• Orientation (6 weeks):
  This time period allows the resident to meet pharmacy department staff members and become familiar with the medical center and its policies/procedures, daily operations in pharmacy, and complete mandatory trainings.
• Administration (4 weeks broken up into two 2 week periods):
  The pharmacy resident will be responsible for evaluating the medication use system and developing and implementing improvements in that system. The resident will learn the regulations that govern the provision of pharmacy service promulgated by the Joint Commission (TJC),Office of Inspector General (OIG), DEA, CARF and LTCI and how they relate to the pharmacy practice. The resident will review the regulation and the local policy to gain an understanding of the requirements of a pharmacy service and participate in the pharmacy's quality assurance program and cost savings initiatives.
• Ambulatory Care (12 weeks – the resident will rotate through the following clinics):
  • Anticoagulation Clinic: The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist is responsible for overall monitoring, education and management of anticoagulation therapy across the continuum of care of patients in outpatient clinic setting. The resident will be actively involved in daily anticoagulation clinic activities (including, but not limited to) monitoring and dose adjustment of oral anticoagulant agents, drug information related to anticoagulation therapies, patient education/counseling, documentation of monitoring, intervention and patient education.
  • Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) / Medical Home: The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist on the team staffs the PACT Medication Management Clinic to which patients are referred for management of chronic disease states including diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Patients are also referred for polypharmacy reviews if prescribed over 9 medications. The resident will be responsible for adjusting and monitoring pharmacotherapy to assist patients in achieving their individual goals, medication education of patients and their family members, and education of other healthcare professionals.
  • Pain Management: The pain management rotation experience exposes and integrates the resident into the outpatient pain management setting. The resident will work closely with pain management providers and other healthcare professionals including physiatrist, physical therapy, primary care, psychiatry, psychology, social work and suicide prevention to provide care and education to the patient. Daily activities will emphasize review of medication safety and effectiveness, assessing compliance/non-compliance to prescribed treatment, evaluation and appropriateness of prescribing trends, interpretation of urine drug screen, providing drug information/education to staff and patients, and treatment recommendations.
• Internal Medicine/Acute Care (Wilmington, DE VAMC – 6 weeks):
  This rotation will help the resident to gain experience in the intensive care and acute care settings. The resident will be responsible for assessing and monitoring patients with dynamic problems requiring constant reformulation of the treatment and monitoring plan based on current medical problems, acuity, laboratory data and fluid and electrolyte status. The resident will improve skills in anticipating possible medication related issues and developing a treatment and monitoring plan that optimizes safety and efficacy.
• Geriatrics:
  • Community Living Center (6 weeks): The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in the Community Living Center (CLC) works with an interdisciplinary team to care for Veterans on our 80 bed CLC and hospice units. This experience gives the resident opportunity to advance their pharmacotherapy skills and knowledge in the medical management of the elderly population. The resident will take responsibility for their assigned patients to identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related problems that may interfere with the goals of therapy, participate as a member of the interdisciplinary team serving as a drug information resource for the practitioners, collaborate with providers for the patients' treatment plans, and counsel patients on medication therapy management and medication compliance promoting therapeutic goal achievement.
  • Home Based Primary Care (6 weeks): Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) is a multidisciplinary team made up of providers, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, dietitians, and pharmacists that care for Veterans that are home-bound so they can remain living in their home. The resident will be responsible for the pharmaceutical care of Veterans through collaboration with the HBPC team. Responsibilities include: initial and quarterly medication review for assigned HBPC patients, medication reconciliation for new admissions, addressing non-formulary drug requests for HBPC patients, providing drug information and education to the other HBPC team members as well as patients and caregivers.

