MPA | Committees

"It is important that MPA members involve themselves in professional Committees and Task Forces because of the valuable experience they bring from their field of practice. This experience translates to a passion for the subject, and MPA offers many opportunities to turn this passion into meaningful outcomes. Whether you’re a new practitioner that has an idea for how to attract new members, or a community pharmacist helping to ensure the profession is not taken advantage of by third-parties, you have an opportunity to contribute. This opportunity doesn’t require much time; it just requires your experience. And a Committee composed of a diverse group of members, with a variety of experiences, means better outcomes, greater credibility of the groups’ decisions and more steps forward in advancing the profession. As a bonus, at the end of your term, you can step back and say ‘I helped make this possible.’”

−Mike Crowe, MPA Executive Board and Local Association Development Committee

“I feel it’s important to be involved because attending MSHP Committee Day inspires me to be a better pharmacist. I leave each discussion with ideas to improve my relationship with patients, and educate the public on the integral role that pharmacists play in health care.”

–Lisa Sutton, past chair, MPA/MSHP Public Affairs Committee

Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) has several standing Committees and special Task Forces to assist with conducting the business of the Association and advancing pharmacy practice in Michigan. Joining one of these groups allows you to make an impact on your profession, while networking and collaborating with peers.

MPA Committee and Task Force meetings are scheduled by each individual group. Each Committee and Task Force is also assigned charges to accomplish throughout the year. Committee members are appointed to a one-year term (January-December).

Click on the black bars below to learn more about each Committee or Task Force.

MPA Education Task Force

The Education Task Force assists in developing the educational programming for meetings. Members of the Task Force develop topics and identify speakers for the Annual Convention & Exposition, authors and topics for home study CE articles and brainstorm strategies to deliver education programs utilizing alternative presentation formats. View the Education Task Force Annual Report .

2019 MPA Education Task Force Members

Roseanne Paglia, chair	Sr. Phyllis Klonowski
Mary Farrington, MPA staff liaison	Mary Roththermal
Stacy Brousseau	Katie Wenstrom
Jill Covyeou	Jason Williamson
Linda Fitzgerald
Terry Gottschall

2019 MPA Education Task Force Charges

Develop a list of speakers and topics for educational programming, including suggestions for the 2020 MPA Annual Convention & Exposition.
Identify authors and topics for continuing education articles that meet ACPE accreditation criteria for publication in Michigan Pharmacist.
Recommend webinar topics, speakers and target audiences for 2019-2020 programming.
Identify a continuing education program(s) to illustrate successful and innovative practice, projects and services.
Identify a continuing education program(s) that provide advanced training for pharmacists.

If you have any questions regarding the MPA Education Task Force, please contact staff liaison Mary Farrington at Mary@MichiganPharmacists.org.

MPA/MSHP Membership Committee

The Membership Committee, a collaboration of MPA and MSHP members, works to increase and strengthen membership by developing activities for members. To encourage new members, the Committee also organizes a student luncheon annually. In addition, they evaluate member benefits and work on developing strategies to target special interest groups, including new practitioners and pharmacy technicians, for membership. View the Membership Committee Annual Report.
If you have any questions regarding the MPA/MSHP Membership Committee, please contact staff liaison, Penney Aiken at Penney@MichiganPharmacists.org.

MPA New Practitioner Committee

The New Practitioner Committee is composed of new pharmacy practitioners who assist in providing feedback and suggestions regarding new programs, products and services that would benefit a new pharmacy professional. They also coordinate the New Practitioner Exchange, a quarterly newsletter for new practitioner and student pharmacist members. View the New Practitioner Committee Annual Report .

2019 MPA New Practitioner Committee Members

Stephanie LaPointe, chair	Katie Wenstrom
Sarah Mahoney, vice chair	Lisa Salvati
Farah Jalloul, MPA staff liaison	Michelle Sahr
Carol Stutrud, MPA executive fellow	Paria Sanaty Zadeh
Bailey Carpenter	Scott Kollmeyer
Bradley St. Pierre	Toni Larson
Brooke Roe	Victoria Facchini
Courtney Doellner
Deeb Eid
Herve Pola Wafo
Jennifer Gregory
Jonathan Doellner

2019 MPA New Practitioner Committee Charges

Plan New Practitioner event(s) for the 2019 and 2020 MPA Annual Convention.
Explore and evaluate new ideas for member engagement including brief podcasts and other media.
Continue to produce New Practitioner profiles for sharing on social media, E-news and/or other publications.
Continue to identify, evaluate and offer recommendations related to member engagement opportunities using social media.

