Lowell Anderson

ScD, FAPhA

Lowell Anderson practiced at and owned Falcon Heights Pharmacy and Bel-Aire Pharmacy for the majority of his practice career. After leaving practice he was a founder and Senior Fellow of the Center for Leading Healthcare Change at the college of pharmacy, with appointment as Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems. He has served as a board member of St. John's Hospital, Pharmacists Mutual Insurance, and Physicians Health Plan(Medica),(Chairman) Council on Pharmacy Practice Accreditation, MN Commission on Standard Benefit Design (chairman), American Council on Pharmacy Education, Central Society of Hospital Pharmacy, Community Practice Section of the International Pharmacy Federation, Minnesota Opera Company and Lyra Baroque Orchestra. He has also served as the first speaker of the MPhA House of Delegates and President, Speaker of House of Delegates as well as President and Treasurer of APhA, President of the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, and various committees within NARD (NCPA), AMCP, AACP. Professional recognitions include an honorary doctorate from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Outstanding Achievement Award from the U of M Board of Regents, Lawrence and Dolores Weaver Medal from the College of Pharmacy and the Remington Honor Medal from the profession of Pharmacy.

Michelle Aytay

RPh, CDE, Region #21 Clinical Services, Walgreens Co., MPhA President

Michelle Aytay graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1996 and has been practicing community pharmacy with direct patient care in Minnesota since that time. She currently advances clinical pharmacy services in her work with Walgreens. Her volunteer leadership roles span numerous organizations. Aytay serves as MPhA President, as co-chair for the MPhA Public Policy Committee and as a member of the Pharmacy Advocacy Task Force. She is on the MPhA Board of Directors and Executive Finance Committee. She is also a Past President of the Minnesota Pharmacists Foundation. She is active in numerous capacities at the College of Pharmacy, including previous service as Pharmacy Alumni Society President and on the Century Mortar Club Board of Directors. She is a preceptor, residency director, mentor and Leadership Networking Partner. Aytay actively promotes the role of pharmacists in patients’ health through community involvement with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association. Her leadership has been recognized through numerous awards, including the University of Minnesota Pharmacy Alumni Society Distinguished Pharmacist Award. She also serves on the Minnesota Department of Health Pandemic Preparedness Taskforce.

Molly Ekstrand

RPh, BCACP, AE-C, Medication Management Program Manager, Park Nicollet Health Services

Molly Ekstrand is a pharmacist and leader of the Medication Management program in the Park Nicollet Health System in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro Area. She leads efforts to develop and implement the MTM program and infrastructure. In just 4 years, Park Nicollet has expanded to ten pharmacists (9.6 FTE) serving 16 primary care clinics, reaching over 800 patients each month. Ekstrand practiced MTM in Family and Internal Medicine clinics for over 10 years; she has provided and documented MTM services to thousands of patients. Molly is MPhA's Immediate Past President.

Julie Freeman

Cub Pharmacy, MPhA Public Affairs Committee Co-Chair

Julie Freeman is a staff pharmacist at Cub Pharmacy in St. Louis Park. She has been practicing community pharmacy in Iowa and Minnesota since earning her Doctorate of Pharmacy from The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy in 2012. Julie, co-chair of the Public Affairs Committee, is also a member of the Iowa Pharmacy Association and the American Pharmacists Association.

Keri Hager

PharmD, BCACP, Associate Professor, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Duluth

Dr. Hager is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Duluth campus (on the beautiful shores of Lake Superior!). She is an alum of both the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy Pharm.D. Program and PGY1 Residency Program. After graduation she helped establish clinical pharmacy services within SuperiorHealth Center (now Essentia Health) in Two Harbors, Duluth, and Proctor. She is now the Director of the Duluth campus MTM Clinic, and she has been practicing pharmaceutical care and precepting students on ambulatory and patient care rotations for over a decade. She teaches pharmaceutical care, starting in the fall of the PD1 year and threading through the didactic and experiential core and elective coursework at the College of Pharmacy. Her practice, teaching, scholarship, and service all focus around her passion for preparing the next generation of pharmacist practitioners to improve health through collaborative team-based care. She is excited to talk with you today about Seizing Opportunity through Commitment to Action.

