Ly Dang is the vice president of pharmacy for Encompass Health – Home Health & Hospice. In the following Q&A, she discusses why she got into pharmacy in the first place and offers advice to those considering a career in the field.
What is your alma mater? University of Houston – Go Coogs!
How did you decide to go into the medical field? My mom was diagnosed with cancer when I was young. I wanted to be a part of a team that could make her feel better.
What do you wish someone told you when you first started in this field? There’s more to pharmacy than just retail and hospital. I am a firm believer that you need to have retail experience. It’s the foundation of pharmacy, but don’t get stuck in it; take the experience and build on it. It’s a stepping stone to a wide number of options in the world of pharmacy.
Why pharmacy? In high school, I worked on a project that allowed me to research different healthcare fields that will be in demand. Out of those professions, pharmacy was most intriguing to me. I worked as a pharmacy intern from that project and enjoyed it. The pharmacy manager was a great mentor who continued to push me through my education and career.
What brought you to Encompass Health? How long have you been with the company? I started with Encompass in February 2019. Prior to joining Encompass, I worked for a hospice pharmacy benefits manager that managed the pharmacy utilization for Encompass Health Hospice. After making a tough decision to leave the organization, I was excited about the opportunity to come on board with Encompass.
What do you love most about working at Encompass Health? Encompass Health does a great job investing in their employees. Our Encompass Development Center (EDC) provides a better way to care through learning, enrichment and professional growth. Our EDC holds multiple courses throughout the year to promote individual careers as well as build clinical knowledge and increase evidence-based best practices in order to better serve our patients.
What advice would you give someone looking to work? Take advantage of any education opportunities available. It will allow you to grow personally and professionally and make you a stronger candidate.
What is something people might not know about you? My grandparents are from China. They immigrated to Vietnam and had my parents. My parents escaped Vietnam and had me in Hong Kong on the way to America. I speak Vietnamese and English fluently. My Chinese is almost non-existent.
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