Key Details:
- Date & Time: March 13, 2025, at 10 am MST
- Episode: #1 Clinical Pearls Series: Integrating Pharmacists into Primary Care
- Educators: Captain Tami Rodriguez & Commander Josh Valgardson
- Coach: CDR Landon Sams
Webinar Summary:
The Federal Bureau of Prisons employs a robust clinical pharmacy program to support patient-centered care in both comprehensive care and specialized disease states. Captain Tami Rodriguez, Director of Pharmacy Programs, and Commander Josh Valgardson, Chief of Clinical Pharmacy, introduce the critical roles played by clinical pharmacists in providing outstanding primary care for incarcerated adults in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Pharmacists serve in direct patient care roles, as well as centralized consultancy services. Learn more about leveraging pharmacists’ special skills for improved health outcomes.
This webinar is part of the National Institute of Corrections Clinical Pearls series. The series explores how to integrate clinical pharmacists into primary care. Session participants will learn how to identify best practices for carceral team medicine and clinical pearls in disease states affecting adults in custody.
Webinar Learning Objectives:
During this 60-minute webinar, participants will:
- Explain how pharmacy education and training position pharmacists to positively contribute to patient outcomes through clinical services.
- Define the continuum of opportunities for pharmacist integration in clinical practice.
- Examine pathways to expand pharmacy services within the confines of state pharmacy regulations.
- Demonstrate clinical pharmacy successes within the Federal Bureau of Prisons to advance patient care and mitigate provider shortages.
Series Take Aways:
During this webinar series, participants will:
- Define the continuum of opportunities for pharmacist integration in clinical practice.
- Analyze different correctional systems to determine where pharmacists can be included to develop more efficient operations within correctional facilities, reducing costs, improving decision-making processes, enhancing safety, and optimizing resource allocation.
- Evaluate the current strategies of disease management within the carceral setting and analyze novel approaches to improve patient care, decrease costs, and optimize resource allocation.
- Envision how implementing novel strategies for the management of complex disease processes can enhance the operation of a correctional institution through technology and a paradigm change, optimizing screening and treatment practices.
- Formulate strategies to use various healthcare disciplines that encourage a collaborative, team approach.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Any employee of a state, federal, local, or tribal correctional jurisdiction with an interest in correctional healthcare.
You can register for the series or a single event.
Follow this link to register in NIC’s WebEx Event Center Webinar series name.
You can sign up for the entire series or individual episodes.
Content Contact
CAPT Chad Garrett, Health Program Manager, Prisons division, National Institute of Corrections
cagarrett@bop.gov
Webinar Technical Contact
Scott Richards, Correctional Program Specialist, Prisons Division, National Institute of Corrections
s1richards@bop.gov
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Educator Bios
Captain Tami Rodriguez, Director of Pharmacy Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Captain Rodriguez received her Doctorate in Pharmacy from West Virginia University in 2006 and a Masters in Pharmacy Leadership from the University of Cincinnati in 2022.
She began her career in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) in 2009 and became a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Services Commissioned Corps in 2010. She is Board Certified in Pharmacotherapy and HIV management and worked for over a decade providing direct patient care for patients with viral hepatitis and HIV. Her career includes serving as the Institution Chief Pharmacist in BOP facilities in WV and SC and the Chief Pharmacist for the Southeast Region from 2018 to 2022.
In September of 2022, CAPT Rodriguez was promoted to BOP Director of Pharmacy Programs, overseeing pharmacy operations for 121 institutions and 180 pharmacists providing pharmacy services to over 145,000 adults in custody within the BOP. She is a member of the National HIV/AIDs Strategy (NHAS) Committee and multiple federal interagency workgroups and policy councils focused on the treatment of Opioid Use Disorders in the United States.
She co-leads the BOP efforts to expand OUD treatment services within federal corrections. CAPT Rodriguez is a certified facilitator for Arbinger Outward Leadership programs and is passionate about developing leaders to realize exceptional patient outcomes and growth and retention of high-quality employees. CAPT Rodriguez is an avid gardener, passionate fan of West Virginia University and Steelers football, and currently resides in northwest Virginia with her husband and three, very spoiled, dogs.
Commander Josh Valgardson, Chief of Clinical Pharmacy, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons
After completing pharmacy school at the University of North Carolina, CDR Valgardson joined the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service as a Pharmacy Resident with the Indian Health Service in Gallup New Mexico. During his residency he was trained in many areas of clinical pharmacy including; diabetes, pain, nephrology, anticoagulation, HIV, inpatient medicine, pharmacy informatics and emergency medicine. After his residency he became the diabetes clinic coordinator, beginning his passion in comprehensive diabetes management.
After 5 years working for the IHS, CDR Valgardson transferred to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) at Butner North Carolina. At Butner he had opportunities to continue to advance his practice in diabetes management, was selected as pharmacy residency director, and worked as an oncology pharmacy specialist.
Recently CDR Valgardson was selected to lead the BOP clinical pharmacy program. He is responsible to oversee clinical pharmacy activities, providing education and empowering BOP clinical pharmacists activities.
CDR Valgardson’s hobbies include cooking, fishing, gardening, sports of all kinds, being outdoors and spending time with his family.
