Washington, D.C. – The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) is proud to announce the 2024 recipients for the inaugural Rising Star and Beacon awards, and the Warren E. Weaver/Richard P. Penna award. The recipients will formally accept their award at an event of their choosing in 2024.
- The 2024 Rising Star Award: Wesley Kufel, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, AAHIVP
- The 2024 Weaver/Penna Award: Roland Dickerson, PharmD, BCNSP, FCCP, FASHP, FCCM, FASPEN
- The 2024 Beacon Award: Tabula Rasa Healthcare
“The launch of the Rising Star award and the Beacon award with the 2024 recipients marks an increased effort by BPS to support excellence in pharmacy practice. These awards, coupled with the Warren E. Weaver/Richard P. Penna Award, are a testament to those who distinguish themselves in our profession, notably through their dedication to board certification and patient care,” said Cyrine Haidar, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, FASHP, BPS Board of Directors Chair.
The Rising Star Award acknowledges significant early career advancements in BPS Board Certification, celebrating the emerging leaders in our field. The Warren E. Weaver / Richard P. Penna Award continues to honor those pharmacists making exceptional voluntary contributions to board certification. Complementing these, the Beacon Award shines a light on patient care organizations that provide outstanding support in advancing BPS board certification, thereby elevating the standards of pharmacy practice and patient care. The Board of Pharmacy Specialties offers congratulations to these deserving recipients of the 2024 Awards. To learn more about the awards, visit this page.
2024 Rising Star Award recipient Wesley D. Kufel, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, AAHIVP
Wesley Kufel, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, AAHIVP, serves as a Clinical Associate Professor at both SUNY Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Dr. Kufel’s profound commitment to board certification is reflected in his dedication to lifelong learning and his significant involvement with BPS and other professional organizations. He has spearheaded the development of ID pharmacy services for the ID consultation teams and has led influential ID pharmacy-driven initiatives at SUNY Upstate Medical University.
During his time at SUNY, he has also been involved in ID research, publishing over 45 peer-reviewed articles with more than 720 citations at the time of his nomination, and co-founded a clinical microcredential research program, making significant contributions to pharmacy practice and research.
Stephen J. Thomas, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FASTMH, applauds Dr. Kufel’s commitment: “Wes devotes considerable hours to educating others about infectious diseases, pharmacology, and stewardship”.
Dr. Kufel continues to support board certification through his ongoing involvement with the BPS, where he serves on the ID Pharmacy Specialty Council, and through his role in encouraging his residents to become board certified.
2024 Weaver/Penna Award recipient Roland N. Dickerson, PharmD, BCNSP, FCCP, FASHP, FCCM, FASPEN
Roland N. Dickerson, PharmD, BCNSP, FCCP, FASHP, FCCM, FASPEN, is a tenured professor of clinical pharmacy and translational science at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy and Clinical Coordinator of the Nutrition Support Service at Regional One Health in Memphis, TN.
Dr. Dickerson has devoted his career to the elevation of clinical pharmacy since completing his fellowship in 1983, particularly in nutrition support, signified by his long-standing role as a Board-Certified Nutrition Support Pharmacist since 1993.
His mentorship spans generations, having directly shaped the careers of over 75 pharmacy residents, 5 research fellows, and numerous international pharmacists, many of whom now hold significant positions within their respective organizations.
Angela Bingham, PharmD, BCNSP, FCCP, FASPEN, speaks to Dr. Dickerson’s enduring influence, “I was inspired to pursue board certification and engage in service with BPS due to his mentorship…his insights and leadership have significantly elevated the quality of care and services provided by Board-Certified Nutrition Support Pharmacists”.
The 2024 Beacon Award recipient Tabula Rasa Healthcare
Tabula Rasa HealthCare (TRHC), located in Moorestown, New Jersey, has been a prominent figure in geriatric pharmacy care since its establishment in April 2009. TRHC has successfully broadened its services to encompass healthcare organizations across more than 20 states, and recently, it combined with ExactCare to create a leading, independent pharmacy care management company supporting patients with the most complex needs.
TRHC has more than 70 highly skilled pharmacists, each of whom has attained the board-certified geriatric pharmacist (BCGP) credential. The pharmacists at TRHC are integral to various critical aspects of patient care, offering services like medication reviews, therapy management, and risk mitigation. They provide medication safety reviews supported by advanced technology in which they apply the principles of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics (when available), and chronopharmacology to enhance medication safety and outcomes.
The board-certified pharmacists play a key role in curtailing healthcare costs for the PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) programs TRHC specializes in supporting. From 2018 to 2019, there was a notable reduction in healthcare costs by USD $5,024 per participant, aligning with TRHC’s mission to enable simplified and individualized care that improves the health of those it serves.
Adam Vossen, MD, Medical Director of Immanuel Pathways PACE, praises the impact of TRHC’s pharmacists: “The support we’ve received from the TRHC pharmacists has been invaluable to our Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) efforts at reducing the risks of excess morbidity and mortality associated with polypharmacy for our participants, and the confidence we have from them being BPS Board Certified exceeds expectations in many ways.”
About the Board of Pharmacy Specialties
The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) was established in 1976 as an autonomous division of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). The mission of BPS is to improve patient care by positioning BPS Board-Certified Pharmacist Specialists as integral members of interprofessional healthcare teams, through recognition and promotion of specialized training, knowledge, and skills for pharmacists in the United States and internationally. Board certification is a recognized credential for determining which pharmacists are qualified to contribute at advanced practice levels given the rigorous standards mandated by BPS board certification and recertification. BPS currently recognizes more than 60,700 active pharmacist certifications across 15 specialties.
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