Allina Health | Cashwise Clinic Pharmacy/CentraCare | CentraCare – Paynesville | CentraCare - St. Cloud | Community University Health Care Center | Essentia Health | Geritom Medical Inc | Goodrich Pharmacy | M Health Fairview | Mille Lacs Health System | Minnesota Community Care | New Ulm Medical Center | Park Nicollet Health | St. Cloud VA Medical Center | Welia Health Services | Year 1 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership | Year 2 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership
Site: Allina Health
Megan Traxler, PharmD
Megan grew up in the small southern Minnesota town of Le Center. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Minnesota Duluth and graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth campus with her Doctor of Pharmacy and Leadership Emphasis in May 2022. Throughout her time in pharmacy school, Megan has been involved in multiple student organizations and leadership positions including, Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society serving as past networking chairman and vice president, College Board as a Class Representative, Phi Delta Chi Fraternity as past secretary and correspondent, Minnesota Pharmacy Student Association participating in health fairs, and past teaching assistant for multiple classes. Megan has had an interest in ambulatory care from day one of pharmacy school and found her passion for chronic disease state management during her internship with Thrifty White Pharmacy and on her APPE rotations. She is excited to join the Allina Health team and work with patients to help manage their health. Following residency, she hopes to find a position in an ambulatory care clinical setting. In her free time she enjoys hiking, camping, copious amounts of coffee, and spending time with friends and family.
Site: Cashwise Clinic Pharmacy/Carris Health
Annie Wenzel, PharmD
Annie grew up in the small town called Staples, MN. She graduated from North Dakota State University as a Doctor of Pharmacy in May of 2020 and started working for Walgreens in Minneapolis, MN. After working retail pharmacy for a year, she decided she wanted more out of her pharmacy career and applied for residency programs. She was most interested in ambulatory care, and matched with Cashwise Clinic Pharmacy out of Willmar, MN. She is excited to start her new journey working in rural Minnesota, and has special interests in diabetes care and Medication Therapy Management. Outside of pharmacy, Annie loves to be outdoors hiking with her dog Chula, being on the lake, and reading a good book.
Site: CentraCare - Paynesville
Erin Salo, PharmD
Erin grew up in Richmond, MN and completed her undergraduate at the University of Minnesota Duluth where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Bachelor of Art in Chemistry in 2018. The smaller class sizes on the Duluth campus convinced her to stay in Duluth to complete her Doctor of Pharmacy through the University of Minnesota in 2022. Erin has always kept herself busy and involved in a variety of organizations throughout pharmacy school. She served as the Duluth Vice President of Communications of the Minnesota Pharmacy Student Alliance, Webmaster and Fundraising Chair for Phi Delta Chi – Beta Psi, and Duluth Treasurer of Phi Lambda Sigma. In addition to student organization involvement, Erin has been a tutor and coordinator for the Student Resource Center, a teaching assistant, the class tech guru and worked as an intern at CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital. Erin has always enjoyed the small town feel of rural, central Minnesota and fell in love with ambulatory care after a shadow experience at CentraCare Health – Paynesville. She hopes to foster this love into caring for her neighbors and community members through residency and after. Outside of pharmacy, Erin enjoys joining her mom’s high school pep band in Eden Valley – Watkins, hanging out with her family and relaxing in a hammock on a nice day!
Site: CentraCare - St. Cloud
Kwon Park, PharmD
Kwon was born and raised in Gwangju, Korea. He moved to Tucson, Arizona in 2011 when he was 17 years old. He received his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Arizona. He continued his education at the University of Arizona and received his Doctor of Pharmacy in 2022. Throughout pharmacy school, Kwon was involved in the Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, National Community Pharmacists, and Rho Chi Honor Society. Kwon discovered his passion for ambulatory care during his rotations and graduate certificate program in Pharmacy Related Health Disparities where he worked with the underserved population in rural Arizona. Kwon is excited to join the team at CentraCare – St. Cloud and continue his passion for ambulatory care pharmacy. Outside of pharmacy, Kwon enjoys powerlifting and going on adventures with his dog, Leo, and his wife, Daisy.
