Pharmacy Residency St. Luke's Hospital Sioux City

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Pharmacy Residency Program Overview

The 12-month PGY-1 pharmacy residency program offers residents the opportunity to pursue their passion and be an active member of an interprofessional team of health care providers involved in coordinated patient care.

Resident’s training will be conducted primarily at St. Luke’s Hospital. However, nearby clinics and centers (all in Sioux City) may serve as practice sites depending on the goals of the resident and the program.

PGY-1 Residency

Mission
The mission of the UnityPoint Health - St Luke's Residency Program is to develop strong and competent pharmacy practitioners in hospital pharmacy with an emphasis in Internal Medicine, anticoagulation, pharmacokinetics, neonatal care, and medication reconciliation. The graduated Resident will be able to practice in a hospital Pharmacy or further their education as a PGY2 Resident.
Program Outcomes

Upon completion of this PGY-1 residency, the pharmacist will:

  • Demonstrate proficiency, confidence and compassion in providing pharmaceutical care to all patients
  • Design, conduct and evaluate investigations of pharmacy practice-related issues
  • Demonstrate professionalism and maturity in all aspects of practice
  • Exhibit proficiency and confidence in all areas of acute care pharmacy practice, including drug provision, distribution, administration, and pharmacy management
  • Educate patients and health care providers on effective and safe drug use
  • Manage the medication use process including programs to promote patient safety

Curriculum Structure

Core Rotations
  • Medical Rounding (Adult Acute Care, Medical Intensive Care)
  • Medication Reconciliation
  • Pharmacokinetics/Microbiology/Renal Dosing
  • Intensive Care Nursery/Total Parenteral Nutrition
  • Anticoagulation
  • Hospital Pharmacy Practice (Orientation, Staffing)
  • Pharmacy Leadership
  • Infusion Services
  • Pharmacy Research
  • Teaching and Learning
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Pediatrics
Projects and Activities
  • One clinical/practice research project to be presented at regional resident's conference or at MPRC
  • Successful completion of all assigned blocks
  • Drug information projects: author or contribute to a formulary monograph and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Presentation
  • Four presentations at Journal Club
  • Various practice management projects
  • Completion of shadowing at the Iowa Poison Control Center for two days
  • Other activities as determined by the program and the resident
Staffing Responsibilities
The resident will provide one shift per week and two eight hour shifts every third weekend, as well as two holidays. Residents will also take call 2-3 days a month starting in October.
Teaching
The resident will precept Doctor of Pharmacy Students from local pharmacy schools (University of Iowa, Creighton, Nebraska Medical Center, and South Dakota State University). This will include day-to-day instruction in patient care rounds, participation in Journal Club, or other assigned pharmacy duties.
Program summary and benefits
  • Accreditation: ASHP Accredited
  • Program Code: 61004
  • ASHP Match #: 215613
  • Duration: 12 months
  • Hospital Size: 160 beds with average census of 120
  • Number of Positions: 2

Application Process

Process

Candidates must complete the Phorcas residency application before the deadline listed on the ASHP residency site, and include the following:

  • Personal statement/letter of intent
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Verified pharmacy education transcripts
Requirements
Candidates for the residency must possess a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (or equivalent) from a school of pharmacy accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) and be eligible for licensure in Iowa. Residents will become licensed in Iowa as soon as possible after acceptance into the program.
Resident Matching Program

As an ASHP-Accredited site, this pharmacy practice residency program will participate in the ASHP residency matching process. Applicants must be enrolled in the match to be considered for this program. Our ASHP match number is: 215613. More information about the ASHP residency matching process may be obtained at: natmatch.com/ashprmp.

