Designed to develop leaders who are prepared to practice in any contemporary ambulatory care practice.
Samford University's postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency program is in partnership with Christ Health Center, providing vast opportunities for practice management, patient care, and teaching in multiple environments.
With Christ Health Center being associated with the St. Vincent’s East Family Medicine Medical Residency program, pharmacy residents are training alongside multiple levels of learners: medical students and medical residents, pharmacy students, clinical pharmacists, and attending physicians. The opportunities for interprofessional development are innumerable as pharmacy residents work alongside these other providers every day, truly developing relationships that will last a lifetime and clinical skills that will serve patients for years to come.
At the conclusion of these programs, residents are competent in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to provide pharmacotherapy services to a wide variety of patients.
Building Upon Your Skills
Through this program, residents will build upon skills learned in their PGY1 residency of clinical teaching, therapeutic intervention, medication and device counseling, and practice management. Residents will also have the unique opportunity to care for low-income patients.
Christ Health Center
Christ Health Center is a federally qualified health center (FQHC), providing care for underserved and underinsured patients across the city of Birmingham, Alabama. The ability to serve these patients in a Christian environment allows all members of the health care team to grow as both clinicians and as people. Learn more
Throughout the year, residents will have a chance to participate in pharmacist-managed Medicare Annual Wellness Visits, complex patient care management, pharmacy clinic (for pharmacist-managed disease state appointments), specialty disease state managementclinic (currently primarily focused on patients with Hepatitis C and HIV/prep) and Transitional Care Management services.
Residents will also participate in a longitudinal rotation at Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority, participating in its insulin titration clinic and in its ADA-recognized Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) Program. Residents have the opportunity to participate in the Teaching and Learning Certificate through Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy as well as precept pharmacy students at clinic. Three main aspects of this program are interprofessional patient care, teaching and practice management/research.
This residency program is designed to fulfill the ASHP educational outcomes, goals, and objectives for PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency Programs.
Program Description
Interprofessional Patient Care
- Provide care to a family medicine patient population (including obstetrics, pediatrics, geriatrics) through a shared medical visit model working alongside medical residents and other health care providers
- Assess past medical history, current medications, and socio-economic factors in order to formulate patient-specific therapeutic recommendations to providers
- Provide screenings and preventative counseling to patients through telehealth and in-clinic visits for patients with a variety of common and uncommon disease states
- Participate in collaborative practice with medical residents and attending physicians to establish and monitor health care plans for patients with a variety of disease states
- Provide comprehensive wellness screenings to Medicare patients during Annual Wellness Visits alongside providers
- Collaborate with providers during Transitional Care Management visits to ensure recently discharged patients receive education and training on medication and devices prescribed in the hospital
- Educate patients about medications and provide appropriate counseling
Teaching
- Precept fourth-year Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) students on rotation
- Provide pharmacotherapy education and training for health care providers, medical residents, and rotation students
- Develop and contribute to educational conferences or other functions for medical, nursing and pharmacy staff
- Contribute to school departmental activities that enhance the training and practice of staff pharmacists in the department
Practice Management/Research
- Participate in the design and management of financially sustainable pharmacy services in an ambulatory care setting
- Develop and implement a longitudinal research project with the intent to provide a measurable impact by the end of the residency year
- Participate in ongoing research projects within Christ Health Center or Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority
- As a principal or co-investigator, design and conduct a research project that measures the impact of pharmacy activity on patient outcomes, drug expenditures, or practice modification
- Develop competency in billing in the outpatient setting
Longitudinal Learning Experiences
- CGMHSA: Diabetes pharmacotherapy and education (longitudinal)
- Pharmacotherapy
- Leadership and administration
- Population health
- Practice management
- Health education
- Major project
Electives
- Practice Demonstration
- Academia
- Global Health
Benefits
Benefits of the pharmacy resident program include:
- 10 days paid time off
- Paid holidays in accordance with primary practice site
- Paid registration, travel and lodging to ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting
- Competitive compensation
- Liability protection
- Access to full medical, dental and vision insurance
- Access to Samford University drug information resources
Application Process
Applications are due January 3 and are available via PhORCAS. Required materials include:
- Completed PhORCAS application
- Letter of Intent
- Curriculum vitae
- Official pharmacy school transcript
- Three letters of recommendation (preferably from PGY1 preceptors)
Note: Due to state regulations that significantly delay licensure, we are unable to consider international applications.
Residents
Current 2022-23 PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residents
- Lacey Glover, Pharm.D.
- Aly York, Pharm.D.
Program Faculty
Jessica W. Skelley, Pharm.D., BCACP
PGY2 Residency Director and Associate Professor
jmwhalen@samford.edu
205-726-4338
Crystal Deas, Pharm.D., BCPS
Preceptor and Associate Professor
cdeas@samford.edu
205-726-4079
Lauren Cimino, Pharm.D.
lcimino@christhealthcenter.org
Hannah Duncan, Pharm.D., M.P.H.
hduncan@christhealthcenter.org
English Gonzalez, MD, M.P.H.
egonzalez@christhealthcenter.org