Site: Community-University Health Care Center
Lucas Cannon, PharmD
Lucas Cannon grew up in Denton, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Tarleton State University in 2015 and is a 2020 graduate from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy. During pharmacy school, Lucas was mainly involved with the Texas Pharmacy Association and Phi Delta Chi. After one and a half years of working as a community pharmacist, he decided to reapply to residency programs because his true passion within pharmacy involves developing relationships with patients and other health care providers to maximize a patient’s medication experience. Lucas is excited to work with all the incredible providers at CUHCC. In his free time, he enjoys experimenting with new recipes and experiencing the great outdoors while hitting the trails with his wife and 2 pups.
Site: Community-University Health Care Center
Joy Xie, PharmD
Joy grew up in St. Paul, MN and stayed in the Twin Cities to complete both her Bachelor of Science in 2017 and Doctor of Pharmacy in 2022 at the University of Minnesota. Prior to pharmacy school, Joy worked as a medical scribe in Minneapolis where she first learned about social determinants of health and how they impacted the physical and mental health of both patients and her family members alike. It was here that she also witnessed the importance of an integrated, team-based approach in providing patient care. This experience led her to volunteer at the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic during pharmacy school where she worked with other health professional students to provide free healthcare. Other activities Joy was involved with during pharmacy school were serving as historian for Rho Chi, working at St. Paul Corner Drug, and teaching pharmacy students in the Pharmaceutical Care Skills Lab. Joy is looking forward to joining the interprofessional team at CUHCC to continue serving the Minneapolis community. She hopes to reduce health disparities by helping patients navigate the healthcare system and teaching them to advocate for their own health. In addition to providing education for patients, she hopes to continue working with pharmacy students and contributing to their growth and learning. In her free time, Joy likes to work on photography projects, find good deals on Facebook Marketplace, and try to keep her houseplants alive.
Site: Essentia Health
Kendra Buettner, PharmD
Kendra grew up in the small town of Becker, MN, about an hour north of the Twin Cities. In 2018 she earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota – Duluth Campus. She then graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree with a Leadership Emphasis in 2022 from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy – Duluth Campus. Throughout her time in pharmacy school, Kendra engaged in Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS) and the Minnesota Student Pharmacy Alliance (MPSA). She also had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for various courses and was a pharmacist intern at Essentia Health. It was through those opportunities, as well as during her APPE rotations, that Kendra found a passion for Medication Therapy Management and an interest in academia. She is excited to continue serving and building relationships with patients in the Twin Ports area at Essentia Health. Outside of pharmacy, Kendra enjoys spending time with her dog, Luna, her fiancé, Jon, her family and enjoys weekends at the cabin. She is an avid listener of true crime podcasts, enjoys reading and loves to travel and experience new cultures. Following residency, Kendra hopes to continue her career in an ambulatory care clinical setting and in academia.
Site: Essentia Health
Danica Grover, PharmD
Danica is from Proctor, MN, and earned her PharmD in 2021 from the University of Minnesota - Duluth. During pharmacy school, she was an active member and had leadership roles in student organizations such as the Multicultural Pharmacy Student Organization (MPSO), Phi Delta Chi - Beta Psi, and Minnesota Pharmacy Student Alliance (MPSA). She developed a passion for ambulatory care working as an intern for Essentia Health providing medication counseling through the discharge delivery program. APPE rotations continued to strengthen this passion for ambulatory care and piqued her interest in mental health. She is excited to continue to serve the Duluth community with the Essentia Health team and foster strong therapeutic relationships with patients. When she's not working or studying, she enjoys hiking, traveling, listening to music, and spending time with friends.
Site: M Health Fairview
Mikaela Leifeld, PharmD
Mikaela grew up in Hastings, Minnesota, just southeast of the Twin Cities. Prior to pharmacy school, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in 2018. She graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a Leadership Emphasis in 2022. Throughout pharmacy school, Mikaela was involved in student organizations and internships that focused on providing patient outreach and education. Through her internship with Prime Therapeutics Medication Therapy Management Team, she developed a passion for partnering with patients to provide them with the education and support to manage their health conditions. Her involvement with MPSA, Balance Initiative, and as a teaching assistant for Pharmaceutical Care Lab furthered her interest in helping others through their pharmacy journey. Her decision to pursue a residency in direct patient care was solidified after completing an ambulatory care APPE rotation with Fairview Pharmacy Services. She is eager to continue serving and building relationships with patients throughout the Twin Cities metro area at Fairview Pharmacy Services. In her free time, Mikaela enjoys reading, crafting, listening to podcasts, and spending time with her family and friends.
