PGY2 Investigational Drugs and Research Pharmacy Residency at Miami Cancer Institute Preceptors

Dina Dumercy McHenry, Pharm.D., BCOP, MBA, CSSGB is the Director of Pharmacy at the Miami Cancer Institute. She received her Doctorate of Pharmacy from Florida A & M University and completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency with a focus in Oncology at Jackson Memorial Hospital/ FAMU. After her residency she completed an ASHP Oncology Patient Care Traineeship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She has over 15 years of experience practicing in Oncology. In 2022 she obtained a Masters in Business Administration at the Louisiana State University. She currently serves as the co-chair of the MCI Oncology P&T Committee, and is a former program director for a post graduate year 2(PGY2) residency who achieved ASHP accreditation within that programs first year. She is an active member of several professional and civic organizations including Hematology Oncology Pharmacist Association (HOPA), Florida Society of Clinical Oncology (FLASCO) Board of Directors, and American Society of Health-system Pharmacy (ASHP) at the local and national level. She has a passion for educating patients and caregivers about cancer treatment, patient safety and increasing cancer awareness

Vivian Nguyen, PharmD, BCPS practices as a Pharmacy Supervisor overseeing the Oncology in Investigational Drug Services at the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida. She earned her Bachelor of Science degrees in Biochemistry and Nutritional Science from the University of Florida, followed by her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida, College of Pharmacy, Jacksonville. After graduation, she completed both her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice and PGY2 Investigational Drugs and Research residency programs at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. She also became board certified in Pharmacotherapy during that time. Dr. Nguyen possesses a strong interest in teaching and education, exemplified by her completion of a teaching certification through her residency program and her experience serving as a mentor and preceptor to students and residents.

Alga S. Ramos Morales, Pharm.D., MS, BCPS, BCOP, is currently the Solid Tumor Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator at the Miami Cancer Institute. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) in 2014. Dr. Ramos also completed a Master’s degree in Medicinal Chemistry at the UPR and her thesis was on warfarin pharmacogenomics. She completed her pharmacy practice residency training at Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) with a specialty in Health System Pharmacy Administration. Prior to joining Baptist Health South Florida, she worked as Enterprise Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator at Cancer Treatment Centers of America and as a Medical Science Liaison at Eli Lilly. From 2019 to 2021 she served as the Medication Safety and Quality Clinical Coordinator at the Miami Cancer Institute, where she monitored, evaluated and collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to prevent medication incidents in the Ambulatory, Inpatient, Research and Specialty Pharmacy Oncology settings. She obtained ASQ Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification in 2021. She precepts pharmacy residents and students for advanced pharmacy practice experiences in oncology, oncology informatics, and administration.

Alyssa Strohbusch, Pharm.D., MS, CPh, BCOP practices as the clinical pharmacy specialist in neuro-oncology and sarcoma clinics at The Miami Cancer Institute. Equipped with a previous professional background in DNA analysis and human biometrics, she obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Pacific University and went on to complete her first year residency training within the Intermountain Healthcare and specialty oncology training at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center. Alyssa is an active member of the Society of Neuro-oncology (SNO) and boasts multiple publications relating to the treatment of central nervous system malignancies. She also possesses a profound interest in personalized medicine and pharmacogenomics and holds Applied Pharmacogenomics Certification through the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).

Andrea Velandia, Pharm.D., BCPS practices as Clinical Pharmacist II, in the Investigational Drug Service (IDS) Pharmacy, at Miami Cancer Institute. She has extensive experience in the pharmacy field as she has been a pharmacy technician, intern, resident, and clinical pharmacist. She obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida in 2012, and completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency, at Orlando Regional Medical Center in 2013. She previously practiced as a clinical pharmacist at Lakeland Regional Health, for six years, and then joined the IDS team at Miami Cancer Institute in October 2019. She obtained her board certification in pharmacotherapy (BCPS) in 2021 and recently completed the IDS ASHP Professional Certificate. She found her passion for oncology in the early steps of her career, shortly after arriving from her home country, Colombia. Cancer has affected her family and friends multiple times; for this reason, she has chosen to dedicate her career to serve cancer patients and their families. She also has a great interest in precepting students and residents.

