The American Health Council selected Ruth Dapaah-Afriyie, Pharm.D., B.Pharm., BCACP, CDOE, CVDOE to its Industry Board.
NEW YORK, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Health Council selected Ruth Dapaah-Afriyie, Pharm.D., B.Pharm., BCACP, CDOE, CVDOE to its Industry Board. Currently the senior clinical pharmacist specialist at Lifespan Pharmacy Ambulatory Care Services in Providence, R.I., Dr. Dapaah-Afriyie was instrumental in the development of 14 pharmacist-managed ambulatory services both in primary care and specialty medicine, including cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, dermatology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, transplant, cystic fibrosis, hepatitis C, HIV and clinical services within the Lifespan Health system and private physician offices in Rhode Island. She provides oversight for all the aforementioned services. While she has held her current role for over six years, she has spent nearly 28 years in the healthcare industry as a licensed pharmacist.
Inspired by her father, who advocated for her to pursue an education, Dr. Dapaah-Afriyie decided to seek an education that would allow her to do what she was passionate about. Her father’s advice, “No matter how life goes, as long as you have an education, you can always start over,” coupled with her love for the sciences, Dr. Dapaah-Afriyie enrolled at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana and earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree in 1990. She later earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I., in 1999. Additionally, she holds a certificate in leadership from the University Medicine Foundation Leadership Academy at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I.
Dr. Dapaah-Afriyie’s vast experience in direct patient care, academics and leadership, along with formal training and inherently strong attributes related to interpersonal relationships has led her to establish a solid foundation of knowledge. This enables her to coordinate the execution and completion of projects, develop teams, build consensus, remove obstacles to increase productivity, build strategic relationships and increase communication with executive management. In her role as senior clinical pharmacist specialist at Rhode Island Hospital, Dr. Dapaah-Afriyie, along with a fellow senior colleague, oversees 16 clinical pharmacist specialists and provides direct oversight for 10 of those who practice in oncology and in an ambulatory setting. She also serves as chair of the Clinical Advisory Committee for Lifespan Pharmacy LLC, the only URAC-accredited specialty pharmacy in Rhode Island. In that role, she oversees all clinical activities as well as promotes the best clinical practices and quality management. Since 2012, she has served as the director of the Post-Graduate Year 2 (PGY2) Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency Program, where she was instrumental in the development and accreditation of the program. She was selected by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacy (ASHP), the program’s accrediting body, to serve in the continuing role as a practitioner surveyor. The program was awarded the prestigious Best Practices Award from the ASHP in 2017 for the development of a tool to predict potentially avoidable 30-day re-admissions. In addition, the program received ASHP Foundation grants for research work in transitions of care and hepatitis C disease management in 2015 and 2016. Dr. Dapaah-Afriyie spearheaded the expansion of Rhode Island Hospital Pharmacy residency programs to include a Post-Graduate Year 1 pharmacy practice, beginning this July.
Continuing to follow her father’s education advice, Dr. Dapaah-Afriyie is an adjunct clinical assistant professor at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, Bryant University, Johnson and Wales University Center for Physician Assistant Studies and Rhode Island College School of Nursing. She serves as an international guest lecturer at her alma mater Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology College of Pharmacy. She is involved with several committees, including the Practice Advancement Committee of the Vizient University Health System Consortium and the Ambulatory Care Practice Network Educational Committee of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). She serves as the Legislative Director for the Rhode Island Society of Health-System Pharmacists and a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She has contributed to educational resources from the ACCP and as a chapter reviewer and test-taker for the Ambulatory Care Self-Assessment Program (ACSAP). Dr. Dapaah-Afriyie also serves on several hospital and regional-based committees and boards.
In her free time, Dr. Dapaah-Afriyie enjoys reading material that covers a wide variety of topics, from spiritual to novels. She enjoys spending time with her furry baby Elijah, and advocating for animals by participating in the annual Paws for a Cause fundraising event. She is a proud mother of two young men and a young woman, all of whom she takes great pride in. She attributes her success to her faith, determination and goal-oriented thinking. She credits her husband, Dr. Kwame Dapaah-Afriyie, and her mentors Christine Collins, RPh, MBA and Anne Hume, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS for her achievements and thanks them for their continuous support and guidance. In the next five years, Dr. Dapaah-Afriyie plans to continue to contribute to the advancement of pharmacy practice and health care by educating pharmacy students and residents, serving on the state and national health organizations, while lending her full support to the pursuit of provider status for pharmacists at the national level. She also plans to expand collaborative practice between pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes and experience.
About the American Health Council:
The American Health Council is the nation’s only organization with a constituency representative of all sectors of the healthcare industry. From the coasts to the heartland, the American Health Council has drawn Affiliates from major metropolitan hubs and small communities. These Affiliates span generations and have reached different stages of their careers — from recent graduates to retirees. More information about the American Health Council and its mission can be found at: http://americanhealthcouncil.org
Additionally, the American Health Council strives to provide recognition and support for those individuals and institutions making the difference in patients’ lives day in and day out. The AHC is honoring “America’s Best Doctors and Nurses,” as well as the nation’s best medical universities and hospitals. The American Health Council’s “Best in Medicine” and “Best in Nursing” awards programs honor the individuals and institutions that have contributed significantly to medicine and nursing, as well as the training and education of physicians and nurses. The most current selections for these honors may be viewed here: http://bestinmedicine.org and http://bestinnursing.org.
For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Moore
American Health Council
Hauppauge, N.Y. United States
Phone: 1-631-617-6590
Email: media@americanhealthcouncil.org
