President: Jason Zybert, PharmD, MS is the Director of Pharmacy at Middlesex Hospital. He graduated from Providence College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in Theater. He then completed the Pharm.D. program at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences-Worcester campus in 2006. After graduating, Dr. Zybert moved to Knoxville, Tennessee where he worked as a staff pharmacist at Parkwest Medical Center. In 2008, he moved to Connecticut where he has been a pharmacist at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT for over 15 years. First hired at Middlesex as a staff pharmacist, he moved onto become the Anticoagulation Clinic Supervisor before returning to inpatient pharmacy as the Pharmacy Operations Supervisor. Dr. Zybert completed the University of North Carolina online MS program in Pharmacy Administration and Leadership in 2022. He was promoted to Director of Pharmacy at Middlesex Hospital that same year. His professional interests include pharmacy automation especially IV workflow management, USP 797/800, and high reliability healthcare. He lives in Avon, CT with his wife, three kids, and their dog, Tucker. He enjoys spending time with his family, woodworking, coaching basketball and soccer, and volunteering with the Hartford Chapter of Rebuilding Together. Dr. Zybert has participated on the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders Advisory Group on Value, Quality, and Compliance over the past year and is looking forward to the opportunity to be more involved on a local level. CSHP has been providing education, networking, and advocacy for over 70 years and it would be an honor to be part of the leadership team at CSHP to continue to lead pharmacy practice forward in Connecticut.

Immediate Past President: Sam Abdelghany, PharmD, MHA BCOP Osama (Sam) Abdelghany is the Executive Director of Oncology Pharmacy Services at Yale New Haven Health. He previously was the Clinical Oncology Manager and the Coordinator of the Investigational Drug Service at Yale New Haven. Dr. Abdelghany received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy and completed a residency in Oncology at Yale New Haven in 2001. He also received a Master of Health Care Administration degree from the Ohio University School of Management. He currently serves on various committees, including the Yale Cancer Center Protocol Review Committee, Yale University Science and Safety Committee, and the YaleUniversity Institutional Review Board (IRB), where he is Chair of the oncology board. Sam’s current research interest areas are real-world data with cancer therapies and oncology health economic and outcomes research.

President-elect: Chandra K. Cooper, PharmD, BCPP is the Associate Director of Pharmacy at Bridgeport Hospital. She obtained her BS and PharmD degrees from the University of Connecticut. After completing a Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency at the Institute of Living in Hartford, CT, she began her career at Yale New Haven Hospital. During her 20-year career at Yale New Haven Hospital, Chandra worked in roles including Senior Clinical Specialist in Psychiatry and Pharmacy Manager, Education and Residencies. She has experience in both PGY1 and PGY2 residency program leadership and support of ASHP accreditation readiness activities. In her current position, she supports quality, safety and regulatory compliance and leads clinical and operational initiatives to align with Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health Pharmacy strategic goals. Chandra has been an active member of the CSHP Education Committee and has helped to develop programming for continuing education offerings including Catch the Wave, The Great Eight and the New England Residency Conference.

Treasurer: Frank Lerz, PharmD, MBA, BCPS is the Pharmacy Manager at the Hospital of Central Connecticut. Prior to this role, Frank served in various leadership positions, including the Interim Director of Pharmacy at Waterbury Hospital and the Clinical Pharmacy Manager at Hartford Hospital. Frank is a 2016 graduate from the UCONN School of Pharmacy and he completed my PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Waterbury Hospital. After completing his residency, he earned his Board Certification in Pharmacotherapy and his Lean Six Sigma Master Blackbelt. Frank recently graduated from West Texas A&M with a Masters of Business Administration with an emphasis on Healthcare. CSHP’s mission of supporting health-system pharmacy professionals directly aligns with Frank's professional goals and interests. 

Secretary: Joe Soultatos, PharmD, BCPS is a 2013 graduate of the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. In his current role, he is the Pharmacy Manager for Option Care Health where he oversees the clinical and operational success of the pharmacy. Joe’s professional interests include increasing access to essential infusion services, educating providers on home infusion through continuing education, and identifying opportunities for process improvements. In his prior role, Joe was the pharmacy manager for a non-sterile compounding pharmacy from 2015-2018 and worked closely with physicians in the community to provide compounded medications for patients with specific needs or in dosage forms not commercially available. Joe has previously volunteered with the Quinnipiac Valley Health District and was actively involved in Narcan dispensing events throughout the community.

Senior Director: Dr. Alexander Levine, PharmD, is a graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy and completed his PGY-1 residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Upon completion of his residency, he has worked in a variety of roles including as a Surgical ICU pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Assistant Professor at the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy, and currently as the Pharmacy Residency Program Director at the Hospital of Central Connecticut. Dr. Levine precepts Internal Medicine and Transitions of Care learning experiences for pharmacy residents and students. His current practice and research interests focus on optimizing outcomes among patients with heart failure and stroke during transitions of care. Dr. Levine currently serves as the chair of the Residency Advisory Committee for the Hospital of Central Connecticut’s residency program and is passionate about resident and preceptor development. He has been member of CSHP since2015 and is actively involved with the Education Committee by helping plan the annual Catch the Wave conference and various CE events throughout the year.

Junior Director: Mohammed Rabah, Pharm D, BCPS graduated from the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy in 2020 and then went on to complete a pgy1 and pgy2 residency at Yale New Haven Hospital with a focus on internal medicine. He is currently working as one of the internal medicine pharmacists at Yale New Haven Hospital.