Pharmacy Resident and Fellow Projects

Our residents and fellows are trained to improve patient outcomes by performing high quality medication use evaluations and clinical research. We support our trainees through the project experience with the following:

• Resident Research Series (didactic lectures)
• On-site support for statistical analysis

With each project, our trainees help shape better processes that directly improve patient care outcomes. 

Check out the work our former trainees have completed, with many projects published in peer-reviewed journals.

 

Nataliya Sorochak, PharmD

• Project: Association Between Long-Acting Insulin and Hypoglycemia in Diabetic Surgical ICU Patients

• MUE: Niche Gram-Negative Agents in the Treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Infections

Paige Hanke, PharmD

• Project: Apixaban for the Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Severe Renal Impairment: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

• MUE: CoNS-equences of Blood Culture Contamination with Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcus 

Cailyn Evans, PharmD

• Project: Non-Carbapenem and ESBL Enterobacterales Urinary Tract Infection

• MUE: Evaluating Urinary Biomarker-Guided Management of Cardiothoracic Surgery Patients on Rates of Acute Kidney Injury 

Sara Barakat, PharmD

• Project: Comparison of 0.45% vs. 0.9% NaCl Maintenance Fluids in Pediatric Patients

• MUE: Fluconazole Prophylaxis in Neonatal ICU Patients

Paul Dobry, PharmD (Fellow)

• Project: Does Melatonin Decrease the Use of As-Needed Antipsychotics in Non-Critically Ill Hospitalized Patients?
• Project: Factor Xa Inhibitors versus warfarin in patients with morbid obesity and atrial fibrillation
• Case Report: Treatment of Candida auris during extracorporeal life support: a case report
• Book Chapter: “Intraosseous Medication Administration” in Intraosseous Vascular Access: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals (Springer, 2024)

Ken Kue, PharmD

• Project: Medication Safety in Neonates: Optimization of Computerized Provider Order Entry
• MUE: Outcomes of Bacteremic Patients With Molecular Rapid Diagnostic Test Results

Helena Knox, PharmD

• Project: Evaluation of VTE Prophylaxis Strategies in Critically Ill Underweight Patients
• MUE: Association of Analgosedation with Opiate Prescribing upon Hospital Discharge

Nick Panecaldo, PharmD

• Project: Evaluating the Safety of Famotidine Use in Neonates
• MUE: Implementation of Pharmacist Medication Reconciliation at Admission and Discharge in a Neurology Unit

Yingcong (Jorden) Tan, PharmD

• Project: Efficacy and Safety of Factor Xa Inhibitors in Low Body Weight Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Study
  
• MUE: Periprocedural Management of Direct Acting Oral Anticoagulants in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Steven Kulesza, PharmD

• Project: Hydrocortisone vs. Vasopressin for the Management of Adult Patients with Septic Shock Refractory to Norepinephrine: A Multicenter Retrospective Study 
  ASHP Resident Research Award Recipient, 2023
• Letter to the Editor: Controlling for Norepinephrine Dose as a Confounder in Observational Research
• MUE: Evaluation of Inpatient Rituximab Use

Bianca Aprilliano, PharmD

• Project: Risk of Bleeding with Factor Xa Inhibitors vs. Unfractionated Heparin in Patients with Acute Kidney Injury
• MUE: Vasopressin Utilization in the Adult ICU Population

Fatima Waheedi, PharmD

• Project: Patient Perceptions on the Use of Telehealth for Type 2 Diabetes Management
• MUE: Evaluation of STAT Medication Orders at a Community Teaching Hospital

Lena Zoma, PharmD

• Project: Comparing post-operative opioid consumption before and after a patient-controlled analgesia shortage: a re-evaluation of safety and effectiveness 
• MUE: Growth Factor Utilization for the Treatment of Febrile Neutropenia in Oncology

Nour Baalbaki, PharmD

• Project: Azithromycin vs. Beta-Lactams in Hospitalized Patients with Acute Exacerbations of COPD
• MUE: Rasburicase Use in Cancer Patients

