Faculty Biographies
Matt Arnold, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM
Matt Arnold, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM, is a clinical faculty member with the MercyOne Genesis Quad Cities Family Medicine Residency Program, where he supports resident education and provides patient care in both hospital and outpatient family medicine settings. He oversees the program's Diabetes Specialty Sub-track curriculum and serves as the lead preceptor for the ambulatory family medicine training experience within the MercyOne Genesis Pharmacy Residency Program.
Dr. Arnold is the Clinical Director of the MercyOne Genesis Diabetes Care Management Program and Program Director for the MercyOne Genesis Board Certification in Advanced Diabetes Management (BC-ADM) for Primary Care Providers. He also serves as a population health specialist with MercyOne Genesis and holds adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Iowa.
He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and completed a PGY1 Primary Care Pharmacy Residency at Siouxland Medical Education Foundation. His professional interests include diabetes care management, population health, chronic disease management, and pharmacist-led patient care initiatives.
Adam Baird, PharmD, BCPS
Adam Baird, PharmD, BCPS, is the Director of Pharmacy at MercyOneGenesis Davenport Medical Center. He earned his doctor of pharmacy degree with a concentration in diabetes from Drake University in 2013. Following this, he completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in 2014.
Adam began his career as a clinical pharmacist at MercyOne Clinton Medical Center before joining MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center in 2016. From 2016 to 2019, he served as a clinical pharmacy specialist, and then as the pharmacy manager from 2019 until 2023. In 2023, he was appointed as the director of pharmacy.
Adam is a dedicated preceptor for both Drake University and the University of Iowa. He is the preceptor for the practice management rotation and is a member of American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Iowa Pharmacy Association.
Tamiko Edwards, PharmD
Tamiko Edwards, PharmD is a lead pharmacist at MercyOneGenesis Davenport Medical Center. She earned her doctor of pharmacy degree from Drake University in 1999.
Edwards began her career as a pharmacist at Osco Drug before joining MercyOne Genesis in 2007. She started out in central pharmacy and later expanded her role to include clinical activities on the medical pulmonary and cardiovascular step-down unit (2008-2022), in addition to being a relief pharmacist in the cancer center (2021-present). In November 2015, she stepped up to become a relief lead. This role transitioned to her current position as a lead pharmacist in 2024.
Edwards began precepting introductory and advanced practice general hospital students in 2010 and later became adjunct faculty for both Drake University and University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.
Alexis Gates, PharmD, BCPS
Alexis Gates, PharmD, BCPS, is a clinical pharmacist at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center.
She received her doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Iowa in 2022 and completed a PGY1 residency at UnityPoint Health – Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Gates serves as a preceptor and adjunct faculty at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and Drake University College of Pharmacy. Gates is a member of Antimicrobial Stewardship, Formulary and Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committees at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center. She currently precepts the Internal Medicine rotation.
Her professional interests include critical care, antimicrobial stewardship and transitions of care. Alexis is also a member of American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and Iowa Pharmacy Association.
Adam Kuster, PharmD
Adam Kuster, PharmD., is the pharmacy supervisor at MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center.
He received his doctorate degree from the University of Iowa in 2006. After a short time in retail, he joined MercyOne Genesis in fall of 2006. He has been a member of the Safe Medication Management Committee since 2008 and chairing since 2019.
His professional interests include pharmacy practice leadership, oncology and outpatient infusion.
Tabbi Liechty, PharmD
Tabbi Liechty, PharmD, is a clinical and central pharmacist at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center.
She received her doctor of pharmacy from Drake University in 2022. Liechty started a PGY1 residency at MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2022. Liechty decided to leave residency in December 2022 and moved back to the Midwest. She joined MercyOne Genesis in February of 2023 initially as a central staff member. In the summer of 2023, she started to take on more clinical shifts, especially on the cardiac stepdown unit. She became a member of the heart failure cohort and initiated a process to optimize guideline-directed medication therapy for this patient population and provide patient counseling. She currently precepts the cardiology rotation.
Liechty’s professional interests include cardiology, collaborative health care and patient advocacy
Kirsten V. Myers, Sr., PharmD
Kirsten V. Myers, Sr., PharmD, is a Health Informatics Specialist, Level III - Pharmacy.
