For Immediate Release
Contact: Stephanie Saunders Fouch, 703-739-2330, ext. 1006
Contact: Maureen Thielemans, 703-739-2330, ext. 1022
Arlington, Va. — On behalf of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Board of Directors, President Stuart T. Haines has announced the selection of Lee C. Vermeulen, M.S., FCCP, FFIP, as the Association’s seventh Executive Vice President and CEO. On July 1, 2022, Vermeulen will succeed Lucinda L. Maine, Ph.D., FAPhA, FFIP, who has served as AACP’s EVP and CEO since July 2002, and who is retiring.
Vermeulen currently serves as chief efficiency officer for UK HealthCare, the University of Kentucky health system, in Lexington, Ky. In his executive role, he is responsible for the development and oversight of enterprise-wide efforts to reduce unnecessary care variation under consistent, evidence-based standards, thus achieving measurable improvements in quality, patient outcomes and cost reduction. He leads various programs, including UK Advancing BEST Care program, which crosses medical and surgical disciplines, settings of care and operational units in a value-based, patient-centered model.
Vermeulen is also a professor of medicine and pharmacy at the University of Kentucky. His academic work focuses on the development and implementation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and clinical decision support tools that drive the efficient delivery of high-quality health care.
"The AACP Board embarked upon a national search in September 2021 to identify a proven leader with the vision and executive experience to implement our robust strategic plan and priorities," said Dr. Haines. "Lee was our unanimous choice, and we are energized by his enthusiasm for AACP’s potential to accelerate pharmacy practice transformation, drive academic innovation and address key issues like health equity and the well-being of the health workforce."