Brian Feldpausch, PharmD

• Project: Inpatient Venous Thromboembolism: Are Glucocorticoids a Prime Suspect?
• Timing of Anticoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation Following Ischemic Stroke

Julia Fuhst, PharmD

• Project: Changes in Opioid Prescribing Patterns from Urban Emergency Department After Implementation of State-Wide Opioid Reform
• MUE: Evaluating the Use of Injectable Calcitonin

Tsz Hin Ng (Kevin), PharmD

• Project: Management of Venous Thromboembolism in Morbid Obesity with Rivaroxaban or Warfarin
• Project: Multicenter Retrospective Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Apixaban vs. Warfarin for Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Severe Obesity
• Project: Factor Xa Inhibitors versus warfarin in patients with morbid obesity and atrial fibrillation
• MUE: Vancomycin Dosing and Monitoring in Hemodialysis Patients

Carly Burns, PharmD

• Project: Cisplatin-induced Nephrotoxicity in an Outpatient Setting
• MUE: Evaluation of Pediatric Vancomycin Dosing

Christopher DeBiase, PharmD

• Project: Enoxaparin vs. Unfractionated Heparin for VTE Prophylaxis in Renally Impaired ICU Patients
• MUE: No Drugs for these Bugs:  An Evaluation of Meropenem Utilization

Nicole Elkhoury, PharmD

• Project: Implementation of Standardized Anticancer Order Sets at a Community Teaching Hospital
• MUE: Resurrection of Valproic Acid for Agitation in the Intensive Care Unit

Jamie George, PharmD, MBA

• Project: Glycemic Variability with Insulin Glargine versus Detemir in Hospitalized Patients with Diabetes
• MUE: Corticosteroid Exposure in the Treatment of Severe COPD Exacerbations

Safana Atwan, PharmD

• Project: Medication Safety in the Neonatal Patient Population: Assuring Appropriate Dosage Selection
• MUE: Opportunities for the transition from dexmedetomidine to enteral clonidine

Katie Chernoby, PharmD

• Project: Impact of a clinical decision support tool targeting QT-prolonging medications
• MUE: Caving Under Pressure: Management of Hypertensive Crisis

Rachel Neu, PharmD

• Project: Impact of Pharmacist Involvement in Heart Failure Transition of Care
• MUE: Piperacillin-Tazobactam Use in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at an Academic Medical Center

Adina Poparad-Stezar, PharmD

• Project: Does Melatonin Decrease the Use of As-Needed Antipsychotics in Non-Critically Ill Hospitalized Patients?
• MUE: Appropriateness of Tacrolimus Level in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Michelle Crisher, Pharm.D

• Project: Insulin Detemir vs. Insulin Glargine in the Hospital: Do Hypoglycemia Rates Differ?
• MUE: Risk factors associated with ESBL E.coli positive urine cultures in ED patients

Domenico Grande, Pharm.D

• Project: Effectiveness of multimodal analgesia with gabapentin and methocarbamol in critically ill trauma patients
• MUE: Evaluation of digoxin use in serum concentrations in atrial fibrillation

Vitaliy Perets, Pharm.D

• Project: Effects of calcium replacement on ionized calcium levels in surgical intensive care unit patients
• MUE: Evaluation of metformin dosing in patients with type 2 diabetes

Bradley St. Pierre, Pharm.D

• Project: Patient Education and Sacubatril/Valsartan: A Randomized Comparative Trial 
• MUE: Assessment of anticoagulation in patient receiving ultrasound-assisted, catheter-directed thrombolysis for treatment of pulmonary embolism

Nathan French, Pharm.D

• Project: Evaluation of a Clinical Pharmacist Competency Program
• MUE: Continuous infusion midazolam in critically ill patients

Raymond Phung, Pharm.D

• Project: Improve Heart Failure Care Transitions with Pharmacy Service Implementation
• MUE: Evaluation of Medications upon Discharge Following Automatic Therapeutic Interchanges

