Hello North Dakota!  My name is Katie Evans and I currently practice in ambulatory care at Altru Health System in Grand Forks.  It is an honor to serve as President of the North Dakota Society of Health-System Pharmacists for 2025-2026.  Our profession is evolving rapidly, and our role has never been more vital.

The mission of NDSHP is to elevate health-system pharmacy practice and enhance patient care throughout our region through advocacy, innovation and strong member support.  Every initiative we take on, every meeting we hold, and every conversation we start is driven by this purpose.  And we are guided by a simple but powerful vison:  to lead in a way that helps every patient get the best medication use, every single time

NDSHP continues to promote continuing education and lifelong learning for members throughout the year. The annual fall Summit and Expo remains our flagship event for connection and collaboration across the state. I am excited to meet and reconnect with you all October 23-24 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fargo.  We continue to support the future of pharmacy by hosting our annual Residency Showcase which allows residency programs to connect with potential residents and students to learn more about the wide array of opportunities in our region.  We will also have student-specific programming as well relating to careers and residency preparation in collaboration with the NDSHP-SSHP chapter at NDSU.

Our educational and collaborative efforts do not stop with this one event, however. Every other month we provide CE for members highlighting a variety of acute and ambulatory care topics. Alternating months feature Journal Club presentations to help keep members up to date on the latest literature. Check out the Events page on our website for information about all upcoming networking and education sessions and register in advance to obtain CE credit. 

Collaboration across the state remains at the forefront of minds to support the entire state.  Every month, we host networking meetings that rotate among Acute Care, Pediatric, Ambulatory Care/Specialty, and Pharmacy Operations and Leadership. All NDSHP members are welcome to attend to share and collaborate with their peers across the state. Please reach out to an NDSHP board member or networking meeting facilitator if you have ideas for future topics or discussions.

We will continue to offer our ASHP Certificate Program for the 2024-2025 year. This program allows NDSHP member pharmacists to receive reimbursement for their completion of an ASHP certification in an area of their choosing. We had many members apply for a wide variety of certifications, including anticoagulation, medication safety, emergency medicine, pediatrics, and opioid stewardship. 

I encourage you to stay actively engaged with NDSHP—whether by joining a committee, attending our educational programs, or sharing your ideas.  It is your voice and dedication that brings our mission and vision come to life.  It is a privilege to serve alongside such an outstanding leadership team:  Sadiee Oberlander, PharmD, BCPS (Past-President); Amber Olek, PharmD, BCPS (President-Elect); Adwoa Adjekum, PharmD (Treasurer); Maari Loy , PharmD, BCPS, FASHP, MBA (Member-at-Large). 

Thank you for your ongoing dedication to our patients and to the profession of pharmacy.  I look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the year ahead.

With gratitude and excitement, 

Katie Evans, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP

NDSHP President