Past-Presidents

Bethany Baker, PharmD, MSHA, is currently the Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. She received her doctorate from the UMKC School of Pharmacy before completing a PGY1/PGY2 HSPAL residency at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. She received her Master’s in Science Health Administration degree from VCU in 2017. Shortly after, she joined the team at Children’s Mercy as a Critical Care Pharmacy Manager before becoming a director in 2021. Bethany serves as a preceptor for APPE, PGY1, and PGY2 learners and enjoys teaching on the topics of leadership, strategy, and project management.

Bethany has served extensively at the local and state ASHP affiliate levels since 2018. She completed a one-year term as the GKCSHP Board’s Secretary before completing a three-year presidential term which ended in June 2024.

Kerra Leaderbrand, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP graduated from the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk!) in 2016. She completed PGY1 and PGY2 Critical Care Training at University Health (formerly Truman Medical Centers) in Kansas City, MO from 2016-2018. She then worked at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, MO as a Neurocritical Care Pharmacy Specialist where she precepted residents and students, as well as served as a Residency Program Coordinator. She left her clinical role in 2022 when she transitioned to the pharmaceutical industry where she now works as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) for GlaxoSmithKline in the infectious diseases space. She lives in the KC metro with her husband, son, daughter, and pets.

Ashley Duty, PharmD, MS, BCSCP, FASHP earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from the Raabe College of Pharmacy at Ohio Northern University and a Master’s of Science in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from Northeast Ohio Medical University. She completed a PGY1/2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration residency at the Cleveland Clinic. Ashley is currently Director of Pharmacy Operations at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to this, Ashley served as a pharmacy manager at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. In 2019, Ashley became a Board Certified Sterile Compounding Pharmacist.

Professionally, Ashley is involved with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She was recognized as a fellow of ASHP in 2023. She is currently an Ohio delegate for ASHP and serves as a board member for the Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacy. Ashley has previously served in local and state leadership roles for the Greater Kansas City Society of Health-System Pharmacists and Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacy. In 2021, Ashley was named "Pharmacist of the Year" by the Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Mel Smith, Pharm.D., MBA, BCPS served as President of GKCSHP from 2019-2020. Mel graduated from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy with her Doctor of Pharmacy and received a Masters of Business Administration from Western Governors University. She completed a PGY1 residency at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission in Shawnee, Kansas and a PGY2 Health-Systems Pharmacy Administration Residency at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, Washington. After residency, Mel joined the pharmacy team at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, MO as the Clinical Pharmacy Manager, eventually serving as the Director of Pharmacy. She currently works as a Pharmacy Executive on the Pharmacy Spend Management Delivery team at Vizient. She is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS).

Mel is passionate about pharmacy advocacy and has served multiple years on the boards of the Greater Kansas City Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She has also served as a Practitioner Surveyor with the ASHP accreditation team and on the Section Advisory Group on Frontline Leaders. In 2022, Mel was named "Pharmacist of the Year" by the Greater Kansas City Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Currently, Mel is serving a three year term as a Missouri delegate in the ASHP House of Delegates. She also volunteers her time in the community with the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri.

Katie Korte currently serves as the Vice President of Assurance & Continuity at Vizient, Inc. In this role, she leads the Assurance & Continuity team, which is responsible for the development, execution, and management of services, operations, and commercial offerings aimed at meeting the price and supply assurance needs of Vizient providers and suppliers.

One of Katie's significant contributions is her leadership in the Vizient Reserve program. Through this program, she connects providers to Vizient's best-in-class Assurance program, ensuring that they have access to essential products and support to enhance their operations and achieve their resiliency goals. Before assuming her current position, Katie held the position of Senior Director of Pharmacy Member Services at Vizient. In this role, she provided valuable support to over 400 providers, assisting them in maximizing their pharmacy value and optimizing their processes.

Prior to joining Vizient, Katie served as the Director of Pharmacy at University Health in Kansas City, Missouri. Her experience in this role equipped her with a deep understanding of the healthcare industry and the challenges faced by providers in delivering quality care.