Buck Humphrey

PATF/MPhA Lobbyist

Buck Humphrey is an experienced government affairs and public relations executive with relationships and a track record with political leaders in Minnesota, throughout the Midwest and in our nation’s capital. For more than 20 years, Buck has worked at the intersection of the private and public sectors on issues at the federal, state and local levels. He knows and has worked with Gov. Dayton, the minority leaders, speakers and much of the Minnesota Senate and House legislative membership. He has similar relationships with state capitol leaders throughout the Midwest and around the country. Over the past 4 years, Buck has been on the lobbying team that has passed MAC transparency provisions and build a bipartisan patient pharmacy network access coalition. He is an experienced lobbyist, knowledgeable about our issues and with a strong desire and commitment to move our agenda.

Michelle Johnson

PharmD, BCACP Fairview Pharmacy

Michelle Johnson is a pharmacist for Fairview Pharmacy, where she has worked since 2014. Michelle started in the retail division at Fairview, and in February 2017 started training with the director for the ambulatory warfarin program, transitioning into that part time role in May 2017 upon his retirement. In January 2018 Michelle moved from the retail division into the MTM division full time, doing targeted medication management for anemia patients 2 days a week, in addition to her position working with the ambulatory warfarin monitoring program.

Michelle graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy in 1997 with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Michelle attained BPS certification in Ambulatory Care in 2014, and completed her APHA MTM certification in 2016. Previous to joining Fairview Pharmacy Michelle worked for the Fond du Lac Reservation in Cloquet, MN for two and a half years, and Goodrich Pharmacy for 14 years. While at her previous position, she started as a staff pharmacist, moved into managing a community pharmacy, and then transitioned into a more clinical role. Before leaving Goodrich she established & practiced MTM in 2 clinical practice sites within a partnering clinic.

Alison Knutson

PharmD, BCACP, MPhA Vice Speaker of the House

Alison Knutson received her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Minnesota-College of Pharmacy in May 2010. She completed the two-year University of Minnesota Pharmaceutical Care Leadership Residency, then In October 2012, Alison became Board Certified in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy.

Kaity Kuske

PharmD

Kaity Kuske is a first year Pharmaceutical Care Leadership Resident at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy.  She received her PharmD from South Dakota State University in 2017 and currently practices at Smiley’s Family Medicine Clinic in Minneapolis.  Kaity enjoys working with patients of many different cultures and languages, specifically in diabetes care.  She has international health care experience from medical mission trips to Haiti and Honduras, where she discovered her passion for direct patient care.  Kaity also has an interest in academia and enjoys working with learners.  She has developed both lectures and team-based learning activities for pharmacy students and medical residents.  Her research interest is in building new pharmaceutical care services and expanding current services in the ambulatory care setting.

Jeff Lindoo

RPh, Thrifty White (retired), MPhA Public Affairs Committee Co-Chair, MPhA Past President

Jeff Lindoo, RPh, grew up in the world of pharmacy. His earliest experience consisted primarily of reading comic books in the back of his Grandfather's and Father's pharmacy in rural Wisconsin. He later graduated to responsibility for emptying the trash and finally worked as a clerk, made fountain syrups, scrubbed the floors and worked as a technician (before the concept of technicians really existed) in the pharmacy, preparing prescriptions for his Father's final approval. He has been a member of MPhA since graduating from the NDSU College of Pharmacy in 1974. He worked his entire 42-year career in pharmacy for Thrifty White Pharmacies, serving in multiple positions and retiring in June of 2016. He is Immediate Past President of MPhA, serving on the Executive Committee and as co-chair of the Public Affairs Committee. He is a member of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy National Board of Advisors. He served on the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy from 1996 to 2000 and as Vice President in 1999. He is a former member of the Minnesota Retailers Association Board of Directors and Board Chair in 2010. He is also a member of APhA, ASCP and NCPA.

