Lake Superior Community Health Clinic

APPE Experience Types
Patient Care

Address
4325 Grand Avenue
Duluth, MN  55807

Phone
218-722-1497

Main contact
Karen MS Bastianelli, PharmD

Main Preceptor

Karen MS Bastianelli, PharmD

Email

Phone
218-722-1497

Teaching Philosophy

I strongly believe in the profession of pharmacy and all of the benefits we can bring to our patients and other health care professionals.  Building relationships with patients has always been an important aspect of my professional philosophy and I am looking forward to not only teaching you, but also learning from you.  It is an honor and pleasure to be a part of your pharmacy school curriculum and, together, we can advance the practice of pharmacy--one patient at a time. 

Detailed Site Information

Institution
The Lake Superior Community Health Center provides a full range of primary health care and supportive services to those with little or no income on a sliding fee based on ability to pay.  Pharmacy students can explore their role in Mental Health, Dental Care and Health Care Access issues, as well as, increase their practice skills in Clinical Care, Smoking Cessation,  Diabetic Education and Case Management in a cooperative interprofessional  environment.

Institutional Mission Statement and Vision
The mission of the Lake Superior Community Health Center is to improve access to primary health care through the provision of clinical care, health education, screening, assisted referrals and advocacy.  Our mission rests upon the philosophy that health care is a right of all people.

Pharmacy Services
This site has no traditionally dispensing services and is very motivated to provide patient medication education opportunities to their clients.  The medical director, a former pharmacist, is dedicated to advancing interprofessional provider relationships.  The student will have the opportunity to interact with medical doctors, nurse practitioners, dentists, health care access specialists, nurses, medical assistants, and licensed mental health workers.

Professionalism and Assessment

Dress and Behavior Code
Pharmacy students are required to dress in a neat, clean, and professional manner.  Professional demeanor is conveyed to providers and patients in your behavior as well as in your appearance.  Therefore, students must wear a clean white lab coat and College of Pharmacy-issued name tag at all times.  Lab coats from outside pharmacies are not acceptable.  Clothes that are inappropriate in a patient care setting (i.e. t-shirts, shorts, open-toed shoes, flip-flops, blue jeans, abdomen exposing or off-the-shoulder shirts, and hats) are not acceptable.  If you come to clinic wearing improper attire or if your attire poses a safety concern, you will be asked to leave and make up the day’s activity at a later date.

Goals and Objectives
Refer to the University of Minnesota’s Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences for Patient Care or Ambulatory Patient Care.

Student Assessment
The learner’s progress toward the attainment of major objectives will formally be assessed by the preceptor at the mid-point and at the end of the rotation, as well as, during weekly meetings to guide activities.

Resources
The learner will have a desk and computer to assist in completing work.  The University’s biomedical library is available via the internet.  Most databases are available on-line and would be available from the Pharmacy Office or the learner’s home.

A microwave and refrigerator are located in the employee break room and several restaurants are within a short driving distance.  The student will be given a free parking pass and will park in designated lots (allowing patients to have the most convenient parking spaces).

Patient Care

Preceptors
Brad Hren
Duluth Clinic West Pharmacy
Phone:  786-3701
Email:  bhren@smdc.org

LSCHC Contacts: 
Madhuri Basak, RN
Clinic Manager
Phone: 722-1497 x587
Email: mbasak@lschc.org     

Gail Baldwin, MD
Medical DirectoR
Pager:  788-5527
Email:  gebaldwin@lschc.org

APPE Structure

The student who wishes to participate in this rotation, must be a self-motivated learner.  Although the preceptor is readily available by telephone, she is only able to be on site 3 hours a week.

Student Roles and Responsibilities

1. The student will review selected patient charts.  Although a confidentiality agreement is in place, if the student recognizes a patient name, the chart will be returned to the office and not reviewed.  In the process of chart review, the student will create or update the medication list using the form provided.  The document will be forwarded with the chart and will only be officially added to the chart if signed off by a providerQuestions or comments from the student will be written on a green “Pharmacy Student Observation/Recommendation form with the updated medlist and placed in the chart for the provider to review at the time of the patient visit.
   
2. Observations/Recommendations will be reviewed by the provider and any responses will be communicated back to the student by conversation or on the form that will then be returned to the student as feedback on their questions or comments.
   
3. The medical or dental staff is free to ask pharmacy related questions of the student at any time.
   
4. The medical or dental staff may refer a patient to the student for information or education at any time that the student is on site. 
   
5. No schedule for patient visits will be created for the student.  Student related patient visits will be on a walk-in basis only (or direct referral from the provider who has just seen the patient and determines the patient has a need to receive more information) to avoid extra work for the schedulers/front desk staff.
   
6. Students are trained to handle questions and education issues related to the smoking cessation and diabetes education.  Ready access for those unexpected teaching opportunities can be offered by the student in these cases immediately while the patient is on site.
   
7. Student activities are not expected to take the place of RN visits, but rather enhance and expand the educational services that are delivered at this agency.
   
8. The student will be expected to provide an in-service to the med staff on topics of interest to the staff.  This will occur in coordination with the RN manager at each site.  The most likely timing for the in-service will be between 9am and 10am on the first Wednesday of each month prior to the med staff meeting at alternating sites. 
   
9. The student rotations are preferred to be 10 weeks and the student will be expected to provide a report to the incoming student if there are issues that remain unresolved by the departing student.
   
10. The student is familiar with densitometer use as well as pulmonary function testing.  These devices may be used by the student in the future if deemed appropriate by the faculty at UMD and the medical director.
    
11. The student will actively participate in other patient education opportunities as encountered (speaking to senior groups, community health fairs/screenings, develop patient education materials, etc.) as determined by preceptor.
    
12. The student will present one patient case per 5 week session to preceptor.
    
13. Preceptor and student meet weekly to assess student progress.
    

Educational Opportunities:
There are no scheduled learning activities, but the student is encouraged to participate when opportunities are available.

Other Requirements
CV is required of all applicants and an interview with the preceptor is encouraged.