Site: M Health Fairview
Anne Ciaschini Marmol, PharmD
Anne is organically from Woodbury, MN and graduated for the University of St. Thomas in 2017. In 2022, she graduated from LECOM with a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Master's in Public Health. Being fluent in Spanish, Anne has always had a passion for helping immigrant populations and learning about new cultures, making the Clinics at Roselawn and Bethesda a perfect match! While in school, Anne played an active role in SGA and the Kappa Epsilon Pharmaceutical Fraternity and was an intern at St. John's Hospital. As Anne progressed in both her PharmD and MPH degrees, her passion for helping others in the ambulatory care setting grew. She is thrilled to be able to use the skills from her dual degrees to help serve the community during her residency year. In the future, Anne hopes to continue working with the underserved communities in Minnesota. In her free time, she loves to workout, golf, and shop! She is an avid traveler and is always looking for unique travel suggestions.
Site: M Health Fairview
McKenzie Skurat, PharmD
Kenzie is originally from Andover, MN. She graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and Leadership Emphasis in 2022. Throughout pharmacy school, Kenzie was involved in various student organizations such as the Minnesota Student Pharmacy Alliance (MPSA), Phillips Neighborhood Clinic, Phi Delta Chi Professional Pharmacy Fraternity, and the Pharmacy Gala planning committee. She developed a passion for direct patient care through her internship experiences at CVS pharmacy and Methodist hospital. Kenzie gained an interest in ambulatory care pharmacy during pharmacy school and was inspired to pursue an ambulatory care residency after learning about the role of a MTM pharmacist during her APPE rotations with M Health Fairview. Kenzie is excited to begin her career as a pharmacy resident with the M Health Fairview team, continuing to develop relationships and helping patients better understand their medications and conditions. In her spare time, Kenzie enjoys spending time with her friends and family, traveling, golfing, and exploring new walking trails with her dog Ekko.
Site: Geritom Med, Inc.
Drew Paszotta, PharmD
Drew is originally from DeKalb, Illinois and became interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy because of his grandfather, who was a pharmacist. Drew received his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota in 2018 and remained at the U of M to complete his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2022. Throughout pharmacy school, he was involved in the Phi Delta Chi pharmacy fraternity, Phillip's Neighborhood Clinic, and the Minnesota Pharmacy Student Alliance, and completed internships at NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center and Geritom Medical. While he has always enjoyed patient interactions, Drew’s interest in ambulatory care developed during his APPE rotations, as well as working at both of his internships. He is looking forward to continuing his work at Geritom Medical to further his passion for serving the geriatric population and learn more about integrating pharmacogenomics into his practice. In his spare time, Drew enjoys spending time with his friends and family, watching sports, playing board games, and spending time outside.
Site: Goodrich Pharmacy
Calvin Berg, PharmD
Calvin is thrilled to be joining Goodrich Pharmacy as a resident for the 2022-2023 academic year. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017 with degrees in biology and Scandinavian studies and the University of Minnesota with his PharmD in 2022. He grew up in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and moved to Minneapolis to start pharmacy school in 2018. Calvin was involved with the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic as a pharmacy clinician and as a clinic coordinator. He was also part of establishing a SNPhA chapter at the University of Minnesota. Calvin likes trying new foods, reading, and visiting record stores.
Site: Minnesota Community Care
Toua Chang, PharmD
Toua Chang grew up in Appleton, WI and went on to complete his pharmacy pre-requisites at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point where he also attained his Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Toua was hired as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens Pharmacy and continued his employment throughout the rest of his educational career. Toua graduated with his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) in 2022. During pharmacy school, Toua was actively involved with CUW's Multicultural Interprofessional Student Organization (MCIP) where he helped advocate for and promote education on cultural competency and sensitivity. His experiences in pharmacy school and working in the greater Milwaukee metropolitan area fostered a passion for treating underserved patient populations and reducing health care disparities. Toua hopes to one day become an ambulatory care pharmacist where he is able to develop long-term working relationships with patients and collaborate directly with health care providers to formulate the best patient-specific treatment plan. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Toua worked on the frontlines administering vaccinations through Walgreens and CUW's COVID vaccine clinic. During his free time, Toua enjoys going to the gym, playing flag football, watching movies, and spending time with friends/family. Toua was initially drawn to work at Minnesota Community Care due to their diverse patient population. He hopes to use his personal experiences and unique skillset to make a lasting impact in the community.
