Miami Cancer Institute Pharmacy Team Recognized for Patient Care, Professionalism and Operational Excellence

Miami Cancer Institute’s Pharmacy Team has received the 2022 Warren E. Weaver/Richard P. Penna Award, presented annually by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS), according to Madeline Camejo, MS, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer with Baptist Health South Florida. The award recognizes individuals and patient care organizations for advancing health quality and patient care, according to the BPS.

(Watch now: Miami Cancer Institute’s Pharmacy Team receives award for advancing health quality and patient care. Video by George Carvalho.)

“We are thrilled to receive the Weaver/Penna Award in recognition of the Miami Cancer Institute pharmacy team’s diligent commitment to the profession and our patients,” said Dr. Camejo. “Our pharmacy team has a wealth of experience that is critical to the Institute’s day-to-day activities. Additionally, the team has the drive to maintain a certification that encourages the long-term development of evidence-based practices.”

The oncology pharmacy team at Miami Cancer Institute, led by Jorge J. Garcia, PharmD, Assistant Vice President of System Oncology Pharmacy Services, and Dina Dumercy McHenry, PharmD, Director of Oncology Pharmacy Services, has 32 board-certified pharmacists, 10 of whom are dual certified, according to Dr. Camejo. The pharmacists, she says, are fully integrated into the care of each and every patient at the Institute.

“They educate patients on oral oncolytic medications, they round with multidisciplinary teams and they serve in leadership roles on disease management teams and research committees,” Dr. Camejo notes. “They also share their expertise through weekly pharmacy lectures and monthly multidisciplinary education for advanced practice providers and nurses.”

This year’s awardees reflect the purpose and intent of the Weaver/Penna Award, according to Ruth E. Nemire, PharmD, EdD., a spokeswoman for the BPS, by going “above and beyond” to provide patient care and further the pharmacy profession through certification. “The Miami Cancer Institute Pharmacy Program personifies the commitment to learning, service and pharmacy that is at the heart of the mission of the Board of Pharmacy Specialties,” she said.

According to the BPS, board certification is a recognized credential for determining which pharmacists are qualified to contribute at advanced practice levels given the rigorous standards mandated by BPS board certification and recertification. The BPS says it currently recognizes more than 54,400 active pharmacist certifications across 14 specialties.