On the evening of May 20th, the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy alumni and friends gathered at Portland City Grill to honor the recipients of the 2017 Icons of Pharmacy Award as well as the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Amy Burns, and OSU College of Pharmacy 2011 alumnus, is the fourth to be recognized with this honor for her commitment and dedication to the profession of pharmacy.
OSU Outstanding Young Alumni
Amy Burns (’11)
Amy Burns became the first pharmacist for AllCare Health following residency and was embraced as a trailblazer who defined the role of a pharmacist in a Managed Care plan. She has become one of the first Managed Care Directors and has significantly evolved the program. Amy’s background in Managed Care, strong foundation of knowledge and skilled application made her an invaluable resource within her company as well as her community. She was rapidly promoted to her current position, Director of Population Health, where she oversees an interdisciplinary group of 55 individuals with diverse licensure and was key to expanding the role of pharmacists to include all service requests and authorizations. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Amy stands out due to the priority she places on giving back, including her work to create an internship at AllCare providing students with hands-on experience in Managed Care.
Amy was inspired to pursue pharmacy by her Aunt Pat, a pharmacist in Yakima, WA. A rotation with PacificSource and fellow Outstanding Young Alum, Josh Bishop (’06), sparked Amy’s interest in Managed Care and upon graduation, Amy pursued a residency with the Drug Use Research Management Program (DURM) at OSU under Dr. Dean Haxby (’80). Here she served as pharmacy liaison to the CareOregon Community Care team, prepared drug monographs, medication class reviews, and drug use evaluations, as well as provided recommendations on drug policy to the Oregon P&T Committee.
Amy resided in Grants Pass, OR with her two children and her husband, and stalwart supporter, Wayne. In her words, “my success is our success,” a message that resonates not only for her family, but also with her commitment to paying it forward.