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Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency at SUNY Downstate Wins Coveted Three-Year Accreditation:

Jun 24, 2009

New Program Earns High Marks for Specialty Training

Brooklyn, NY - The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) credentialing commission has granted accreditation to the Pharmacy Practice Residency in Infectious Diseases at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. This accreditation acknowledges Downstate’s role as a center of postgraduate clinical pharmacy education.

The one-year program offers advanced, specialty training to licensed pharmacists who have completed one year of general pharmacy practice residency. It focuses on developing skills in pharmacotherapy and antimicrobial management of both common and rare infectious diseases, as well as enhanced communications skills.

The program earned high marks on the ASHP site review, as indicated by the three-year accreditation; many new programs only receive one-year approval. The stringent accreditation standards reflect best practices in pharmacy resident training and the delivery of patient care.

The infectious diseases pharmacy residency has been greeted enthusiastically by the faculty. Nicholas Galeota, MS, RPh, director of pharmacy services and a prime mover in establishing the residency, is confident that the program’s successful accreditation will elevate the Pharmacy Department to new levels.

“This accreditation represents a vote of confidence in our Pharmacy Department,” says Debra Carey, CEO of University Hospital at Downstate. “Pharmacy is an invaluable resource to all our healthcare providers, and, of course, our patients are the greatest beneficiaries.”

Roopali Sharma, PharmD, a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist (BCPS), is the residency director. Launched in 2007, the program graduated its first resident the following year.

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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.

UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.