Pharmacy Residency Program at Meriter Hospital

PGY-1 Residency

UnityPoint Health – Meriter's ASHP-accredited PGY-1 program has been training residents since 1984. This one-year program provides the opportunity to develop advanced pharmacy practice skills in a progressive community hospital setting. Upon completion of this training program, residents are prepared to successfully assume clinical pharmacy roles within health-systems practice.

FOCUS Values

At UnityPoint Health - Meriter, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment that embraces learners from all backgrounds, where our residents and staff work together to deliver exceptional patient care.

Purpose of the PGY-1 Residency

Individuals who complete the PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency program at UnityPoint Health - Meriter will possess skills necessary to provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care to a diverse group of patients. These skills include communication, critical thinking and education about drug-related therapy to colleagues, other healthcare professionals, pharmacy students and patients. Residents will be responsible for providing clinical pharmacy services that achieve optimal health care outcomes for their patients. They will exercise leadership in healthcare by developing protocols that promote medication safety. You will demonstrate professional maturity by following a personal philosophy of practice that promotes self-directed learning, ethical integrity, respect for others, and commitment to the pharmacy profession.
Upon completion of this training program residents are prepared to successfully assume clinical pharmacy roles within health-systems practice. This may include transitioning to advanced training in the form of PGY2 residency programs and/or fellowships. They are also prepared to assume teaching responsibilities for future practitioners.

Core Residency Rotations

Each resident's rotation schedule is customized to meet his or her individual needs and interests. The rotations are available in the following practice areas with dedicated preceptors who have extensive clinical experience. Of note, many of the electives were originally created to meet a training desire.

Beyond these core experiences, residents will have access to a variety of professional development experiences. Residents will teach pharmacotherapy lab discussions and have the opportunity to obtain a teaching certificate at the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Pharmacy, ranked 9th best pharmacy school in the U.S. (2024 U.S. News and World Report). They will serve as preceptors and mentors for student pharmacists throughout the year. Additionally, residents will have the opportunity to network and present their longitudinal projects at regional and national professional conferences with the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin.

Longitudinal
Block
Elective Rotations

Longitudinal

Practice management
Staffing
Medication safety
Precepting
Psychiatry
Code stroke response
Major project

Block

ACLS training & certification
Cardiology
Critical care
Drug policy
Infectious diseases
Internal medicine
Nutrition support
Orientation

Elective Rotations

Ambulatory care
Emergency medicine
Neonatal intensive care
Obstetrics
Pain management
PACU
Psychiatry

Virtual Residency Showcases

UnityPoint Health Virtual Residency Showcase: November 19, 7-830pm CST (Free!)

Join Via Teams Link

SNPhA x ACCP Residency Showcase on November 14, 2024, 5-6 PM CST (Free!)

Visit ACCP's Website for More Information

ASHP Midyear Virtual Residency Showcase December 18, 10 AM - 4 PM ET (Free!)

Visit ASHP's Website for More Information

How to Apply

Interested Applicants Must:

Be graduates of an ACPE-accredited College of Pharmacy
Participate in the ASHP Resident Matching Program
Be eligible for licensure to practice pharmacy in Wisconsin
Participate in an interview in January or February

Submit the following materials through PhORCAS:

Standard information
Basic demographics
Verified transcripts
Curriculum vitae
Extracurricular information
Three letters of reference
Personal statement/Letter of intent: please provide specific information about your practice goals and areas of interest; what interests you the most about our residency program and how doing a residency will help you accomplish your career goals.

Supplemental information

Please provide two projects that you have completed as a pharmacy student that represent your best work and will show the selection committee your capabilities as a resident.

Project Submissions

Provide two projects that represent your best work and demonstrate your capabilities as a resident. Preference will be given towards formal poster presentations and manuscripts, published or pending research, journal or book chapter publication, guideline/protocol implementation, development of a patient care service, and medication use evaluations. Other projects include but are not limited to:

Research – drug information questions, journal club presentations, clinical inquiries, literature review
Pharmacy practice – development of drug resources, patient education material
Formulary work – formulary review, drug monographs
Case presentation – formal CE, grand rounds presentations, basic case presentations
Disease state/drug class overview – in-service, formal CE, grand rounds presentation, basic disease state presentation

Please reach out to the residency program director if additional guidance is needed.

