Speakers

AJ is currently the Sr. Product Manager for CostCheck at Bluesight. He completed his undergraduate studies and Pharmacy school at the University of Pittsburgh, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. He has over 10 years of hospital pharmacy experience, most recently serving as the Manager of Pharmacy Operations for UPMC St. Margaret Hospital in Pittsburgh where he championed many process improvement projects including implementing a controlled substance diversion monitoring program in conjunction with nursing leadership. AJ was active in Health System Pharmacy Operations planning and initiatives including policy review and development, chairing the UPMC Pharmacy Operations Finance committee, and serving on the Health System Pharmacy Operations Construction and Diversion committees. AJ has extensive experience in all aspects of health system pharmacy operations, controlled substance management, coordinating diversion investigations, peri-operative pharmacy services, and pharmacy automation.

Dr. Alexandre Raymond is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, School of Pharmacy. He completed a Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership residency at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with a Masters of Pharmaceutical Sciences focusing in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He began his post-residency career as an operations supervisor at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. During his time as an operations supervisor, Alex led Ochsner Medical Center-New Orleans’ Drug Diversion Response Team which led to his current role of five years as the corporate Compliance Director for Ochsner Health’s Drug Diversion Prevention and Response network. Alex is an active member in the National Associate of Drug Diversion Investigators and the International Health Facility Diversion Association.

Jennifer is a Director of Clinical Strategy at Bluesight. She is a passionate pharmacy leader with 10+ years of experience creating pharmacy service lines. Most recently Jennifer served as the Clinical Coordinator for Loyola University Medicine – MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, IL with a primary practice area in Emergency Medicine. As a coordinator, one of her many responsibilities included reviewing and trending hospital-wide medication safety errors and collaboratively working with other departments to create systems to prevent medication errors. She believes that information technology solutions are crucial to reducing medication errors and keeping our patients safe. She has received her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Illinois, her PharmD from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her Masters of Science degree in Pharmacy focusing on Toxicology from the University of Florida. She has completed a postgraduate year one residency at the University of California at San Francisco and is a Board-Certified Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

As Vice President of Pharmacy – Chief Pharmacy Officer of Service Lines for Ochsner Health, Dr. Simonson has responsibility for the strategic vision, long term planning, direction, and overall accountability for pharmacy services across the system. She joined Ochsner in 1981 and has built the pharmacy program to include clinical services, education/academics, research, retail services, specialty pharmacy, population management, transitions of care, informatics, regulatory compliance, medication safety, logistics, and digital medicine support. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Xavier University of Louisiana. 

Dr. Simonson started her career with the Public Health Service. She has held many leadership roles with pharmacy associations/boards over the years. She has been a member of the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy and was named in the City Business’s 2015 Women of the Year.  Dr. Simonson received the Vizient Vision Award for Excellence in Executive Leadership in 2021.  In 2023, Dr. Simonson received the John W. Webb Lecture Awards from ASHP.

Dr. Williams-Lowe serves as Chief Pharmacy Officer, System Administrative Officer for the Pharmacy ICCE (Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence) for Medical University South Carolina (MUSC) Health and Senior Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs for the MUSC College of Pharmacy in Charleston, South Carolina. She provides oversight for pharmacy services across the MUSC Health System. 

Dr. Williams-Lowe has over 20 years of healthcare executive experience leading and transforming clinical and operational teams, implementing new pharmacy programs, practice models and training students and residents. She has served in ambulatory, retail, and hospital pharmacy roles and most recently in regional and system administrative roles at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health System where she provided oversight for pharmacy hospital and clinic operations in New Hampshire and Vermont. 

Dr. Williams-Lowe has led several projects and teams to improve pharmacy practice, inventory management, medication safety, security, distribution, and administration. She has experience in establishing medication management infrastructure with supportive technology and automation across a health system, including medical and oncology infusion practices at academic medical centers, community hospitals and critical access hospitals. 

Dr. Williams-Lowe holds a Doctor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and a Master of Health Administration from Ohio University. She was selected and participated in the inaugural Carol Emmott Fellowship program for exceptional women leaders in health in 2017 and in 2021 earned the status of Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dr. Williams-Lowe received the MUSC Health 2023 Dean Golod Award in appreciation of her dedication and contributions to the Pharmacy Profession and the 2024 Excellence in Diversity Award from the Student National Pharmaceutical Association.

Her professional service includes terms as a former board member of the New Hampshire Society of Health-System Pharmacists and as a trustee on the Board for Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital. She served as a Community Health Ambassador for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Partners for Community Wellness bridging the gap between populations of color and healthcare leaders.

Dr. Williams-Lowe serves as a mentor for several professional organizations and is actively engaged in and committed to community outreach and advocating for health equity.