Pharmacists Advisory Board

CRoME Team’s Pharmacists Advisory Board (PAB) is a group of pharmacy leaders throughout the country who serve to review and provide feedback on CRoME’s research projects and ideas. Participation of these practicing pharmacists in our research endeavors is crucial to ensuring the work produced by CRoME Team can be translated into use in clinical settings and provide benefit for patients and providers alike.

Mission & Purpose

The mission of the CRoME Lab Pharmacists Advisory Board is for ongoing partnership with practicing pharmacists to inform our research and translate our work into pharmacy practice. The purpose of the PAB is to engage pharmacists at all points in the research process from idea generation,  dissemination, and implementation into clinical practice. Our research team engages in on-going co-learning approach when interacting with pharmacists by gaining their feedback on current research projects, dissemination, and implementation strategies as well as fine-tuning research ideas to align with current issues and trends in pharmacy practice.  

Dr. Eze Elechi is a pharmacist at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota where he works primarily in two different areas: Central pharmacy department and cardiovascular surgery department.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin Parkside and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth campus.  He went on to complete a postgraduate general (PGY1) residency at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota 

After residency, Dr. Elechi moved back to Wisconsin where he was a pioneer in developing a successful de-central pharmacy practice at Aurora Medical Center Kenosha, a 70 bed hospital in southeast Wisconsin.  In 2016, Dr. Elechi moved to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.  His interest in pain management has led him to participate in piloting opioid tapering programs that sought to educate patients on how to effectively taper off narcotic medications after orthopedic surgeries in a timely manner in an effort to counter the opioid epidemic in the nation.  He precepts fourth year pharmacy students and leads topic discussions quarterly for the students.  Dr. Elechi’s other interest include drug design, a focus of his undergraduate degree and future research emphasis.

Dr. Olabisi Falana is the Director of Graduate Pharmacy Education and Clinical Manager of Pharmacy Education at the University of Chicago Medicine (UCMC). She received her Pharm.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy in 2011. After graduating from pharmacy school, she completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL, and then completed he PGY-2 critical care pharmacy residency at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy in Downers Grove, IL.  

At UCMC, Dr. Falana is responsible for thirteen pharmacy residency programs at UCMC, including managing 25 pharmacy residents and over 200 students from four colleges of pharmacy in the Chicagoland area. She also holds appointments at several colleges of pharmacy in Chicago. Her clinical practice area is in critical care, where she collaborates with physicians, nurses, other interdisciplinary team members, and a variety of learners from health professions schools. In addition to being an ICU pharmacy specialist, some of her other responsibilities include providing student and resident orientations, training new pharmacists and pharmacy residents on targeted critical care topics during the onboarding process, serving as a liaison between UCMC and pharmacy schools, and providing direct precepting and mentorship to pharmacy learners. With a broad background in critical care, her research has primarily focused in the Neurocritical Care and Neurology field.

Mike has worked almost exclusively in hospital pharmacy as a technician, resident and pharmacist in a variety of roles for over 32 years. He attended UW – Madison School of Pharmacy, graduating with a B.S. – Pharmacy degree in 1993. After completing a Pharmacy Practice Residency at the UW Hospital and Clinics, Mike returned to UW-Madison and completed his post-B.S. Pharm.D. in 1996. He is an active member of PSW and ASHP. Mike is board-certified in Pharmacotherapy since 1997. He continues to serve as a preceptor for both students and residents, mentoring over 900 in his career to date.

Currently Mike is the Pharmacy Manager for Ascension – Franklin Hospital and the Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital He also is the PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director for Ascension – St. Francis Hospital. Mike is thankful for the opportunity to share his experience, knowledge, and vision.

Mike and his wife Debbie, also a pharmacist, live in New Berlin. They have 3 adult children. When not thinking about pharmacy, Mike enjoys listening to and playing music, the outdoors, travelling the world, having fun with the family and friends, and volunteering at his church.

Sheri Jensen earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. Sheri has served in a variety of roles within Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) including adult & pediatric critical care pharmacist, pharmacy operations manager, and clinical pharmacist specialist.  Currently, she serves as a pharmacist analyst for HSHS on the Epic Willow team.  As a part of this role, Sheri has served as the Epic Willow project lead for the implementation of Epic in all of the HSHS Western Wisconsin & Illinois hospitals, the Epic Willow project lead for the COVID-19 rapid response initiatives and the co-chair of the Epic Willow governance committee.

Sheri resides in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with her husband, two children and boxer dog.

Marina L. Maes, PharmD received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2017. After graduation, Dr. Maes completed a general practice residency (PGY-1) at Michigan Medicine/University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. She then went on to complete a specialty residency (PGY-2) in ambulatory care with a focus in family medicine back at the University of Colorado.

Dr. Maes is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist (BCPS) and a board certified ambulatory care pharmacist (BCACP). Her clinical interests include chronic disease management focusing on cardiovascular risk reduction, women’s health, and population health management.