We have taken a number of steps to promote inclusivity of residency applicants such as:

Offering virtual showcases and interviews
Removal of GPA from application scoring
Consideration of non-pharmacy work experience
Preceptor education in DEI topics
Pharmacy school outreach

Resources

Meet our Preceptors

The preceptors at UnityPoint Health - Meriter are top-notch and bring clinical expertise to your training. They are actively involved within our organization to advance pharmacy practice and these efforts often extend to state and national professional organizations.

Kristin Stoll

PharmD, BCPS

Kristin is the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director and a clinical pharmacist at UnityPoint Health – Meriter Hospital. She received her PharmD degree from the University of Health Sciences in St. Louis in 2018 and completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital. Following completion of her residency in 2019, Kristin continued as a staff pharmacist at Meriter Hospital. Kristin's primary practice areas are general medicine and obstetrics, though she is also a member of the cardiology and neonatology teams. She is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist and a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care. Kristin is the APPE Residency Track coordinator at Meriter, and she is a member of Meriter's Drug Product Selection and Supply Committee. She is a clinical instructor for the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin and precepts students in general medicine and obstetrics rotations.

Ann Ebert

PharmD

Ann is the Perinatal Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at UnityPoint Health – Meriter. She was the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director from 1998- 2022. Ann received her Pharm.D. degree from the University of Minnesota in 1988. She completed a Pediatric Pharmacy Practice Residency at United and Children's Hospitals in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1989. She began working at Meriter Hospital in 1989 after completion of her residency program and has been here since that time. Ann is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin. Her primary clinical responsibility at UnityPoint Health – Meriter is to provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care to patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). She monitors all patients admitted to the NICU, attends daily work rounds with the medical team providing input for patient care and orders all parenteral nutrition solutions for infants. The NICU is a primary rotation site for pediatric medical residents resulting in many opportunities for teaching. Ann offers a NICU rotation to pharmacy students and residents. She also teaches didactic lectures to pharmacy students at the University of Wisconsin, School of Pharmacy in both fluid and electrolytes and neonatal pharmacotherapy. Ann maintains active membership in a variety of organizations including the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group (PPAG), the Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care (WAPC), the Perinatal Foundation and the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin. She is past president of WAPC and currently serves on the board of directors for both WAPC and the Perinatal Foundation as the secretary/treasurer.

Michael Nyffeler

PharmD, BCNSP

Mike is the Clinical Specialist for Nutrition Support at UnityPoint Health – Meriter. He received his B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin in 1989 and his Pharm.D. degree in 2004. Mike has been practicing in the area of nutrition support since 1990 and became a Board Certified Nutrition Support Specialist in 1995. He was appointed the Clinical Specialist for Nutrition Support in 1999. Mike's practice interests focus on the areas of nutrition support, drug-nutrient interactions, and diabetes management. Mike holds an appointment as a clinical instructor for the University of Wisconsin, School of Pharmacy. He offers a rotation in nutrition support for pharmacy students and residents. He is also a co-preceptor for an elective perioperative services rotation for residents. He maintains active involvement in the Wisconsin Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition and is also a member of ASPEN and the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin.

Erik Feltz

PharmD, BCPS

Erik is the clinical pharmacy supervisor and a clinical pharmacist preceptor at UnityPoint Health (UPH) – Meriter. He received his PharmD degree from Midwestern University, Chicago College of Pharmacy, in 2004 and completed a PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency at Meriter in 2005. Upon completion of his residency he accepted a position as a Clinical Pharmacist at Meriter working primarily in the areas of critical care, cardiology, and emergency medicine. In 2006 Erik established the clinical pharmacist position in the emergency department and has been the lead pharmacist in the emergency department since that time. He is the chair of the UPH system-wide ER clinical pharmacy practice group, an active member of the emergency department practice committee, antimicrobial stewardship committee, various nursing clinical practice committees, stroke committee, and code blue/rapid response committee representing the pharmacy department and working to advance clinical pharmacy services. Erik is Board Certified in Pharmacotherapy, holds an appointment as a Clinical Instructor for the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin, and is a preceptor for an elective rotation in emergency medicine for pharmacy students and residents. He maintains active membership in ACCP.

