Elaine Nguyen
Dr. Elaine Nguyen earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Western University of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy, located in Pomona, California. She recently assumed the role of Division Supervisor at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Since joining FEMA earlier this year, she has been deployed to Arkansas, Guam, and Hawaii to provide critical disaster relief and support to these states and territories. In addition to her work at FEMA, Dr. Nguyen also dedicates her time to the American University of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, situated in Signal Hill, California. Here, she serves as the Assistant Dean for Experiential Education. Notably, Dr. Nguyen is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree, further expanding her expertise and commitment to her field. Her personal interests include traveling, hiking, scuba diving, and actively participating in disaster relief efforts by leading her Orange County Unit from the California Medical Assistance Team (CALMAT).
Linh Lee
Linh received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy in 2001. She completed a PGY1 Community Pharmacy Residency Program at USC/Ralphs Grocery Company. After graduation, Linh worked at Ralphs Pharmacy as a Pharmacy Manager and has held several positions at Ralphs Corporate Office (a division of The Kroger Company), including Pharmacy Human Resources Manager, Clinical Care Coordinator, and Pharmacy Sales Manager/Assistant Director of Pharmacy. In her current role at Axium Healthcare Pharmacy, the specialty pharmacy division of The Kroger Company, Linh is responsible for the operations of the western region and integrating specialty pharmacy into the community pharmacy environment. Her professional affiliations include the American Pharmacists Association, California Pharmacists Association, National Association of Specialty Pharmacy/Specialty Pharmacy Association of America, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, Phi Delta Chi Pharmacy Fraternity, and Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society. Linh has been an active board member of the Orange County Pharmacists Association since 2006.
Kevin Shiau
Kevin Shiau received his PharmD from Howard University College of Pharmacy in Washington, DC, and his BS from the University of Oklahoma. He currently works in the biotechnology industry at Seagen, a pioneer in antibody-drug conjugates, after starting his career at various pharmaceutical agencies. As a pharmacy student, he was heavily involved in Phi Delta Chi, APhA and SNPhA. Kevin has been an active member of the Orange County Pharmacists Association, specifically the mentorship committee, since returning to the area.
Sarah McBane
Sarah E. McBane, PharmD, CDE, BCPS, FCCP, FCPhA, FCSHP, APh is the Founding Associate Dean for Pharmacy Education and clinical Professor within the newly developed Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice at UC Irvine School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is board-certified in Pharmacotherapy through the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties. Dr. McBane’s clinical expertise is in ambulatory care family medicine, including women’s health and tobacco abuse. Dr. McBane is extensively involved in professional pharmacy organizations and has developed legislation to recognize pharmacists as providers and expand the scope of practice for pharmacists in the state of California. She received her PharmD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed a Pharmacotherapy Specialty Residency in Family Medicine at East Carolina University.
Cynthia Bennett
Cynthia Bennett, CPhT, CSPT is the Executive Assistant to the Vice President of PIH Health Pharmacy Operations. Her career within the pharmacy profession spans over 20 years in various specialties. More than 17 years was dedicated to the in-patient hospital pharmacies within the Memorial Healthcare System, starting as a staff Pharmacy Technician and eventually moving into the role of an In-Patient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor. Home Infusion and Oncology Pharmacy were specialties she also worked in for over 17 years. She was the inaugural Director of Experiential Education at MBKU, College of Pharmacy, where she still teaches Sterile Compounding. She has many years of pharmacy experience to share with the students. As the first Pharmacy Technician on the Board of Directors for OCPhA, Cynthia can expand our organization to Pharmacy Technicians. In her free time, she enjoys everything and anything Star Wars.
Micah Hata
Micah Hata received his Pharm.D. from Western University of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy. He also completed his residency in community pharmacy practice at Western University of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy. Dr. Hata has been actively involved in educating seniors on the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. In addition to currently holding a position as an associate professor to Western University of Health Sciences, he is also an active member of the Orange County Pharmacists Association and served a number of terms as the chapter’s president in the previous years.
Tony Dao
Tony received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy in 2012. After graduating, Tony worked on the build and implementation of the pharmacy module for the new electronic health record at the Ventura County Healthcare Agency (VCHCA). After several years of maintaining and implementing new projects at VCHCA, he moved back home to Orange County where he continues to work as an informatics pharmacist in new initiatives at Children’s Hospital Orange County (CHOC) . He also works as an inpatient pharmacist for Kindred Healthcare and volunteers his time precepting health fairs, providing guest lectures on clinical informatics, and participating in multiple professional organizations and section advisory groups. He is also the founder and host of the Pharmacy, IT, & Me podcast that focuses on the subject of pharmacy informatics.
Sharon Xavioer
Dr. Sharon Xavioer is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chapman University School of Pharmacy where she teaches women’s health topics and self-care pharmacotherapy. Her research interests include evaluating the impact of pharmacist provided services, women’s health, and innovations in pharmacy education. In addition to her teaching and research activities, she currently maintains an ambulatory clinical practice site with AltaMed Health Services.
Puja Patel
Dr. Patel is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Marshall B. Ketchum University specializing in oncology. She graduated from St. Louis College of Pharmacy with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Following graduation, Dr. Patel completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of Missouri Health Care. She then moved to Wisconsin to complete her PGY2 Residency in Oncology at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. During her oncology residency, she was crossed trained to staff in various oncology practice settings including inpatient oncology, ambulatory oncology and an outpatient infusion center.
Her research focusing on the Feasibility of Extended Dosing Intervals of Denosumab was published in the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, during her PGY2 Residency year. She is a member of the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) and the Indian Pharmacists Association (IPA).
Leonel Garcia
Dr. Garcia graduated with his PharmD from Western University of Health Sciences. From there, he worked as an outpatient pharmacist for Safeway where he would counsel patients and give vaccinations. He then moved to Apple Valley where he worked as an inpatient pharmacist for St. Mary Medical Center. While working there, he also became a staff pharmacist for Telnet-Rx Telepharmacy where he would help with remote order entry. There he learned many electronic health record software programs and verified medications throughout different hospital systems in California. Now, he works at St. Francis Medical Center where he monitors and doses clinically significant medications such as vancomycin, heparin, aminoglycosides and epoetin. He also works as an adjunct professor at AUHS and helps teach classes.
Elizabeth Shtiwi
Dr. Shtiwi started her career in the community setting as a pharmacy intern with the Kroger Company in 2006. Her responsibilities included reviewing prescription orders for appropriateness, resolving duplicate therapies & drug-drug interactions, collaborating with physicians to optimize treatments, providing consultations, and administering vaccinations. After receiving her Pharmacist License in 2008, she was hired on with Ralphs Pharmacy and continues to practice in the community setting with a focus on clinical aspects of pharmacy. During her time with Ralphs she held multiple Pharmacy leader positions, in addition to a Pharmacy Practice coordinator position for the Inland Empire and Orange county area. Dr. Shtiwi provides clinical services such as biometric screenings, smoking cessation, memory screening, diabetes coaching, medication therapy management, travel medicine consultation and hormonal contraceptive furnishing.
Furthermore, Dr. Shtiwi is an Adjunct Assistant Professor for Chapman University School of Pharmacy and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administration with Western University of Health Sciences. Dr. Shtiwi enjoys the rewarding experience to teach and coach pharmacy interns who rotate through her pharmacy as well as the pharmacy residents.