Meet the President: Todd D. Sorensen, PharmD

Todd D. Sorensen

doi:10.5688/ajpe7765

The 2019-2020 president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) is Todd D. Sorensen, PharmD. Dr. Sorensen is a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems and is the associate dean for Strategic Initiatives & Innovations at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. He received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree in 1993 and his Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree in 1994 from the University of Minnesota. He started his academic career in 1994 as an assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy at Dalhousie University and as the first pharmacist with a PharmD degree providing critical care services at the Camp Hill Medical Center, a 500-bed medical center in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He returned to the United States as a clinical pharmacy manager for PCS Health Sciences in 1997 prior to joining the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy as an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems in 1998.

His academic career was inspired by Drs. Linda Strand, Robert Cipolle and Peter Morley whose landmark work with the pharmaceutical care model provided the framework for his long and distinguished scholarly work. As an educator, scholar and clinician, Dr. Sorensen has been focused on transforming the instructional style and content of skills laboratory and student leadership development; advancing the post-graduate year one Pharmaceutical Care Leadership Residency program, which focuses on providing a unique and innovative learning experience in leading practice implementation; and piloting and leading the confluence of advancing pharmacy leadership with the way pharmacists contribute to health care quality. Dr. Sorensen has contributed to the literature having written more than 80 manuscripts, books, manuals, reports and letters, and more than 90 abstracts. He has a successful record of extramural funding from governmental agencies, foundations and companies. He has an extensive list of awards and recognitions, both local and national for teaching and practice. He was also a fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the American Pharmacists Association and a member of the second cohort of AACP’s Academic Leadership Fellows Program. Dr. Sorensen received the Gloria Niemeyer Francke Leadership Mentor Award in 2015 and the Distinguished Achievement Award in Administrative Practice in 2011 from the American Pharmacists Association.

Dr. Sorensen calls AACP his professional home for more than 20 years now. He was a member of AACP’s Professional Affairs Committee and Research and Graduate Affairs Committee and was chair of the Council of Faculties and the joint Council of Deans/Council of Faculties Task Force on Professional Practice Plans. He served on the Providing Care for the Underserved Curriculum Task Force. He has been a longtime consultant for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Through his extensive scholarly work with federally qualified health centers for more than 20 years, he was able to work with three key leaders, Mr. Jimmy Mitchell, Dr. John Scanlon and Mr. Dennis Wagner, who significantly influenced his knowledge and skills on how to lead change in health care and embrace the philosophy that “aims create systems, systems produce results.” Dr. Sorensen’s passion also centers on providing leadership, coaching and consulting for organizations that want to improve the quality of patient care by optimizing medication usage. He accomplishes this by serving as the executive director for the Alliance for Integrated Medication Management in Washington, DC since 2012.

Dr. Sorensen’s colleagues mentioned his passion and dedication in working with students, residents and faculty colleagues to help them improve their leadership skills and to advance and transform the role that pharmacists play in an interprofessional and integrated patient-centered team setting. His colleagues regard him as one of the most visionary individuals in pharmacy education because he demonstrates the passion and commitment to move the profession that is always centered on collaboration with others to improve patient care in all pharmacy settings. He works across a broad array of constituents in advancing pharmacy education and practice. His residents describe him as being intimidating at first but as they got to know and work closely with him, they see him as a genuine individual who channels hard work, integrity, planning and responsibility. These are traits he learned growing up as a farm kid in a small southwestern Minnesota town. They all expressed great enthusiasm for the bold contributions he will make to pharmacy education and practice as the AACP president.

Dr. Sorensen is married to Dr. Kristin Janke and their individual and combined contributions to pharmacy education and practice make them one of the most dynamic and respected AACP power couples. She is a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems and the director of the Wulling Center for Innovation and Scholarship in Pharmacy Education at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. They have two daughters, Alexa (19 years old and a sophomore at St. Olaf College) and Miya (13 years old who will be in eight grade this fall). Dr. Sorensen and his family all embrace the philosophy of hard work, dedication and commitment to each other and their community.