Site: Minnesota Community Care
Taylor Kaiser, PharmD
Taylor grew up in several suburbs north of the Twin Cities, spending most of her childhood in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and went on to complete her Doctor of Pharmacy with a Leadership Emphasis in May 2022 with the University. Throughout school, Taylor held multiple leadership roles promoting outreach into the community, increasing access to healthcare services, participating in legislative advocacy, and connecting students. Leadership roles included those within her professional pharmacy fraternity Phi Delta Chi - Theta as Vice President, Philanthropy Chair, Immunizations Coordinator, and Candidate Class President; the Minnesota Pharmacy Student Alliance as the Minnesota Pharmacists Association Liaison, Project Chance Coordinator, and Fundraising Chair; Balance Class Wellness Coordinator; Central Council Student Representative for the Pharmacy School College Board; Multicultural Pharmacy Student Organization College Board Representative; Student Ambassador; and more. She has previous experience working in retail and hospital pharmacy settings but is excited to start her career in ambulatory pharmacy with a residency at Minnesota Community Care where she can embrace her passion for direct patient care and serving a diverse patient population. Taylor is looking forward to building relationships with an amazing interdisciplinary team and her patients. In Taylor's free time, she enjoys being outdoors year-round. You can find her doing anything from hiking to kayaking and snowshoeing. Taylor also enjoys time with family and friends, meeting new people, or sitting down with a good book.
Site: New Ulm Medical Center
Casey LaBelle, PharmD
Casey grew up in Boca Raton, FL and attended Florida State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. She then continued pursuing her education at the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy in West Virginia where she received her Doctorate in Pharmacy. Throughout her time in West Virginia she grew an appreciation for the impact pharmacists can make on rural communities. Casey was heavily involved within the local community by dedicating her time to service and advocating for the field of pharmacy. She led a number of pharmacy organizations including being president of her Class of 2022 and Vice President of Student Society of Health System Pharmacy (SSHP). During her time in pharmacy school she realized her passion for ambulatory care pharmacy. On her APPE rotations she was able to travel and work with a diverse population ranging from the Navajo tribe in New Mexico to working in clinics throughout northern Kentucky. Outside of pharmacy Casey has a passion for soccer in which she was a collegiate athlete during her undergraduate studies and her first year of pharmacy school.
Site: Park Nicollet Health
Britain Lehrer, PharmD
Britain grew up in Prior Lake, Minnesota. She attended Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2022. During pharmacy school, Britain was very involved in APhA-ASPwhere she served as the Project Coordinator and Communications Vice President. She also interned at Medwise Rx in Des Moines where her interest in ambulatory care began while talking with patients over the phone to complete their comprehensive medication reviews. This interest grew into a passion during APPE rotations at an internal medicine clinic when she was able to build relationships with patients and work with them to understand their medications and conditions. She is looking forward to helping patients manage their medications and achieve their health goals while learning at Park Nicollet over the next year. In her spare time, Britain enjoys trying new restaurants, spending
Site: St. Cloud VA Medical Center
Rebecca Sauter, PharmD
Originally from Lino Lakes, MN, Rebecca graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology in 2018. She stayed in Duluth to complete her Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD) from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and graduated in 2022. While in school, she found a passion for ambulatory care, teaching, and pharmacy advocacy. Rebecca was actively involved in many pharmacy student organizations including Vice President and Chief Information Officer of College Board, Policy and Advocacy Liaison of the Minnesota Pharmacy Student Alliance, Phi Delta Chi Professional Fraternity, and Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society. She was also an elected member of the Duluth Honor Council, a laboratory tutor, and a laboratory teaching assistant. Rebecca was an inpatient pharmacy intern at United Hospital part of Allina Health through her last three years of pharmacy school and enjoyed talking to patients while completing their medication histories. While on APPE and IPPE rotations, Rebecca’s love for ambulatory care grew. Rebecca has many family members and friends who are veterans. She views that her way of giving back is to support and care for veterans through clinical pharmacy. In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys traveling, German Dancing, watching the MN United MLS Soccer team, and playing board games.
