Organization:
Kanabec Hospital is Critical Access licensed to operate 49 beds. The hospital is a self-sustaining non-profit organization; no county tax dollars are used to maintain it.  Serving the east-central Minnesota areas of Kanabec, Pine, Aitkin, Mille Lacs, and surrounding counties.

Mission: To support and improve the health of the communities we serve.

Vision: To foster a patient-centered culture and maintain a complement of services that meet the changing needs of the communities we serve.

 Pharmacy Services:
The Pharmacy offers complete medication services to the hospital and is strategically located on the patient care floor, close to the main nurses station and surgery department. The pharmacy is integrated into the hospitals enterprise system.  The hospital is working toward a completely paperless system.  The medical records, lab, pharmacy, and admitting have been converted to an electronic platform.  Physician order entry will be electronic in 2009, as well as the Emergency Department.   Medication administration is handled through bedside barcoding with an electronic MAR.

The wide variety of skills and interests of the pharmacy staff enables the department to be a unique think tank for pharmacy growth and vision in rural Minnesota.  The staff includes 4 Pharm D’s, two certified pharmacy technicians and 4 pharmacy technician apprentices.  The pharmacy staff participates in a wide variety of hospital committees which enables pharmacy involvement in policy and procedure development in many aspects of patient care.  Pharmacy staff is often called upon to provide education to patients, nurses, physicians, support groups and outside constituents.

 Resident’s Educational Experience:
This residency will be centered on the development and operation of a new medication therapy management clinic.  The expectation for the resident will be to spend more than half their time in direct patient care, including medication therapy management and seeing hospitalized patients. 

One goal of the residency is for the resident to be capable of creating a practice on his/her own after the experience.  Skills for this will be developed through activities of the clinic, pharmacy department, and the hospital.

Participation in the interdisciplinary care of the hospitalized patients will include pharmacist staffing, discharge planning rounds, medication reconciliation, working with 4th year acute care interns, and activities of clinical hospital committees.  Opportunities for ACLS certification and others will be offered.

Hospital pharmacy staffing will include approximately 10 weekend rotations throughout the year. Weekend pharmacist responsibilities will not begin until a 6-8 week training period is complete.  Hospital pharmacy staffing will be approximately 20% of the residents experience and would be flexible to meet the needs of the pharmacy.

Teaching Philosophy: Kanabec Hospital has a long history of providing educational opportunities for all healthcare professions in a small rural practice.  Throughout the year we will have pharmacy, nursing, imaging, medical, lab, and physical therapy students in the facility.  The hospital also has a partnership with the Mora High School in their Career Explorations class.  Pharmacy will generally have 3-4 Senior High students spend 24-30 hours throughout a semester, each year.

Pharmacy is committed to providing students, interns and residents opportunities to learn.  Our goal is to provide as many experiences as possible while here.  We spend time early in the experiences determining what level the individual is at.  We spend time learning their interests and what they would like to gain from their time with us.  We expect toward the end of the experience, students will understand how a small rural hospital pharmacy practice operates.  They will know what types of patients we typically manage and what the most appropriate care is for those patients.  We expect they will have a better understanding of what it really means to be a clinician.  We also encourage professional leadership and will offer opportunities for students to attend professional association meetings and educational sessions. We will provide opportunities to speak to hospital/community groups.  There are many opportunities for learning and experiencing at Kanabec Hospital Pharmacy.

 Site Coordinator:
Dr. Brent Thompson, Pharm.D.
 

Education

1991 - 1998                   North Dakota State University             Fargo, ND

• Pharm.D.
• B.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences 1996

Professional experience

April 2002 – Present                    Kanabec Hospital                 Mora, MN

Pharmacy Director

• Oversee all pharmacy operations and staff.
• Administer all committees in which medication related issues can arise.
• Lead medication related IT improvement teams.
• Provide nurse, physician, and patient education.
• Coordinate CQI processes pertaining to drug therapy.
• Develop patient safety initiatives on a continuous basis.
• ACLS certified

October 2000 – April 2002           Kanabec Hospital                  Mora, MN

Clinical Pharmacist

• Clinical duties included following patients on the medical floor and Behavioral Health unit, offering specific recommendations to nursing, and medical staff with regard to their therapy. 
• Provide nurse, physician, and patient education.

November 1998-October 2000     Coborn’s Incorporated            St.Cloud, MN

Pharmacy Director/Consultant Pharmacist

• Consulted 3 large nursing homes and 4 assisted living facilities in the St. Cloud area.  As required by Medicare, I visited LTC facilities monthly and ICF’s quarterly.  Objectives were to offer better therapeutic choices for patients, intervene in unsafe or inappropriate drug therapies, help the facilities comply with OBRA regulation, and oversee the medication administration processes.
• Acted as a consultant to the corporation regarding clinical issues.
• Implemented and developed the company’s own health screening program, which included pharmacists drawing blood samples and testing blood sugar and lipid levels using CLIA waived analyzers. 
• Managed a retail pharmacy in Foley, MN.  Tripled prescription sales in 18 months, in a store which sales had been stagnant for first two years of operation. 

1994-February 1999   Pamida Pharmacy        Pine City, Mora, Princeton, MN

Pharmacist/Pharmacy Intern

• Worked as an intern during summer months.  Duties included dispensing under pharmacist supervision.
• Continued with them as a pharmacist for 9 months, rotating between three stores.

