Reedsburg Area Medical Center Health

RAMC Pharmacist Receives Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year Award

Congratulations to Reedsburg Area Medical Center pharmacist Tiaha McGettigan who was named the 2021 Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year by the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin!

The criteria used to evaluate award nominees is evidence of being a professional role model, demonstration of outstanding service to the profession, improved patient care, commitment to community service and collaborative relationships with the health care team.

Says RAMC’s Hannah Hansen, PharmD and Hospital Residency Coordinator, “over the past year, I have gotten to know Dr. McGettigan well as my colleague at RAMC. I have not only been impressed with her passion for advancing pharmacy practice from a local to statewide level. But also with her commitment to kindness and support of her patients and fellow colleagues. At a local level she has accomplished much in a short time as the former manager of RAMC’s Viking Pharmacy and now Lead Pharmacist of both of RAMC’s outpatient pharmacies – Viking and Community Pharmacy. At our outpatient pharmacies she implemented medication management services, blood glucose and blood pressure screenings and immunization services.”

“When Dr. McGettigan transitioned into the role of lead pharmacist she expanded pharmacist services into our primary care clinic for diabetic education. Her team sees diabetic patients weekdays and Tiaha is working towards becoming a certified diabetic educator,” according to Karlee Kamps, PharmD, Lead Inpatient Pharmacist at RAMC. “And if all this doesn’t keep this new mom busy enough, Tiaha has also served as faculty assistant for the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy and facilitates weekly communication lab courses for pharmacy students, assessing their counseling skills, evaluating their performance and providing formative feedback.” 

“Tiaha came to RAMC because she wanted to implement clinical services and medication management programs that empowered patients to take control of their health, says Hannet Ambord, PharmD, RAMC Pharmacy Director.  “She has gone above and beyond, and then some- from educating the next generation of pharmacists by precepting students and teaching at the UW School of pharmacy, Tiaha continues to serve our community and for three consecutive years, she has taken a lead role in offering the flu vaccine to parents, students and teachers at the Reedsburg School district. I am honored to work beside somebody like Tiaha, who always puts patients, families and others before her. She is a true professional and well deserving of this award.”

Comments Tiaha, “I am fortunate to work with great people who all are very deserving of this award. I joined RAMC because of the opportunities to expand pharmacy services, and because of the continual support, we have been able to accomplish quite a bit in a short period of time. I have great colleagues and mentors who have challenged my thinking and provided the right amount of encouragement when it is greatly needed. And I am so thankful to have the opportunity to serve as a faculty member in course that was so influential to me in my early career. I could easily say all the same words written about me to those I am surrounded by at RAMC and the faculty members of the 652 Communications Course at UW-Madison School of Pharmacy.” 

Tiaha has been part of the RAMC pharmacy team since 2018 and we could not be happier for someone so well deserving of this incredible honor.