GRMC’s pharmacy manager/medication safety officer Lance Rhodes is pictured with Tina Harsh.
Educational growth opportunities and employee advancement remain a top priority for Garrett Regional Medical Center.
Tina Harsh, a resident of Aurora, W.Va., recently completed GRMC’s internal pharmacy certification program. Harsh began her career at GRMC by working in the hospital’s environmental services department and is now a member of the pharmacy department team.
Harsh credits the support and encouragement of her coworkers for helping her achieve this new milestone in her career.
“I have an awesome group of coworkers, and they have helped me so much with studying and learning to work in the pharmacy,” said Harsh. “I appreciate all they have done to help me better myself at GRMC.”
According to Lance Rhodes, pharmacy manager/medication safety officer at GRMC, Tina was the perfect candidate for the internal pharmacy certification program.
“Tina has done a tremendous job in achieving the level of certified pharmacy technician; she is a highly motivated person who desires to learn new things and provide high-quality care to our patients,” Rhodes stated. “These qualities helped her to complete the program and prove valuable as she continues to learn the job role with the help of the pharmacy staff team. It is a pleasure to have Tina as a member of the pharmacy team.”
The goal of GRMC’s pharmacy technician program is to prepare employees for working in a hospital pharmacy environment while providing high-quality pharmaceutical services to patients. The program may be completed as quickly as the material is mastered but must be completed within six months of enrollment.
Students are responsible for completing the study materials provided, completing at least 160 hours of onsite work experience with a certified pharmacy technician, and passing the examination with a score of 75 percent or higher.
GRMC’s program curriculum follows the most recent editions of The American Pharmacists Association’s (APha) The Pharmacy Technician, Complete Review for the Pharmacy Technician, and the Complete Math Review for the Pharmacy Technician.
“I am so glad the hospital offers training programs to allow people to learn new skills and open up new doors for endless opportunities,” said Harsh.
The pharmacy technician program, along with the surgical technician program, is just two of several programs available for GRMC employees.
“We have a few internal programs that we manage to advance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of our staff,” stated Laura Waters, regional director of human resources at GRMC and Potomac Valley Hospital. “These programs allow employees to train in the role as they are working towards certification.”
GRMC’s internal certification programs are mutually beneficial for both the hospital and the employee.
Waters added,” advancing the knowledge, skills, and abilities of employees generally provides greater job satisfaction and allow us the opportunity to support the employee’s professional goals and attributions as we connect them with roles in the organization to grow themselves in the healthcare industry.”
For more information on Garrett Regional Medical Center, visit https://www.grmc-wvumedicine.org.