Jean Moon

PharmD, BCACP, Associate Professor, University Of Minnesota College Of Pharmacy, Twin Cities

Dr. Moon is an associate professor for the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and adjunct associate professor the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. She is clinical faculty for the University of Minnesota North Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program where she provides comprehensive medication management services for a medically underserved patient population. Dr. Moon is the Program Director for the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy PGY-1 pharmacy residency program within ambulatory care settings across the state. She also serves as the Ambulatory Care APPE Course Director for the College of Pharmacy. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy and completed a PGY1 pharmacy residency in 2005 from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy.

Anthony W. Olson

PharmD, MEd, University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, MPhA Speaker of the House

Anthony Olson is pursuing a PhD in Social & Administrative Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, where he also earned a PharmD in 2015. He serves as the Post Graduate Officer-elect in the American Pharmacists Association - Academy of Pharmaceutical Research & Science and as Vice Speaker of the House of Delegates for the Minnesota Pharmacists Association.

Natalie Roy

PharmD, Pharmaceutical Care Leadership Resident, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy

Natalie earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Drake University in 2016. She is currently a second-year Pharmaceutical Care Leadership Resident at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. This year she has developed a new MTM practice through Fairview at the MHealth Neurology clinic. Natalie is passionate about patient empowerment and better understanding patients' medication experience. Following residency, Natalie looks forward to pursing a career in ambulatory care in the Twin Cities, as well as teaching and precepting student pharmacists and continuing to advocate for the profession.

Anjoli Punjabi

Anjoli Punjabi graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy and Master’s in Public Health dual degree from the University Of Minnesota. She is originally from the Detroit metro area of Michigan. Anjoli earned her Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2011. After this she served as a Teach For America corps member where she dedicated two years as a middle school science teacher to closing the achievement gap between low-income and minority students and their affluent peers in the Twin Cities.

During pharmacy school she served as the President of the Minnesota Student Pharmacy Alliance (MPSA) and had leadership roles in Phi Lambda Sigma and the Philips Neighborhood Clinic, focusing on advocacy through professional associations and community outreach. Anjoli is passionate about research and programs that advance the role of pharmacists and meet the needs of underserved populations to reduce healthcare disparities. Therefore, she established a diabetes prevention program at Little Earth of United Tribes that seeks to help the community make a sustained commitment to health. Throughout her career, Anjoli will work to make sure that pharmacists’ skills and knowledge are being fully utilized to positively impact patient care. In addition, she is excited by the possibilities of expanding comprehensive medication management services in the changing healthcare landscape. After residency, Anjoli plans to pursue a career in academia as a practice faculty member. In her spare time Anjoli enjoys biking, cooking, film photography, and creating handmade greeting cards.

Carolyn Sieraski

RPh, BPharm, MM

Carolyn Sieraski is an experienced operations executive skilled in business optimization, improving profitability and achieving results through leadership and collaboration.  For the past 20 years, she held leadership positions at SUPERVALU Pharmacies, Cub Foods, Dollar General, and UnitedHealth Group.  Carolyn enjoys motivating, inspiring and developing others and has a proven track record of helping people grow personally and professionally.

Previous to her leadership positions, Carolyn was a pharmacist for Cub Pharmacy where she fulfilled her passion for helping people.  She is currently preparing to return to the practice of pharmacy, completing the APhA MTM certification program along with other learning activities to refresh her clinical proficiency.

Carolyn graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Pharmacy and has her Master’s in Management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.   She is a member of MPhA and served as a member of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy National Board of Advisors and as a Leadership Networking Partner for pharmacy students. 

