Health Care Hero: Behind-the-scenes staff play ‘integral role’ in patient care

The Dayton Daily News is profiling the people who work hard every day to save lives and take care of us. Nominate a Health Care Hero by emailing Rebecca.Mullins@coxinc.com.

Name: Theresa Braun

Hometown (where you live now): Springboro

Job title: Pharmacist Programmer/Analyst

Where do you work: Premier Health

COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Describe what your day is like/what you do: I build medications into our electronic health record system Epic. I make sure the correct doses, routes, frequencies, and other aspects are built out on the medications that are ordered on our patients. This helps our providers safely and efficiently care for our patients.

What inspired you to get into health care? I grew up in Beavercreek and I would go to Lofino's with my parents to do our grocery shopping. I remember seeing the pharmacist counselling his patients and the patients always so thankful for his help. I remember thinking, when I grow up I want to be able to help people like that!

Coronavirus: Area nurses making a difference during pandemic

What's a memorable experience you've had in health care? One of the areas I specialize in is neonatal medication build and I work with our NICU pharmacist. I am moved by the compassion and expertise of his and all our neonatal care providers at Miami Valley Hospital. Especially now that I am eight months pregnant, I have only grown in my respect for these providers and am thankful to know they are there if anything does not go as planned with the delivery of my baby. I have several memorable experiences, but one time in particular sticks out. A baby in our NICU needed a medication for a critical eye surgery but we did not have it built or available to order in our system yet. We did not have much time before the surgery was needed, so myself, our NICU pharmacist and the pharmacy manager worked together to make sure the medication was built out and ready to go in time for the baby's surgery. We all really worked well to take care of this precious little life. It was one of those moments where you know there is truly goodness in this world.

Health Care Hero: ‘I really love my job’

What do you want readers to know about your job right now: My fellow IT pharmacists and I are not on the front lines as our hospital pharmacist heroes, but we are very much involved in the fight against COVID-19. Our team has played an integral role in building medications into our system to help treat patients with the coronavirus. Our team works in collaboration with hospital pharmacy leadership to make sure those medications critical to patient care are available and conserved so that we can deliver care to every one of our patients that need it.