2024 McCarty Leadership Lecture: 12:15 p.m. Monday, April 22

Denise M. Jonathan, Pharm.D. ('05)
Vice President – Health Plan Services, KelseyCare Advantage

About Denise Jonathan

Denise M. Jonathan earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy in 2005 and completed an accredited, one-year post-graduate pharmacy practice residency with an emphasis in managed care at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic. Post residency, she accepted a permanent role at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in 2006, as the Administrator of Clinical Pharmacy Services. In this role, she managed the clinical pharmacist’s activities for patients engaged in lipid, diabetes, osteoporosis, and anticoagulation clinics.

In 2008, she crossed over to the health plan division and served as the Director of Pharmacy – Health Plan Services. In this role, she was responsible for all commercial pharmacy programs for Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, as well as Part D operations for KelseyCare Advantage, Kelsey-Seybold’s Medicare Advantage plan. She led the innovative design of population health strategies using analytics and the electronic medical record to improve quality, health outcomes, and reduce pharmaceutical costs.

Denise initiated and chaired the Medicare 5-star committee for KelseyCare Advantage and oversaw pharmacist-led clinical programs focused on Medication Therapy Management (MTM), medication adherence, reducing hospital readmission rates, medication reconciliation post-hospital discharge, virtual hypertension and electronic prior authorization.

In 2018, she acquired a wealth of knowledge executing key leadership roles across health plan operations, including but not limited to enrollment, member services, appeals, grievances, quality, risk adjustment, UM, case management, claims, population health and other lines of business. In March of 2021, she was named the Vice President of Health Plan Operations and appointed the Chief Operating Officer for KelseyCare Advantage. Denise oversees the day-to-day operational and administrative functions of KCA and designs innovative operating models to support the organization’s overall growth strategy.

A thoughtful leader known to inspire others through unclouded vision and courageous authenticity, Denise is enthusiastic about helping others and is deeply aligned with Kelsey’s dedication to compassionately providing the highest quality care to all patients.

Denise resides in Sugar Land, Texas, with her husband, Bamrom, and two children Ezra and Micah. In her own time, she serves on the school board for St. Laurence Catholic School and is a board member for the CEO Foundation. The foundation was created as a living legacy of three children that attended St. Laurence Catholic School that perished in a fire during the devastating 2021 Texas winter storm. As a board member, she leads the Health and Wellness activities for the foundation and initiated a youth ambassador program in 2024 to mentor future leaders and change-makers in the community. In her spare time, she is the "MOMAGER" to two active 9-year-old boys that are in endless sports activities and leads their operations for her son’s business, DEM Bannerz.

About the Lecture Series

The shouts of "Carpe Diem" emanating from James T. McCarty encouraged his students to strive to live for the day – to persevere through their time spent at the college for benefit of the patients they will serve. In fact, many students may remember how he emphasized the importance of treating all patients as equals.

Throughout the curriculum, faculty and students used McCarty as a model of leadership within the profession by emulating his ideals and teachings. For this reason, the students of Phi Lambda Sigma, the national pharmacy leadership honor society, are proud to have named the Leadership Lecture Series after such an influential individual. The annual lecture is co-sponsored by UH College of Pharmacy.

About James T. McCarty

James T. McCarty (1928-2020) was a retired professor and alumnus of UH College of Pharmacy. Having spent a lifetime with the university, from graduation to retirement, McCarty built a legacy of professionalism in the classroom, in pharmacy practice, and behind the podium.

McCarty had many years of varied pharmacy experience, including hospital, manufacturing and community. His professional affiliations included Rho Chi National Honor Society, American Mensa and Phi Lambda Sigma, the national pharmacy leadership society where he served as president in 1992 (one of five UHCOP alumni to hold the highest office in the organization). McCarty received many honors during his career, including the 1997 Harris County Pharmacist of the Year, the 1991 UH College of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumni Award, the 1992 Texas Pharmacist Association Pharmacist of the Year Award and the 1992 Albert Rosica, Jr. Memorial Award by the American College of Apothecaries "for recognition of outstanding contribution to pharmacy education."

The shouts of "Carpe Diem" emanating from this distinguished gentleman encouraged his students to strive to live for the day – to persevere through their time spent at the college for benefit of the patients they will serve. In fact, many students may remember how he emphasized the importance of treating all patients as equals.

Throughout the curriculum, faculty and students used McCarty as a model of leadership within the profession by emulating his ideals and teachings. For this reason, the students of Phi Lambda Sigma, the national pharmacy leadership honor society, are proud to have named the Leadership Lecture Series after such an influential individual.

About Phi Lambda Sigma

Phi Lambda Sigma honors leadership. Members are selected by peer recognition. No greater honor can be bestowed upon an individual than to be recognized as a leader by one’s peers. Such recognition instills and enhances self-confidence, encourages the less active student to a more active role and promotes greater effort toward the advancement of pharmacy.

The purpose of Phi Lambda Sigma, also known as the national Pharmacy Leadership Society, is to promote the development of leadership qualities, especially among pharmacy students. By peer recognition, the Society encourages participation in all pharmacy activities. Since membership crosses fraternal and organizational lines, the Society does not compete with other pharmacy organizations.

Founded in 1965, Phi Lambda Sigma has expanded to more than 90 schools and colleges of pharmacy in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The UH Upsilon Chapter was established in 1988.

Recent Lecturers

Thomas Roduta, Pharm.D., M.S. ('18), BCPS, 2023
Alex C. Varkey, Pharm.D. ('05), M.S., FAPhA, 2022
Janis Parsley ('82), Carolyn Hilscher ('85), Julie Spier ('86), Debbie Veselka ('94) and Lynn Simpson ('97), 2021
No lecture in 2020
Thani M. Gossai ('08), 2019
Michael Moné, 2018
George Okpamen, 2017
Joyce A. Tipton ('79), 2016
David A. Zilz and Roger W. Anderson, 2015
The Honorable Charles L. "Chuck" Hopson ('65), 2014
No lecture in 2013
Todd W. Canada, 2012
Lisa Scholz ('99), 2011
Dennis B. Worthen, 2010
Joesph T. DiPiro, 2009
Lloyd Y. Young, 2008
Rhea Blanken, 2007