Time to Lead

Alumna Lake-Wallace Wins President-elect Vote in Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists

UH College of Pharmacy alumna Sarah Lake-Wallace, M.S., Pharm.D. ('00), FTSHP, recently was announced as the President-elect Designee of the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Lake-Wallace's three one-year terms as President-elect, President and Immediate Past President begin in 2019 and runs through 2021.

Lake-Wallace currently serves as Pharmacy Manager at TIRR Memorial Hermann, where she has worked for more than a decade and previously held leadership positions in patient safety and clinical effectiveness.

Her involvement with TSHP started back as a first-year pharmacy student at UHCOP, when she joined the UHCOP Chapter of the Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists and served as a student volunteer coordinator for TSHP, a member of the TSHP Student Section, and co-coordinator of the then-fledgling clinical skills competition.

After graduation, Lake-Wallace continued her TSHP service in a range of roles, including as coordinator of the clinical skills and disease state management competition for 10 years, as chair or vice-chair of TSHP's membership, communication and professional affairs councils, and, for nearly a decade, as a board member and later president of the TSHP Research & Education Foundation. In 2013, Lake-Wallace was a member of the inaugural class of TSHP Fellows honored for their sustained contributions to the organization and the profession.

"I can’t remember a time in my profession when I wasn’t volunteering or doing something for the organization," Lake-Wallace said. "TSHP has given so much to me, and cliché as it may sound, I wanted give a little bit back."

Noting that it wasn't until now that she felt the timing was right to pursue leadership of the organization, Lake-Wallace credited her many colleagues, mentors and collaborators for helping her prepare for the role and its responsibilities.

"Having those connections is priceless," she said. "I have had to opportunity to get in front of groups to present and had to work to find my voice and message. I also have seen the struggles and needs of the organization over the years, which has provided me with prospective I think will be helpful."

The nearly yearlong role of president-elect designee provides incoming leaders time to provide support their predecessors' priorities and begin developing plans for their own initiatives.

"Despite my years serving on the Board of Directors, there is still so much for me to learn," she said. "What I envision for my presidential year will be to find innovative ways to help bring out opportunities and potential in all members of TSHP, continue to strength the legislative voice of pharmacy, and create collaborative space for those in the profession of pharmacy, including technicians, industry partners, retired pharmacy professionals, and pharmacists.

"I want to tap into the potential of many of those people I have had the opportunity to meet along the way."