Annie Phuong Thao Nguyen, Pharm.D

• Project: Salty or Sweet? Safety of Hypertonic Saline versus Mannitol for Intracranial Hypertension
• MUE: Daptomycin Utilization in Patients with MRSA Bacteremia Failing Vancomycin

Samantha Scalia, Pharm.D

• Project: Creation of an Intravenous Vancomycin Nomogram Utilizing Population Pharmacokinetics at St. John Hospital and Medical Center
• MUE: Tissue plasminogen activator (tPa) administration accuracy and timing in the emergency department (ED) with a pharmacist versus no pharmacist present

Hana Alawy, Pharm.D

• Project: Impact of PCA Lockout Period in Post-Operative Pain Management
• MUE: Appropriateness of Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients on Oral Anticoagulation

Kallie Amer, Pharm.D

• Project: Characterization of Emergency Department Frequent Users in a Large, Urban, Community Teaching Hospital
• MUE: Evaluation of Regadenoson Versus Dipyridamole in Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

Kaitlin Baisden, Pharm.D

• Project: Implementation and Assessment of a Pharmacist Managed Smoking Cessation Clinic
• MUE: Evaluation of Vasopressin Use in Patients with Septic Shock

Sara Brown, Pharm.D

• Project: Using a Video to Teach Children Inhaler Technique
• MUE: Poractant alfa versus beractant for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome: a retrospective pharmacoeconomic and outcomes analysis

Haya Abu-Seir, Pharm.D

• Project: Influence of Computerized Physician Order Entry Interventions on Proton Pump Inhibitor Utilization
• MUE: Utilization Patterns of Proton Pump Inhibitors in an Urban Teaching Hospital

Jordan Masse, Pharm.D

• Project: Incidence of Hypoglycemia with the Utilization of Long-Acting Insulins in Non-Diabetic Intensive Care Unit Patients
• MUE: Evaluation of Argatroban Management Following Implementation of a Modified Dosing Protocol

Jessica Probst-Wesolek, Pharm.D

• Project: Effect of Vancomycin Initial Dosing on Sepsis Resolution in Patients with Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia
• MUE: Identifying an Association between Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy and Hypoglycemia in Critically Ill Patients

Jordan Sedlacek, Pharm.D

• Project: Use of an Educational Video to Improve Patient Understanding of Rivaroxaban (Xarelto®)
• MUE: Assessment of Discharge Medications in Patients with Heart Failure Readmissions

Vivian S. Baek, Pharm.D

• Project: Impact of Post-Discharge Pharmacist Telephone Calls on Hospital Readmissions in High-Risk Patients
• MUE: Procedure-related bleeding risk in patients receiving bivalirudin during percutaneous coronary intervention

Anuvrat Chopra, Pharm.D

• Project: Assessment of Post-operative Pain Control with an Elastomeric Pain Pump Following Cardiothoracic Surgery
• MUE: Assessment of Anticoagulation in Patients Experiencing Bleeding Events Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Katrina McGonigal, Pharm.D., MSc.

• Project: Safety and Efficacy of a Pharmacist-Managed Patient Controlled Analgesia Service in Post-Surgical Patients
• MUE: Evaluation of admission medication reconciliation accuracy at an academic medical center

Brenda Thiel, Pharm.D

• Project: The Effect of Electronic Criteria Monitored Antibiotic Order Forms on Antimicrobial Usage
• MUE: Continuation of Intensive Care Unit Delirium Treatment upon Transitions of Care

Meghan Rogozinski, Pharm.D

• Project: Comparison of mannitol and hypertonic saline for intracranial hypertension
• MUE: Long-term warfarin use in the rehabilitation unit

Kristen Tedders, Pharm.D

• Project: Efficacy and safety of analgosedation with fentanyl versus traditional sedation with propofol
• MUE: Evaluation of pharmacist management of dabigatran in an inpatient setting

Adam Brancaccio, Pharm.D

• Project: Impact of a phenytoin loading dose program in the emergency department

Carrie Zechmeister, Pharm.D

• Project: Role of statins and vasopressor usage in septic shock
• MUE: Continuation of statin therapy in patients with sepsis