Longitudinal Commitments:

• Staffing: The resident will staff in the pharmacy one day every other week; one holiday and 2 weeks concentrated in both the inpatient and outpatient areas. The inpatient pharmacy provides unit dose medications and IV compounding for patients admitted to the inpatient units, community living center (CLC), hospice unit, and domiciliary units. The outpatient pharmacy provides prescription services to the patients seen in the outpatient clinics and patients in the domiciliary and grant per diem programs on campus.
• Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Committee: The resident will interact with the P&T committee, learn the functions of the P&T committee at our facility and build to eventually serve as the facilitator of the meeting. The core competencies to achieve in this rotation are as follows: leadership, decision-making, team working, communication, self-management skills, workplace management skills, quality assurance, and providing medication information and education.
• Residency Project: The resident will gain the necessary skills to develop, manage, and complete a major project over the course of the residency. The project results will be presented at a local conference and a manuscript will be prepared that is suitable for submission to a medical journal.
• Community Outreach and Continuing Education: Each resident will be expected to organize volunteer services at the facility or local community level. The resident will learn and utilize practice management skills by developing or facilitating a program in which all department pharmacists can participate. The community service activity should involve providing medication education, training, or counseling to the public and may include patients, caregivers, or health care professionals.

• Formulary Management, and Antimicrobial Stewardship (ASP) (4 weeks):
  • Formulary Management: The resident will be responsible for formulary management practices at CVAMC. This includes, but is not limited to, evaluating consults for non-formulary, restricted or prior authorization agents, maintaining alignment with the National Formulary (NF), presenting information on new formulary agents to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee and facility providers, ensuring the facility has therapeutic alternatives in the event of shortages.
  • ASP: The resident will be responsible for monitoring antimicrobial use in accordance with facility guidelines, ensuring monitoring and reporting are completed, working with the facility provider champion to evaluate and implement changes as needed and preparing the ASP annual report.
• Mental Health Outpatient Clinic (4 weeks): The Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) is a multidisciplinary team made up of psychiatrists, psychologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and social workers that provide behavioral health services for Veterans. The resident will be responsible for the pharmaceutical care of Veterans through collaboration with BHIP. Responsibilities include: medication management (prescribing), medication education, Clozapine monitoring and education, antidepressant follow-up calls, DUE monitoring notes, care coordination, and consults (prior authorization and non-formulary consult for mental health medications, e-consults from providers).
• Transitions of Care (4 weeks): The Transitions of Care elective gives the resident opportunity to advance their pharmacy practice skills in management of patients during the admission and discharge period from various settings including acute care hospitals, skilled rehab and long-term care facilities. The resident will take responsibility for their patients to identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related problems that could potentially lead to harm, and ensure all medications are appropriate, effective, safe, and are used correctly. The resident will participate as a member of the interdisciplinary team serving as a drug information and collaborate with providers for the patients' treatment plans.
• Additional elective experiences may be developed based on resident interest with RPD/RAC approval.

Margaret Strate, Pharm.D., Chief, Pharmacy Service
Pharmacy School: Pharm.D., Ohio Northern University; B.S. in Pharmacy, Duquesne University
Rotation: Administration (required rotation)
Email: margaret.strate@va.gov

Mark Gillespie, RPh., Associate Chief of Pharmacy
Pharmacy School: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science
Rotation: Administration (required rotation)
Email: mark.gillespie@va.gov

Lauren Stutzman, Pharm.D., BCGP, Residency Program Director, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Pharmacy School: Temple University School of Pharmacy
Residency: PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Temple University Hospital
Rotation: Home Based Primary Care (required rotation)
Email: lauren.stutzman@va.gov

Michelle von Vital, Pharm.D., BCPS, CDE, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Pharmacy School: Temple University School of Pharmacy
Residency: PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice VA Maryland Health Care System
Rotation: PACT/Ambulatory Care (required rotation)
Email: michelle.vonvital@va.gov

Sonal Taylor, Pharm.D., BCACP, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Pharmacy School: University of Sciences, Philadelphia
Residency: PGY-1 Ambulatory Care The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia in conjunction with Presbyterian Medical Center-Presbyterian Medical Group, Philadelphia, PA
Rotation: PACT/Anticoagulation (required rotation)
Email: sonal.taylor@va.gov

Laurence Martinez, Pharm.D., BCACP, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Pharmacy School: Temple University School of Pharmacy
Residency: PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Coatesville VA Medical Center; PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Practice Residency, Lebanon VA Medical Center
Rotation: PACT/Pain Management (required rotation)
Email: laurence.martinez@va.gov

Amanda Thomas, Pharm.D., BCGP, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Pharmacy School: Temple University School of Pharmacy
Rotation: Community Living Center (required rotation)
Email: amanda.thomas@va.gov

