Thomas Carey, Pharm.D.

Senior Director of Pharmacy Services

Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) Residency Program Director

• Rotations precepted: PGY1 and PGY2 Leadership, Admin.
• Pharmacy school attended: Creighton University School of Pharmacy
• Professional interests: Implementing strategic and progressive pharmacy programs
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? Watching people achieve their professional goals
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? Easy … the people I work with every day.

Ellyn Chwistek, Pharm.D., CSP

Specialty Pharmacist

PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program Director

• Rotations precepted: PGY1 Orientation, Specialty Pharmacy, Community Outreach, Headache and Gastroenterology.
• Pharmacy school attended: University of Illinois-Chicago
• Residency program: PGY1 Community-based Pharmacy Residency Program at NorthShore University Health System
• Professional interests: Specialty pharmacy clinical management, outcomes and patient safety
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? The community built within the pharmacy department makes every day at work enjoyable. I also love the dynamic landscape of specialty pharmacy. There is always something new to learn.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? The innovation and growth within the pharmacy department initially attracted me to SwedishAmerican.

Wendy Harney, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCCP

Critical Care Pharmacist

PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency Program Director

• Rotations precepted:
  • PGY1: Critical Care I and II, Code Blue Response
  • PGY2 Critical Care: Critical Care, Medical Intensive Care, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Surgical Intensive Care, Advanced Critical Care
• Pharmacy school attended: Midwestern University – Chicago College of Pharmacy
• Residency program: PGY1 Northshore Evanston Hospital, Evanston, Ill.
• Professional interests: Critical care, toxicology and infectious disease. Member of ASHP and SCCM and serve on hospital committees — Antimicrobial Stewardship, Critical Care, Code Blue and Organ Donation.
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? We are a community hospital that offers a wide range of pharmacy services. We have a great group of providers and nurses that work well as a team. Working in a mixed ICU allows me to interact with almost all the providers in the hospital including intensivists, pulmonologist, surgeons, hospitalists and APNs.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? We have a diverse group of technicians and pharmacists that treat each other like family.

Kara Hoadley, Pharm.D., BCPS

Clinical Pharmacist

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director

• Rotation precepted: PGY1 and PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Practice
• Pharmacy school attended: University of Iowa College of Pharmacy
• Residency program: PGY1 St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington, W.Va.
• Professional interests: Residency, infectious diseases, medication safety
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? The variety
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? Phenomenal opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy service expansion, alongside great co-workers

David P. Huhtelin, Pharm.D., BCCCP, BCEMP

Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist

PGY2 Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency Program Director

• Rotations precepted:
  • PGY2 Emergency Medicine: Orientation, Emergency Medicine I-IV, Emergency Medicine Clinical Practice, Research and Projects, Teaching and Precepting
  • PGY2 Critical Care Emergency Medicine, PGY1 Emergency Medicine
• Pharmacy school attended: University of Iowa College of Pharmacy
• Residency program: University of Kansas Hospital – PGY1
• Professional interests: Emergency medicine, critical care, experiential education
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? How quickly we are able to observe a pharmacist intervention improve the patient’s status. I also enjoy seeing the success of our former residents and students as they move on to do great things after their training at UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? The multidisciplinary, collaborative approach in the ED is second to none from ED leadership, ED providers, ED nursing and ED ancillary staff.

Jessica Jones, Pharm.D., BCPS

Evening Clinical Pharmacist

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Coordinator
PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency Program Coordinator

• Rotations precepted:
  • PGY1: Orientation, Pharmacy Project, Evening Clinical
  • PGY2 Critical Care: Orientation, Pharmacy Project, Teaching and Precepting
• Pharmacy school attended: Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions
• Residency program: PGY1 SwedishAmerican Hospital
• Professional interests: Critical care, general medicine, residency improvement initiatives
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? I enjoy seeing the wide range of disease states and diverse patient populations that are found throughout the hospital and being able to make a difference in their care.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? I was drawn to the community feel of the Pharmacy Department and found throughout the hospital. Everyone is passionate about patient care while still maintaining a great relationship among departments.

Veronika Yurchenko, Pharm.D.

Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist

PGY2 Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency Program Coordinator

• Rotations precepted:
  • PGY2 Emergency Medicine: Orientation, Emergency Medicine I-IV, Emergency Medicine Clinical Practice, Research and Projects, Teaching and Precepting
  • PGY2 Critical Care Emergency Medicine, PGY1 Emergency Medicine
• Pharmacy school attended: Pacific University, Hillsboro, Ore.
• Residency programs: Providence St. Peter Hospital – PGY1 (Olympia, Wash.); UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital – PGY2 Emergency Medicine (Rockford, Ill.)
• Professional interests: Emergency medicine, critical care
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? Being able to see a wide array of disease states and seeing the impact of pharmacist intervention in improving patient status in real time.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? The collaboration and teamwork that the ED displays when stabilizing a patient along with the dedication to improving patient outcomes.

