Hello WMSHP Members! It's that time of year again. Voting is now open for next year's E-board. Voting will remain open throughout the month of October and can be completed at the following link: WMSHP E-board Voting. We will announce your new E-board members in November. 

Some of you know him as Ben, Benjamin, Dr. Pontefract. But, among the board, we have another name for him. "Mr. October" - for the last few years, our October meetings have been plagued by the unexpected, necessitating a very last-minute change-in-plans. Ben has stepped up to present CE an ensure we all have an educational and entertaining meeting. Kelsey Ernst, our CE coordinator, and Brad Miller, our secretary, have also kept on their toes to ensure the material qualifies for CE and you have all the updates you need! Big thank you Mr. October, Kelsey, and Brad! 

Nominations for the 2027 Election year are upon us!

Please be sure to send in your nominations for the following board positions no later than October 16th. Please send all nominations, including self-nominations, directly to ashleyblanchette@gmail.com.

Open positions: 

• Secretary (two-year term)
• Board member/Director (one-year term)
• President-Elect (one-year term, At the end of that term, the President-elect shall become President. The President shall serve for one year, followed by one year of service as Past President.)

Ballots will be distributed the week of October 19th, and will close on Friday, October 30th. We look forward to welcoming the new board members at our November meeting!

We had a great turnout at the 2026 WMSHP Residency Showcase on October 1st. Check out all the great pictures from past events in our new Photo Gallery!

The annual MSHP meeting is October 23rd at Weber's Boutique Hotel and Restaurant. This is a great chance to reunite or meet new health system colleagues across the state, grow your knowledge with CE, and take advantage of more benefits of your MSHP membership! https://www.michiganpharmacists.org/events/2026-mshp-annual-meeting

This year, WMSHP mock interviews in-person are on November 4th at the FSU Grand Rapids campus and virtually on November 5th from 5-6:30pm. We could use some volunteers to support this great opportunity! For further information, please email GCHAVEZ@beaconhealthsystem.org.

Finally- WMSHP, along with the other regional MSHP associations, MPA local associations, and MPA/MSHP Committees are working to bring you a one stop shop to learn about all events near you, so be sure to check out the association calendar at: https://www.michiganpharmacists.org/events/

Thank you for being part of our health system pharmacy community in West Michigan!

 Ashley

Just last month WMSHP met virtually and in person in Grand Rapids on Corewell Health’s campus for a CE on Answering Today’s Most Common GLP1 Medication Questions by yours truly. Great engagement from the audience! We have another CE coming this week in Kalamazoo at Hopcat, let us know if you can join us! https://www.wmshp.net/event-6822630

We also look forward to welcoming residents and program directors across the state for the Residency Showcase is October 1st at FSU Grand Rapids.

The annual MSHP meeting is October 23rd at Weber's Boutique Hotel and Restaurant. This is a great chance to reunite or meet new health system colleagues across the state, grow your knowledge with CE, and take advantage of more benefits of your MSHP membership! https://www.michiganpharmacists.org/events/2026-mshp-annual-meeting

This year, WMSHP mock interviews in-person are on November 4th at the FSU Grand Rapids campus and virtually on November 5th from 5-6:30pm. We could use some volunteers to support this great opportunity! For further information, please email GCHAVEZ@beaconhealthsystem.org.

Finally- WMSHP, along with the other regional MSHP associations, MPA local associations, and MPA/MSHP Committees are working to bring you a one stop shop to learn about all events near you, so be sure to check out the association calendar at: https://www.michiganpharmacists.org/events/

Thank you for being part of our health system pharmacy community in West Michigan!

 Ashley

I hope everyone has had a safe and satisfying summer! The WMSHP board will reconvene after the July/August summer recess on Thursday, September 10th, where we will welcome our new Resident at Large, Haliegh Winskas of Corewell Health Grand Rapids. Welcome, Dr. Winskas!

Also, I hope to see some of you at the MPA Law Symposium this Wednesday in Grand Rapids!

Happy summer, everyone!

Executive board members gathered together in June to plan and prepare for another great year of CE, networking, and leadership opportunities for the pharmacy professionals of West Michigan! Check out the events and opportunities coming up in the next few months below- 

Membership Event August 8th

• Join us for the first ever "Summer Sizzler" - a family-friendly picnic at Millennium Park! Check out the official sign-up page for more details: Western Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists - WMSHP Summer Sizzler 2026

Resident at Large Application due July 31st

Each year, WMSHP brings on a new resident to serve as our Resident at Large member for the academic year.

This year, Dr. Matthew Hickson, PGY1 of Corewell Health Grand Rapids, made many valuable contributions to the society's events, planning, and membership outreach. We would like to take this time to thank Matt for his engagement, creativity, and great company!  

We are looking for another, highly motivated, resident to help serve on our e-board. This is a fantastic way to get to know local pharmacy leaders and to build leadership skills. The condensed description of this role is to attend our monthly e-board planning meetings, plan a general meeting, and plan a membership outreach activity. We will provide guidance throughout.

Any interested residents should complete this application by July 31st at 11:59 PM: https://forms.gle/niSBmJNH8Mz9Qey39. The resident with the most executive board member votes will be notified in August to start their time with us in September. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email at ashleyblanchette@gmail.com with any questions!

September General Meeting

• 1 hour of Free live CE for Pharmacist and Technician members

October Residency Showcase, MSHP Annual, & Mock Interviews

• Details for the Residency Showcase and Mock Interviews are coming soon! 
• Join us in Ann Arbor for the MSHP Annual Meeting - Michigan Pharmacists Association

November General Meeting 

• 1 hour of Free live CE for Pharmacist and Technician members

Stay cool out there!

