Three Pharmacy Faculty Named to PPA’s Top 10 Under 10

The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA) has named Dr. Jennifer Elliott, Dr. Suzanne Higginbotham and Dr. Jacqueline Klootwyk to its Top 10 Under 10 list.

The list recognizes the top 10 pharmacists in the state practicing for less than 10 years who demonstrate commitment to advancing the profession, are involved in the PPA and other pharmacy associations, and/or have demonstrated service to their community. The Top 10 Under 10 awards are only presented every three years.

Elliott, a 2007 graduate of the Mylan School of Pharmacy, is an assistant professor of pharmacy practice who focuses on increasing pediatric pharmacy instruction and experiential education within the curriculum. She has been instrumental in gaining recognition for the impact that pharmacists and student pharmacists have on pediatric health. Elliott also developed a health camp model by which student pharmacists provide health screenings and education to children from underserved communities and college athletes provide sports skills in an effort to encourage active, healthy living.

Higginbotham, who graduated in 2008 from the School of Pharmacy, is director of the Academic Research Center for Pharmacy Care. The center is dedicated to educating the public to promote wellness, increase awareness of risk for chronic disease, provide medication therapy management and improve health outcomes in Pittsburgh and surrounding communities. Through her outreach initiatives, Higginbotham has increased enrollment of participants in the Wellness in Motion medication therapy management program, conducted six influenza clinics on and off campus, marketed programs to increase outreach to the downtown Pittsburgh community and screened more than 1,400 patients at five local food banks.

Klootwyk earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Sciences of Philadelphia in 2006. She is an assistant professor teaching ambulatory care, respiratory pharmacotherapeutics and cardiovascular pharmacotherapeutics. Klootwyk has developed three ambulatory care sites, and has served as a faculty/student preceptor for both the Pennsylvania Pharmacist Association and the American Pharmacists Association.

Elliott, Higginbotham and Klootwyk were honored with the other Top 10 Under 10 awardees at the PPA’s 2014 Annual Conference on Sept. 20.

Founded in 1878, the PPA is a professional membership organization of more than 2,300 pharmacists and pharmacy students across Pennsylvania. As the leading voice of pharmacy in Pennsylvania, it promotes the profession through advocacy, education, and communication to enhance patient care and public health.