WASHINGTON — Scott Knoer was sworn in Monday as the 13^th chief executive officer and executive vice president of the American Pharmacists Association, during a virtual ceremony witnessed by APhA members and staff.

“Being sworn in as the leader of this storied organization is the greatest honor of my life. Guiding our profession through a global pandemic is also the biggest challenge of my life,” he said. “This is a challenge that I wholeheartedly accept and in fact embrace.” Dr. Knoer succeeds Thomas Menighan, who has served as CEO/EVP of APhA for the past 11 years, and last year announced his plans to retire in 2020.

“I can’t wait to start working to advance our profession and improve the health of our patients and our communities,” said Dr. Knoer. “While COVID-19 has added a tremendous amount of complexity and stress to the profession of pharmacy and the world, it’s also presented opportunities that are transforming the healthcare system and creating new pathways for our profession to care for patients.”

Dr. Knoer was most recently the Chief Pharmacy Officer of the Cleveland Clinic, overseeing nearly 1,600 pharmacy FTEs at the Clinic’s 1,300-bed tertiary care referral hospital, its clinics and cancer center, 18 family health centers and 17 community hospitals in Cleveland, Florida, Abu Dhabi, London and Toronto.

Prior to joining the Cleveland Clinic in 2011, Dr. Knoer held leadership positions in pharmacy at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, in Minneapolis, Minn.; the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Tex.; and the University of Kansas Medical Center. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Pharmacy and completed a combined PGY1 and 2 residency in Hospital Pharmacy Management.

“I’m an entrepreneurial businessperson as well as a patient safety and quality champion. Most importantly, I am a pharmacist,” Dr. Knoer added. “This profession is not just what I do for my day job, it’s who I am. Not only do I understand the issues, I understand the solutions. No one area of pharmacy practice is immune from these challenges. Together, we must address business practices that jeopardize the safety of our patients and our ability to serve the needs of our local communities.”

“On my watch,” he continued, “APhA will lead and be proactive, with bold approaches, positioning pharmacists as recognized and valued patient care providers.”