Faculty

Dr. L. Brian Cross is currently the Director of Interprofessional Education (IPE) at ETSU an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy and an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine as part of the Academic Health Sciences Center at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). His primary practice site is ETSU Family Physicians of Kingsport where he serves as the Director of Pharmacotherapy Services as well as Residency Program Director for a PGY-2 residency in ambulatory care with a clinical emphasis in Family Medicine as well as a secondary emphasis in academia.

He received his B.S. in pharmacy from the Health Sciences Center at West Virginia University in 1991 and completed a residency in clinical pharmacy practice at the New England Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts in 1992. He received his PharmD from the University of Tennessee in 2000, and subsequently completed an advanced-practice residency in primary care at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis in 2001. He is recognized by the National Certification Board of Diabetes Educators as a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) as well as by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties as a Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP). In 2004, Dr. Cross received the Patrick J. Murphy, M.D. Award for Excellence in Teaching in Family Medicine. In 2005, Dr. Cross was awarded the University of Tennessee National Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award as well as being recognized as the teacher of the year by the pharmacy class of 2008. In 2012 and 2013, he was awarded the Attending Teacher of the Year Award by the ETSU Department of Family Medicine. In 2013, he was awarded the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy Outstanding Teacher Award by the Class of 2015.

Education, Degree, & Post Graduate Training:

1991: BS in Pharmacy from West Virginia University School of Pharmacy (Morgantown, WV)
1992: Residency in Hospital Pharmacy Practice at New England Medical Center (Boston, MA)
2000: PharmD from University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy (Memphis, TN)
2001: Residency in Advanced Primacy Care at the Regional Medical Center (Memphis, TN)

Additional Certifications:

BCACP (Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist)
CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator)

Career highlights:

Have practiced in many different practice areas that have included the Indian Health Service, the VA Health System, Private Practice Endocrinology and Cardiology offices, Academic Practices with Departments of Family & Internal Medicine, and Multispecialty Private Practice Medical Group. Have been involved in the creation of new clinical practices in all of these arenas including setting up various mechanisms for reimbursement for clinical services.

Teaching specialty:

Student self-assessment and career planning, Cardiovascular and Endocrine diseases

Classes taught:

CPOP I & II, Personal Finance for the Pharmacist, Professional Development, IDEALS Lab Series, Pharmacotherapy Series, Integrated Series, Patient Assessment, Ambulatory Care elective,

Research Interests:

Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, Anticoagulation, Curricular Assessment

Selected Publications: 

Cross LB, Brunell SC. Potential Use of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits 2013;5(6):139-50.

Calhoun ML, Cross LB, Cooper-Dehoff RH. Clinical Utility of Beta-blockers for Primary and Secondary Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease. Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy. Mar 2013;11(3):289-91.

Gentry CK, Cross LB, Gross BN, McFarland MS, Bestermann WH. Retrospective analysis and Patient Satisfaction Assessment of Insulin Pump Therapy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Southern Medical Journal 2011;104(1):24-8.

Edwards KL, Riche DM, Stroup JS, Goldman-Levine JD, Padiyara RS, Cross LB, Kane MP. Insulin Glargine and Cancer Risk: An Opinion Statement of the Endocrine and Metabolism Practice and Research Network of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Pharmacotherapy 2010;30(9):955-65.

Cross LB. Ambulatory-based Residencies. In: Crouch MA ed. Securing and Excelling in a Pharmacy Residency. 1st ed. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2011:41-48. (section editor for chapters 1-8).

Cross LB. Hypertension. In Helms R, Quan DJ, eds.Textbook of Therapeutics: Drug and Disease Management. 8th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006:451-85.

Significant Regional, State, or National Service:

• Have severed on multiple planning and education committees for AACP and ACCP.
• 
  ACCP Ambulatory Care Preparatory Review Course faculty member
• 
  ETSU Interprofessional Education and Research Committee
• 
  Residency Program Director, Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy PGY-2 Residency in Ambulatory Care

Organizational Involvement/Membership:

• AACP (American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy)
• 
  ACCP (American College of Clinical Pharmacy)
• 
  ASHP (American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists)
• 
  TPA (Tennessee Pharmacists Association)
• STFM (Society of Teachers of Family Medicine)
• 
  NLA (National Lipid Association)
• ADA (American Diabetes Association)

Personal motto or favorite quote:

"Our task is to educate their (our students) whole being so they can face the future. We may not see the future, but they will and our job is to help them make something of it." - Sir Ken Robinson

"Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." - Charles Swindoll