Site: Welia Health
Josie Xu, PharmD
Josie grew up in South San Francisco, California, and attended University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Biology. In 2022, Josie received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of California, San Francisco. Josie was active in the Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Associated Students of the School of Pharmacy, and the Asian Health Caucus throughout her time in pharmacy school. Ultimately, she discovered her passion for ambulatory care and community pharmacy through her work experience and APPE rotations. Josie is excited to be joining the Welia Health team and is looking forward to building relationships with patients through shared-decision making and managing their chronic disease states. She would like to practice in a rural healthcare clinic, providing comprehensive health services to underserved communities. In addition, Josie enjoys singing, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends in her free time.
Site: Year 1 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership/Broadway Family Medicine
Erika Harvey, PharmD
Erika grew up in San Diego, California and received her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She attended pharmacy school at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a Leadership Emphasis, where she became passionate about the opportunity to impact the future of pharmacy practice and the community. Her leadership roles as a student were focused on patient care, community outreach, and education through American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), Kappa Psi, and Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS). Fairview Specialty Pharmacy, where she interned for three years, provided her with an invaluable opportunity to engage in quality improvement and clinical roles as well as work with leaders committed to positive change. As a Pharmaceutical Care Leadership Resident, Erika is excited to bridge gaps for patients, grow as a clinician, and develop innovative ways to improve patient care. In her spare time, Erika enjoys exploring the outdoors, cooking, virtual reality, and spending time with family and friends.
Site: Year 1 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership/M Health Fairview - Smiley's
Connie Khong, PharmD
Connie grew up in Minnetonka. She attended the University of Minnesota for both of her undergraduate and graduate studies, acquiring her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology, Society, and Environment from the Twin Cities campus and her Doctor of Pharmacy with an emphasis in Leadership from the Duluth campus. Prior to pharmacy school, Connie worked in a pharmacy in a retail setting, and through that experience realized she enjoyed working together with patients directly. It was not until pharmacy school, and especially during her clinical APPE rotations, when she confirmed her passion for ambulatory care. She decided to pursue residency in this field of pharmacy because it allows her to build relationships with not only patients, but as pharmacists are an integral part of the healthcare team, she is also able to collaborate alongside other healthcare professionals. Outside of pharmacy, Connie enjoys spending time with family and friends, which includes snuggling with her two cats (Lucie and Colbie), painting, playing the piano, and enjoying café beverages such as matcha or hazelnut lattes at home.
Site: Year 2 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership/Federal Urban Health Network
Madeleine Davies, PharmD
Madeleine spent most of her formative years in Vacaville, CA. After tiring of the monotonously sunny weather, she fled to Rochester, NY, where she earned a degree in Biochemistry. While completing a PharmD at the University of Michigan, Madeleine avidly participated - and occasionally did leadership stints - in Health-System Student Pharmacists (HSP), American Pharmacists Association (APhA), Phi Delta Chi (PDC), Rho Chi, and the Interprofessional Health Students Organization (IHSO). Because pharmacy school and professional organizations were not time-consuming enough, Madeleine decided to accumulate money as a Medicinal Chemistry study group leader, as well as a pharmacy intern at CVS and Michigan Medicine. Throughout her experiences in pharmacy school, she became energized by the potential for ambulatory care pharmacists to improve patients' lives while also saving money for everyone involved. After completing a year at Smiley's Clinic, Madeleine is excited to be given the challenge of re-establishing pharmacy services at a Federally Qualified Health Center. When not immersed in pharmacy, she can be found consuming delicious food with friends, reading in a corner, or trying out a new music-related hobby.
Site: Year 2 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership/North Memorial Saint Anthony Clinic
Lauren Ostlund, PharmD
Lauren is a double alumni from the University of Minnesota, acquiring her Bachelor of Science from the Duluth campus and her Doctor of Pharmacy with an emphasis in Mental Health from the Twin Cities campus. She grew up in west central Minnesota where she developed an appreciation of the benefits that come from a connected community. Before and during pharmacy school, she gathered work experience in both retail and hospital pharmacy practice settings. Throughout her time in pharmacy school, Lauren discovered her passion for ambulatory care pharmacy through her rotations and volunteer experiences at a student-run clinic in an underserved community. Lauren was involved in collegiate roles including service as a class representative and as a co-president of the Student Initiative for Integrity in Pharmacy (SIIP), while also participating in Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS), the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic (PNC), and the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Lauren is a Pharmaceutical Care Leadership Resident whose first year of residency (2021-2022) was at Broadway Family Medicine in Minneapolis. She is now excited to join North Memorial at the Saint Anthony Clinic as her second year site (2022-2023) where she will be expanding their pharmacy services. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.