Ashley

May 7, 2026 The March and April general meetings brought us some excellent student and resident research projects, and there is so much more to come!  Speakers Erin Ruiter, PharmD and Samantha Satawa, PharmD Still to come! Spring Seminar May 14th There is still 1 day to register- Register here for 5 hours of Live CE! Board Planning Meeting June The board will meet to plan for the year ahead. Your feedback is appreciated, so please Let us know what you appreciate about your membership and what we could do to make it even better! We are also looking for CE ideas! You can also share your feedback by emailing leadership@wmshp.net or ashleyblanchette@gmail.com. No meetings in July- enjoy summer break! Membership Event August 8th Millenium Park in Grand Rapids. Food and fun guaranteed! Bring the family to meet and mingle with fellow West Michigan pharmacy professionals- we hope to see you there! September General Meeting October Residency Showcase & MSHP Annual Details for the Residency Showcase are coming soon! Join us in Ann Arbor for the MSHP Annual Meeting - Michigan Pharmacists Association November General Meeting Thank you for being a part of the pharmacy profession! Ashley Blanchette, PharmD WMSHP President 2026 MPA Government Affairs Committee Vice Chair MSHP Publications Committee Board Liaison MPA House of Delegates Vice Speaker

I hope this message finds you well! WMSHP members enjoyed our January meeting featuring Elizabeth Graham for a CE on "Weight management medications: past, present, and future" and our February meeting presented by yours truly on "Medication History".  Since my last President's Corner, the board has been busy planning for more great events ahead, check out the rundown below to ensure you don't miss out! March Monthly WMSHP Meeting at Beacon Health System on 3/12 MSHP Board Meeting on 3/12 April MPA-Annual Convention & Exposition in Lansing! MPF Adopt-a-Student Program. The WMSHP board will support 2 pharmacy students to participate in the conference.  If you are interested in supporting a student, mentors can sign up until 3/8 https://michiganpharmacyfoundation.org/mpf-initiatives/adopt-a-student/parent-questionnaire/ The House of Delegates. WMSHP delegates will present a resolution encouraging MPA to advocate for patient access to glucagon rescue autoinjectors.  The Annual Resident Research Meeting at Founders on 4/9 May The Spring Seminar on 5/14 June The WMSHP board will meet to plan for the year ahead; your feedback is appreciated, please let us know if you have ideas to make our regional society even better by emailing leadership@wmshp.net or ashleyblanchette@gmail.com. August Our summer outing/membership drive is on 8/8 at Millenium Park in Grand Rapids I look forward to seeing you on March 12th at our next membership meeting!  Your friend and colleague, Ashley Blanchette, PharmD WMSHP President 2026 MPA Government Affairs Committee Vice Chair MSHP Publications Committee Board Liaison

Happy New Year's Eve!

The WMSHP board is also excited to welcome Chase Kiriazis, PharmD as a board member this year. 

We look forward to seeing you next week on January 8th at 6:30 pm over Zoom (invitation being sent out soon). 

For anyone who is interested in joining WMSHP this year, we are working diligently to keep our membership rates as low as possible while still providing you with high quality programming and networking opportunities. Wait until you see what this year has in store!

Annual Membership Dues Effective February 1:

• Pharmacist $75
• Technician $10
• Resident $20 

Happy Holidays!

Emailed: December 22, 2025

Hello everyone, this is Ashley Blanchette and I am proud to be your 2026 WMSHP President!

We at the board are looking forward to providing you with the regular CE opportunities you have come to count on, including our monthly meetings, residency research showcase, and all-day Spring Seminar.

Stay tuned for more information on the revamped summertime membership drive and community building event as well as more opportunities for formal and informal networking!

Prospective members are welcome to come and see what WMSHP is all about- please email ashleyblanchette@gmail.com in advance for more details!

Stay safe and warm this holiday season. See you at our next meeting on January 8th!

Your friends and colleagues,

Ashley Blanchette, PharmD - President

Kristina Stoncius, PharmD - President Elect

Jessie Prociv, PharmD, BCACP - Immediate Past President

Benjamin Pontefract, PharmD, BCPS - Chairperson

Brad Miller, PharmD - Secretary

Bryan Homberg, PharmD - Treasurer

Kelsey Ernst, PharmD, BCACP - Continuing Education Chair

Lupe Chavez, PharmD - Community Outreach Chair

Matthew Hickson, PharmD - Resident at Large

Nathan Kanous, PharmD, BCPS - Board Member

Jeff Van Houten, PharmD - Board Member

Heather Hamilton, CPhT - Technician Board Member

Hello everyone,

For my last President's Corner, I am asking for you to participate in voting for our e-board members: Nominations for WMSHP Board

Also, any students out there that are looking for help covering the cost of Midyear registration, please apply to our scholarship! It's a quick turn around time this year, so don't delay: 2025 WMSHP Midyear Scholarship Application

I'd like to thank Kamah Ellena, PharmD, BCCCP for her presentation on sedation in the ICU - it is truly amazing to me some of the different areas that pharmacists can help to improve patient care and in such innovative pathways!

It has been an honor being your president this past year. I'm looking forward to passing the torch to Ashley Blanchette and continuing to support the board in this upcoming year! We have some more great CE events coming up in 2026, we look forward to seeing many of you after the holidays!

Jessie Prociv, PharmD, BCACP

WMSHP President

Hello everyone!

Here is the official request: 

If you or someone you know is interested in joining the WMSHP e-board, please send me an email for more details at procivj@gmail.com. Make sure to include your name and a short (1-5 sentence) summary of who you are to share with our voting members. The open positions will include 4 e-board positions, president-elect, technician, and treasurer. 

I'd love to have this all voted for in time to announce at next month's meeting.

Thank you, I look forward to hearing from you!

Jessie Prociv, PharmD BCACP

WMSHP President 2025