Katie's educational background includes a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Pharmacy, and a Master's degree in Health Administration from the University of Missouri. Katie completed a Pharmacy Practice (PGY1) Residency and a Critical Care (PGY2) Residency at University Health. She is a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) and Board-Certified Critical Care Pharmacist (BCCCP). Additionally, she has received awards from UMKC as the “Outstanding Pharmacy Seminar Presenter”, Missouri Society of Health System Pharmacists (MSHP) Rising Star, MSHP Pharmacist of the Year, ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Residency Excellence New Preceptor Award, and the Thomas P. Weil Award from the University of Missouri MHA Program. Katie has authored multiple publications including ASHP Pharmacy Competency Assessment Center competencies, ACCP CCSAP cases, a review of best practice for health system pharmacy department safety huddles, and a review article on the pharmacists guide to the management of organ donors after brain death.

Bryan Schuessler Pharm.D., M.S., CSP served as the President of GKCSHP from 2017-2018. Bryan received his PharmD from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, and Master of Science in Pharmacy Practice from the University of Kansas while completing his HSPA residency program at The University of Kansas HealthSystem. After residency, Bryan worked for The University of Florida Health where he oversaw operations for 2 years before relocating back to Kansas City to join the Saint Luke’s HealthSystem team. At Saint Luke’s, Bryan’s primary focus was to oversee the Home Infusion and Specialty pharmacy service line. From there, Bryan ventured into the software space joining a local startup company and is currently serving as the Director of Product at RxSavings Solutions where he focuses on solving problems for clients related to their medication benefit spend.

Dr. Schuessler's interests include specialty pharmacy practice, medication reimbursement methodology, pharmacy and medical benefit plan design, product and business development, and leadership. He is an active member in ASHP, and the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) where he currently serves on the Customer Experience Committee and leads the sub-committee on White-Bagging. Outside of work Bryan pursues making lifelong memories with his wife and three children.

Sarah Bledsoe, PharmD, MSHA, DPLA, BCSCP, CPHIMS, served as President of GKCSHP from 2015-2016. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, completed the ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Leadership Academy, and received a Masters in Healthcare Administration from Texas Tech University. After graduation, Sarah joined the pharmacy team at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, MO working in various clinical pharmacist, informatics, and leadership roles eventually serving as the Senior Director for Pharmacy. Sarah also serves as Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Missouri – Kansas City, School of Pharmacy. Throughout her career, Sarah has facilitated numerous projects related to healthcare information technology and automation, including work with the electronic healthcare record, automated dispensing cabinets, pharmacy workflow management systems and temperature monitoring. She has been active in ASHP, most recently serving as a member of the Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Technology Advisory Group on Pharmacy Operations and Automation where she assisted with the development of guidelines and presentations. She has served as a reviewer for the ASHP USP 795 Answer Book and author of the PCAC competency on nonsterile compounding. She has been active with the state and local affiliate chapters serving as a board member for the Greater Kansas City Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists and the Missouri Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists.

Diana Hoelscher, PharmD, BCOP served as President of GKCSCHP in 2014, and had previously served as Secretary. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Pharmacy in 2007 (Go Badgers!). She moved to Kansas City to complete a PGY1 residency at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, and worked at their Lee’s Summit hospital for one year afterwards. She then completed a PGY2 residency in Hematology & Oncology at the University of Kansas Health System (KU) and stayed on as a clinical pharmacist. She has worked in a variety of areas at KU, both inpatient and outpatient, primarily in the Heme/Onc capacity. She currently works as a clinical oncology pharmacist at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Overland Park.

Dr. Huke received his Pharm.D. Degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (2000), completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Cox Medical Center (2001), achieved the designation of Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (2010) and Fellow of ASHP (2024). He was employed at Truman Medical Centers from 2001 to 2019, holding several titles including Internal Medicine Clinical Lead Pharmacist, Clinical Manager & Residency Program Director, & Director of Pharmacy Services. Dr. Huke now serves as Senior Pharmacy Executive Director with Vizient Inc. where he is providing consultant clinical pharmacy services.

Dr. Huke has a long track record of mentoring. While at TMC he has organized or supervised the creation of numerous clinical programs and initiatives and led formulary management and cost saving programs. Dr. Huke has served as a preceptor and mentor for numerous pharmacy students on both IPPE and APPE rotations. He was a founding member and preceptor of the TMC Pharmacy Residency. Dr. Huke is passionate about the training of future health systems pharmacists within the state of Missouri and across the country.