Additional professional activities

• Consultant Pharmacist – Independently since March 1999
• Villa Health Care Center (LTC) – Mora, MN                   5/03 – present
• State of Minnesota – Pine City EMSOCS (ICF-MR)      3/99 – 8/07             
• Stepping Stones assisted living facility   Milaca, MN    12/00 – 6/03
• Responsibilities: Visit monthly for chart reviews and medication administration process.  Attend and report to Quality Committees quarterly.
• Minnesota Pharmacists Association activity
• Nominated for Presidential term in 2010.
• MPhA Board of Directors – 1st term in 2006, presently severing 2nd term.
• MPhA Patient Safety Committee – Initiated February 2002. Became Chair in 2007. Subcommittee activities include education and public relations.
• MPhA Hospital PHiG – current chair.  Represent hospital pharmacy practice at MPhA House of Delegates.
• Technician Certification Task Force – Initiated November of 2003.  Representatives of MPhA, MSHP, the area Colleges, and several areas of pharmacy practice jointly discussing steps toward increasing Pharmacy Technician competency.
• Membership Experience Task Force – Initiated January of 2007.  Group has studied experiences of current members, non-members, and new practitioners to better understand what associations should/shouldn’t provide it’s members.

Professional memberships

• Minnesota Pharmacists Association
• Minnesota Society of Health System Pharmacists
• Minnesota Rural Health Association
• American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists
• American Pharmacists Association
• American Society of Consultant Pharmacists
• Community activities
• Board Member of Pine County Ag Society
• Habitat Director of MN Deer Hunters Assoc., Jim Jordan Chapter
   

 Additional Preceptors/Staff:

Dr. Nicholas Giller, PharmD

Educational  Experience: Pharm.D. from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy in 2005. BS University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point in 2000.  ACLS certification, PALS certification.

Professional Experience: Kanabec Hospital since 2005 as a clinical pharmacist.  Strong interest in Infectious Diseases, Oncology, and Pharmacy Residency Program Development.  Currently an active member of the hospital Infection Control Committee and working on initiating an antimicrobial stewardship program for the hospital. Responsible for USP 797 compliance and hazardous waste management.  Presently member of Minnesota Pharmacists Association, Minnesota Society of Health System Pharmacists, American Society of Health System Pharmacists and American College of Clinical Pharmacy.
 

 Dr. Jenny Houglum, PharmD

Educational Experience: Pharm.D. 2001 graduate of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities College of Pharmacy.  ACLS certification.

Professional Experience:  A practicing clinical/hospital pharmacist at Kanabec Hospital for 5 years.  Actively involved with the hospital's IV committee, diabetes care team, osteoporosis prevention team and the smoking-cessation support group.  Responsible for hospitalwide narcotics monitoring and distribution processes.  Prior to this, practiced as a community pharmacist at Coborn's and Goodrich pharmacies.  Current member of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association and the Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists.


Dr. Patricia R. Lind, PharmD

Educational  Experience: Graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy:  Pharm D  2005, MS in Social Administrative Pharmacy 1999, and  BS in Pharmacy 1981.

Professional Experience: Covers hospital, academic, long term care and community practice.

Presently at the Kanabec Hospital since 2005  with continuing interests in developing a pharmaceutical care practice, implementing educational opportunities for pharmacy and hospital staff, developing and streamlining IT aspects of medication delivery system and clinical interest in mental health management. Interested in developing a strong pharmacy residency program at Kanabec Hospital.  Presently ACLS certified, an active member of the P and T committee, the IT Physician Order Entry Core Team and the Fall Prevention Team.  Member of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association, Minnesota Health System Pharmacists, American Society of Health System Pharmacists, and American Pharmacists Association.   

As Assistant Professor in Dept of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems and the Pharmaceutical Care Learning Center Director at the University of MN College of Pharmacy (1998-2004), worked to develop innovative teaching design and strategies to teach professional skills.  Concentrated on pharmaceutical care practice skills.   Received the 2003 Teacher of the Year Award.  Continues with a faculty position as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the College of Pharmacy today.

Cheryl Blegen, Pharmacy Technician, CPhT

Educational Experience/Certifications:  EMT-I, BLS-I, Emergency Driving Instructor, Critical Care Tech, CPhT, ONS certified, and Safe Sitter Instructor.

Professional Experience: KanabecHospital.  Involved with many roles and responsibilities of providing care and teaching for hospital since 1991.  Certified Pharmacy Technician since 2002, Chemo technician since 2005, dialysis technician (1998-2002 Abbott NW Dialysis) EMT Intermediate, BLS instructor, Emergency Vehicle Driving Instructor, Safe Sitter Instructor.  Actively involved with the Medication Safety Team, IT Project Team and Employee Fund Committee and initiated an employee cancer support group. Was awarded 2006 Minnesota Pharmacy Technician of the Year by MPhA.  Member of Minnesota Pharmacists Association.

 In the community actively involved with developing, improving and providing the local community with emergency health and safety services.  Founder of a county-wide non-profit (501c3) Medical First Responder Team, presently the CEO, is a First Responder, a First Lt. of the Kanabec County Sheriff Reserves, and a breast cancer survivor.

 
Caren Gobel, Pharmacy Technician, CPhT

 Educational Experience/Certifications: Certified Pharmacy Technician.

 Professional Experience: Kanabec Hospital (3 years) as a Pharmacy Technician.  Actively involved with all aspects of the pharmacy’s medication distribution system. Specializes in the IT management of the purchasing and hospital wide barcoding system.  Also 4 years of prior experience in retail pharmacy. 

 
Callie Peterson, Pharmacy Technician Apprentice

 Educational Experience/Certifications: Century College for Health Unit Coordinator.  Certified Nursing Assistant, and working towards Pharmacy Technician Certification.

 Professional Experience: Kanabec Hospital Pharmacy Technician for 10 months.  Health Unit Coordinator –Kanabec Hospital Emergency Department for 3 years.  Actively involved in automated medication dispensing system, specializing in billing and ordering processes.  Prior to Kanabec Hospital, worked as a Home Health Aide (private) and a Certified Nursing Assistant for Lakeside Medical Center.