Nutrition Support Pharmacy

Beth Deen is the Senior Pediatric Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Nutrition Support at Cook Children’s Medical Center.  She provides daily parenteral nutrition consults to all inpatients receiving parenteral nutrition as well as managing parenteral nutrition in all outpatients followed by the Gastroenterology service.  Beth received her B.S. in Pharmacy from The University of Iowa and her Doctor of Pharmacy from The University of Texas.  She completed a Pediatric Pharmacotherapy Residency at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center/The University of Tennessee, Memphis.  Beth is Board Certified in both Nutrition Support (BCNSP) and Pediatrics (BCPPS). She precepts PGY1 and PGY2 residents on their Nutrition Support rotations and is the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Director (RPD).

Vivian Zhao is a clinical nutrition support pharmacy specialist at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. For nearly two decades, she has shaped multidisciplinary nutrition and metabolic care. As director of the only ASPEN-endorsed Nutrition Support Pharmacy Fellowship, she mentors fellows as research advisor and preceptor.

She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston and completed PGY1 Pharmacy Practice and PGY2 Nutrition Support Pharmacy Residencies at Emory University Hospital. Her interests include enteral and parenteral nutrition support, micronutrient deficiency, and outcomes research in nutrition therapy.

Vivian is involved in organizations including the Board of Pharmacy Specialties, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), and the Georgia Chapter of ASPEN (GASPEN). She currently serves as chair-elect for the ASPEN Drug–Nutrition Practice Section.

She has advanced the field through original research, authored peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, and delivered invited presentations at professional meetings. Her work consistently promotes excellence in nutrition support pharmacy practice, education, and research.

Sarah Alden is a clinical pharmacist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Her practice area includes both inpatient and outpatient Nutrition Support Services as well as inpatient surgical services. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Her interests include parenteral nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and hepatobiliary surgery.

Dr. Kristen Bamberg is the Lead Critical Care Pharmacist at Northern Arizona Healthcare in Flagstaff, Arizona and serves as adjunct faculty for Midwestern University College of Pharmacy – Glendale (CPG). She received her Master of Science in Microbiology from the State University of New York and Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Midwestern University. Over the last 15 years, Dr. Bamberg has developed the Critical Care Pharmacy Program at North Arizona Healthcare and supervises pharmaceutical care of the cardiac, trauma, and medical-surgical ICUs at the level I trauma center. She joined the BPS Critical Care Specialty Council in 2016, and served as both Vice-Chair and Chair during her 6 year tenure. Her areas of professional interest include trauma, infectious disease/antimicrobial stewardship, nutrition, and pharmacokinetics.

Taylor Lee is a pharmacy supervisor working at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Taylor earned her doctor of pharmacy degree from the South Carolina College of Pharmacy and the South Carolina Honors College in 2018 and two years of post graduate residency training in pediatrics at Children’s National Medical Center. Her areas of interest include pediatric critical care, nutrition services, and underserved populations.

Bliss is a Clinical Pharmacist in Trauma and Nutrition Support at the University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee. She completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and PGY2 Nutrition Support Pharmacy Residency at the University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. Her interests include nutrition support in critically ill patients, parenteral nutrition safety, and transitions of care from hospital to home for parenteral nutrition patients.

Jacob Hall is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.  He obtained his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, followed by PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice residency at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen.  He completed his PGY-2 Critical Care residency at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with a focus on Nutrition Support.  He is an active member of ASPEN with a specific interest in nutrition support in oncology patients.

Rina Patel a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy. She completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, followed by a PGY2 Residency in Critical Care and Nutrition Support at MD Anderson. Her clinical practice focuses on adult critical care (MICU/SICU) and inpatient and outpatient parenteral nutrition within the oncologic population.

Gordon Sacks earned a Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from the University of Texas (1994) after receiving his BS degree in Pharmacy from Auburn University (1989). His long academic career included roles as Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice (University of Mississippi), Clinical Professor and Chair of Pharmacy Practice (University of Wisconsin – Madison), and Professor and Department Head of Pharmacy Practice (Auburn University). During this time, he also maintained an active clinical role serving as Coordinator of the Nutrition Support Team at all 3 academic medical centers. In July 2018, Gordon joined Fresenius Kabi, USA, as Senior Director of Medical Affairs for the Parenteral Nutrition Market Unit and remained in this position until April 2024. Starting in July 2025, he began working in the newly established UNC Medical Center – Chapel Hill, Intestinal Failure & Rehabilitation Center/Home PN Clinic as a Nutrition Support Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner. He has been a board-certified Nutrition Support Pharmacist since 1995. He previously served as the President of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) from July 2015 – June 2016.

Samantha VanAcker is a senior clinical pharmacist at the University of California, Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) in Sacramento, California and focuses on inpatient adult parenteral nutrition and gastrointestinal surgery services. She received a PharmD from University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Pharmacy, and completed both PGY-1 (acute care) and PGY-2 (nutrition support) training at UCDMC. She is an assistant clinical professor with UCSF and she participates in various ASPEN committees.

Amber is a pharmacist at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in northern Los Angeles County, California. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee, PGY1 from DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and PGY2 in Nutrition Support from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Amber’s interests include parenteral nutrition, drug-nutrient interactions, and quality improvement.

John is a Medical Science Liaison with Fresenius Kabi USA. In this role, John focuses on parenteral nutrition education and safety. John completed his PGY-1 residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy/UIC Hospital and Health System and his PGY-2 in Critical Care at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center/Regional One Health. He then spent 7 years practicing as a Surgery/Trauma Critical Care Pharmacist at John Peter Smith Hospital, a Level 1 trauma hospital in Fort Worth, TX. He regularly lectures on the topics of Fluid and Electrolyte Management and various Critical Care and Toxicology topics at the University of North Texas Health Science Center College of Pharmacy, where he is an adjunct clinical professor. John is an active member of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), and the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). For ASPEN, he is the current chair of the Drug Nutrient Interaction section and for ACCP he is a past Secretary/Treasurer and Chair for the Gastrointestinal/Liver/Nutrition Practice Research Network.