An on-site interview is required and will be scheduled either in January, February or early March. This will take approximately 4 hours

Key Faculty

Corey Thieman, PharmD
Dr. Corey Thieman received his Doctor of Pharmacy from Creighton University in 2004. Dr. Thieman joined UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's in 2004. He is an active member of numerous committees including PTN, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Med Safety, NICU, Pain Management, and others. He precepts the staffing component of the residency. Dr. Thieman's primary interests include pharmacy IT/informatics, antimicrobial stewardship, medication safety, and neonatal critical care.
Fekadu Fullas, PhD
Dr. Fekadu Fullas obtained a B.Sc. degree in pharmacy from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia in 1980, received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy in 1992, and did a four year post-doctoral stint at the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina. Dr. Fullas joined UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's in 1997. His research involved cancer drug discovery from natural product sources. He is credited with over 100 publications, covering research areas in medicinal chemistry, natural products, and clinical aspects of pharmacy. He sits on the editorial board of several international scientific journals, and has served as a regular reviewer for AJHP for several years. He is an active member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the American Society of Pharmacognosy. He precepts the research project of residents at UnityPoint - St. Luke's. Dr. Fullas was inducted as an Associate Fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences in 2014 for his long-standing contribution to the profession of pharmacy.
Joe Burren, PharmD
Dr. Joe Buren received his Doctor of Pharmacy from South Dakota State University in 2007 and is board certified in pharmacotherapy. He worked in community practice for several years at sites across eastern South Dakota and western Iowa before joining UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's in 2017. He precepts the Medication Reconciliation rotation. Dr. Burren's primary interests include critical/emergency care, transitions of care, pharmacokinetics and pharmacy IT/informatics.
Karl Niggemeyer, PharmD
Dr. Karl Niggemeyer received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Iowa in 2015. Dr. Niggemeyer joined UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's in 2015. He precepts the staffing and the anticoagulation components of the residency program. His primary interests include antimicrobial stewardship, anticoagulation and pharmacokinetics.
Kim Zellmer, PharmD
Dr. Zellmer received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Iowa in 2008, she is board certified in pharmacotherapy, and is a certified specialist in poison information. Dr. Zellmer joined UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's in 2009. She transferred to the Iowa Poison Control Center as the Clinical Coordinator in 2014 and returned to UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's in 2017. She precepts medical rounding (adult acute care, medical intensive care), intensive care nursery, and total parenteral nutrition blocks. Dr. Zellmer's primary interests include pediatrics, neonatology, and toxicology.
Kristel Nelson, PharmD
Dr. Kristel Nelson received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Iowa in 2008, completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at Siouxland Medical Education Foundation in Sioux City, IA, and is board certified in pharmacotherapy. Dr. Nelson joined UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's in 2009. She precepts pharmacokinetics & microbiology, anticoagulation & renal dosing, and assists with the research and rounding blocks. Dr. Nelson's primary interests include antibiotic stewardship, anticoagulation, and medication safety.
Michael T Padomek, PharmD
Dr. Mike Padomek received his Doctor of Pharmacy from Creighton University in 1987. Dr. Padomek worked for 6 years at Creighton University Medical Center and joined UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's in 1993. He was named a Pharmacy Manager in 2009 and Director of Pharmacy in 2013. He has served on numerous committees, including PTN, Infection Control, Quality and Patient Safety, Operations, Regulatory Committee, and several others. He has also led several hospital-wide initiatives including implementing the Pharmacy Residency Program, Omnicell automated dispensing cabinet implantation, PLUM and Medfusion Pump implementation, and is an EPIC Credentialed Trainer. Dr. Padomek is currently adjunct faculty at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and is a preceptor at the University of Nebraska and Creighton University Colleges of Pharmacy.
Paula Emerson, PharmD
Dr. Paula Emerson received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Creighton University in 1984, her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Florida in 2012, and is board certified in pharmacotherapy. Dr. Emerson joined UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's in 1988 as the evening pharmacy supervisor and currently serves as the Pharmacy Manager. She precepts at the Sunnybrook Infusion Center. She is an active member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the Iowa Pharmacists Association, and ACCP. Dr. Emerson's primary interests include outpatient clinical care, sterile compounding, 340B, and administrative pharmacy.
Sam Huff, PharmD
Dr. Sam Huff received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Iowa in 2011. Dr. Huff has worked for the Indian Health Service in Eagle Butte, SD and joined UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's in 2012. He precepts the Pharmacy Informatics rotation and staffs in the outpatient infusion center. Dr. Huff's primary interests include pharmacy IT/informatics, anticoagulation, and pharmacokinetics.