Kashelle Lockman, a clinical assistant professor in the UI College of Pharmacy, has been accepted into the Cambia Health Foundation’s Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program, an initiative that aims to identify, cultivate and advance—through grant awards—emerging leaders in palliative care.

Lockman is one of 10 medical professionals nationwide who received grant funding as part of the program's sixth cohort, and the first pharmacist selected. The Cambia Health Foundation is the corporate foundation of Cambia Health Solutions, a company dedicated to making health care more person-focused and economically sustainable. The foundation expanded its program to include pharmacists and all interdisciplinary team members two years ago.

 

Kashelle Lockman

“I want to use my training, strengths, and experience in palliative care pharmacy and instructional design to lead this change in pharmacy education (and ultimately) expand the reach of palliative care education beyond a few institutions... .”

“I never imagined I would be a Sojourns Scholar someday. It’s such an immense honor,” said Lockman. “As a first-generation college graduate, actually making it through college was a feat: One that I almost didn’t accomplish. I was only able to complete a PharmD, residency, and fellowship because of my husband’s, daughter’s, mentors’, and friends’ support. I have many people to thank for this opportunity.”

As part of the leadership program, each Sojourns Scholar receives $180,000 in funding ($90,000 per year over a two-year period) to conduct a clinical, policy, or educational project in the field of palliative care. Scholars also receive mentorship to design and implement a development plan that supports their growth as national palliative care leaders. The newest cohort will participate with other academic scholars in a collaborative learning community.

Lockman’s project is titled "Preparing Pharmacists for Interdisciplinary Palliative Practice". Her goal is to expand educational opportunities for pharmacy students and professionals to prepare them for interdisciplinary palliative care work.

“I want to use my training, strengths, and experience in palliative care pharmacy and instructional design to lead this change in pharmacy education,” said Lockman. “Grieving families shouldn’t need to intervene to ensure their loved one receives appropriate care. All families deserve access to palliative care, and not just in the final days. Until we expand the reach of palliative care education beyond a few institutions, this will not be possible.”

In the Center to Advance Palliative Care’s 2018 National Palliative Care Registry, only 8.6 percent of palliative care teams reported having a palliative care pharmacist among team members. Lockman says this isn’t surprising since palliative care training is still limited in many pharmacy schools. She hopes to change that.

Since she arrived at the University of Iowa in 2016, Lockman has worked with James A. Otterbeck OnePoint Patient Care Professor in Hospice and Palliative Care James Ray to integrate pain management and palliative care education into the college’s required PharmD curriculum. Lockman, Ray, and other team members have also added more palliative care electives and a 17-credit-hour Palliative Care Certificate for those who want to go farther.

“I hope that through my work on this project, I'll emerge as a collaborative and creative leader that inspires and supports expansion of palliative care education at other colleges of pharmacy,” said Lockman. “Every pharmacy student that graduates with an understanding of palliative care and skills in primary palliative care will expand access to palliative care for patients. After all, pharmacists remain our country’s most accessible healthcare provider.”

Lockman thanked Dean Donald E. Letendre, Professor Jay Currie, Professor Gary Milavetz, and Associate Professor James Ray for their support and help in applying for and winning the scholarship award.