Director:

Rondell Jaggers, PharmD is Executive Director of Pharmacy and Clinical Nutrition. Dr. Jaggers received his B.S. in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Kentucky and completed an administrative residency at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. Prior to joining Grady Health System, he practiced as a pharmacist, clinical pharmacist and pharmacy manager in various hospitals and health systems in Kentucky, Virginia and Georgia. Dr. Jaggers is adjunct faculty at Mercer University & The University of Georgia Schools of Pharmacy. Professional activities include serving as financial chair for the Eastern States Conference for Pharmacy Residents and Preceptors, he is a former president and chairman of the board for the Atlanta Academy of Institutional Pharmacy, and in addition to serving on various committees is a past President and Chairman of The Board for The Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Dr. Jaggers is also former residency program director and serves as a practitioner surveyor for ASHP.

Residency Directors:

Ted Walton, PharmD, BCPS is a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist in internal medicine and nephrology and director of the PGY-2 Internal Medicine Specialty Residency. Dr. Walton graduated from the Medical College of Virginia and completed a clinical pharmacy residency at the University of Cincinnati Hospitals. He became Board Certified in Pharmacotherapy in 1993 and completed the ASHP Nephrology Preceptorship in 1997. He has presented at state and national meetings and has published articles in various journals. He also serves as adjunct faculty at Mercer University & University of Georgia Schools of Pharmacy.

Michael Knauss, PharmD, BCPS is the Director of the PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Program. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from Mercer University School of Pharmacy in 1999 and completed a pharmacy practice residency at Grady Health System. Prior to receiving his Doctor of Pharmacy, he earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He currently practices in the area of internal medicine. Dr. Knauss precepts pharmacokinetics and internal medicine rotations and serves on the Heart Failure Pathway Committee and Research Advisory Committee. In addition, he is the GSHP representative on the steering committee for the Georgia Pain Initiative and is a reviewer for Pharmacotherapy and American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. Dr. Knauss precepts pharmacy students from Mercer University, University of Georgia, and South University.

Prasad Abraham, PharmD, BCPS is the Director of the PGY-2 Critical Care Specialty Residency Program. He is involved in the care of patients in the surgical intensive care unit. Dr. Abraham is a graduate of the University of Houston where he received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree. He then completed a pharmacy practice residency at Clarian Health Systems in Indianapolis and a critical care specialty residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Dr. Abraham serves as adjunct faculty at both the Mercer University & University of Georgia Schools of Pharmacy and is a reviewer for the journal Critical Care Medicine.

Akilah Strawder, PharmD, CDE is a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist in Primary Care and director of the PGY-1 Primary Care Residency Program. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Xavier University College of Pharmacy in New Orleans, Louisiana. She completed a pharmacy practice residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, followed by a primary care specialty residency at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Strawder practices in the outpatient Pharmacotherapy, Liver, Diabetes, and Geriatric Clinics. She serves on the UHC Ambulatory Care Committee and is a reviewer for the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacists. She also serves as adjunct faculty at Mercer University, University of Georgia, and South University Schools of Pharmacy.

Manish Patel, PharmD, BCPS is a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist in Infectious Diseases and director of the PGY-2 Infectious Diseases Residency Program. He graduated with his B.S. in Pharmacy in 1995 from the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. After one year of community practice, Dr. Patel went on to obtain his Doctor of Pharmacy from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Subsequently, he pursued his interest in infectious diseases and completed a specialty residency at The Toronto Hospital. He worked as an HIV specialist at Henry Ford Hospital for one year before coming to Grady Hospital. Currently Dr. Patel works with the special immunology (HIV) service and internal medicine teams, and at the ambulatory care HIV clinic. Dr. Patel serves as adjunct faculty at Mercer University & University of Georgia Schools of Pharmacy.

John Patka, PharmD, BCPS is a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist in emergency medicine. He received his Doctorate of Pharmacy and completed a pharmacy practice residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago. After completing residency he was a faculty member at Rutgers University and a clinical pharmacist in the emergency department at Grady Health System (GHS) before completing a critical care specialty residency at GHS. Dr Patka is a reviewer for The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, contributing author for Challenger's Emergency Medicine LLSA (Lifelong Learning and Self Assessment), and serves as an adjunct faculty member for Mercer University.

Jennifer LaFollette, PharmD, BCOP is the Director of the PGY-2 Hematology/Oncology Specialty Residency and a clinical pharmacy specialist in hematology and oncology. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. She completed a pharmacy practice residency and an oncology specialty residency at the University Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. LaFollette provides clinical pharmacy services to inpatient and outpatient hematology and oncology patients. She also serves on numerous committees within the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence and Grady Health System.