Stephanie Swanson

PharmD, Pharmaceutical Care Leadership Resident, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy

Stephanie earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree with a Leadership Emphasis at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy in May 2016. During pharmacy school, she was committed to leadership and teaching and was involved in the College at many levels including Phi Lambda Sigma, Philips Neighborhood Clinic and the Pharmaceutical Care Learning Center. She enjoys connecting with others and is enthusiastic about helping them achieve their goals, both as students and patients. Stephanie is currently in year two of the Pharmaceutical Care Leadership Residency where she spends half her time providing ambulatory care services at North Memorial Primary Care Clinic in North Minneapolis and the other half teaching at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. She is looking forward to fulfilling her dual passion for working with both patients and students.

Jill Strykowski

MS, RPh, BCPS Director of Pharmacy and Home Infusion, Mercy Hospital, Allina Health, Pharmacy Advocacy Task Force Co-Chair, MPhA Past President

Jill Strykowski received her Bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Master of Science in Social and Administrative Pharmacy from the University of Minnesota. Her Master's thesis was entitled "Implementation and Outcome Analysis of an Anticoagulation Clinic." Jill has written and lectured about various aspects of antithrombotic care; but importantly, it was through this work that she became passionate and interested in the potential of leadership of pharmacy practice. Jill is currently the Director of Pharmacy for Mercy Hospital and Unity Hospital in the 13-hospital Allina Health system. Jill has mentored PharmD-IV students and Residents for the last 15 years and has found this relationship to be the greatest joy in assisting young pharmacists in reaching their personal and professional goals. In 2013-14, Jill was elected President of the Minnesota Pharmacist Association and continues to serve the organization. Over the course of the last 4 years, Jill has served as a co-chair for the Pharmacy Advocacy Task Force to advance legislative changes for the practice of pharmacy. Jill also serves as a member of to the Dean's College of Pharmacy Advisory Board.

Additional interests include participation in global health using the practice of pharmacy to advance health care. Jill has traveled with pharmacy students and residents to Peru and Tanzania to assist with the provision of pharmacy services in resource poor areas. Jill is also interested in health care public policy, patient safety initiatives, and new business opportunities for the profession that serve the needs of our communities through the practice of pharmacy.

Brent Thompson

PharmD, Director of Pharmacy, First Light Health System

Dr. Brent Thompson, Pharm.D. has been Pharmacy Director at FirstLight Health System in Mora, Minnesota since 2002, first starting in 2000 as the hospitals only Clinical Pharmacist. He began his career in chain and consulting pharmacy.  In his time with FirstLight, the practice has grown to 9 clinical pharmacists, 9 certified technicians and a pharmacy resident practicing in the hospital, 3 ambulatory clinics, and a community pharmacy.  He has also operated an independent pharmacy consulting practice for various long term/intermediate care and assisted living facilities since 1999. 

Brent earned his B.S., Pharm.D. at North Dakota State University and has been active in professional associations since his early college years.  He finished a term as President of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association in 2011 and served on the board of directors from 2006 to 2012.  He also served terms on the Policy and Reference committees of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) in 2012-2013.  In 2017 he was elected to the Executive Committee of APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA-APPM).  In 2013, his pharmacy team were the recipients of the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Association (NASPA) Excellence in Innovation Award.  In 2014, Brent was recipient of the APhA Foundation Bowl of Hygeia Award, pharmacy’s national recognition for outstanding civic leadership.

In addition to his professional work, he is passionate about our youth. He introduces high school students to pharmacy through a Careers Exploration class, maintains a full schedule of university interns, and a resident. As a community leader, Brent is secretary of the Pine County Agricultural Society, bringing thousands of kids to the Pine County Fair each year.  He’s also been a longtime advocate and supporter of MN Forkhorn Camps, providing youth firearms safety training and beginner to advanced hunting skills.

Brent has served on the Substance Abuse Coalition of Kanabec County, since 2012 and recently finished his term as chair in 2015.  The mission of the Substance Abuse Coalition of Kanabec County is to promote healthy choices in the community through prevention and collaborative partnerships for the reduction of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse among youth and residents.  For the past 5 years he’s been focusing much of his attention on the Rx Drug Abuse Crisis in America, speaking locally, around the state, and nationally, to spread awareness.