Blanding Health
Highnotes
From scrub nurses, to dietary staff, doctors, dialysis unit,
radiologists, administrators, and pharmacists the Blue Mountain Hospital in
Blanding has become a beacon to well-trained medical professionals and technicians in all fields. For decades San Juan County’s most abundant
export was always its youth, who had to move away to large cities find good
jobs. Now with Blue Mountain Hospital’s bright light of opportunity beckoning, many
have been able to return and practice their professional skills. During the
next several months the Panorama will
spotlight some of these UNHS and BMH employees who have helped raise the
quality of medical care in rural SE Utah.
Mountain Encounter
leads Pharmacist to Blue Mountain Pharmacy
Dr. Chad Moses PharmD, (SJHS class of 1998) is excited about his job as Pharmacy Director of Utah Navajo Health System and Blue Mountain Hospital and he’s been given opportunities that a normal graduate would never experience in a larger city, or working for a big box pharmacy.
“In high school I had no vision of what my future would be,
and then in the middle of my mission I got sick and had to come home for a
while,” Chad explained. “It was then
that my grandfather made the suggestion that I should become a pharmacist.”
Chad credits good math instruction from Richard Pincock in high school for
helping him in college. “Accurately
using a calculator, and doing factoring is critical knowledge for a pharmacy
student,” he stressed.
Chad attended Snow College for undergraduate work from 2001
to 2003. “I thought the undergraduate classes were tough, but my eyes were
opened to real difficulty in graduate school,” he explained. “A typical day was
school from 8 am to 4 pm and then a job as a valet parking attendant until 1-2
am. Luckily, I was able to study on the job.”
Chad married Tiawna Harrison from Moab in Aug of 2002, and they have two
children, Olivia and Andrew.
The University of Southern Nevada Pharmacy School, was his
next challenge, where he earned his Doctorate of Pharmacy or PharmD in 2006. “I never thought I’d be coming back to San
Juan County. At that time I was looking for
the largest sign on bonus, I could find, and my parents just happened to run
into the UNHS pharmacy manager on top of Blue Mountain and they had an open
position. “ That chance meeting led to a
referral and contact from CEO Donna Singer, who encouraged Chad to apply.
At the time he was preparing for the National Exam, which he
passed on the first try, and by the end of that summer he was working in
Montezuma Creek, and happy to be back in San Juan County, though he didn’t get
a sign on bonus. Chad’s enthusiasm for
his job is contagious, and he’s had ample opportunity to determine not only the
direction but also the equipment and strategies used by pharmacies under his
supervision.
In 2008 there was a change in pharmacy management within Utah Navajo Health System, and Moses was put in charge of the pharmacy arm. At that time there were three pharmacists and two technicians working for UNHS at two different sites. Now there are six pharmacists and six technicians working at four sites including the hospital and a clinical pharmacist position.
Working with Chad in the back at Blue Mountain Hospital
Pharmacy is Dr. Heidi Dowell PharmD. In the retail side of Blue Mountain
Pharmacy is Pharmacist Doug Card RPh and licensed technicians Seth Dowell,
Regina Lee, and Keshia Yellow.
Chad is also responsible for three other pharmacies under
the umbrella of Utah Navajo Health System. In Monument Valley he works with Dr.
Angela Konecki PharmD, and Melissa Joe technician in training. At Navajo Mountain he coordinates with Gary
Teare PAC as a physician dispensing class B branch pharmacy, and at the Montezuma
Creek Clinic Dr. Albert Noyes PharmD, Dr. Heidi Dowell PharmD, and technicians
Yolanda Yanito and Kelly Keith are on his team.
In 2008 Utah Navajo Health System was selected to
participate in the Health and Human Resources (HRSA) health initiative called
the Patient Safety and clinical Pharmacy Collaborative (PSPC) with the
University of Utah, Poison Control, and the Association for Utah Community
Health (AUCH).This collaborative encourages patient safety in medication use by
a comprehensive medication education program for the patients.
Chad explained, “When medications are used properly they can
save or preserve life, but when used improperly they can either cause injury or
death.” This has been especially beneficial for patients being treated with
high risk medications such as Insulin and Coumadin. Utah Navajo Health System
currently has 30 patients in the pharmacist run Coumadin Clinic. This clinic
helps evaluate Coumadin therapy counsel patients, track progress, make dose
adjustments, and improve the overall outcome for patients on Coumadin therapy.
Nationally pharmacists are beginning to be recognized as an
integral part of the health care team not just prescription dispensers. He
said, “Our department is doing things now, that aren’t typical in big box
pharmacies and patients benefit greatly from this service. Virtually every part
of health care involves medications so it only makes sense that the pharmacist
is part of that health care team. We are the drug specialists it is what we
were trained to do. We are no longer just dispensers we are involved in patient
care. The pharmacist is a resource to medical providers, nurses, patients, and
their families.”
UNHS in San Juan County is also a busy practice site for
PharmD interns in their last year of pharmacy school from University of Utah
where they participate in medication reconciliation and patient education. Chad
was instrumental in setting up the pharmacy practice site for these students
and was their preceptor.
Currently Chad works primarily at the Blue Mountain Hospital.
Patient safety, as far as medications are concerned, is Chad’s number one
priority.
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