CHI Memorial Named Tennessee Health-System Pharmacy Residency Program of the Year
Pictured L to R: Chris Finch, PharmD, TSHP President; Sean Bergeron, PharmD, CHI Memorial preceptor; Matt Underwood, PharmD, CHI Memorial preceptor; Karen Babb, PharmD, CHI Memorial residency program director; Rachel Kile, PharmD, CHI Memorial preceptor; Back row: Kenny Dyer, PharmD, CHI Memorial preceptor; Danny Marsh, PharmD, CHI Memorial market director of pharmacy and preceptor; Amy Quinn, PharmD, CHI Memorial preceptor; and Megan Whittier, PharmD, CHI Memorial preceptor
The CHI Memorial Hospital Pharmacy Residency Program in Chattanooga, Tennessee, under the leadership of Residency Program Director, Karen Babb, PharmD, was recently recognized by the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) as the 2022 Tennessee Health-System Pharmacy Residency Program of the Year. This award is presented annually by TPA’s Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP) to a Tennessee pharmacy residency program in recognition of sustained service and contributions to health-system pharmacy practice through innovative services, changes in practice at the institution, innovative research, and/or residency project publications.
The postgraduate year one (PGY-1) pharmacy residency program at CHI Memorial has a reputation for excellence in postgraduate training and consistent provision of an exceptionally positive and rewarding training experience. The pharmacy team at CHI Memorial has played an instrumental role in developing and implementing practices to better serve patients, and the pharmacy residents have been actively integrated into these practices. Through the residency program, the pharmacy team has led multiple projects around appropriate antimicrobial therapy, has implemented pharmacy-led interprofessional programs to reduce 30-day readmission rates, enforced an MRSA nasal PCR protocol, and created a 4T score calculation for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. They have also developed a unique heparin infusion calculator that reduced infusion errors by more than 50 percent. The department’s most recent achievements include resident participation in the expansion of clinical pharmacy services in pain management. Residents have been a part of the pharmacy team that helped decrease opioid usage by 30 percent in the emergency department and resulted in the development of the pharmacy-led opioid stewardship program at CHI Memorial. In addition to pharmacy services, residents gain experience in precepting pharmacy students completing introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences, and participating in state and national level didactic presentations, posters, and journal clubs. All pharmacy residents also serve on interprofessional hospital committees.
TPA congratulates the CHI Memorial Hospital Pharmacy Residency Program and Dr. Karen Babb for their outstanding work and contributions to patient care and pharmacy practice.