The Pharmacy Department plays an integral role in the delivery of optimal patient care at Hackensack University Medical Center. The multidisciplinary team is comprised of administrators, managers, pharmacists, and support staff.
Administration & Management
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Robert Fakelmann, B.S., M.B.A.
Administrator for Patient Safety
Steven J. Aragona, B.S., M.S., M.B.A.
Director of Pharmacy and Clinical Services
Residency Program Director (PGY1 Residency)
Nilesh Desai, B.S.
Assistant Director of Pharmacy
Michael Talucci, B.S.
Systems/Purchasing Manager
Pharmacy Supervisors
Jincy Abraham, Pharm.D.
Manju Gopu, B.S.
Laura Manzione, B.S.
MaryAnn Tawadros, Pharm.D.
Elizabeth Tamakloe, B.S.
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Pharmacists
Pharmacists provide a wide array of pharmaceutical services ranging from the preparation and dispensing of drugs to the provision of clinical advice and expertise. Pharmacists understand the composition, use, and clinical effects of drugs, and use this information to assist physicians and nurses with drug selection, dosage, avoiding drug interactions, and identifying side effects. They help with the assessment, planning, and monitoring of drug regimens, and interact with the rest of the health care team to promote safe medication practices.
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Clinical Coordinator
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Arpi G. Kuyumjian, Pharm.D.
Clinical Coordinator and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist / Infectious Diseases
Clinicians
Keri Bicking, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCNSP
Surgical ICU and Nutrition Clinician
Jennifer Bui, Pharm.D.
Medical ICU and Critical Care Clinician
Faculty Clinicians
Brian Faley, Pharm.D.
Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Specialist
Clinical Assistant Professor
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University
Maribel A. Pereiras, Pharm.D.
Hematology/Oncology Clinician
Clinical Assistant Professor
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University
Danielle J. Coppola, Pharm.D.
Pediatric Cliniciann
Clinical Assistant Professor
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University
Lisa A. Maher, Pharm.D.
Pediatric Clinician
Clinical Assistant Professor
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University
Dorothy McCoy, Pharm.D., BCPS
Infectious Disease Clinician
Clinical Assistant Professor
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University
Zachariah Thomas, Pharm.D.
Surgical ICU Clinician
Clinical Assistant Professor
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University
Michael A. Wynd, Pharm.D., BCPS
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist‚ Internal Medicine/Pharmacokinetics
Clinical Associate Professor
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University
Staff Development
Joseph Ascolese, B.S., M.B.A.
Staff Development Coordinator
Support Staff
The support staff of the Pharmacy Department is comprised of pharmacy technicians, couriers, secretaries, and billing clerks who round out the full spectrum of services that are provided by the department.
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Biographical Sketches
Robert Fakelmann, B.S., M.B.A.
Administrator for Patient Safety
Robert Fakelmann received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree from the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University and his Master of Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has also completed an executive education program at Duke University Fuqua School of Business. Mr. Fakelmann is currently the administrative director of medication safety and clinical services at Hackensack University Medical Center. His other areas of purview at the medical center include: Department of Patient Safety, Infection Control, Infectious Disease Research, the Infusion Center, The Hepatitis Treatment Center, the Anticoagulation Center and the HIV/AIDS Program. He also is the team leader for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Quantum Leaps in Patient Safety. Prior to his current position, Mr. Fakelmann had 18 years of experience as director of pharmacy: five years at Hackensack University Medical Center; three years at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, N.J.; and ten years at Union Hospital in Union, N.J. Mr. Fakelmann is an adjunct faculty member at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University. He is a pharmacy preceptor for the New Jersey Board of Pharmacy as well as the Rutgers College of Pharmacy and serves on the Advisory Board for Rutgers College of Pharmacy. Mr. Fakelmann is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Pharmaceutical Association, the New Jersey Pharmaceutical Association, and the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists.
Steven J. Aragona, R.Ph., M.S., M.B.A.
Director of Pharmacy and Clinical Services, Hackensack University Medical Center; Residency Program Director (PGY1 Residency)
Steven J. Aragona earned a Master of Science degree in Clinical Pharmacy from St. John’s University and a Master of Business Administration from Montclair State University. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Mr. Aragona’s acute care experience includes positions as vice president for patient care services and director of pharmacy at Columbus Hospital, Newark, N.J., where he also served as the Joint Commission of Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) coordinator. In 2002, Mr. Aragona came to Hackensack University Medical Center, where he holds the position of director of pharmacy and clinical services. He also serves as the program director for the Hackensack University Medical Center Pharmacy Practice Residency Program. His clinical areas of expertise include: delivery of services, budgetary considerations, regulatory requirements, planning, staffing, policy and procedure development, formulary management, purchasing and inventory control, performance improvement, staff development, and information technology. Mr. Aragona is a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the New Jersey Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Nilesh Desai, B.S.
Assistant Director of Pharmacy
Nilesh Desai received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from Madras University. Prior to joining Hackensack University Medical Center, Mr. Desai was a decentralized pharmacist for seven years at JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J. Mr. Desai held the position of pharmacy supervisor at the medical center from 1999 to 2002, when he was promoted to pharmacy operations manager. His clinical areas of expertise include critical care, orthopedics, oncology, and cardiology, as well as general medicine. Mr. Desai is a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Arpi G. Kuyumjian, Pharm.D.
Clinical Pharmacist Coordinator
Infectious Diseases Specialist
Arpi Kuyumjian received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Prior to her appointment in 1990 as clinical pharmacist coordinator and infectious diseases specialist, she was at the medical center for nine years as a clinical/staff pharmacist. She has also been a pharmacist at Kaiser Permanente Hospital, Los Angeles, and at Kaiser Permanente Outpatient Clinic, Pasadena. She has extensive teaching experience and currently is clinical adjunct professor at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy of Rutgers University, adjunct assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice at the School of Pharmacy/Boston, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and adjunct faculty member at Albany College of Pharmacy and Idaho State University. Dr. Kuyumjian serves as preceptor for students from Rutgers University College of Pharmacy and St. John's University College of Pharmacy, and she also provides instruction for the nursing staff at the medical center.
Dr. Kuyumjian has received numerous awards and recognitions, some of which include the Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) Award, the Outstanding Clinical Practice in Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy Award from the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, and several awards as an outstanding preceptor from Rutgers University College of Pharmacy and St. John's University College of Pharmacy. Dr. Kuyumjian has supported numerous research protocols and has made innumerable presentations of her research findings. She is a published author in several periodicals, including Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology and Pharmacy and Therapeutics. She is a member of the New Jersey Society of Health System Pharmacists and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.
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