its members. The networking opportunities to meet with others in similar practice areas is met gracefully with a wealth of resources and documents to share knowledge and disseminate learning opportunities for the profession."

"ASHP provides members with many resources in order to better their pharmacy practice. This professional network allows members to collaborate and build upon successes and learn from challenges along the way. ASHP provides standards by which residency training is built upon and provides advocacy avenues for those who are interested."