SMDC Pine Medical Center - Sandstone, MN

APPE Experience Types

Institutional Care
Patient Care
Non-patient Care (Elective)

Address
109 Court Ave South
Sandstone, MN  55072

Phone
320-245-5646

Main contact
Jim Koppen, RPh

Main Preceptor

Jim Koppen, RPh

Phone
651-308-0072Cell

Teaching Philosophy

I believe the role of the Pharmacist to include, but not be limited to “Medication Expert”.  As a primary Clinician in an acute care setting we have the opportunity to become far more of a patient advocate.  We must be involved in every aspect of the patient’s care.  At Pine Medical Center we have adopted an “every patient interview” policy for pharmacy.  This policy simply stated is that a Pharmacist will interview every admitted patient as soon as possible.  We specifically concern ourselves with the Medication Reconciliation list of home meds, we ask about pain, we explain the ordered care the patient should expect, and finally answer questions and let them know where we can be reached for further questions.  I expect students to sit in on the interview process in the early stages and eventually complete the interviews with patients.  I believe I have very little medication knowledge to offer that has not been addressed in the classroom, so my primary teaching approach is philosophical.  I want students to understand they are building a practice as they work rotations.  They are beginning a definition of a career.

Detailed Site Information

Institution
Pine Medical Center is a Critical Access Hospital in Sandstone MN.  We offer Acute Care, Swing Bed, Trans Bed, Obs Bed, Post Surg, as well as a number of Out Patient Treatment options.  We are USP 797 Compliant, and have a new, state of the art, in-patient Pharmacy.  All meds are unit dosed.  We have a PYXIS 3000 System, and use the MediTech Pharmacy System.

Institutional Mission Statement and Vision
Pine Medical Center is a part of SMDC and BHS Systems, so we embrace the mission statements of both health systems.  We also follow an employee generated Standards of Behavior at Pine Medical Center.

Pharmacy Services
The pharmacy at Pine Medical Center is much like one found in many small hospitals in Minnesota.  We have one fulltime Pharmacist (soon to expand), one full time Pharmacy Technician, one casual Pharmacist, and one casual Pharmacy Technician.  We provide any and all Pharmacy services to our hospital.  Pine Medical Center has an attached Health Care Center (60+ beds) but we do not provide the medications for the HCC.  We have no retail license, we are strictly a hospital pharmacy. Pharmacy reviews charts, fills orders, participates in the discharge planning process, consults with physicians and other providers, provides meds for surgical patients (in-patient and out-patient).  We provide all meds ordered (IV, oral, injectible, etc).  We review all areas of the chart and make suggestions to practitioners as needed.  We rarely have need for TPN, but have a policy and provide the service when needed.  We do not provide Chemo at this time.

Professionalism and Assessment
Students become a very important part of a typical small community hospital.  I believe in constant communication.  I want them involved in every issue from administration to staff evaluation.  I want them to share their concerns and their triumphs.  I want them to find their gifts and to applaud them.   I don’t believe this can be done in a single interview or any formatted process.  I believe in building relationships within the clinical community…and it begins with our relationship.

Resources
Students are provided with free lunch daily.  There is ample parking, and computer access (internet) provided. 

Institutional Practice

You will be introduced to our day to day process of hospital pharmacy.  You will be involved in reading orders, order entry, the patient chart (all areas), writing change orders, MAR’s, cart-fill, IV preparation, dosing, etc.

Patient Care

Students will be involved in the “Every Patient Interview” process, they would; join the rounding Physician on morning rounds, be involved in dosing considerations and calculations, preparation of IV’s and outpatient needs, patient consultations, discharge interviews. 

Non-Patient Care

This could be just about anything the student desires to study.  We have an extremely high percentage of elderly, and with an attached Healthcare Center there is ample opportunity for geriatrics, but we would be open to other options as well.

Primary Preceptor
Jim Koppen, RPh, Director of Pharmacy
jkoppen@pinemedical.org
651-308-0072 Cell

Preceptors
Tom Kujawa, RPh. Clinical Pharmacist

APPE Structure
Students will work side-by-side with the pharmacist.  The majority of their rotation will be spent in our Station One nursing station and the Pharmacy area.   

Student Roles and Responsibilities
Students will be expected to engage in every part of the process.  Initially they will shadow the Pharmacist, but it is expected they will take an active role in all parts of the job description of “Staff Pharmacist” at PMC.

Educational Opportunities:
Students are welcome (and encouraged) to attend PT Committee meetings, Medical Staff, Discharge Planning, on a regular basis.  I, also, welcome students to join me in sitting in on any meetings I may have…if you decide to be a hospital pharmacist, you need to get comfortable with meetings.

Other Requirements
Our only requirement is a desire to learn, to teach, and to care.  If you have these attributes, you will love it here.