Trinity Health is pleased to announce that Terry Altringer, PharmD, Pharmacy Clinical Supervisor, has been honored by the North Dakota Pharmacists Association with the 2021 prestigious Bowl of Hygeia Award.
The Bowl of Hygeia Award recognizes pharmacists who possess outstanding records of leadership and service to their communities. Established in 1958, the award is recognized nationally by the American Pharmacists Association.
“Receiving this award has been both humbling and inspiring,” Altringer said. “I’m humbled by the fact that I work with amazing colleagues who are equally and even more deserving than I, and I’m inspired to know there is still so much work to accomplish in the pharmacy profession and in the interest of patient care, which is why I and my colleagues come to work each day.”
Born and reared in Portal, ND, Altringer earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy in 1997. Following a one-year post-graduate residency at the VA Medical Center in Fargo, he joined Trinity Health’s Pharmacy Department in 1998.
Throughout his more than 20 years of service, Altringer has helped advance the professionalism of the pharmacy department. In addition to his role as clinical supervisor, Altringer holds the job title of Residency Program Director, having helped establish a nationally accredited post-graduate residency program.
His activities and responsibilities at Trinity Health are extensive and include the review, selection, and integration of new medications and therapies into practice, medication safety and quality, research, education, cost containment and optimization strategies, development and integration of new programs and strategies to enhance the application of pharmaceutical care across the care continuum.
He serves on a wide range of health-system teams and committees and chairs or facilitates several of them. One of his most recent accomplishments was working closely with his manager, another colleague, and the senior leader team at Trinity Health to secure grant funding and authorization to launch an ambulatory care pharmacy service. Over the years Altringer has helped facilitate clinical research studies conducted at Trinity Health and he has secured several grants to help provide education and advancement of new programs.
Altringer has been a leader among his colleagues. He has served as secretary of the District Two Pharmacy Association and is an active member and past president of the North Dakota Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists. He serves as a reviewer for articles submitted to the American Journal of Health-Systems Pharmacists. Since 1998, he has been an adjunct preceptor with the NDSU College of Pharmacy and has helped prepare students for their pharmacy careers. In 2004 Altringer was awarded the Distinguished Young Pharmacist for the state of North Dakota, which is an award nominated by peers given in recognition for individual excellence and outstanding service to the profession of pharmacy.
Altringer has been active at his local church congregation serving on the trustee board and as a confirmation teacher. He has also served as the president of Our Redeemer’s Christian School. Altringer is a certified USA swimming official and volunteers his time at local and state sanctioned swim meets. He has also previously coached youth basketball at the Minot Family YMCA. Terry and his wife, Heather, have four children. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, camping, fishing, hunting, and golfing when time allows.