Cheryl Avants | Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield | Clinical Pharmacist, Clinical Services & Population Health | UA Little Rock Dean’s Science Council for the Donaghey College of STEM Member
A Day at Work… There is not really a typical workday and that is what I enjoy about what I do. My day may include reviewing medication therapy requests for our members, helping to create policy associated with medications, reviewing new medications that will become available, looking at disease states and finding areas where our members may have gaps in their care, addressing costs, working with vendors or all of the above at once. Healthcare is not static and neither can the support of healthcare be. There are always new challenges to address or new considerations to add to programs already in place.
Career Evolution… I began my efforts to help others achieve careers in STEAM about 10 years ago, by becoming a member of the UA Little Rock Dean’s Science Council for the Donaghey College of STEM. Efforts from this council have brought scholarships to students and recognition to community leaders in STEAM. The council also supports the Science Olympiad competition each year for junior high and high school students. It has been a lot of fun and very worthwhile involvement for me.
Advice…Just jump in and don’t try to figure it out all at once. Be open to new opportunities and challenges. Be the one that takes on a project that no one else wants to do. Be willing to learn from others and be accepting of your mistakes.
These wonder women are redefining what STEAM means in the Capital City. With exciting careers in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics – each reflects WIT (women in tech) and true grit for making the most of every opportunity. Here’s to the PowHER of knowledge.
Photography by Benjamin Krain
