UP Health System – Marquette Heroes | Tracy Maskart, PharmD

What is your role at UP Health System – Marquette? 

I am a pharmacist and the pharmacy clinical coordinator at UP Health System – Marquette. 

What was your inspiration for getting into healthcare? 

I had a strong interest in science, especially biology and chemistry. I also wanted to use my knowledge to help people, so healthcare was the perfect fit. The field of pharmacy and medicine in general is always changing. I love that I can continue learning throughout my career. 

What’s a typical day like for you? What is it like working in this field? 

Pharmacy is fast-paced and can be high-stress. We need to concentrate on dosing medications, verifying physician orders correctly, and ensuring that every medication that leaves the pharmacy is correct and safe for patients. At the same time, we are dealing with a multitude of interruptions from routine phone calls to emergency medication requests. We also perform “clinical activities” including participating in intensive care unit (ICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) rounds, performing medication dosing, obtaining medication histories, and providing drug information. Pharmacy services are required over the whole continuum of patient care from emergency medical services, emergency department, operating room, radiology, the general medical floors, ICU, NICU, and at the time of discharge. There is always something new to learn—medication therapies, processes, and new ways of treating medical conditions. It can be overwhelming at times, but overall, it’s a privilege to be such an instrumental component of patient care.

How long have you been employed here? Have you always been in the same position? 

I have been employed as a pharmacist here for 21 years. It was my first job out of pharmacy school and I have been here ever since.  

What are some of the significant changes you have experienced in this position?

The move to the new hospital was a big change, but I think the advancements in technology and automation have had an even bigger impact. When I first started here, everything was done on paper. There were paper orders and paper medication administration records, and there were no automated dispensing machines. We picked everything by hand off our shelves and nightly we would fill each patient’s medication drawer with the medications they would need for the upcoming 24 hours. Computer physician order entry and the use of Omnicell have greatly improved our efficiency. It has also allowed us to have more time to participate in various clinical activities such as vancomycin and heparin dosing.  

What are some of your interests outside of work? What is your favorite local gem?

I have two teenagers and a pre-teen so their activities and athletics keep me busy.  Depending on the time of year I’m attending basketball or football games, and cross country or track meets. We love spending time outdoors as a family. My favorite local gem is all the bodies of water available in the Upper Peninsula. Once summer comes around we enjoy spending time at Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, or a family cottage located on a remote inland lake. 

What do you enjoy most about working at UPHS – Marquette? 

I like working at UPHS – Marquette because it’s just the right size. It’s a regional medical center and big enough that there is a wide array of services offered, which keeps things interesting. Yet it’s still small enough for me to feel like I can make an impact and develop personal connections. The people I’ve worked with throughout the years are really what I enjoy most, particularly my coworkers in the pharmacy. Doing what I do wouldn’t be possible without the help of my fellow pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.