The Connecticut Pharmacists Association needs your vote cast in the 2022 election cycle! This year, we will elect a new 2nd Vice President, four at-large board seats, and seats for New Practitioner and a Pharmacy Techician. Your participation is vital to ensure a fair election process. Since the election process is open to CPA members ONLY, please state your first and last name to ensure the validity of your membership. Your vote will still remain anonymous.
The Board terms of four current Board members end as of Sept 22, 2022: Anik Carrier, Kristen Rychalsky, Laura Small, and David Gardner. We are very grateful to each for their work and support of CPA and know that they will continue to contribute to the Association through their committee memberships and volunteer support.
Thank you, Anik, Kristen, Laura and David!
In order to fill the vacant Board seats, the CPA Board of Directors Nomination Committee presents the following candidate slate (bios for each candidate are below):
- 2nd Vice President (will advance to 1st VP in 2023): Bisni Narayanan, PharmD, MS, specialty clinical pharmacist, YNHH
- At-Large Seat #1 (3-year term): Christina Polomoff, PharmD, BCACP, BCGP, Population Health Clinical Pharmacist, Hartford Healthcare Integrated Care Partners
- At-Large Seat #2 (3-year term): Michael Vessicchio, PharmD, Rite Aid
- At-Large Seat #3 (3-year term): Nicholas LaRiviere, PharmD, BCGP, Associate Director for Retail and Specialty Pharmacy, YNHH
- At-Large Seat #4 (3-year term): Abirami Murugavel, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy Operations, Meriden Community Pharmacy
- New Practitioner (3-year term): Allissa Long, PharmD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- Pharmacy Technician (3-year term): Evangeline Sargent, CPhT, Walgreens
In addition to the elected seats, incoming CPA president Lydia Tran will appoint four Board seats, each with a 1-year term.
NOMINEE BIOGRAPHIES
BISNI NARAYANAN, PHARMD, MS
Bisni received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Master of Science in Pharmacology from St John’s University in New York. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. She has over fifteen years of community pharmacy experience and is currently a Pharmacy Supervisor for the Yale New Haven Health System specialty pharmacy, Outpatient Pharmacy Services at YNHHS. Previously, she has worked for a startup biotech, Curagen Corporation in Branford, CT. She freelances as a medical writer, writing educational needs assessments and home study continuing education activities. She is one of the faculty for the University of Connecticut’s Medical Writing Certificate Program. She is a member of the Medical Reserve Corps for the Westport Weston Health District and an active member of the education committee at the CPA.
CHRISTINA POLOMOFF, PHARMD, BCACP, BCGP
Christina Polomoff is a Population Health Clinical Pharmacist at Hartford Healthcare Integrated Care Partners. She is responsible for managing the complex pharmacy care needs of high-risk patients in addition to population health management strategies that focus on network pharmacy performance metrics. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. Christina graduated from the University of Connecticut with her Doctor of Pharmacy and Business Minor. She completed her PGY1 residency at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System followed by a PGY2 ambulatory care residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She holds dual board certifications in ambulatory care and geriatrics.
MICHAEL VESSICCHIO, PHARMD
Michael Vessicchio is a 2020 PharmD. graduate from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy who also earned an additional degree in Biochemistry from Fairfield University. Michael currently works as a pharmacist for Rite Aid in addition to the freelance medical writing he does on the side. He has always been passionate about creating the best outcomes for patients as well as advancing the entire field of pharmacy. When he isn’t working, he enjoys watching/playing sports, cooking, and spending time with his family.
NICHOLAS LARIVIERE, PHARMD, BCGP
Nick graduated from UCONN with his PharmD in 2004. Upon graduation, he entered practice in the community setting with Walgreens, helping to launch pharmacy based immunization delivery across Connecticut. Nick then went into pharmacy management with Walgreens, CVS, and most recently Yale New Haven. Nick now works for Yale New Haven as the Associate Director for Retail and Specialty Pharmacy where he works on a number of projects and initiatives aimed at improving medication access, improving patient transitions of care, and overall growth of the community and specialty business lines for YNHH. A lifetime Connecticut resident, Nick currently resides in Monroe with his wife Danielle and their three children Luke, Adrienne, and Brigitte.
ABIRAMI MURUGAVEL, PHARMD
Abby is an innovative Pharmacy Director sought out for piloting and evaluating patient centric pharmacy programs focused on adherence, safety and profitability. She coaches and helps develop effective leaders and build high-performing, customer-centric brands. Her ability to recognize, train, and develop talent has allowed her to build a pharmacy as well as an independent business that will seamlessly operate, duplicate, add value and serve customers with excellence. Abby is currently Director of Pharmacy Operations at Meriden Community Pharmacy; she graduated from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2013.
ALLISSA LONG, PHARMD (New Practitioner nominee)
Allissa is currently the chair of the CPA Membership Committee and Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Before joining MCPHS, Allissa was a PGY2 Ambulatory Care/Education Pharmacy Resident at Veteran Health Indiana and a PGY1 Pharmacy Resident at John Dempsey Hospital UCONN Health. She receive her PharmD from Western New England College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2019.
Evangeline Sargent, CPhT (Pharmacy Technician nominee)
Evangeline started her healthcare career as a certified nursing assistant, and in 2020 she became a Certified Pharmacy Technician (PTCB) after attending the CPA pharmacy technician training program at Three Rivers Community College. Currently, she is a certified technician at Walgreens. She has been a regular speaker at CPA events on policy and clinical issues affecting pharmacy technicians in Connecticut and beyond.