Jason Tremblay, Pharm. D., pharmacy director at Cary Medical Center, has been awarded Maine Pharmacist of the Year by the Maine Society of Health System Pharmacists. Tremblay who has been with Cary Medical Center since 2007, was nominated by his colleague and Pharmacist, Bob Lester, who is also employed in the pharmacy at Cary.
Contributed photo
Jason Tremblay, PharmD, RPh., pharmacy director at Cary Medical Center, was presented with a congratulatory gift from the hospital Board of Directors for recently being named Maine Pharmacist of the Year by the Maine Society of Health System Pharmacists. Presenting Jason, center, with a gift, are Kris Doody, RN, Cary chief executive officer, and Robert Kieffer, chairman of the Cary board.
Tremblay graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in 2004 and in 2007 was appointed director of pharmacy services at Cary Medical Center. According to Lester, “In his three years with the Cary Pharmacy, Jason has led a remarkable transformation of the department due to his leadership, skill and personal commitment.”
Lester pointed out that for a number of years Cary’s pharmacy service struggled due to lack of staffing and technology. “During his tenure Jason Tremblay has put the Cary Pharmacy on a path that will make it a respected, and recognized model of outstanding rural hospital pharmacy practice,” concluded Lester.
Some of the many accomplishments in the Cary pharmacy under the leadership of Tremblay include: pharmacist and pharmacy technician staffing has stabilized, productivity has markedly improved, and with the involvement of an after hours off-site pharmacist service, the department offers essentially 24/7 medication order review-verification services. The hospital’s automated dispensing system has been overhauled and improved with significant attention to equipment and user training. Resources have been provided for staff education, medication reference library and pharmacy technician national certification preparation.
Shawn Anderson, chief operating officer at Cary and administrator for pharmacy services noted that high on the list of accolades in the nomination for the award was Tremblay’s ability to build a solid team. “Jason has really been able to build a strong team in the pharmacy. Under his leadership staff morale has improved dramatically, self-image and professionalism have increased in a positive direction. Jason’s leadership has lead to an impressive shift in the level of commitment and dedication of the entire Pharmacy team.”
Kris Doody, RN, and CEO at Cary Medical Center praised the work of Jason Tremblay in advancing the hospital’s commitment to Patient Safety through advanced technology.
“Cary Medical Center has made a number of major advances in regard to patient safety in recent years,”said Doody who has lead Cary during a transition to one of the most advanced digital rural hospitals in the nation. “Several key areas involved pharmacy services, including computerized physician orders, and medication bar coding. Jason has been extremely critical to these advances in keeping the voice of the pharmacy at the table. His insight and ‘can do’ attitude has helped us to create an environment where clinical quality and patient safety have become a way of life.”
The Cary Medical Center Board of Directors recognized Tremblay for his outstanding performance at a recent regular board meeting in February and presented him with a special award.
Acknowledging the recognition, Tremblay said he felt blessed to be able to practice his profession back in The County.
“It has been wonderful to be able to come back home and have a job that I very much enjoy and to be able to make a difference in the lives of patients here in The County. Cary Medical Center is a high quality organization and I appreciate the support of our pharmacy team and all the professional and support staff I work with every day. I am honored and humbled by this very special recognition.”
The Maine Society of Health-System Pharmacists is a professional organization consisting of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other related professionals who practice in health-system (Hospital, Home Health Care, etc.) and community pharmacy settings.