Jessica Unzaga, Pharm.D., BCOP, is the Pharmacy Clinical Manager for Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant at the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF). She is a South Florida native and a graduate of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Dr. Unzaga completed her PGY1 pharmacy residency at the Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System in Nashville and went on to complete a PGY2 residency in oncology at Methodist University Hospital affiliated with the University of Tennessee in Memphis. After residency she relocated back to South Florida to take on the role of Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the Memorial Cancer Institute at the Memorial Healthcare System where she served many roles including infusion pharmacy operations and decentralized clinical services in Breast Cancer, Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Ambulatory Stem Cell Transplant clinics. Dr. Unzaga joined the BHSF family in 2018 as Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator and leads Clinical Pharmacy Services in Hematology, Stem Cell Transplant, and Cellular Therapy Programs at MCI and Baptist Hospital and collaborates with system leads to ensure the highest level of care and standardized practice for hematology patients throughout the health system. She has a special interest in teaching and education, she serves as a Courtesy Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern University Colleges of Pharmacy, and precepts pharmacy students in advanced pharmacy practice experiences in oncology. She has lectured at various colleges including Larkin University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and the University of Tennessee colleges of pharmacy. She is an active member of ASH, ASTCT, FLASCO, FSHP, HOPA and NCODA. Dr. Unzaga had the honor of receiving the Preceptor of the Year Award for the PGY2 program in 2019.

Jorge J. Garcia, Pharm.D., MS, MHA, MBA, FACHE, obtained his Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in 2010. He then transitioned to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to pursue an American Society of Health-System Pharmacy (ASHP)-accredited PGY1 & PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency and a Master of Science (MS) in Pharmacy Administration. He also completed an Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) from Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Dr. García has previously served in the roles of inpatient pharmacy operations coordinator as well as director of pharmacy for system wide oncology pharmacy services.

Dr. García currently serves as an Assistant Vice President (AVP) at Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF) with responsibility for system-wide acute and ambulatory oncology pharmacy services as well as non-oncology infusion pharmacy services. Dr. García has pioneered pharmacy charge integrity and revenue management in the health-system setting and is a thought leader and national speaker in this area, as well as in the areas of alternative payment models, biosimilars, and value-based oncology care. Dr. García leads advocacy efforts at the national level to promote evaluation of safe and effective use of biosimilars, along with stakeholders’ engagement to support a more sustainable biosimilar pharmacoeconomic model. Dr. García has served as a board member at Florida Society of Clinical Oncology (FLASCO) since 2015 and is also a previous recipient of the FLASCO Above and Beyond Award, which honored his exceptional dedication and innovative contributions to the society. Dr. García also currently holds multiple committee appoints at the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), including the Oncology Pharmacy Education Network (OPEN) and the National Biosimilar Taskforce. In 2020, Dr. García was also appointed to the Board of Trustees at ACCC. In addition, Dr. García currently serves as faculty for the ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Leadership Academy (PLA). Dr. García is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Kush Kumar, PharmD, BCOP practices as a clinical pharmacy specialist in medical oncology at Miami Cancer Institute – Plantation. Dr. Kumar work closely with Breast, Thoracic, GI, GU solid tumor clinics and also is an integral part of the pharmacy research team at MCI-Plantation. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2018. Dr. Kumar completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency with Memorial Regional Hospital. He also earned his teaching certificate from the University of Connecticut. He worked for 2 years as oncology clinical pharmacist prior to completing his PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy residency with Miami Cancer Institute. He has an interest in precepting students and residents.

