I graduated from UNC- Chapel Hill Pharmacy School in 2002 (yes, I am calling out my age)! My Mom’s entire family had diabetes and while I was in pharmacy school, my mom was diagnosed as well. It struck me hard watching her deal with many health care providers and receiving very little education around her disease. I helped her along the way with what I knew and developed a strong desire to help more people in her situation. I decided to pursue getting certified in diabetes education. I’ve been helping my mom manage her diabetes (and other disease states) for over 20 years which has allowed her to lead a long, healthy and vibrant life.

I went into retail pharmacy for many years after residency and experienced stress and job burnout. It showed up in many different ways. I started having numerous health issues, we started our family, and I felt like I was missing all the moments. I was crying every. single. day! I knew I couldn’t continue like that. I had to do something. After a lot of trial and error, I decided to create my own practice based on diabetes and medication management. I now have the pleasure of helping countless others, like my mom, on a daily basis.

A few years later, I noticed the downfall of the pharmacy profession and the burnout I had experienced in retail pharmacy becoming even worse. I saw the need to have more Pharmacists out here doing the same thing I do. While at a pharmacy conference, I was approached by other pharmacists wanting to do what I have done, and was asked if I could help coach them. So, we created the IMPACT Pharmacist program to create a bigger impact in the world of pharmacy, providing more options for Pharmacists to overcome the burnout.