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College of Pharmacy

  • 9 Women to Watch

Women play vital role in pharmacy leadership


Women continue to make amazing strides in community pharmacy, clinical practice, pharmaceutical research and within the pharmacy industry across the Palmetto State and the U.S. As we celebrate Women Pharmacists Day, here are eight Gamecock young alumnae who are making their mark in the pharmacy profession.

Chloe LeBegue Polley

Chloé LeBegue-Polley, '20

Honors College and Pharmacy 2020 graduate Chloé Lebegue-Polley is an oncological pharmacist at University of Virginia Health working in investigational drug services. Lebegue-Polley spent her time at USC researching pharmabiotic treatments for Phenylketonuria, a rare genetic condition resulting in a decrease in metabolism. Her passion led her to make an impact through research patents. 


 

Krutika Mediwala Hornback

Krutika Mediwala Hornback, '15

Working as an infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship clinical specialist at MUSC Health, Krutika Mediwala Hornback, a 2015 alumni, became greatly involved in research and education related to the COVID-19 virus. During the pandemic, as the information changed daily, Hornback ensured colleagues had updated information through shared data and webinars she produced about COVID.
 


 

Christine Bonarrigo

Christine Bonarrigo, '20

Christine Bonarrigo always had an interest in patient-specific care, especially in the area of mental health, which led her to USC’s College of Pharmacy. She has worked to bridge the gap between mental health and medicine in the emergency department. Now, the 2020 Pharm.D. graduate is a psychiatric clinical pharmacist for Connecticut Children’s Hospital and has launched a new psychiatric emergency medicine pharmacy service.
 


 

Heather Hembree Sexton

Heather Hembree Sexton, '20

Working as an integrated clinical pharmacist within senior-based care, 2020 Pharm.D. graduate Heather Hembree focuses on rural health and health care disparities in South Carolina. She previously served as the health outcomes and area pharmacist for Walgreens, concentrating on senior care, diabetes, hypertension and COPD management. Hembree demonstrated the benefit and improved outcomes of pharmacists embedded in the health care team and led CenterWell Primary Care to expand this model to clinics across the state.

 

 

Nicole Bookstaver

Nicole Bookstaver, '09

Nicole Bookstaver, ’09, is the manager of ambulatory clinical pharmacy services and the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency (Outpatient-Focused) program director for Prisma Health Midlands. She was named Woman Pharmacist of the Year for Health-Systems in 2021 for her incredible work during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she oversaw the pharmacy portion of Prisma Health’s vaccination clinic. 


 

 

Asia Johnson

Asia Johnson, '21

Asia Johnson has used her experience from postgraduate residencies in Tennessee and Texas to move her career forward. Now as a clinical pharmacy specialist for Corewell Health in Michigan, Johnson works with the transplant team. She earned her doctorate from USC’s College of Pharmacy in 2021 and flexed her leadership skills in the Pediatric Pharmacy Association, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy while also serving as president of the Student Government Association.
 

 

Gabby Pierce Cranford

Gabrielle Pierce Cranford, '20

Having earned her Pharm.D. along with an MBA from USC, Gabby Pierce Cranford is a 2020 College of Pharmacy alumna. From a specialty residency and executive fellowship to now directing member relations for specialty pharmacy and community pharmacy practitioners at the American Society of Health-system Pharmacists, Cranford was named among the top influencers in pharmacy in 2022 by Pharmacy Podcast Network.

 

 

 

Reagan Kiger Barfield

Reagan Kiger Barfield, '19

USC is home for Reagan Barfield, ’19, as a clinical assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy, where she is also the Tandem Health-USC PGY1 residency program coordinator. Barfield’s passion for medicine and teaching earned her the Outstanding Mentor Award and the Preceptor Award in 2022. She serves as the Education and Networking Committee Chair for the South Carolina Society of Health-system Pharmacists. Barfield also founded and directs the Southeastern Collaboration of Rural Health Research and Education.

 


Topics: Pharm.D. Program, Alumni 


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