Volume 2, Issue 2 ● April 2012

MTM COMMUNICATION AND CARE CENTER Making Connections...Making a Difference

Earlier this month, MTM Communication and Care Center faculty and staff attended AMCP’s

24th Annual Meeting and Expo in San Francisco. Faculty member Dr. Teresa Roane, Resi-

dent Dr. Vinita Patel, and Fellow Dr. Sherry Yang participated in the poster presentation

session.

The posters presented by Dr. Roane and Dr. Patel were (1) “Discrepancies Identified with

the Use of Prescription Claims and Diagnostic Billing Data Following a Comprehensive Medi-

cation Review” and (2) “Change in Patient-Reported Adherence with Participation in a

Comprehensive Medication Review and Receiving a Personalized Medication List and Medica-

tion Action Plan.” Both posters’ data was compiled from work done on MTM Center’s

contract with Florida AHCA (Agency for Health Care Administration) and the MEDS-AD

(Medicaid for the Aged and Disabled) Waiver Program.

Dr. Yang’s poster, “Improving the Participation Rate for Comprehensive Medication

Reviews,” is the result of a qualitative study investigating factors that may affect an MTM

program member's willingness to participate in a comprehensive medication review (CMR)

and designing an intervention to improve CMR participation rate.

To view these posters in greater detail, please visit our website:

www.cop.ufl.edu/mtmcc/publicationsresearch/

MTM PRESENTATIONS AT AMCP

Dr. Teresa Roane & Dr. Vinita Patel

CONTACT US:

2124 NE Waldo Road

Suite 2250

Gainesville, FL 32609

352-273-9045

352-273-9658 FAX

Website:

www.cop.ufl.edu/mtmcc

Twitter:

@ufmtmcallcenter

LinkedIn:

UF MTM Call Center

Dr. Sherry Yang

Page 2 MTM Communication and Care Center

MTM Communication and Care Center Lead Staff Pharmacist

Lorraine Mobley, Resident Vinita Patel, and 4PD UF student

Sophia Azarian, spoke at the February 14th meeting of the

Alachua County Association of Pharmacists (ACAP). Their

2-hour presentation and continuing education program focused

on the MTM practice model and how to handle MTM eligibility.

Attended by almost 100 pharmacists and technicians, the pres-

entation was very well received as indicated by evaluation

comments such as, “Pharmacists were enthusiastic! Nice to

see…” and “Hope to be able to use it (info) at our pharmacy.”

The opening of the second UF MTM Communication and Care Center facility is right around the corner. Scheduled

to open this summer, the center is part of the new 100,000-square-foot UF Research and Academic Center cur-

rently under construction at Lake Nona, Florida. Faculty and staff at the current MTM Center have been working

on “spreading the word” regarding job opportunities for pharmacists and technicians. An Open House was held

on March 24th at the MTM Center in Gainesville for those individuals

who had already expressed an interest in working at the Lake Nona

facility. More informational gatherings are planned for the future.

If you would like to find out additional information regarding the Lake

Nona facility, please visit our website at: www.cop.ufl.edu/mtmcc/lake-

nona-mtmccc/. Interested applicants may send CVs/Resumes to:

lakenonamtmccc@cop.ufl.edu.

NICARAGUA MISSION TRIP

In March, MTM Center staff

pharmacist Dr. Ryan Roberts

lead a team of medical person-

nel to Nicaragua where they

spent a week caring for patients

in small communities around

the cities of Leon and Chi-

nandega. This medical team

included three pharmacists,

three pharmacy students from

Nova Southeastern University,

three nurses, two nursing stu-

dents, pharmacy technicians,

and several support staff mem-

bers. With the help of two local

Nicaraguan physicians, the

team treated and dispensed

medication to over 800 patients,

filling nearly 5,000 individual

prescriptions!

Dr. Roberts describes their goal

as, “To provide sustainable,

quality medical care for indi-

viduals who lack regular access

to healthcare. By teaming up

with local doctors, sending

American medical teams to

Nicaragua every three months,

providing 90-day supplies of

maintenance medications, and

leaving a surplus of medications

in Nicaragua, these communi-

ties are beginning to receive

care year-round. As we move

toward building and staffing

small health clinics in these vil-

lages, I am proud to say that

we are well on our way to

achieving this goal. I am excited

about our present and future

roles in improving the health of

these communities.”

