Hillary Guadagno

Hillary's Story

Hillary Guadagno, Pharm.D., BCPS, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Albany College of Pharmacy in 2008 and went on to complete a postgraduate pharmacy residency at Geisinger Health System. After residency Dr. Guadagno worked at Geisinger Medical Center as an antimicrobial stewardship and critical care pharmacist. In 2010, she relocated to "home" at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, NY where she worked as a staff pharmacist and began implementation of clinical programs. Dr. Guadagno became a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist in 2012. After four years, she transitioned into her current role as the Director of Pharmacy. Within this role she has attended Cornell-HANYS Academy for Healthcare Leadership Advancement, obtained SIDP Antimicrobial Stewardship Certificate, and was among the first pharmacists in New York to be credentialed for collaborative drug therapy management. Dr. Guadagno is involved in several local and national organizations. She is member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacist where she participates on the Section of Inpatient Care Practitioners Section Advisory Group (SAG) on Small and Rural Hospitals. Dr. Guadagno is also a member of the New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists and American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Dr. Guadagno has been a member of ASHP for nine years. She recently joined the Small and Rural Hospitals SAG in order to optimize her leadership at Adirondack Health

Overview of Facility/Health System

Adirondack Health is a key community institution in the heart of the Adirondacks for over a century. Under the Adirondack Health umbrella is the Adirondack Medical Center, a 99-license bed acute care facility with six operating rooms, a 24-hour emergency department, a 15-hour emergency department, four health centers, one living center, and a variety of specialty clinics including obstetrics, bariatric, wound care, oncology, dialysis and dental services. Adirondack Health is well known for ties to the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center and works with elite athletes drawn to the area for world class events (i.e. IRONMAN Lake Placid and the annual Lake Placid horse shows).

Significant Projects

Most recently Dr. Guadagno has led the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee and the development of the Antimicrobial Use Module reporting. She has worked with the pharmacy team of seven pharmacists to enroll and complete the self-study learning component of the SIDP Antimicrobial Stewardship Certificate program. Dr. Guadagno has led the redesign of the Adirondack Health compounding sterile preparation room for USP Chapter <797> and USP Chapter < 800> compliance. She has assisted in the development of an ambulatory care pharmacy into the Adirondack Health clinics and most recently an anticoagulation management clinic. She continues to work on developing a credentialing process with the medical staff and incorporating collaborative drug protocols into practice.

Initial Involvement in ASHP

"I first became involved through my PGY1 residency program. I continued my involvement in order to stay abreast of the ever-changing institutional pharmacy practice and to gain access to the opinions of my peers. I find ASHP an invaluable resource to poll best practices and advance pharmacy practice."

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

"Treat every challenge as a potential opportunity. The pharmacy career is rapidly changing with many new doors opening, which will require us to be innovative and adaptable to transformational change. The prospect of being recognized as providers is both exciting and daunting. Patience is key in working with the medical staff to develop the foundation for how this will be incorporated into practice. As a profession, we will also need to develop a consistent credentialing process that ensures ongoing competency. The future is here. We have built the castles in the air, now it's time to put the foundations under them."

Value of ASHP

"Have you ever wanted a 24/7 phone-a-friend opportunity for those seemingly unanswerable questions? This is what ASHP Connect®, ASHP’s online discussion social media site, provides. I couldn't imagine practicing without this."

"Obtaining provider status is the ultimate “castle in the air” and it will take a united team and many resources to see this to fruition. ASHP’s team is among the largest and has devoted many resources towards this important advocacy topic."