Dr. Ewa M. Dzwierzynski was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island as a first generation child of Polish-American immigrants. She grew up in Pawtucket, and as a teenager worked at a local pharmacy to help her family. After completing her pharmacy degree at URI, she was hired as a staff pharmacist at Rhode Island Hospital.

 

Dzwierzynski's career took her around the world. She was a staff pharmacist for the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany, where she provided critical pharmacy services to patients injured in the Afghanistan and Iraq War.  While in this role, she received four outstanding performance awards, was honored with a distinguished Army Certificate of Achievement, and won a Superior Performance Award for exemplary performance, selfless service, and professionalism that directly improved quality of patient care throughout LRMC.

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While at Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital in Las Vegas, Dzwierzynski won an award for her leadership in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Process Improvement Fair for her project:  Implementation of a Medication Reconciliation Program.  During her employment with the VA, she was promoted to Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and worked collaboratively with the Intensive Care Unit Multidisciplinary team towards successful antimicrobial stewardship and cost savings initiatives.  She also was instrumental in establishing a Pharmacy Ambulatory Care Residency at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System and served as adjunct clinical faculty at the University of Southern Nevada College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

 

Dzwierzynski went on two serve in two Pharmacy Director Roles managing multi-million dollar budgets at Care New England and at CharterCare Health Partners where she was in charge of Pharmacy Services for multiple community hospitals including Memorial Hospital, Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, among other satellite facilities. 

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With an interest in local and state politics, Dzwierzynski worked with her colleagues on legislation to advance her profession. Her diligent efforts culminated with the passage of the expansion of the Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA) legislation which she helped vigorously champion. This law expanded the scope of CPAs between pharmacists and physicians resulting in improved patient outcomes and further reducing medication healthcare costs throughout Rhode Island.

 

In 2011, Dzwierzynski was honored by the Providence Business News with the Forty Under 40 award, a prestigious program that celebrates the career achievements of professionals throughout the state of RI. With her 24 years of pharmacy experience, Dzwierzynski has excelled at virtually every aspect of pharmacy care from inpatient, outpatient, clinical pharmacy specialist, and various leadership opportunities.  Her experience with the Department of Veterans Affairs and on the west coast exposed her to cutting edge pharmacy care programs and initiatives that are among the most advanced in the nation.

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Dzwierzynski currently works for Yale New Haven Health System as a transitions of care pharmacist at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital iand as a clinical pharmacist at Westerly Hospital.

 

Dzwierzynski believes in staying engaged with the community and advocating for her profession. She is a past-president of the Rhode Island Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (RISHP) and was a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), where she volunteered on various national committees. She has served as adjunct faculty for Rhode Island College, College of Nursing as well as University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy. 

 

As a strong believer in volunteerism, Dzwierzynski deployed to Haiti to help with the Haiti disaster relief effort at a tent-city field hospital shortly after the devastating earthquake in 2010 as part of the global earthquake relief response.  She provided expert pharmacy services in the Pediatric intensive care unit, neo-natal intensive care unit, medical intensive care unit and pediatric ward at a 300-bed field hospital in austere conditions in Port Au Prince.  Dzwierzynski’s leadership and talent impacted the lives of hundreds of Haitian patients through her collaboration with project Medi-Share and University of Miami Global Institute.  The story of her self-described “life changing experience” was published in the University of Rhode Island Alumni Publication, Quadangles as well as the Commencement Edition Pharmacy Alumni Newsletter.

 

Among her long list of accomplishments, Dzwierzynski volunteered to serve on Rhode Island’s immediate response team to vaccinate at-risk Rhode Islanders during the H1N1 flu pandemic.  She immediately received training and selflessly volunteered at makeshift flu vaccination clinics throughout the state resulting in a record vaccination rate and protecting lives.

 

Dzwierzynski is active in her community and throughout the state. She is an active member of the Narragansett Lions Club.  She is an active member of St. Mary Star of the Sea church, where she sings with her husband in the choir and also serves as a lector and Eucharistic Minister.  She is an active member of her neighborhood association where she co-hosts annual social activities with her husband. Regionally, she has participated as an exhibiting artist in the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative.  She has volunteered on The Pawtucket Foundation Annual Awards Event Committee, RI Medical Reserves Corp, and St. Jude Children’s Hospital fundraisers in addition to volunteering at countless other charities to benefit Cystic Fibrosis, Habitat for Humanity, various Rotary Clubs and cancer research.

 

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