“ ...treated and dispensed medication

to over 800 patients, filling nearly

5,000 individual prescriptions!”

MTM CENTER ACAP PRESENTATION

The MTM Center continues to grow with

the hiring of three pharmacy techni-

cians: Juliane Giannantonio, Ciara

Robertson, and Alan Villacampa. The

work they do for the MTM Center is in-

valuable, and we are so glad they have

joined our team. Welcome!

LAKE NONA FACILITY: CLOSER TO OPENING

TECHS JOIN MTM CENTER

Rendering of Lake Nona Research and Academic Center

Page 3 Volume 2, Issue 1

We are pleased to announce the selection of Alexander

Miguel and Lauren Stanchak as the 2012-2013 Resi-

dents for the MTM Communication and Call Center. Both

Alexander and Lauren will graduate this spring: Alexan-

der from the University of Florida and Lauren from the

University of Pittsburgh.

We are excited for their residencies to begin on July 2nd,

and look forward to a great year ahead. Stay tuned for

additional information regarding Alex and Lauren in

upcoming newsletters. Congratulations Alex and Lauren

on your upcoming graduations and welcome to the MTM

team!

Each incoming group of rotation students must complete a

week of orientation and training before making their first

MTM calls. One component of this orientation is an Aging

Simulation and Sensitivity Training course. During this

particular training session, the students participate in in-

teractive activities which help demonstrate challenges

faced by many of the patients we contact. Some of these

challenges include poor eyesight and mobility and dexter-

ity issues.

MTM Trainer Michele Lawson and Lead Staff Pharmacist

Lorraine Mobley adjusted this training to include a clinical

component. Throughout orientation week, staff and stu-

dents discuss the most common disease states our MTM

patients experience: diabetic neuropathy, arthritis, tinni-

tus, stroke...just to name a few. These disease states are

thoroughly examined focusing on which medications help,

which medications can cause symptoms, and which medi-

cations can make the disease state worse.

This new training has been well received by the students,

and they are using this information as study guides in

preparation for their Pharmacy Board Exams.

MTM RESIDENTS SELECTED

THIS & THAT

NEW TWIST ON TRAINING

Jessica Palmer “experiencing” dexterity and eyesight challenges.

Brannon Hudson and Irene Cho during clinical training.

MTM Trainer Michele Lawson will attend the ASTD

2012 International Conference and Exposition in

Denver from May 6 to 9.

UF’s College of Pharmacy and the MTM Center is

listed in Florida Medicaid’s 2011-2012 Summary of

Services. Copy available at

www.fdhc.state.fl.us/medicaid/flmedicaid.shtml.

MTM staff and faculty are providing MTM training to

community pharmacists via a training initiative by

Medco, Socrates, and UF’s College of Pharmacy.

MTM Faculty member Dr. Anna Hall will attend the

Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) 7th Annual Meeting

in Washington, DC from June 13 to 15.

MTM PRECEPTORS

RECOGNIZED

Congratulations to Dr. Heather Hardin and

Dr. Teresa Roane on receiving “Preceptor of the Year”

nominations!

MTM Communication and Care Center Page 4

On April 25th, the faculty and staff of the MTM Center held a small celebration for UF students who

completed and Drug Information rotations with us during the 2011-2012 year. The Center wanted to

celebrate these students’ upcoming graduation on May 7th and to also recognize them for the hard work

they did while at the MTM Center. Their high caliber of work was instrumental in helping the MTM

Center successfully complete its second year and renew its contract with WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

We are certain that the MTM skills they acquired while on rotation with us will help them in their future

pharmacy careers. We wish all of you the very best!

CELEBRATION: UF PHARMD CLASS OF 2012 AND THE COMPLETION OF THE MTM CENTER’S 2ND YEAR

Natalie Pike & Resident Vinita Patel (L-R) Ashley Kelleher, Lauren Ritenbaugh and Marjohn Armoon

Martha Knoblich & Ross Collins

(L-R) Thy Huynh, Alexia Leal and Julia Wittmann

What lies behind us and what lies before

us are tiny matters compared to what lies

within us. ~ Henry S. Haskins

Congratulations UF PharmD Class of 2012!