He earned his doctor of pharmacy degree from Drake University in 2004.
Meyers began his career as an intensive care and cardiothoracic surgery clinical pharmacist at a 500-bed teaching hospital. After five years, he accepted a position as a director of pharmacy at a small community hospital. In 2015, Myers was hired as the clinical informatics pharmacist for MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center. Then in 2024, his position was transitioned to be part of the Trinity Health (based in Livonia, MI) system office informatics team. Myers is involved in many committees across the hospital and system including the Safe Medication Management committee, MercyOne Genesis P&T, MercyOneRegional P&T, Regional Clinical Affinity Team, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Pharmacy IT Workgroup, MercyOne Genesis Formulary Committee, RAC, Order Set and Protocol Committee and MercyOne Genesis Oncology Workgroup.
Ashlyn Paillon, PharmD
Ashlyn Paillon, PharmD is a clinical pharmacist at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center.
She received her doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Iowa in 2023 and completed a PGY1 residency at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City, Iowa.
Paillon is a preceptor and adjunct faculty at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. She currently serves as coordinator of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center, focusing on optimizing antimicrobial use and minimizing resistance. She precepts the infectious disease rotation.
Her professional interests include antimicrobial stewardship and critical care.
Shanda Ptacek, PharmD
Shanda Ptacek, PharmD is a clinical pharmacist at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center.
She received her doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Iowa in 2015. Shanda is a preceptor for the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, as well as the preceptor for the Oncology residency rotation. She has been instrumental in piloting the integration of a pharmacist in the cancer center, enhancing patient safety and medication management. Shanda is a member of the Formulary Committee.
Her professional interests include oncology, hematology and medication safety.
Nicole Schmedt, PharmD, MBA, BCPS
Nicole Schmedt, PharmD, MBA, BCPS is a clinical pharmacist at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center.
She received her PharmD/MBA dual degree from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 2019 and completed a PGY1 residency at University of Missouri Health Care in Columbia, MO in 2020. Nicole has been at MercyOne Genesis since August 2020, and during that time she has participated in and completed multiple projects within the health system, such as the conversion from alteplase to tenecteplase for stroke and heparin anti-Xa monitoring. She has been the formulary committee chair since August 2022. Nicole also sits on the local stroke committee, both MercyOne state-wide P&T and local P&T committees, and MercyOne Clinical Affinity Group.
Nicole is a preceptor and adjunct faculty through University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and a preceptor through Drake University College of Pharmacy. She currently precepts the critical care rotation. Nicole’s professional interests include critical care, cardiology and infectious disease
Thaswan 'Joy' Tillman, PharmD
Thaswan 'Joy' Tillman, PharmD, is the Pharmacy Manager at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center.
She received her doctor of pharmacy degree from Roosevelt University in 2014.
Tillman began her career as a retail pharmacist in the Chicagoland area, moving to the Quad Cities in 2015. She joined MercyOne Genesis in 2016 as a night shift pharmacist and transitioned to lead pharmacist in August 2022, and then to pharmacy manager in 2023. As manager, she oversees daily operations, including managing staff, ensuring compliance with regulations, controlling inventory and works collaboratively with health care professionals to ensure optimal patient outcomes, addressing medication-related issues and promoting medication safety.
Jana Woltz, PharmD
Jana Woltz, PharmD, is a clinical pharmacist at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center with extensive experience in acute care and clinical pharmacy services. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Drake University in 2006 and completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2007. Following her residency, she practiced as a clinical pharmacist and preceptor, primarily in cardiac and medical intensive care units.
After returning to the Quad Cities area, Woltz worked at University of Iowa Health Care, where she gained experience in a variety of adult acute care settings, including solid organ transplant, burn care, operating room services, and surgical step-down care.
Since joining MercyOne Genesis in 2015, she has helped expand clinical pharmacy services and contributed to the development and review of pharmacy-driven protocols, including aminoglycoside dosing, renal dosing, and ICU electrolyte replacement guidelines. She also serves as an adjunct member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship and Formulary committees.
