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Date of Report:
10/2008
Source:
Pacific AETC
Kirsten Balano, PharmD, is one of Pacific AETC's (PAETC) leading clinical pharmacist faculty members. Dr. Balano trains for three local performance sites (LPS) of the PAETC. After receiving her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from UCSF in 1991, Dr. Balano worked at San Francisco General Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient HIV programs. In addition, she served as Director of Drug Information and Clinical Coordinator for the National HIV Telephone Consultation Service (Warmline) and National Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Hotline (PEPline) for 13 years. In that role, Dr. Balano trained and supervised clinical staff and designed evaluation tools as these consultation services evolved from regional to national programs. In collaboration with her Warmline colleagues, Dr. Balano developed curricula for training HIV providers to utilize consultation as an educational tool.
From her Warmline experience, Dr. Balano recognized the value of learner participation and case-based learning in HIV clinical education. She has continued to create innovative training techniques based on adult learning principles to train members of multidisciplinary teams. It is Dr. Balano's general philosophy that since HIV clinical information changes so frequently, trainers can either spend time frequently updating their slides or consider using that time to create more empowering learning opportunities. An advocate of consultation and case-based learning, Dr. Balano visits community health centers and community pharmacies serving HIV patients to review challenging cases with clinicians in their settings.
Currently her primary clinical, education, and research focuses are in the areas of adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy, drug interactions, and adverse effects. An Assistant Clinical Professor for UCSF School of Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Dr. Balano is the Program Director for the new North Bay Advanced Practice Pharmacy Experiences for fourth year UCSF pharmacy students and she directs the client-centered adherence program for the Center for HIV Prevention and Care in Sonoma County. Most recently, she participated in the AETC Meeting the Resource Needs of Community Pharmacists Workgroup that created a guide for training community pharmacists in HIV care. She was also a featured presenter at PAETC's annual faculty development conference, where she modeled an interactive methodology to teach HIV pharmacology without using a single PowerPoint slide.
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Kirsten Balano's Training Tips and Tools
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I like to begin any training by asking the group what they most hope to learn in the time we have together. I ask the group this question and write responses on poster paper. It truly helps to guide and facilitate further discussions to those most important points for the learners. |
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Self-adhesive poster paper and an array of colorful pens is a necessity for any trainer! |
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Clinical care options case discussions (
www.clinicalcareoptions.com
) are terrific to use in situations where the learners have not necessarily brought cases of their own to discuss.
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The World Café website (
www.theworldcafe.com
) displays an innovative strategy to consider when developing questions and learning formats that invite participation, creativity, and meaning.
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Bob Teague, MSW, Program Director for the San Francisco Area AETC takes my ideas and creates polished, professional learning experiences and tools. He is an invaluable resource to the AETC network and beyond. |
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