Brian Moilien

PharmD, BCCCP

Brian is a clinical pharmacist and the critical care lead pharmacist at UnityPoint Health - Meriter. Brian graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy with a PharmD in 2008. He completed a pharmacy practice residency at Meriter in 2009. Upon completion of his residency he accepted a position as Clinical Pharmacist working in the areas of emergency medicine, critical care, cardiology, oncology and nutrition. Brian's primary focus is in critical care and emergency medicine. He holds an appointment as a Clinical Instructor for the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin. He is an active member of the Critical Care Committee, Institutional Review Board, Sepsis Oversight Committee, Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, and co-chair of the Thrombosis and Antithrombotic Advisory Committee. He is Board-Certified as a Critical Care Specialist and maintains active memberships in ACCP and SCCM.

Kristyn Gawin

PharmD, BCPS

Kristyn is a clinical pharmacist and the General Medicine lead pharmacist at UnityPoint Health – Meriter Hospital. She received her PharmD degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015 and completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at UnityPoint Health-Meriter in 2016. Upon completion of her residency, she worked as a clinical pharmacist at the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation hospital in Bethel, Alaska before moving to her current role at Meriter in 2017. Kristyn's clinical interests include general medicine, emergency medicine, and neonatal intensive care and she enjoys participating in hospital-wide quality improvement projects. Kristyn holds an appointment as a Clinical Instructor for the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin and precepts both residents and students on their general medicine rotation. She is board-certified as a Pharmacotherapy Specialist and maintains memberships with Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin and American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Brad Ludwig

RPh, MS

Brad is the Director of Pharmacy at UnityPoint Health- Meriter Hospital and the Director of Integrated Pharmacy Services at UW Health. In addition, he holds a position as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy. Brad is also the Program Director for the Medication System and Operations Residency at UW Health. He earned his BS and MS degrees from the University of Wisconsin and completed a one-year Pharmacy Practice Residency and a two-year Administrative Residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Brad has coordinated, implemented and directed progressive clinical and dispensing pharmacy services in virtually all practice settings, including hospital, hospice, skilled nursing, and clinics. Teaching responsibilities include precepting residents in the Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency and Master's Program as well as the Health-System Administration PharmD. clerkship. Brad has been an invited lecturer for local, state and national pharmacy audiences addressing point of care barcode technology and the impact of automation. Brad was also a 2003 ASHP Best Practices Award Recipient for the project submitted describing the impact of point of care bar code medication scanning technology on medication error reduction. Brad's practice and research interests include pharmacy administrative practice, medication use safety, work redesign, pharmacy technology, and implementation of progressive pharmacy services.

Tammy Adler

RPh

Tammy Adler, RPh is the Drug Policy Pharmacy Manager. She graduated from University of Wisconsin- Madison School of Pharmacy in 1993. She joined the Pharmacy team at UnityPoint Health - Meriter Hospital in March 2020. Her interests include formulary management, medication safety, leadership development, antibiotic stewardship, anticoagulation, as well as Neurology and Psychiatry. She is the Drug Policy rotation preceptor for the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and the PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency programs. She is a Clinical Instructor for UW Madison School of Pharmacy. Prior to her time at Meriter, she worked at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital 2012-2020 as the Drug Information Pharmacist. While at the Madison VA, she developed an Oncology Research Study Pharmacy program and led a multimillion-dollar automated drug distribution re-design project. In addition, she worked at St. Mary's Hospital in Madison WI from 1991-2012 as the Drug Information Pharmacist and an inpatient Clinical Pharmacist in critical care. At St. Mary's she served as the Chair of the Hospital Wide Coordinating Council for Whole System Shared Decision Making committee structure which focused on the interdisciplinary approach to patient care by integrating front line clinical staff, Nursing Shared governance, and the Executive Hospital leadership into one integrated decision making structure.