Patrick Arnold, Pharm.D

• Project: Effect of a hypoglycemia treatment protocol on glucose variability in critically ill patients
• MUE: Evaluation of hypoglycemia management and glucose variability in critically ill patients

Zahra Hashemipour

• Project: Addition of a pharmacist to the cardiopulmonary resuscitation team
• MUE: Evaluation of argatroban dosing in critically ill and non-critically ill patients

Hannah Bursiek, Pharm.D

• Project: Evaluation of vancomycin dosing in hospitalized pediatric patients

Jason Watt, Pharm.D

• Project: Comparing efficacy of metronidazole and vancomycin in the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection
• MUE: Evaluation of oral vancomycin prescribing in patients treated for Clostridium Difficile infection

Wasim S. El Nekidy, Pharm.D

• Optimization of vancomycin dosing in intermittent hemodialysis patients utilizing high-flux hemodialysis membranes
• Retrospective analysis of appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy use in adult patients with severe sepsis and septic shock

Rachel Zimmerman, Pharm.D

• Assessment of a low-dose heparin protocol in patients with a high risk of bleeding
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of supplemental magnesium in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

Deborah L. Virant-Young, Pharm.D

• Retrospective study comparing the use of levetiracetam and phenytoin for seizure prophylaxis
• Levetiracetam use in the Surgical Intensive Care unit for seizure prophylaxis after traumatic brain injury

Beata Slomiany, Pharm.D

• Medication use evaluation of imipenem and meropenem
• Development of a warfarin dosing nomogram for an INR goal of 2.5 – 3.5

Amy Wang, Pharm.D

• Development and validation of the vancomycin nomogram 10-20
• Medication use evaluation of Angiomax and Integrilin for percutaneous coronary intervention

Denise Russ, Pharm.D

• Determining the role of a pharmacist in the emergency department
• Nicardipine IV medication use evaluation

Jason Taylor, Pharm.D

• Medication use evaluation of daptomycin and linezolid at St. John Hospital and Medical Center
• Evaluation of an infectious disease pharmacist at a large community teaching hospital and medical center

Rayf Aboezz, Pharm.D

• Medication use evaluation and pharmacist management of inpatient warfarin therapy
• Use of vitamin B12 in neuropathic pain in diabetic patients

Renee Alexander, Pharm.D

• Evaluation of propofol utilization in the critically ill
• Continuous infusions versus intermittent boluses of magnesium for hypomagnesemia in critically ill patients

Jaimie Conroy, Pharm.D

• Drug usage patterns of intravenous pantoprazole in a community teaching hospital
• Drug usage patterns of intravenous pantoprazole before and after implementation of prescribing criteria

Heather H. Hessleson, Pharm.D

• Appropriate use of milrinone for CHF in a community teaching hospital
• Pharmacy automatic renal dose adjustment service

Jessica J. Ellis, Pharm.D

• Cost and outcomes analysis of newly implemented intensive care unit sedation guidelines
• The effect of concomitant use of garlic and warfarin clinical study

Kimberly Dornbrook, Pharm.D

• Development and validation of a vancomycin nomogram 10-20 at a community teaching institution
• Medication use evaluation lansoprazole
• Establishment and implementation of an ambulatory low molecular weight heparin financial assistance program

Nicola L Jusysta, Pharm.D

• Re-engineering of a community teaching institution adverse drug reaction reporting program
• Expansion of a community teaching hospital pharmacist managed anticoagulation dosing service

Daryl Depestel, Pharm.D

• Implementation of albumin usage guidelines at a tertiary care institution to promote appropriate and cost effective use

Tyra Gatewood, Pharm.D

• Expansion of pharmacist managed anticoagulation service at a tertiary care facility

Deepali Dixit, Pharm.D

• Impact of the trigger tool methodology on reducing adverse events

Joseph Terebesi, Pharm.D

• The impact of ambulatory pharmaceutical care in a managed care environment

Heidi Browne, Pharm.D

• Pharmaceutical care clinic research, planning and implemented at a Ascension St. John Hospital owned ambulatory care center