Michelle M. Bustamante., Pharm.D., BCPPS, is a Pharmacy Clinical Specialist at the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida. She obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2010 from the University of Florida, College of Pharmacy. After graduation, she completed a PGY1 with pediatric emphasis at Wolfson Children’s Hospital/Baptist Health, in Jacksonville, Florida, where she also obtained her teaching certificate from the University of Florida. Upon completion of residency, she began her pharmacy career as a Clinical Pharmacist at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. During her time at JDCH, Dr. Bustamante became a Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Hematology Oncology and also obtained her board certification in pediatric pharmacotherapy. Dr. Bustamante also serves as a mentor to pharmacy students in the mentorship program offered by her alma mater, precepts pharmacy students, as well as PGY1 and PGY2 pharmacy residents.

Moe Shwin, Pharm.D., BCOP, is the Clinical Manager of Oncology Pharmacy Services at Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida. He obtained his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Nova Southeastern University, College of Pharmacy in 2012. Dr. Shwin completed both PGY1 Pharmacy residency and PGY2 Oncology specialty residency at Baptist Hospital of Miami. He currently serves as the co-chair of the Regimen Review Committee for Oncology, and is involved with various committees and professional organizations. Dr. Shwin serves as an adjunct faculty member at Nova Southeastern University and a Courtesy Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida.

Radhan B. Gopalani, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCP, AACC, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in 1995. She completed her Pharmacy Practice Residency training at Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC). Dr. Gopalani has worked as an Ambulatory Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in both primary care and specialty care settings at Miami VAMC and as a Critical Care Pharmacy Specialist at Kendall Regional Medical Center. In 2007, she joined Baptist Hospital Clinical pharmacy team. Over the course of her career at Baptist, she has served in various roles including General Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator, Cardiology Clinical Pharmacy Specialists/Educator, and PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director (RPD). Currently, she is the Cardiology Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator and PGY-2 Cardiology RPD. In her current position, she performs in an evaluative and educational capacity for evidence-based use of cardiovascular medications. She participates in preparation, approval and implementation of relevant medication therapy protocols/initiatives. She co-chairs Cardiac and Vascular Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Sub-Committee. She is an adjunct clinical faculty for the colleges of pharmacy at University of Florida, Palm Beach Atlantic University and NSU. She precepts pharmacy residents and students for Clinical Cardiology, Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience in Cardiology, Research and Hospital Pharmacy Practice learning experiences.

Shawanna Addison, Pharm.D. is an Outpatient Oncology Investigational Clinical Pharmacist supporting the clinical trials services at Miami Cancer Institute. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from Florida A&M University in 2010 and started her career as a community pharmacist in Dallas, TX. She later transitioned to an inpatient pharmacist within the Jackson health System. She has practiced in Pediatric, Critical Care and Transplant services prior to becoming an Clinical Pharmacist for MCI Infusion services. She has an interest in precepting students and residents in oncology investigational services.

Tiba Al Sagheer, Pharm.D. BCOP, BCACP, is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the Miami Cancer Institute. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from Midwestern University. After graduation, Dr. Al Sagheer completed pharmacy residency at the Mayo Clinic followed by oncology training at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Al Sagheer currently practices in an ambulatory clinic as part of a multidisciplinary team where she is able to provide direct patient care, participate in clinical research, and education. She is passionate about education and has experience in both formal classroom teaching as well as students and resident precepting in the clinical setting. Dr. Al Sagheer is an active member of several professional organizations and currently serves on the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) planning committee.

Tracy Romanowski, PharmD, MS is a Clinical Pharmacist supporting the Investigational Drug Services program at Miami Cancer Institute. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Philosophy from West Virginia University and her Master of Biomedical Sciences from Florida Atlantic University before obtaining her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2012. She practiced as an oncology pharmacist and as an investigational drugs pharmacist at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, FL before coming to the Miami Cancer Institute. She is currently an active member of the Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA), and she has an interest in precepting students and residents.

Ernesto Perez, Pharm.D. is the Operations Supervisor at Miami Cancer Institute. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology and Forensic Chemistry at Florida International University before completing his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2016. After completing a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at Boca Raton Regional Hospital in, he joined the clinical pharmacist team at Baptist Hospital in 2017. Dr. Perez now helps oversee operations at Miami Cancer Institute and its satellite infusion sites and serves as preceptor for Oncology Pharmacy Operations.