Introducing Angelina Opoku (Sagoe) …….

What have you been up to since 1980?

I made it to sixth form at Mfanstiman Girls, Saltpond which was a step-out from living in Accra. This was a new style, taking exeat trips into Cape Coast with new mates who had come from those schools to hangout and make new friends. I must also mention that I found Mfanstiman’s dining hall food to be very good, too bad to say, way better than Motown.

Since graduating B. Pharm. Hons. from University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in 1987, I have enjoyed my profession as Pharmacist. The one year university “a luta“ shutdown was a curveball which took me to working at McDonalds, Wood Green London, England. I was appreciative of my job and, of course, quickly advanced through their entry staffing levels. That time was a good insight into what it takes working as a team, each in their assigned station to timely prepare and complete an order like a Big Mac, fries and milkshake, not to forget the apple pie. I do not remember the last time I ate from a McDonalds but have great memory of lessons learned from this worldwide name of many decades.

I completed my National Service obligation at the Ghana Police Hospital and had thoughts then about joining the forces. After graduation, Ministry of Health placed me as Pharmacist in Charge at Tema Polyclinic, suddenly faced with managing the available staff, limited inventory and work flow. Alongside my weekday job, I worked locum evenings and Saturdays at Mokat Chemist, Ltd. Labadi with much inspiration from Czarina Beata-Ribeiro, proprietor. A sneak peek to community pharmacy business processes.

Can you tell us a bit more about the next phase of your career?

As it so happened, I moved to the U.S and obtained my NABP (National Board of Pharmacy) licensure at the start of the  90‘s. Prior to my current hospital practice, I had worked 10+ years in retail pharmacy with chain corporations mainly in the Seattle-Tacoma, Washington area, subsequently relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, along with my family. Corporate pharmacy reflects a very different culture from hospital pharmacy, especially a non profit hospital organization with provision for indigent care.

By God’s grace, I am past my 16th year as Pharmacist with Northside Hospital (NSH), a leading hospital system in metro Atlanta, Georgia. My work area has been at the Outpatient Pharmacy Services on the main campus. My current job is at a satellite Outpatient Surgery Department.

These years have involved care of the hospital’s own staff, care for the hospital’s ambulatory patients including NICU and ER discharges, Behavioural Health, BMT and Infusion pharmacy services.

I have worked closely with a range of other healthcare providers including Physicians, Surgeons, Registered Nurses as well as Administrators to coordinate patients’ medication. Besides upfront interaction with patients, my clinical work entails medication administration review, drug utilization review, therapeutic dosage and change recommendations, formulary, overseeing inventory management as well as correct billing, which are all necessary to afford appropriate treatment.

With diligence, my responsibilities are carried out efficiently by fulfilling required continuing education, learning new systems and constantly updating with intra-hospital Standards of Operation (SOP), protocols, guidelines, as well as policies and laws from State and Federal regulatory agencies intended to optimize patient care. Registered Pharmacist (RPh) from my era in this sort of setting are somewhat grandfathered the doctorate title since that is what the current Pharmacy degree is – Pharm D. and what the profession on the whole has evolved to.

What is life like outside Pharmacy?

“A lot of pharmacy years but very young at heart” those who know me would say. I have always found it necessary to create space for downtime away from my working life to form a balance. Sometimes with a nice adventure travel. I humbly look forward to when travel and tourism eases up to enable Good Company reunion 2020

In respect to the travel restrictions and shelter in place necessities, I have actually geared up my other delight which is to make home-cooked meals on the spur. I challenge myself to put together wholesome meals using whatever is in my refrigerator and pantry at the time, recollecting simple methods learnt from growing up, from my favourite Motown teacher, Mrs. Des Bordes, Home Science – Food and Nutrition class, and boldly copying food ideas from my dining-out and travel savors.

Are you involved in any Voluntary activities etc?

I have sought the opportunity to do quite a bit of voluntary work and have cherished memories from my sons early schooling years as parent chaperon, health-room, school library, classroom and lunch time assist, as well as recreation sport team manager. Yes! I was the parent type whose time and talent was treasured.

Two of my most fulfilling voluntary times were when I participated in a Habitat for Humanity “all women” group project to build a house downtown Atlanta for an impoverished single mother and her kids and when I joined a local team of medical providers and builders from Atlanta on a mission trip to serve the surrounding villages of Lake Bosomtwe, Ashanti Region, Ghana.

Our resident GC Philosopher (Allen Demanya) speaks highly of the warm hospitality by GC Atlanta during a recent visit. As the NA representative on the GC Executive, what other activities have you been involved in keeping with the GC Spirit?

It’s always a pleasure when there is an occasion to meet with GC. There are technically five of us living in metro Atlanta and it’s nice being spoilt as the one amongst four guys. In the past recent years we have tried to meet, work and family commitments permitting. Hosting any GC visiting Atlanta for whatever reason also makes a good time for a mini reunion.

I hosted our premier zoom party this April to make up for social distancing. It actually went quite well with 13 of us GC North America joining in.

COVID-19, has made an impact on all our lives. Can you share it’s impact on you in your working environment and otherwise?

Without saying, in response to the novel Corona pandemic, NSH continues to work on organizational restructuring for adequate care of all patients as well as safety of all its employees. As it so calls for, my department plays its part as essential workers by temporarily scaling down on non emergent services, putting work changes in place eg. daily temperature and health monitoring of employees, enhancing sanitizing and protective processes in order to stay available for Pharmacy support services as needed. As Georgia begins to open things back up, very strict departmental protocols have been set in place to ensure safety for all.

As a current GWAG (Ghanaian Women Association of Georgia) http://ghanawomen.org/ member during this unprecedented time, preplanned activities have been suspended to channel fundraising and efforts to provide service and make donations to local agencies towards the relief of COVID-19.

Any final thoughts you would like to share with us?

Converted to, since my marriage of almost 30 years, Catholicism has been a routine practice in my household. I have in recent years incorporated Yoga, particularly Vinyasa and Shivananda, to my life routines as I have found it to be restorative especially now that we are in our golden years and need a little bit more of something to sustain wellbeing, after past life phases, these current times and for that yet to come.

“May you be healthy, May you be happy, May you be safe, May you live with ease. The light in
me shines to the light in you” Namastse.

Angelina Opoku (Angie Sagoe)
GC NA representative
1A, 2B, 3B, 4S2, 5S2
House Eleven