IHS PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency Programs

Northern Navajo Medical Center

PO Box 160 (N Hwy 491) Shiprock, NM 87420

Phone: 505-368-7250
Fax: 505-368-7260

Director of Pharmacy
Thad Koppenhafer, PharmD

Residency Program Director
CDR Kevin McDermott, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP

Type of Training Site
Ambulatory Care

Positions 2 Early Commit: Not available

Accreditation
ASHP Candidate Status - accreditation survey pending

Facility Information
The Northern Navajo Medical Center serves as a referral center for reservation-based hospitals and clinics in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Each year NNMC has roughly 133,000 outpatient clinic visits from 68,000 patients not including pharmacy visits.

Goal

Create a well-rounded, confident, and competent pharmacist practitioners capable of working in multiple clinic settings. PGY2 residents are expected to begin working towards the privileging requirements for the NNMC Pharmacist Practitioner during residency. This requires completion of physical assessment training course and obtaining 500 clinic hours in various settings.

Vision

National provider shortages are creating obstacles to patient care. It is the vision of NNMC to fill this gap with qualified Pharmacist Practitioners (PP). The PP assume the same level of diagnostic and therapeutic responsibilities as medical personnel, similar to nurse practitioners and physician assistants. PPs utilize comprehensive interviewing, physical assessment, and diagnostic skills to manage patients who present with common, high volume acute and chronic illnesses. Complex problems are referred to the physician.

The NNMC PGY2 program shall provide a training environment to meet this vision.

Rotational Experience Opportunities
In addition to residency projects and other longitudinal rotations (administrative, student precepting, and teaching rotation for staff), the resident shall have the following rotational experiences.

Physical Assessment Course

All residents shall be required to attend the NNMC Pharmacy Physical Assessment Course. This is a 60 course that provides training on performing general cardiology, pulmonology, abdominal, neurology, musculoskeletal, and HEENT examinations. Additionally, training on working up and evaluation common new complaints will be presented.

Chronic Disease Management Clinic

Clinic protocol covers the following disease states and related co-morbid conditions: diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, asthma, COPD, heart failure, gout, hyper/hypothyroid, epilepsy, headaches, depression, GERD, sinusitis, and onychomycosis.

HIV/Hepatitis C

Specialized clinic involving care of these disease states and appropriation of funds to pay for required medications.

Epilepsy

Specialized clinic for the evaluation and treatment of seizure in all age groups.

Anticoagulation

General clinic for the monitoring and adjustment of warfarin, heparin products, and rivaroxaban.

Urgent Care and Family Medicine Same Day Clinics

Clinic where residents will begin learning how to work up new complaints and hone diagnostic skills. Residents will perform appropriate physical examinations and order labs and tests as needed to treat and diagnose the patient.

Outpatient

Resident shall screen medication orders and counsel patients using I.H.S. techniques.

Other Training

Residents shall be sent to Officer Basic Course (if Commissioned Corps), Indian Health Service Pharmacy Practice Training Program, and ASHP mid-year meeting.

Special Features
Surrounded by a land of immense natural beauty marked by towering mesas and bordered by scenic mountains, the community of Shiprock is situated on the banks of the San Juan River. Many world-class attractions are within 90 miles of Shiprock including the mountain bike meccas of Moab, Utah and Durango, Colorado. Winter sports destinations include the Rocky Mountain ski areas of Purgatory, Telluride, and Wolf Creek.

Whiteriver Indian Health Service Hospital

PO Box 860 Whiteriver, AZ 85941

Phone: 928-338-3502
Fax: 928-338-3510

Director of Pharmacy
CDR Greg Sarchet, PharmD, BCPS

Residency Program Director
LCDR L. Michelle Vaughn, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM, CDE

Assistant Residency Director
CAPT Rowdy Atkinson, PharmD, BCPS, NCPS

Type of Training Site
Ambulatory Care

Positions 1

Accreditation
ASHP accredited residency program

Facility Information
Whiteriver Indian Health Hospital provides services to over 20,000 Native Americans throughout the beautiful White Mountains of Arizona. The facility receives over 120,000 ambulatory visits and 2,000 admissions annually. The hospital has fully implemented Computer Physician Order Entry (CPOE) and Electronic Health Record (EHR) throughout the facility and have implemented Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) in the inpatient care areas.

Goal

To prepare PGY-1 trained pharmacists to become exceptional ambulatory care practitioners. Our philosophy aligns with the Indian Health Service Mission: to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest possible level. All activities undertaken by the resident will support the IHS mission.

Rotational Experience Opportunities
The Whiteriver Service Unit (WRSU) PGY2 Ambulatory Care pharmacy residency program builds on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education and residents’ prior PGY1 pharmacy residency experience to contribute to the development of exceptional clinical pharmacists in Ambulatory Care practice. The program provides PGY2 residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care. WRSU pharmacists are fully integrated into in several areas of Ambulatory Care practice, including: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Urgent Care, Dialysis, Skilled Nursing, Home Visits, and provision of vaccines for adults and children in the community. Current elective opportunities include: Pediatrics, and Pharmacy Administration and Leadership. WRSU pharmacists are credentialed/privileged as medical providers and practice ambulatory care pharmacy at the highest possible level. Residents who successfully complete this PGY2 residency are prepared for advanced practice in Ambulatory Care pharmacy.

Other Training

Residents shall be sent to Officer Basic Course (if Commissioned Corps), Indian Health Service Applied Clinical Training Program, New Mexico Physical Assessment Course, Indian Health Service Southwest Regional Pharmacy Continuing Education Meeting (QUAD), Southwest States Residency Conference, and ASHP Midyear meetings.

Special Features
Since 1989, Whiteriver Indian Health Hospital has had an established ASHP-accredited PGY1 residency program. The first PGY2 Ambulatory Care resident graduated July, 2019. We are located in the northern area of Arizona surrounded by lakes and the largest ponderosa pine forest in the nation. During the summer months, many people come for the cool weather to fish, hike, camp and bike; and during the winter, people come for the wonderful skiing/snowboarding opportunities at the Sunrise Ski Resort just to name a few of the activities. Whiteriver is an excellent home base to explore the southwest. Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson, and the Grand Canyon are all less than 4 hours away.