If you have any questions regarding the MPA New Practitioner Committee, please contact staff liaison Farah Jalloul at Farah@MichiganPharmacists.org.

MPA Professional Affairs Committee

The Professional Affairs Committee develops initiatives to enhance professional awareness to the members and serves as a resource to evaluate professional issues that impact the profession and pharmacy professionals. Committee members manage the annual NASPA-NMA Student Pharmacist Self-care Championship held during the Annual Convention & Exposition; evaluate patient safety tools; monitor pharmacy information on the career Web site (www.MIHott.com) in cooperation with the Michigan Health Council; and educate members on health information exchange and involvement in regional health information organizations. View the Professional Affairs Committee Annual Report .

2019 MPA Professional Affairs Committee Members

Denise Markstrom, chair	Kevin Szyskowski
Melody Arnst, staff liason	Lisa Sutton
Andrew Richards	Maxwell Norris
Daniel Chung	Michael Kraft
Gregg Potter	Preston Taylor
Jackie Morse	Rachel Neu
John Brubaker	Ronda Hawkins
Katelynn Patterson	Shawna Kraft
Sr. Phyllis Klonowski	Troy Shirley

2019 MPA Professional Affairs Committee Charges

Consider the House of Delegates resolution(s) referred to the Committee by the MPA Executive Board.

Manage all aspects of the NASPA-NMA Student Pharmacist Self-care Championship to ensure participation by each college of pharmacy and revise the competition procedure manual, as necessary.
Evaluate and maintain up-to-date pharmacy career information and resources within the MPA Career Center.
Solicit authors and topics focused on patient safety for the April, July and October 2018 and January 2019 issues of Michigan Pharmacist journal.
Review and update MPA’s online patient safety resources and work to promote the utilization of the resources available on the MPA website.
Submit the annual Committee progress report to the MPA Executive Board by Oct. 1, 2018.

If you have any questions regarding the MPA Professional Affairs Committee, please contact staff liaison, Melody Arnst, at Melody@MichiganPharmacists.org.

MPA/MSHP Public Affairs Committee

The Public Affairs Committee, a collaboration of MPA and MSHP members, aims to increase public awareness of the pharmacist’s role in patient care. Committee members develop tools for pharmacists and technicians to use in their campaigns to promote Michigan Pharmacy Week, increase patient compliance and encourage dialogue between pharmacists and their patients, as well as provide support to public relations initiatives, including the That's My Pharmacist campaign. View the Public Affairs Committee Annual Report.
If you have any questions regarding the MPA/MSHP Public Affairs Committee, please contact staff liaison, Bridget Long, at Bridget@MichiganPharmacists.org.

MPA Third Party Committee

The Third Party Committee monitors third party issues and communicates important information to members. Committee members evaluate policy changes of third party insurers and provide input to those insurers when appropriate. They also monitor issues regarding mail order, audits, electronic prescribing, reimbursement models and others. View the Third Party Committee Annual Report .

2019 MPA Third Party Committee Members

Deb Sopo, chair	Kim Moon
Farah Jalloul, staff liaison	Jeff Kauffman
Lindsey Ghiringhelli, MPA board member liaison	Manjula Jayabalan
Amy Ellis	Michael Breen
Anthony Codrean	Raymond Burzynski
Bethany Hill	Saima Mirza
Carrie Germain	Shams Shibley
Courtney Biehl
Dawn Parsons
Douglas Samojedny
Ghada Abdallah
Thomas Hanadi
Heather Kauffman
Jake Chaffee
Jonathan Grice

2019 MPA Third Party Committee Charges

Annual Responsibilities

1. Consider the House of Delegates resolution(s) referred to the Committee by the MPA Executive Board.

2. Submit the annual Committee progress report to the MPA Executive Board by Oct. 1, 2019.

2019 Charges

Explore communication options for members to share third party information and make a recommendation for action.
Continue to establish and enhance relationships with third-party payers and government officials to promote the value of pharmacy services and develop a partnership for the payment of professional services.
Educate the MPA membership on third party issues through timely communications.
To partner with at least one managed care organization or self-insured employer to explore payments for pharmacist services.

If you have any questions regarding the MPA Third Party Committee, please contact staff liaison Farah Jalloul at Farah@MichiganPharmacists.org.

Testimonials from Involved Members