Landon Neese

PharmD, BCCP, BCPS, CACP

Landon is the Lead Pharmacist in Cardiology at Meriter Hospital. He attended the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy before completing a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at Meriter Hospital in 2019. He worked as a staff cardiology pharmacist as well as an ambulatory anticoagulation pharmacist at Meriter before becoming the Lead Pharmacist in Cardiology in 2021. He is now a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist, board-certified cardiology pharmacist, certified anticoagulation care provider, and cardiovascular team member of the American College of Cardiology. Landon's clinical interests include optimizing heart failure GDMT, combination antithrombotic regimens, and arrhythmia management. He precepts both students and residents on the cardiology rotation at Meriter, created a new APPE rotation in Anticoagulation Stewardship in 2020, and was voted the inaugural Pharmacy Residency Preceptor of the Year at Meriter in 2023. In addition to his precepting roles, Landon serves on or leads multiple cardiology, vascular, electrophysiology, and anticoagulation-related committees at Meriter Hospital and the UnityPoint Health system. Through this work he has also developed multiple policies, protocols, and evidence-based guidelines as well as numerous local and system projects to optimize cardiovascular care. Outside of the hospital Landon enjoys trying new restaurants, spending time with his dog Murphy, and winemaking.

Luke Malik

PharmD, BCIDP

Luke Malik is a clinical pharmacist and the lead antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist at UnityPoint Health - Meriter. Luke graduated from Purdue University with his PharmD in 2019 and subsequently completed his PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice and PGY-2 Infectious Diseases residencies at Meriter. In addition to his clinical role, Luke enjoys implementing infectious diseases (ID)-related quality improvement projects, stewardship efforts, and education. He has had the opportunity to speak on stewardship at the APRN Pharmacology and Clinical Update conference and is the co-chair of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, serves on the Antimicrobial Stewardship Oversight Committee, and is involved with the CAUTI Workgroup. He is a clinical instructor for the school of pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin where he provides lectures for the ID elective and precepts pharmacy residents and students on their ID rotations at Meriter.

Becca Burnett

PharmD, BCPS

Becca is a clinical pharmacist and the Pharmacy Program Coordinator – Informatics & Medication Safety at UnityPoint Health - Meriter. Becca graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy with a PharmD in 2016. She completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at UnityPoint Health-Meriter in 2017. Upon completion of her residency, she accepted a position as a clinical pharmacist and current practice interests include cardiology and anticoagulation. Becca holds an appointment as a Clinical Instructor for the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin and precepts the longitudinal Medication Safety resident rotation. She is an active member of a wide variety of local and system committees including chairing the Infusion Pump Subcommittee and Medication Safety Subcommittee (subcommittees of the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee). She is a board-certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and maintains active membership in the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin.

Dana Grimm

PharmD, BCPS

Dana is a clinical pharmacist and Obstetrics Lead at UnityPoint Health-Meriter. She received her PharmD degree from the Ohio State University in 2017 and completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at UnityPoint Health-Meriter in 2018. Upon completion of her residency, she accepted a position as a clinical pharmacist at Meriter specializing in nutrition/surgery, obstetrics, neonatal intensive care and pain management. She became the lead obstetrics pharmacist in 2023, currently representing pharmacy in various multidisciplinary OB committees in addition to serving as a Women’s Health Service Line Representative for all of UnityPoint Health. Dana holds an appointment as a Clinical Instructor for the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin and precepts residents and students on the obstetrics rotation. She is a board-certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and currently serves as a director-at-large with the Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care.

Erin Napier

PharmD, BCPS

Erin is the student coordinator and a clinical pharmacist at UnityPoint Health – Meriter Hospital. She received her PharmD degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Pharmacy in 2015 and completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at Ascension All Saints Hospital in Racine, WI. Following completion of her residency in 2016, Erin worked as an overnight Emergency Medicine clinical pharmacist at Ascension All Saints for ~1 year before accepting a clinical pharmacist position at Meriter in 2017. Erin's primary practice areas include general medicine, emergency medicine, critical care, infectious disease, and surgical OR/PACU. She is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist and a member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). In addition to her student coordinator role, Erin holds an appointment as a Clinical Instructor for the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy and precepts both residents and students on general medicine and emergency medicine rotations. Erin also assists with the PGY-1 longitudinal precepting rotation.