From an educational perspective, Dr. Maes has a passion for teaching application of skills needed for providing direct patient care and working in interprofessional teams. As such, Dr. Maes is an instructor in the Pharmacotherapy Skills Lab sequence and coordinates the Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) for 3rd year pharmacy students. Additionally, Dr. Maes is highly involved in training students to foster critical thinking skills related to evidence-based decision making through Clinical Inquiry writing assignments.

Dr. Maes is an active member of the American Colleges of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) where she serves on various committees within the Ambulatory Care and Women’s Health Practice and Research Networks.

Dr. Francesca Napolitano obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy from Northeastern University in Boston in 2017. After pharmacy school she completed a 24-Month PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice and Academic Leadership Residency and obtained her Master of Science in Education with a focus in Teaching and Learning at Concordia University Wisconsin. Dr. Napolitano is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Concordia University Wisconsin, a residency preceptor for the 24-Month PGY1 program, and a clinical pharmacist at Progressive Community Health Centers in Milwaukee. In  her primary role as a clinical pharmacist, she provides comprehensive medication management as an ambulatory care pharmacist in primary care under a collaborative practice agreement, care management services for a cohort of medically complex and high-risk individuals, quality improvement, and helped to develop multiple educational and support groups for patients. She also works as a Per Diem Pharmacist at Costco Pharmacy in New Berlin. Her scholarly interests include cultural humility, public health, and education.

I was born in Tulsa, OK but mostly grew up in Minnesota. My fiance and I have a golden retriever named Mandy. I did gymnastics for 14 years. I completed my pharmacy prerequisites at Wisconsin Lutheran College then pharmacy school at Concordia University Wisconsin. My favorite APPE was the Poison Center of WI. I graduated May 2020 and have been a pharmacist with Walgreens in the Northwoods since.

Taylor is a pharmacist at Wood River Pharmacy in Grantsburg. Originally from Racine, he has experience serving in community pharmacies since 2007.  Taylor started at Wood River Pharmacy in the Summer of 2017 after completing his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree at Concordia University Wisconsin.  He lives in Grantsburg with his wife and two children.

Anita Peña received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, after previously completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the State University of New York College at Cortland. Upon finishing her Pharm.D., she completed a pharmacy practice residency at the Clement J Zablocki Veteran’s Affairs hospital in Milwaukee, WI.

Following residency, Anita joined Advocate Aurora Health (AAH) as a clinical pharmacist on the central order verification team. She later transferred to the Enterprise Population Health pharmacy department, where she currently practices as a chronic disease management pharmacist. In this role, she provides counseling to patients, performs chronic disease management and comprehensive medication management, and works to optimize patient medication regimens on a daily basis, in an effort to improve Center for Medicare Management and population health measures, decrease hospital admissions, and improve patient satisfaction and safety.

Her interests within the field of pharmacy include population health, chronic disease management, transitions of care, mental health, medication safety, and the impact of climate change on patient health and well-being.

Eileen Romasanta received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2004.  She received her PharmD from Midwestern University, Chicago College of Pharmacy in 2011.  Her pharmacy career began as a pharmacy technician for Walgreens, continuing as an intern and eventually working as a pharmacist for Walgreens in Massachusetts.  Upon moving to Wisconsin, Eileen worked as a pharmacist for Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHC-SCW), staffing the retail pharmacy and working as an Anticoagulation Pharmacist.  She transitioned to a Clinical Pharmacy role and helped develop the Clinical Pharmacy program at GHC-SCW, eventually moving into the Clinical Pharmacy Manager role.  Currently, Eileen is the Director of Pharmacy for the Ho-Chunk Nation where she oversees the retail and clinical pharmacy operations.  Supporting medication safety initiatives is a focus of her leadership roles, as well as improving health literacy related to medications.  Eileen holds certifications in MTM, Travel Medicine and is Board Certified in Ambulatory Care.

Jennifer found a passion for retail pharmacy during school, graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Pharmacy in 1998 and has been working in the retail pharmacy field ever since. 

Jennifer is the lead pharmacist at Ascension Rx 1107 at St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee, WI and has been in that role since 2008.  Prior to that, she held other pharmacist positions with Ascension and Aurora Healthcare.  She is certified with the Wisconsin Pharmacy Quality Collaborative through the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin and leads the quality committee meetings for Ascension Rx in Wisconsin, which focus on safety.  She is currently a preceptor for UW-Madison and MCW pharmacy students.

In her free time, Jennifer enjoys reading, music, going out with friends, traveling, and outdoor activities with her husband Eric.

