“He was a dynamic professor and the quintessential clinical pharmacist role model,” Dr. Blum recalled. “I always admired him and his talents. Among them, was a remarkable teacher. I wouldn’t forget a lecture.”

At her request, the two met up and began a conversation about her career. Over the past 15 years, she had worked as an infectious disease clinical pharmacist and residency program director at hospitals on Long Island and in Brooklyn and founded and chaired antimicrobial stewardship programs. She was a popular and effective teacher, researcher and author. But Dr. Blum wanted to have a greater impact on both the faculty and student level and found the opportunity very inspiring.

She spoke with faculty and students and came away convinced that she would have an impact at TCOP. “It was the perfect segue,” she said of the transition that began in October. “I love learning and teaching and am excited to be in the academic setting. Our students and faculty all support each other and are proud and passionate about being here.”

Senior Manager and Academic Leader

In her new role, Dr. Blum is a key member of the senior management team and the immediate supervisor and academic leader of the clinical faculty, responsible for supervising the day-to-day operation of the department and coordinating the long-term development of its faculty and curriculum.

“Dr. Blum brings to TCOP an extraordinary combination of practice experience, scholarship, and leadership. We are proud that she has joined the TCOP family and look forward to her contributions,” said Dean Cohen.

Dr. Blum said she is excited to teach wherever needed and hopes to help with publication of research, building up class offerings and expanding experiential education and residency sites in NYC and on Long Island – all “one step at a time.” 

For nearly a decade, Dr. Blum had been at NYU Long Island Hospital as an infectious diseases specialist, and since 2020, as residency program director of the Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Practice, which she founded. She also chaired its antimicrobial stewardship program, and previously had founded a similar program at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center. Both programs dramatically decreased use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials and reduced hospital spending on antibiotics.

For the past 13 years she has also been a clinical assistant professor at the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy, Brooklyn, N.Y. campus and a pharmacy resident preceptor and research mentor for the residency programs both at NYU and Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Dr. Blum earned her PharmD Summa Cum Laude from LIU Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and completed both her general practice and Infectious Diseases pharmacy residencies at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx. She is a board-certified infectious disease pharmacy specialist and is certified in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support.