Kevin Pampuch

RPh

Kevin is a clinical pharmacist and the lead pharmacist in perioperative services at UnityPoint Health - Meriter. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy with a BSPharm in 1996. Kevin worked several ambulatory pharmacy positions in the Milwaukee area before transitioning to hospital pharmacy in 2001. He accepted a position as a night shift clinical pharmacist at Meriter, working in all areas of the hospital. After 10 years, Kevin transitioned to day shift with a primary focus in emergency medicine, general medicine, cardiology, anticoagulation, diabetes management, pain management, and neurology. He also staffed several days a week at the UnityPoint Health-Meriter Antithrombotic Services clinic from 2015 until clinic closure in 2020. In 2016 he completed a certificate course in Anticoagulation Therapy Management through the University of Southern Indiana. In 2020, Kevin was given the opportunity to create the perioperative pharmacist position at UnityPoint-Meriter developing workflow, shift role, and responsibilities. Areas of interest include patient safety, order set design/rebuild, PONV, perioperative glucose management, post-operative pain management, and integration of technology in medicine. Kevin is a member of the UnityPoint Health-Meriter P&T Committee and is the author of the UnityPoint Health-Meriter Medication Guidelines for Pre-Surgical Instruction. In his free time, Kevin enjoys travel, reading, pottery, and spending time with his wife and three children.

Kelsey Rox

PharmD

Kelsey is a clinical pharmacist at UnityPoint Health – Meriter Hospital. She received her PharmD degree from the University of Wisconsin in 2022 and completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at UnityPoint Health-Meriter in 2023. Upon completion of her residency, she accepted a position as a clinical pharmacist at Meriter specializing in cardiology, obstetrics, and neonatal intensive care. She is also a part of the overnight pharmacy staff and spends many nights staffing in the Emergency Department. Kelsey is a Clinical Instructor for the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin and precepts students and residents in all her clinical practice areas. In addition to clinical precepting, she leads the residents in their longitudinal precepting rotation and organizes ongoing preceptor development for department staff. Kelsey maintains membership with the American Society of Health System Pharmacy, and Wisconsin Association of Perinatal Care

Stephanie Bishop

PharmD

Stephanie is the primary preceptor for the Ambulatory Care Elective at UnityPoint Health – Meriter Hospital. She received her PharmD degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019 and completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital in 2020. Upon completion of her residency, she accepted a position as a pharmacist at Meriter working primarily on the discharge team. She also staffs in the outpatient pharmacy and facilitates shadowing experiences in the clinic. Stephanie is a preceptor for interns, residents and students at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy and reinstated the Ambulatory Care Elective in 2023. She has completed the teaching and leadership certificate program from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, assisted students as a Compounding Teaching Assistant, led group discussions in Pharmacotherapy Lab and taught at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa.

Jerad Simmons

PharmD

Jerad Simmons is the Nutrition Lead Pharmacist at UnityPoint Health – Meriter. He graduated the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a BS in Pharmacology and Toxicology in 2014 and a PharmD in 2018. He went on to a one-year residency at MHealth – Fairview (University of Minnesota) before returning to Madison to start at UPH – Meriter in 2019. He precepts residents (and students) on Nutrition, General Medicine, and Psychiatry rotations.

Heather Theisen

PharmD, BCGP

Heather is a clinical pharmacist and the Psychiatry lead pharmacist at UnityPoint Health – Meriter Hospital. She received her PharmD degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2001. Upon completion of her education, she worked as a pharmacist manager at Bergmann's Pharmacy before moving to her current role at Meriter in 2007. She achieved board certification in geriatrics in 2015. Heather's clinical interests include psychiatry, geriatrics, neurology, vulnerable populations and diversity and she enjoys participating in system-wide quality improvement projects. Heather holds an appointment as a Clinical Instructor for the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin and precepts both residents and students on their psychiatry and general medicine rotations. She maintains memberships with American College of Clinical Pharmacy and American Geriatrics Society.