Jennifer Zimmer-Young is the Medication Safety Officer at ThedaCare.  She received her PharmD from Drake University College of Pharmacy in 2000 and completed Pharmacy Residency at ThedaCare, in the inaugural class.  After completing the residency and working as a hospital staff pharmacist, she transitioned to working as a Drug Information and Investigational Drug Pharmacist for several years at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Jennifer was named PGY1 Preceptor of Year in 2008.  She returned to ThedaCare in 2008 as the pharmacy department’s educator and has been the Medication Safety Officer since 2014.  Jennifer has a passion for medication safety, quality improvement, and clinical informatics.  She precepts Pharmacy students in clinical administration rotations.  In addition to supporting safe use of medications in the Pharmacy department, she collaborates with multiple departments and roles within ThedaCare.  Jennifer has had leadership roles to implement several medication safety initiatives such as a controlled substance diversion prevention program, barcode medication administration workflows, transition to PYXIS ES, and EPIC-Alaris IV pump integration across ThedaCare hospitals and infusion centers.  Jennifer holds a certificate in Medical Writing and Editing from the University of Chicago, has completed the Medication Safety Certificate from ASHP, and is EPIC Willow certified. She maintains her certification as a clinical research professional through SOCRA and certification in patient safety from the National Patient Safety Foundation.   Outside of work, Jennifer spends as much time outdoors with her family with a specific goal of exploring all national parks.

Diane currently is an Ambulatory Care and Population Health pharmacist at Citizens Memorial Healthcare (CMH) located in southwest Missouri. Her practice sites include rural health clinics and specialty clinics serving an eight county region. Previously, she worked in academia teaching pharmacy law, pharmacy calculations, and assisted in experiential education at University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy. Prior to that, Diane spent the majority of her practice at CoxHealth, with clinical practice sites in Cardiology, Critical Care, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and management. She also served as residency program director and faculty for family medicine residency programs.

Diane’s practice interests include infectious disease, medication safety, alcohol use disorders, experiential education, and Interprofessional teams. She is an active member of the Missouri Society of Health System Pharmacists, and currently serves as a member of ASHP Commission on Credentialing. Diane is board certified in pharmacotherapy, and holds certifications in well-being and resilience, medication therapy services, and immunizations.

Julie Cable, PharmD, BCPS, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2008 and completed a PGY-1 practice residency at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Following residency, she practiced as an acute care clinical pharmacist at UW Hospital for 7 years. She transitioned to ambulatory care in 2016, working as primary care clinic pharmacist at UW Health. Within this role, she provides hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes management services, in addition to conducting comprehensive medication reviews and answering drug information/consult questions from providers. Throughout her career, she has worked on multiple quality improvement initiatives, committees, and assisted in the development of delegation protocols. She serves as a preceptor to Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) students, PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents, as well as an advisor for APPE-RT, PGY-1, and PGY-2 residency projects. Her practice interests include diabetes management and improving coordinated multi-disciplinary care.

Dr. Grace Nixon, B.S, PharmD (she/her/hers) obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023, after obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Rural Health Studies from University of Kentucky in 2019. Grace is currently a PGY-1 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, where she leads one-on-one visits with Veterans in primary care and specialty clinics under a broad pharmacist scope of practice that includes initiating medications, changing medications, and ordering labs. During her four years of pharmacy school, Grace was involved with CRoME Team as a student member working on projects in both cystic fibrosis medication management and game-based learning. She also participated in clinical research at the Madison VA and UW Health. She will be forever thankful for the CRoME Team for introducing her to principles of research, and she is honored to give back to the team now as a Pharmacists Advisory Board member. Grace is passionate about using research and human connection to help others live healthy lives, and she enjoys sharing the passion as a mentor to others. Grace’s practice interests include nephrology, cardiology, and academia.

Lynne currently holds the position of Business Manager for Celtic Works, Inc. and collaborates with a multispecialty team of Architectural Designers, Project Managers, Consultants, and industry thought leaders in the building, design, and architectural space. She received joint degrees of BPharm from the University of West Virginia School of Pharmacy and a Professional Scrum Master degree from the Project Management Institute (scrum.org) specializing in agile project management. Her pharmacy practice experience spans fifteen years across multifocal sectors including: Clinical Pharmacist practice at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia; Community Pharmacist practice at CVS in Frederick and Germantown, Maryland and the greater Washington, DC area; Clinical Pharmacist practice at Lexington Medical Practice in Lexington, South Carolina with an emphasis on patient consulting, patient and physician healthcare and medication education along best practices and risk management impact axes within a cross-sector team of medical practitioners and pharmaceutical industry experts. In this clinical pharmacy role, she trained and mentored Pharmacy student interns and externs from the Medical University of South Carolina School of Pharmacy and the University of South Carolina School of Pharmacy; and a hybrid Community-based and Clinical Pharmacist practice in the Hospital Long Term Care Facility at Lexington Pharmacy in Lexington, South Carolina.

Lynne received Board licensure in the states of West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. When not managing business operations and enterprise data in her current position, she can  be found in the water kayaking, by the local oceans and lakes running, and exploring opportunities for innovating and scaling new businesses adventures.