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Faculty Profile

Kim BirtcherKim K. Birtcher

Adjunct Clinical Professor
Department of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research

Office: 
University of Houston College of Pharmacy
Health 2, Room N/A
4349 Martin Luther King Boulevard
Houston, TX 77204-5039

Contact: kbirtcher@uh.edu

Research:

Cardiovascular disease prevention and management, medication adherence, guideline implementation

  • Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS), with Additional Qualification in Cardiology
  • Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES), National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators
  • Pharm.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
  • M.S., Pharmacy Administration, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas
  • B.S., Pharmacy, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas
ORCID Profile
  • Virani SS, Morris PB, Agarwala A, Ballantyne CM, Birtcher KK, Kris-Etherton PM, Ladden-Stirling AB, Miller M, Orringer CE, Stone NJ. 2021 ACC expert consensus decision pathway on the management of ASCVD risk reduction in patients with persistent hypertriglyceridemia: a report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2021;XX(XX):XXX-XX DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2021.06.011
  • 2020 Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on Novel Therapies for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes. Writing Committee, Sandeep R. Das, Brendan M. Everett, Kim K. Birtcher, Jenifer M. Brown, James L. Januzzi, Rita R. Kalyani, Mikhail Kosiborod, Melissa Magwire, Pamela B. Morris, Joshua J. Neumiller, Laurence S. Sperling. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 Aug 5. Epublished DOI:10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.037
  • Methodology Writing Committee, Morris PB, Kovacs RJ, Allen LA, Binder LG, Birtcher KK, Covington AM, Gluckman TJ, Williams KA. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019 Methodology for Heart House Roundtables. Jul 2019, 26312; DOI:10.1016/j.jacc.2019.05.034
  • Ashok Krishnaswami, Michael A. Steinman, Parag Goyal, Andrew R. Zullo, Timothy S. Anderson, Kim K. Birtcher, Sarah J. Goodlin, Mathew S. Maurer, Karen P. Alexander, Michael W. Rich, Jennifer Tjia, Geriatric Cardiology Section Leadership Council, American College of Cardiology. Deprescribing in Older Adults With Cardiovascular Disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. May 2019, 73 (20) 2584-2595; DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2019.03.467
  • Levine GN, O'Gara PT, Beckman JA, Al-Khatib SM, Birtcher KK, Cigarroa JE, de las Fuentes L, Deswal A, Fleisher LA, Gentile F, Goldberger ZD, Hlatky MA, Ikonomidis J, Joglar JA, Piano MR, Wijeysundera DN. Recent innovations, modifications, and evolution of ACC/AHA clinical practice guidelines: an update for our constituencies: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. Apr 2019, 73 (15) 1990-998; DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2019.02.012
  • 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. Scott M. Grundy, Neil J. Stone, Alison L. Bailey, Craig Beam, Kim K. Birtcher, Roger S. Blumenthal, Lynne T. Braun, Sarah de Ferranti, Joseph Faiella-Tommasino, Daniel E. Forman, Ronald Goldberg, Paul A. Heidenreich, Mark A. Hlatky, Daniel W. Jones, Donald Lloyd-Jones, Nuria Lopez-Pajares, Chiadi E. Ndumele, Carl E. Orringer, Carmen A. Peralta, Joseph J. Saseen, Sidney C. Smith, Laurence Sperling, Salim S. Virani, Joseph Yeboah. Journal of the American College of Cardiology Nov 2018, 25709; DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.11.003
  • Das SR, Everett BM, Birtcher KK, Brown JM, Cefalu WT, Januzzi, JL Jr, Rastogi Kalyani R, Kosiborod M, Magwire ML, Morris PB, Sperling LS. 2018 ACC expert consensus decision pathway on novel therapies for cardiovascular risk reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology Task Force on Expert Consensus Decision Pathways. J Am Coll Cardiol 2018; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.09.020
  • Lloyd-Jones DM, Morris PB, Ballantyne CM, Birtcher KK, Daly Jr DD, DePalma SM, Minissian, MB, Orringer CE, Smith Jr SC, 2017 Focused Update ACC expert consensus decision pathway on the role of non-statin therapies for LDL-cholesterol lowering in the management of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk: a report of the American College of Cardiology Task Force on Clinical Expert Consensus Documents, Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2017 Sept 5 [E-pub ahead of print]; doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2017.07.745.
  • Lloyd-Jones DM, Morris PB, Ballantyne CM, Birtcher KK, Daly Jr DD, DePalma SM, Minissian, MB, Orringer CE, Smith Jr SC, 2016 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on the Role of Non-Statin Therapies for LDL-Cholesterol Lowering in the Management of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2016), doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2016.03.519.
  • The Role of the Clinical Pharmacist in the Care of Patients With Cardiovascular Disease. Dunn SP, Birtcher KK, Beavers CJ, Baker WL, Brouse SD, Page RL, Bittner V, Walsh MN. J Am Coll Cardiol 2015;66:2129-39.
  • 2015 ACC Health Policy Statement on Cardiovascular Team-Based Care and the Role of Advanced Practice Providers. JE Brush Jr, EM Handberg, C Biga, KK Birtcher, AA Bove, PN Casale, MG Clark, A Garson Jr, JL Hines, JA Linderbaum, GP Rodgers, RA Shor, VH Thourani, JF Wyman. Am Coll Cardiol 2015;65:2119-36.
  • Practical Management of Anticoagulation in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation. RJ Kovacs, GC Flaker, SJ Saxonhouse, JU Doherty, KK Birtcher, A Cuker, BL Davidson, RP Giugliano, CB Granger, AK Jaffer, BH Mehta, E Nutescu, KA Williams. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2015;65:1340-60.
  • When Compliance Is an Issue - How to Enhance Statin Adherence and Address Adverse Effects. K Birtcher. Current Atherosclerosis Report. 2015;17:471. DOI 10.1007/s11883-014-0471-8.
  • Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of LDL-Related Risk; PB Morris, CM Ballantyne, KK Birtcher, SP Dunn, EM Urbina; Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2014; 64 (2): 196-206.
  • Performance Achievement Award Program for Get With The Guidelines - Coronary Artery Disease Is Associated With Global and Sustained Improvement in Cardiac Care For Patients Hospitalized With An Acute Myocardial Infarction; KK Birtcher, W Pan, KA LaBresh, CP Cannon, GC Fonarow, G Ellrodt; Critical Pathways in Cardiology 2010; 9: 103-112.