Shane Swing, PharmD

Pharmacy Education: University of Wisconsin- Madison

Hometown: Beloit, WI

Pharmacy project: Ketamine Infusion Efficacy

Career interests: Psych, Pain, Transitions of Care

Hobbies: Movies, gaming, and playing with my dog!

Why UnityPoint Health-Meriter?: I knew from starting the application process for residency that staying in the Madison community was important for me, which really narrowed down my search for programs. From there, I had a wonderful set of rotations for my community and ambulatory APPE blocks that had me working with our outpatient and discharge pharmacy teams at Meriter. Through my interactions with patients, the other members of the staff, and my great interview experience I knew that Meriter was a great fit personality wise for me. Beyond this, I knew going into my graduation that I was still pretty open as to where I wanted to peruse a career after residency, I knew that I had loose interest in psych pharmacy, but still wanted to explore and gain new perspectives. Meriter's broad rotational opportunities and chance to work with both adults and children in the psych world showcased the perfect fit that drew me to Meriter.

Sarah Haley, PharmD

Pharmacy Education: University of Wisconsin - Madison

Hometown: Oconomowoc, WI

Pharmacy project: Rapid sequence intubation order panel implementation

Career interests: Cardiology, Infectious Disease, General Medicine, and a growing interest in Critical Care

Hobbies: Reading, attending concerts, cuddling with my cats, tending to my house plants, and doing puzzles!

Why UnityPoint Health-Meriter?: I had the opportunity to work as a pharmacy technician and intern in the Meriter Outpatient Pharmacy and fell in love with the people and the culture. I did not have much interaction with the inpatient pharmacy, but I sensed the same feelings when meeting with them for the first time. My overall goal was to be in a hospital with a large range of opportunities, but a size that allows you to grow meaningful relationships with your colleagues and Meriter was perfect for that. I have a variety of different interests, and the available rotations were able to support each of them and beyond. The preceptors are dedicated to teaching overall creating a supportive learning environment. So far, I have felt extremely respected as a pharmacist in training and I am beyond excited to dive into my longitudinal research project and have a larger part in codes. I am thrilled for what the rest of my year at Meriter holds!

Mark Miller, PharmD

Pharmacy Education: University of Wisconsin – Madison

Hometown: River Falls, WI

Pharmacy project: DEI in Residency Recruitment Practices

Career interests: General Medicine

Hobbies: Hiking, tennis, gaming, and listening to Broadway music

Why UnityPoint Health-Meriter?: When I was a pharmacy student, I elected to have a cardiology rotation at Meriter. Prior to that rotation, I had not decided what career path I wanted to take. However, after my learning experience at Meriter, I knew I wanted to be an inpatient pharmacist. I also knew that a residency at Meriter would be a fulfilling experience that would propel me into that career. The pharmacy staff here are incredibly knowledgeable, past residents have created a culture of enthusiasm and comradery, and pharmacists are highly valued for their clinical input. When I think about the type of pharmacist I want to be in 5 years, I think about Meriter pharmacists. I continue to be inspired by the people here and am so glad that I have the opportunity to learn under their leadership!

Jenny Lin, PharmD

Pharmacy Education: University of Wisconsin - Madison

Hometown: Platteville, WI

Pharmacy project: Pharmacy-to-dose SQ Insulin

Career interests: Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics

Hobbies: Hiking, reading, gardening, and spending time with my dog

Why UnityPoint Health-Meriter?: One thing that drew me to Meriter was the wide array of rotations offered, such as OB, NICU, ED, and ID. Because I have a lot of clinical interests, I am excited to learn and see more clinical areas that I didn’t get to experience as an APPE student. I also love how integrated, valued, and collaborative pharmacists are at Meriter. They truly work as an extension of the providers and work closely with nurses. Another reason I was drawn to Meriter was because everyone is always welcoming, supportive, and wants to watch you succeed. Everyone also loves to teach, which is why I am most excited to precept other students. I can’t wait to work with everyone throughout the year!

Emily Armstrong, PharmD

Pharmacy Education: University of Wisconsin - Madison

Hometown: Portage, WI

Pharmacy project: Implementation of an Antibiotic De-escalation Guidance Document for Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Career interests: Infectious Disease, Cardiology, excited to learn more about OB and NICU pharmacy!