Dr. Huke began his involvement in professional service as a member of the Midwest Pharmacy Residency Conference Planning Committee in 2006 and is now the Chair of the Conference. He has been a Board Member of the Greater Kansas City Society of Health System Pharmacy (GKC) since 2009; first as Membership Chair, a position he held for 2-year then a 3 year term as President- Elect/President/Past-President. He served a 3 year term as the President- Elect/President/Past-President and was formerly the Treasurer Elect/Treasurer of the Missouri Society of Health Systems Pharmacist (MSHP) and now serves as the Executive Director of the MSHP Research and Education (R&E) Foundation. Dr. Huke has served on the Planning Committee for the MSHP Spring meeting, Resident Research Day with GKC, The Pharmacy Future Trends Task Force with UMKC, and other committees throughout his career.

Dr. Huke has presented at numerous local, regional and national conferences and student group organizations regarding the importance of residency training, planning a career in health systems pharmacy, and is currently the course coordinator for the Hospital Pharmacy elective offered each fall at the UMKC School of Pharmacy.

Kimberly Day, PharmD served as President of GKCSHP in 2012 and had previously served as the Programs Director for GKCSHP and as co-chair on the Programs Committee for MSHP. During Kim’s tenure as President, the board held the first GKC Resident Research Day.

Kim graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with her Doctor of Pharmacy. She completed a PGY1 residency at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City. After residency Kim joined the staff at Saint Luke’s as a clinical pharmacy specialist. She currently works as a practice specialist in the Neonatal ICU and Obstetrics unit and is involved in precepting pharmacy students and residents. Kim is passionate about evidence-based care and continues to be involved with research efforts.

Andrew J. Smith, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCCP, BCPS, is a Clinical Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy. He earned his Pharm.D. from UMKC in 2000 and completed post-graduate training at the VA Medical Center in Iowa City, IA, in 2001. He is a Fellow of ACCP, a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist, and a board-certified cardiology pharmacist. In 2011, he served as president of the Greater Kansas City Society of Health-System Pharmacists. In 2016, he was named GKCSHP Pharmacist of the Year.

Andrew is dedicated to professional service, having served as president of MSHP and chair of the MSHP R&E Foundation. He has also chaired the cardiology and education and training PRNs (Practice Research Networks) for ACCP. Currently, he is the National President of the Rho Chi Society.

At UMKC, his responsibilities include course coordination and instruction on cardiovascular topics. He has over 20 years of experience providing clinical cardiology services and precepting pharmacy students on APPE and IPPE clinical rotations.

Dr. Tyler Dodson received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy in 2007. Following graduation he completed a one year post graduate pharmacy practice residency at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas. After completion of his residency he participated in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Heart Failure Training Program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. In 2009 he became Board Certified in Pharmacotherapy and one year later earned Added Qualifications in Cardiology until the certification was retired in 2018. In 2021, during the COVID19 pandemic, he earned the Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialty Certification.

Dr. Dodson has completed multiple other certifications including the Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacist (SIDP) antimicrobial stewardship certification in 2016 and the MAD-ID antimicrobial stewardship certification 2019. He participated in the 2018 AHRQ Antibiotic safety program working to improve the use of antimicrobial medications in the hospital.

Currently, Dr. Dodson is the Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator at Mercy Hospital Pittsburg, Inc. located in Pittsburg, Kansas. Prior to this role he was the Clinical Coordinator and Advanced Pharmacist at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas and served on multiple hospital committees including the Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee and Infection Control; serving as the pharmacy representative for antimicrobial stewardship. Prior to this, he was a clinical pharmacist at the University of Kansas Hospital.

Dr. Dodson has served as the President of the Greater Kansas City Society of Health-System Pharmacists from 2010 to 2011. While serving as President he received the MSHP Rising Star award and became an honorary member of Phi Lambda Sigma, a pharmacy leadership fraternity at UMKC School of Pharmacy. He is also a former member of ACCP, ASHP, ACC-CCA, MSHP, and SIDP.