Health System Pharmacy Administration Residency

The University of Kansas Health System offers a 25-month post-PharmD training program specializing in health-system pharmacy administration (HSPA). The first year focusing on pharmacy practice is described as "an organized, directed, postgraduate training program that centers on development of the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to pursue rational drug therapy." The second year will build off clinical and leadership skills developed in year one, focusing on patient-centered specialty training in health-system pharmacy administration.

This program is designed for first- and second-year postgraduates (PGY1 and PGY2).

The residency is designed to provide postgraduate training in the provision of direct patient care to multiple patient populations. Residents will develop effective written and verbal communication skills in order to provide education to, and interact with, patients, students and a multidisciplinary team of healthcare providers. To help develop leadership skills, in preparation for their own clinical pharmacy practices, the residents will demonstrate and continue to develop their leadership skills through professionalism and a focus on quality improvement.

The purpose of the residency is to provide educational and training experiences for pharmacists in the fundamentals of exemplary contemporary pharmacy practice in an integrated healthcare system. Through various clinical, practice management and pharmaceutical practice training segments, the residency instills a philosophy of practice that embraces the concept that pharmacists must be accountable for optimum drug therapy outcomes and act as leaders in advancing care of patients.

Length of program: 25 months (approx. June-July)

Number of positions: 3

Residents will receive a master’s of science in pharmacy practice from the University of Kansas. A minimum of 30 hours of coursework is required to be completed during the 2-year residency. Classes are taught through the Health Policy and Management Department, College of Business, College of Pharmacy, and by administrators in the pharmacy department. The majority of classes take place during the evenings so as to not interfere with clinical rotations. Graduate student tuition is paid for by The University of Kansas Health System.

• Annual salary: $48,000
• Benefits including: PTO, paid holidays, health/dental/life/liability insurance
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HSPA Residency Director
Samanaeh Wilkinson, MS, PharmD

Residency Coordinator
Annie Shelton, PharmD, MHA

Phone: 913-588-2820

Year 1 (weeks of rotation)

• Orientation: hospital and pharmacy (5)
• Central and transitions of care staffing and training (3)
• Acute care (5)
• Ambulatory care (5)
• Critical care (6)
• Advanced independent practice (6)
• Personal leadership and management essentials (2)
• Introduction to management (4)
• Medication safety and formulary management (6)
• Expansion rotation (4)
• Longitudinal rotation orientation (3)

Year 2 (weeks of rotation)

• Longitudinal track management orientation (4)
• Inpatient clinical management (6)
• Operations and distribution systems (6)
• Pharmacy informatics (6)
• Pharmacy enterprise leadership (6)
• Ambulatory and specialty management (6)
• Supply chain and finance (6)
• Cancer care and investigational drug services (6)

Practice foundation skills

• June-mid July: hospital and pharmacy department orientation and training
• Mid July-mid August: central staffing and transitions of care staffing training
• Mid August: beginning of clinical rotation on selected clinical team

Acute care

• Internal medicine
• Cardiology
• Emergency department

Ambulatory care

• Heart failure
• HIV
• Hepatology
• Multiple sclerosis
• Cystic fibrosis

Critical care

• Surgical ICU (Level 1 Trauma Center)
• Medical ICU
• Cardiovascular ICU
• Transplant ICU
• Neurosurgical ICU
• Neonatal ICU

Expansion rotation

• An expansion of the residents’ interests in a select area*
• Program leaders work with residents to design experience

Chief resident (longitudinal)

• Coordination of duties within the residency program
• Facilitation of projects in cooperation with the administrative team

*Rotations from other categories can be chosen as electives. The resident is responsible for initiating contact and setting up goals for any off-site rotations.

Key preceptors

• Rick Couldry, vice president of pharmacy and ancillary services
• Samaneh Wilkinson, director of ambulatory services
• Chris Bell, director of inpatient operations
• Kat Miller, director of inpatient clinical services
• Leigh Anne Scott, director of cancer care 
• Korby Lathrop, associate director of informatics
• Chris Loucks, associate director of supply chain

PHORCAS

Deadlines

Application deadline: January 5

Must have a valid pharmacy license in the state of Kansas prior to residency start date or July 1 at latest.

Checklist for application

• Photo
• Letter of intent
  • Topics you may want to consider: why you want to pursue this particular residency, why you have chosen our program, and personal goals that you feel the program would help you accomplish
• Completion of the following essay questions:
  1. It is important to our program that residents discover and capitalize on their strengths throughout the year. Please purchase Buckingham’s" Now Discover Your Strengths" or Rath’s "Strengthsfinder 2.0" and determine your top 5 strengths. Upon completion, list your strengths and comment on the results. Are they accurate? Are there any surprises?
  2. Describe your ideal day as a resident.
  3. Do you feel that you are generally superior to your co-workers or your classmates? Please explain.
  4. Think of someone really close to you (parent, sibling, spouse). What 3 words or phrases would they use to describe you?
• Example of a project completed on a rotation (power-point, poster, document)
• Curriculum vitae
• College transcripts
• 3 letters of recommendation
• PHORCAS residency program application
• ASHP resident matching program registration

Important dates after completion of match process

• June: annual residents' meet and greet event and orientation

National matching services (NMS) code: 180718