Brianna Lutteroty, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Pharmacy School: Jefferson College of Pharmacy
Residency: PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Coatesville VA Medical Center
Rotation: Community Outreach and Continuing Education (required longitudinal rotation)
Email: brianna.lutteroty@va.gov

Audrey Ameigh, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacist
Pharmacy School: Wilkes University School of Pharmacy
Rotation: Outpatient Staffing (required longitudinal rotation)
Email: audrey.ameigh@va.gov

Amy Bieryla, Pharm.D., BCPP, Clinical Pharmacist
Pharmacy School: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science
Rotation: Inpatient Staffing (required longitudinal rotation)
Email: amy.bieryla@va.gov

Meghan McKee, Pharm.D., BCPS, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Pharmacy School: Duquesne University
Residency: PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice, Martha Jefferson Hospital
Rotation: Transitions of Care (elective)
Email: meghan.mckee@va.gov

John Ammon, RPh, BCPS, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Pharmacy School: Rutgers University College of Pharmacy
Rotation: Formulary Management and Antimicrobial Stewardship (elective)
Email: john.ammon2@va.gov

Tamara Bystrak, Pharm.D., BCPS, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Pharmacy School: University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy
Residency: PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice; PGY-2 Psychiatric Pharmacy, VA Connecticut
Rotation: PACT/Mental Health (elective)
Email: tamara.bystrak@va.gov

Neha Patel, Pharm.D., PGY 1 Pharmacy Resident
Neha is originally from Carol Stream, Illinois. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a minor in Chemistry from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She then received her Doctor of Pharmacy from University of Illinois Chicago in 2022. In her free time, Neha enjoys cooking new recipes, watching TV shows, and being outdoors when the weather is nice. Her clinical interests include managing chronic disease states and transitions of care. During her residency, she is most excited to gain experience in pain management, anticoagulation and working with the geriatric population.

Peyton Woloszyn, Pharm.D., PGY1 Pharmacy Resident
Peyton came to Coatesville from Johnson City, New York. She completed her Associate degree in Liberal Arts with Applied Science in 2018 from SUNY Broome Community College in Binghamton, New York. From there, she went on to complete her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Binghamton University's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, graduating in May of 2022. Peyton's hobbies include photography, fishing, hiking, listening to music, and playing her guitar/piano/ukulele. Her current clinical interests revolve around mental/behavioral health and pain management. Upon completion of PGY1, Peyton hopes to pursue a PGY2 in mental health to become a Board-Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist.

2021-2022
Lexi Cohen, Pharm.D., PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Resident, Lebanon VA Medical Center, Lebanon PA
Matthew Kuhn, Pharm.D., PGY-2 Mental Health Resident, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven Connecticut

2020-2021
Amy Andreaggi, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Coatesville VA Medical Center, Coatesville, PA
Abegale Nelson, Pharm.D., PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Resident, VA Hudson Valley HCS, Montrose, NY

2019-2020
Haley Mesaros, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacist, Coram Home Infusion, Malvern, PA
Vinita Mistry, Pharm.D., PGY-2 Geriatrics Resident, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

2018-2019
Allison Webster, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacist, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Courtney Donovan, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacist, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr, PA

2017-2018
Courtney Ensor, Pharm.D., BCPS, Clinical Pharmacist, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, Baltimore, MD
Jessica Sylvester, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacist, RxPartners, Bridgeville, PA

2016-2017
Hilary Weismantal, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, VA Medical Center Tampa, FL
Laurence Martinez, Pharm.D., BCACP, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, VA Medical Center Coatesville, PA

2015-2016
Brianna Lutteroty, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, VA Medical Center Coatesville, PA
Taryn Mondiello, Pharm.D., BCACP, Pharmacotherpay Specialist, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY

2014-2015
Katherine Trexler, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacist, MedImpact, San Diego, CA
Jeremy Peterson, Pharm.D., BCPS, Clinical Pharmacist, Inova Alexandria Hospital, Washington, DC

2013-2014
Aila Spiegal, Pharm.D., BCPP, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, VA Medical Center San Diego, CA
Kelsey Pursley, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, VA Medical Center Beckley, WV