Clinical Pharmacists:

Irene Bemis, PharmD, BCPS is a clinical pharmacist specialist in internal medicine. She is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, where she received a B.S. in Pharmacy. After four years of retail work, she attended the University of Colorado, where she received her Doctor of Pharmacy. She completed a pharmacy practice residency at Grady Health System in 1998, and became board certified in pharmacotherapy in 1999. Dr. Bemis serves on the research advisory board, which assists pharmacy practice and specialty residents with their research projects. In addition, she serves as adjunct faculty at Mercer University & University of Georgia Schools of Pharmacy.

Cassandra Carter, PharmD is a clinical pharmacist in internal medicine and general surgery. She earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy degree in 2007 from Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2008, she completed a pharmacy practice residency at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. She provides therapeutic drug monitoring and clinical pharmacy services to support patients, nurses, and physicians. Her interests include anticoagulation therapy and pharmacokinetic monitoring.

Sabrina W. Cole, PharmD, BCPS is a clinical pharmacist specialist in drug information. Dr. Cole is a 2003 graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She completed a pharmacy practice residency with an emphasis in drug information and a specialty residency in drug information practice at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Cole is the editor of the Pharmacotherapy newsletter, which is an institution-wide publication of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee.

Marjorie Adams Curry, PharmD, BCOP is a Hematology/Oncology Clinical Pharmacist Specialist. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Georgia Institute of Technology. She completed her pharmacy practice residency and hematology/oncology specialty residency at Grady Health System. She currently divides her clinical responsibilities between the inpatient and outpatient services in the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady.

Karen Curzio, PharmD is a clinical pharmacist in primary care. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. She completed a PGY-1 residency in pharmacy practice at Montefiore Medical Center in The Bronx, New York and a PGY-2 residency in primary care at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Dr. Curzio practices in the outpatient medicine clinics, diabetes clinic, and lipid clinic.

Angelina E. Davis, PharmD, MS, BCPS is a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist in Infectious Diseases. Dr. Davis received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Master of Science degree in chemistry from Duke University. She completed her pharmacy practice residency and specialty residency in infectious diseases at Grady Health System. Currently her clinical responsibilities include the multidisciplinary antimicrobial utilization program, infectious diseases consult service, and outpatient HIV clinic.

Kristi Quairoli, PharmD is a clinical pharmacist in primary care. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University Of Florida College of Pharmacy in Gainesville, FL. She completed a community pharmacy practice residency with the Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy (now College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences). After completing her residency, she served as Clinical Assistant Professor with Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for three years. Dr. Quairoli practices in the outpatient medicine clinics and diabetes clinic. Her areas of special interest are in diabetes and asthma.

Saira Rab, PharmD is an Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. Dr. Rab received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the Albany College of Pharmacy in Albany, NY. She completed her Pharmacy Practice Residency as well as her Infectious Diseases Specialty Residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Currently, Dr. Rab practices with the Special Immunology (HIV) service and internal medicine teams at Grady Hospital as well at the Ponce De Leon Clinic (Outpatient HIV Services).

Marina Rabinovich, PharmD, BCPS is a clinical pharmacist specialist practicing in the medical intensive care unit. She earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy from Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She completed a pharmacy practice residency and internal medicine specialty residency at Grady Health System.

Stephanie N. Smith, PharmD, MS graduated from the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. She completed a specialty Masters residency program at The Ohio State University Medical Center with an emphasis on health system pharmacy administration. Currently, she serves in a split administrative/clinical position with responsibilities for inpatient monitoring and project management. She is also involved in the provision of Medication Therapy Management services.

Ron Spiegelman, PharmD, BCNSP is a clinical pharmacist specialist in metabolic support with a focus on the critical care population. He received a B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Georgia. After receiving his Doctor of Pharmacy at Mercer School of Pharmacy, he went on to complete a hospital pharmacy internship at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, followed by a metabolic support specialty residency at Mercer University in Atlanta. He has fifteen years experience in nutrition and metabolic support. Dr. Spiegelman is an adjunct faculty at Mercer University & University of Georgia Schools of Pharmacy and currently works with Emory University on diabetes and nutrition research.

Katleen N. Wyatt, PharmD, BCPS is a clinical pharmacist in Emergency Medicine. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia State University and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy in 2004. In addition, she has completed both her pharmacy practice residency and critical care specialty residency at Grady Health System. Dr. Wyatt currently practices in the Emergency Care Center at Grady Health System. Current interests include toxicology, neuro-intensive care, and surgical intensive care.

Deborah Taylor, PharmD is a graduate of Mercer University School of Pharmacy. She completed a Staff Development Program for pharmacists of Grady Health System and currently works in the areas of cardiology and internal medicine. A native of Atlanta, she has worked at Visiting Nurse Health System, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Georgia Baptist Medical Center. Her interests include cardiology and diabetes.