Pharmacy Alumna Tapped as Chief Pharmacist for Monroe County Department of Public Health

Dr. Joy Snyder ’18 (Pharm.D.) was recently tapped to serve as chief pharmacist for the Monroe County Department of Public Health. In this newly created role in the Department, Snyder will help oversee county vaccination efforts and outreach projects that use her skills in both pharmacy and public health.

A graduate of the Wegmans School of Pharmacy, Snyder remained at Fisher upon graduation to pursue a master’s degree in public health, and will complete the program in May 2021.

During her public health course work, she was engaged in the Wegmans School of Pharmacy Public Health Pharmacy fellowship program, integrating pharmacy practice into public health. As a public health pharmacy fellow, Snyder served at several sites, including the Department of Public Health, where she offered insight on public health topics from the perspective of a pharmacist, among other projects.

When the coronavirus began to appear in the Rochester region, Snyder’s fellowship and coursework in the master’s program took on a new sense of urgency and connectedness. Her public health professors began to focus on the virus and she had a front seat view of how the county planned to handle a local outbreak.

Like many colleagues in the health care field, her work ramped up in March, as COVID-19 cases began to be reported in Monroe County. She joined the county’s Medical Reserve Corps, administering tests and supporting patients in isolation. In the early stages, Snyder and the team would do home visits, walking patients through isolation paperwork, answering questions, and ensuring they had necessary supplies. She also counseled patients by phone and trained new volunteers to help manage the growing number of cases in the county.

In her new role, Snyder will continue her COVID-19 work, now with a focus on the vaccination efforts. She is excited to be the first pharmacist in this type of position with the county. “I look forward to the possibilities of this position and will continue advocating for pharmacy practice expansion in non-traditional pharmacist roles.”