Darra Edwards

Board certified pharmacotherapy specialist with three years of clinical expertise in emergency and critical care medicine who established a pharmacist presence in the emergency department (ED) to improve patient care and prevent medication errors. Developed and implemented a pilot transition of care pharmacist model utilizing an interdisciplinary team approach that demonstrated an average readmission rate reduction of 5% for patients with COPD, chronic heart failure, and acute myocardial infarction. Established collaborative partnerships with the Department of Public Health and Carolinas Regional Health Care system to research patient-centered models for asthma education in the emergency department to reduce overutilization of ED services and reduce pediatric morbidity and mortality due to uncontrolled asthma. Earned Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification for developing a process to improve discharge medication counseling in the ED.