Hobbies: Golfing, playing pickleball, video games, trivia nights, and most of all curling!

Why UnityPoint Health-Meriter?: Meriter has so many things to offer from its collaboration with UW Health to its vast selection of pharmacy rotations and amazing preceptors. After my interview, I knew Meriter was the place I wanted to be and I immediately felt welcomed. The rotation selection is very appealing as there are rotations pertaining to my interests, as well as OB and NICU rotations which I feel would be hard to get that experience anywhere else! The preceptors at Meriter are very supportive and have already made me feel a lot more confident in my pharmacy training, and the sense of community is unmatched. I could not be more excited to be starting my career at Meriter!

Meriter Pharmacy Residents Group Photo 2024.jpg — Meet the PGY1 Pharmacy Residents (left to right): Shane Swing, Mark Miller, Emily Armstrong, Jenny Lin, Sarah Haley

A Day in the Life of a Pharmacy Resident

Follow Mark on a day in his life as a PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at UnityPoint Health - Meriter!

Meriter's ASHP-accredited PGY-1 program has been training residents since 1984. This one-year program provides the opportunity to develop advanced pharmacy practice skills in a progressive community hospital setting. Upon completion of this training program, residents are prepared to successfully assume clinical pharmacy roles within health-systems practice.

Where are they now? Meet Past PGY1 Residents

Class of 2023-2024
Class of 2022-2023
Class of 2021-2022
Class of 2020-2021
Class of 2019-2020

Class of 2023-2024

Jacky Lor, PharmD – Clinical Pharmacist (UnityPoint Health - Meriter)

Madeline Gallo, PharmD, MPH – Clinical Pharmacist (UnityPoint Health - Meriter)

Alexis Biehl, PharmD – PGY2 Resident in Pediatrics (UW-Health)

Emily Erpenbach, PharmD – Clinical Pharmacist (UW-Health)

Class of 2022-2023

Brittani Weichman, PharmD – Clinical Pharmacist in Infectious Diseases (UnityPoint Health - Meriter)

Kelsey Rox, PharmD – Clinical Pharmacist (UnityPoint Health - Meriter)

Andrea Thooft, PharmD, PhD – Staff Pharmacist (UW-Health)

Class of 2021-2022

Aijan Urmat, PharmD, BCIDP – Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Pediatric infectious Disease (Advocate Children’s Hospital)

Amanda Walter, PharmD – Clinical Pharmacist (UW-Health)

Margaret Roels, PharmD – Clinical Pharmacist (UnityPoint Health - Meriter)

Hannah Schulz, PharmD, MPH – Mental Health Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (Madison VA)

Sydney VanDorf, PharmD, BCIDP – Clinical Pharmacist in Infectious Diseases (Henry Ford Health)

Class of 2020-2021

Sydney Whitaker, PharmD – Clinical Pharmacist (UnityPoint Health - Meriter)

Kayla Marchese, PharmD, BCIDP – Clinical Pharmacist (Mayo Clinic – Eau Claire)

Lauren Kolb, PharmD – Clinical Pharmacist (Children’s Wisconsin)

Alex Glodowski, PharmD - Clinical Pharmacist (Marshfield Medical Center)

Ana Tomic, PharmD, BCEMP – Emergency Medicine Pharmacist (Baycare – West Central Florida)

Class of 2019-2020

Luke Malik, PharmD, BCIDP – Lead Clinical Pharmacist in Infectious Diseases (UnityPoint Health - Meriter)

Tien Kernien, PharmD, BCPS - Pediatric Critical Care Pharmacist (Seattle Children’s Hospital)

Zackery Stueber, PharmD – Lead Infectious Disease Pharmacist (ProHealth Care)

Department Information

Department of Pharmacy
UnityPoint Health - Meriter
202 S. Park Street
Madison, WI 53715
(608) 417-6160

For more information, please contact:

PGY-1 Residency
Kristin Stoll, PharmD
Program Director
Department of Pharmacy
202 S. Park Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53715
Email: kristin.stoll@unitypoint.org
608-417-6169