Alumni Amy Kennedy and Joel Jones bring expertise in clinical pharmacy, higher education, and digital health
By Katie Ginder-Vogel
As healthcare and pharmacy practice continue to rapidly evolve, the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy leverages forward-thinking leaders to help shape its direction and ensure graduates are prepared for practice today and in the future.
This year, the School welcomes two new members to its Board of Visitors whose careers reflect both innovation and deep commitment to improving patient care: Amy Kennedy (PharmD ’08), clinical associate professor and clinical pharmacist at the University of Arizona’s R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, and Joel Jones (PharmD ’07), a senior leader at Epic with extensive experience advancing digital health solutions.
On the board, which serves to advise the dean, Jones and Kennedy augment a breadth of expertise representing all facets of pharmacy, from community practice to the pharmaceutical industry.
“Amy and Joel will bring their highly specialized expertise to the board and will complement the experience of our members well,” says Steve Swanson, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “Their insight will be invaluable as we continue preparing students for a changing healthcare landscape.”
Amy Kennedy (PharmD ’08)
Clinical associate professor, University of Arizona
Clinical pharmacist, El Rio Health Center
Kennedy has a prolific and impactful career in Arizona, serving as a clinical associate professor at the University of Arizona’s R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy and clinical pharmacist at the El Rio Health Center. But the inspiration for her career stems from her experience more than 1,600 miles away.
“I’m grateful for my time at UW–Madison — I had a wonderful six years on campus, four at the School of Pharmacy, and they shaped me into the practitioner and teacher I am today,” Kennedy says.
Kennedy earned her PharmD at the School of Pharmacy, followed by a community pharmacy residency and a community participatory research fellowship at the VCU School of Pharmacy. Before joining the University of Arizona in 2010, she worked as a clinical pharmacist at a health center for the homeless, providing medication therapy management services, precepting student pharmacists, and conducting research.
“When I think about my time at UW–Madison, I was so impacted by some of the professors there, especially Associate Professor Karen Kopacek,” Kennedy says. “I didn’t know I wanted to be an educator until I’d interacted with Karen, and that changed the course of my career. She allowed me opportunities to see what teaching could be like.”
Following Kopacek’s model, Kennedy has put students first in her career. And her commitment to education has been recognized: Kennedy received the Theodore G. Tong 2020 Distinguished Service Award from the Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, has been named the college’s Clinical Science Educator of the Year four times, and received the Arizona Champion Award from the University of Arizona Provost in 2019 in recognition of her innovative teaching. In 2023, she also received recognition from her closely held alma mater: She was selected as the Badger of the Year by the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s Tucson chapter.
Her practice, teaching, and research interests span preventive health, the impact of medication adherence on mental health, lifestyle approaches to managing hypertension, medication therapy management outcomes, and care for underserved populations.
“I see patients, teach, and I’m the chair of the professionalism committee and the head of our Rural Professionals Program, so my job incorporates lots of different elements,” Kennedy says.
Watching her patients’ and her students’ journeys toward growth and improvement is what motivates her.
“Serving on the Board of Visitors allows me to give back to the School I love so much and hopefully play a very small part in helping make sure it stays at the forefront of pharmacy education and training the next generation of pharmacists.”
–Amy Kennedy
“I wanted to practice family medicine and outpatient pharmacy because you work with patients a long time and see a switch happen in their health when they really take ownership of it and start to improve,” Kennedy says. “It’s the same with first-year students — it’s fascinating to me to watch them transition from undergraduates into the best professional versions of themselves.”
On the Board of Visitors, Kennedy plans to focus on the best ways to position School of Pharmacy graduates to thrive in a rapidly evolving profession. She says two key characteristics are fundamental for every student pharmacist: the ability to think critically and apply new research, and compassion.
“Those two things, to me, should not change, regardless of how healthcare and pharmacy evolve,” she says. “Serving on the Board of Visitors allows me to give back to the School I love so much and hopefully play a very small part in helping make sure it stays at the forefront of pharmacy education and training the next generation of pharmacists.”
Joel Jones (PharmD ’07)
Vice president of clinical therapeutics and informatics & chief safety officer, Epic
Jones didn’t have to think twice when Swanson reached out to ask him if he’d like to serve on the School of Pharmacy’s Board of Visitors.
“My answer was an overwhelming ‘yes,’ to support the Board’s mission to help prepare the next generation,” he says.
At Epic, Jones helps Epic customers in 16 countries deliver safe, effective diagnostics and therapeutics across workflows in the Epic software suite. As a leader, he encourages health systems to pursue disciplined acceleration — adopting technological advancements in pharmacy that benefit both patients and healthcare providers.
“Working with customers across the globe with different payment and care delivery models, I’ve learned what works both inside and outside the U.S. and can share those lessons with the Board of Visitors,” Jones says.
For example, Epic helped Finland build the world’s first integrated social and healthcare record, empowering providers with a clearer view of patients’ social determinants of health.
“That’s now used across the world, including by pharmacists,” he says. “There are many examples like that that I would like to share with the Board to help the School think outside the box.”
Within Epic, Jones uses his expertise in pharmacy operations, oncology, rare disease, infusion pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, and cell and gene therapies to contribute to the development of treatment pathways and expand patient services. Jones’ knowledge and strategic approach help to integrate pharmaceutical care in new ways across the healthcare industry, and he looks forward to bringing his perspective to the Board of Visitors.
“As we’ve grown with customers, we see the patient health journey — inpatient and outpatient care, home care, MyChart, and all of these other connected actors that influence the patient’s healthcare experience,” Jones says. “We see firsthand how patient movement across this healthcare grid shapes outcomes, and with AI we’ll see better and more efficient pharmacist touchpoints. Understanding the whole healthcare grid together with AI can help the School prepare students to improve pharmaceutical outcomes.”
He has also become fluent with AI tools and how they’re transforming healthcare. He is eager to share his knowledge with the School to help prepare future pharmacists for that shift.
“As a new board member working at the center of healthcare IT and AI, I feel like this is a really great time to share what we’re seeing,” Jones says. “That’s really where I feel like I can provide value.”
“As a new board member working at the center of healthcare IT and AI, I feel like this is a really great time to share what we’re seeing. That’s really where I feel like I can provide value.”
–Joel Jones
Jones credits his School of Pharmacy education with his career achievements.
“I couldn’t have done what I’ve done without my education from the School of Pharmacy,” Jones says. “Looking back, I realize how much the people you meet in school influence your path and create opportunities throughout your career.”
He’s also delighted to maintain his personal connection to the School of Pharmacy.
“I cherish the time I had at UW,” Jones says. “It was a very important part of my life and shaped how I understand diseases, medication therapies, and healthcare overall.”