Awards & Honors

  • Distinguished Associate, American College of Cardiology, March 2017
  • Associate of the American College of Cardiology (AACC), 2010 - present
  • Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA), 2009 - 2012
  • Fellow of the National Lipid Association (FNLA), 2009 - present
  • Diplomate status with the Accreditation Council for Clinical Lipidology, 2007 – present
  • Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDE/CDCES), 2005 - present
  • Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist With Added Qualifications in Cardiology, 2002 - present
  • Teaching Excellence Award, Rho Chi Society at University of Houston College of Pharmacy - 2005, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2019
  • Faculty Preceptor Award, University of Houston College of Pharmacy - 2005, 2008, 2012, 2019
  • Outstanding Pharmacist Award, Gulf Coast Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 2010
  • Faculty Service Excellence Award, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, 2009
  • The Texas Council on Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke recognized "University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Kelsey Seybold Clinic, and Kelsey Research Foundation's Secondary Prevention Lipid Clinic," as an Outstanding Program for the 2007 Texas Cardiovascular Health Promotion Awards, for the commitment to the prevention of cardiovascular disease in Texas through the implementation of an innovative and effective program
  • Distinguished Service Award, American Heart Association, Texas Affiliate, 2006
  • Recognized Secondary Prevention Lipid Clinic at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic as a program of excellence in quality patient care, American Medical Group Association, 2005