Alexa Brisard, PharmD, BCPS

Clinical Pharmacist- Internal Medicine

Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) Residency Program Director

• Rotations precepted: Medicine, Advanced Medicine, Pharmacy Precepting.
• Pharmacy school attended: Ohio Northern University
• Residency program: PGY1 SwedishAmerican Hospital
• Professional interests: GI/liver disease, nutrition support, precepting students and residents.
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? The people I work with and mix of patients, there’s never a dull moment.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? Sense of community and care. Being from Rockford, I’ve always wanted to come back and practice pharmacy in my hometown to give back and work towards providing exceptional care to my community. I was ecstatic to match as a resident back in my hometown, as well as then have the opportunity to stay on after residency and continue my growth in the organization.

Wendy Copeland, Pharm.D.

Outpatient Pharmacy Manager

• Rotations precepted: PGY-1 Community Residency Longitudinal Patient Centered Dispensing, Administration
• Pharmacy school attended: Midwestern University – Chicago College of Pharmacy
• Professional interests: Meds to Beds Program
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? I love that our department is a mixture of inpatient and outpatient care. We are able to assist with transitions of care for our patients that are in the hospital and provide exceptional outpatient services to our community.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? SwedishAmerican has the culture that really fits who I am as a person and a leader. We are innovative, creative and allow our employees’ voices to be heard. Our outpatient pharmacy team is very close and we consider each other like a family. We care for each other and our patients in an extraordinary way.

Daniel Dispensa, Pharm.D

Clinical Psychiatric Pharmacist

• Rotation precepted: Mental Health
• Pharmacy school attended: Drake University
• Residency programs: Creighton University Medical Center (Inpatient PGY1), University of Texas at Austin (Mental Health PGY2)
• Professional interests: Long-acting injectable antipsychotics, management of delirium
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? Helping an underserved/stigmatized population, meeting very interesting people
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? Multidisciplinary teams that are very supportive of pharmacy

Lisa Dyer, Pharm.D.

Director of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services

• Rotations precepted: Management, Administration
• Pharmacy school attended: Midwestern University – Chicago College of Pharmacy
• Professional interests: Growing programs to support patient care needs of our community
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? The people I work with, our teamwork and collaboration and continued innovation.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? As a student doing rotations here, I loved the culture and the people I was fortunate to learn from. At the time, I wanted to pursue retail pharmacy and did so for eight years, but I stayed in touch with some of the pharmacy team. Fortunately, an opportunity arose to join the team and I’ve continued to expand my career here ever since. The people I work with truly make the difference each and every day.

Michael Ellerbroek, Pharm.D., BCPS, CACP

Clinical Pharmacist, Anticoagulation Clinic/Ambulatory Care

• Rotation precepted: Anticoagulation Clinic
• Pharmacy school attended: Midwestern University – Chicago College of Pharmacy
• Professional interests: Cardiology, anticoagulation, diabetes management
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? Establishing long-term relationships with patients
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? I did my last pharmacy school rotation here in 2006, and loved it so much I stuck around.

Monica Hambley, Pharm.D.

Clinical Pharmacist, Surgical/Oncology

• Rotation precepted: Surgical/Oncology
• Pharmacy school attended: Midwestern University – Chicago College of Pharmacy
• Professional interests: Oncology/Hematology
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? Being an integral part of the health care team regarding our patients’ care.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? The people who work here make coming to work fun every day.

Ammie Hodges, Pharm.D., BCPS, CACP

Ambulatory Pharmacy Manager

• Rotations precepted: Anticoagulation Committee (longitudinal), Admin elective
• Pharmacy school attended: Drake University
• Professional interests: Anticoagulation, ambulatory care pharmacy, clinical administration
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? Growing focus on ambulatory pharmacy services within primary and specialty care clinics
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? Opportunity to be involved in expansion of clinical pharmacy services

Christopher Jones, Pharm.D., MHA, BCPS

Director of Inpatient Pharmacy Services

• Rotations precepted: Leadership, Management
• Pharmacy school attended: Midwestern University – Chicago College of Pharmacy
• Professional interests: Leadership, process improvement, safety, informatics
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? My favorite aspect of my practice is multifactorial. I have the opportunity to work and collaborate with a variety of talented individuals to improve patient safety and outcomes. I also get to have a front seat to watching the growth of team members within the department.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? SwedishAmerican has always had my interest, as my mother started her career in nursing at this location. This hospital and role presented a growth opportunity for me and I knew I would have the chance to work with so many talented pharmacists and technicians. The department as an entirety also had the “feel” I was looking for.

Jeremy Kosacz, Pharm.D., BCPS

Women and Children’s Services Clinical Pharmacist

• Rotations precepted: PGY1 and PGY2 Women and Children’s Services, PGY2 Critical Care, PGY2 Disaster Preparedness
• Pharmacy school attended: University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Residency program: PGY1 UW Health SwedishAmerican
• Professional interests: NICU, pediatrics
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? Seeing premature neonates make full recoveries, participating in interdisciplinary rounds
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? Relationships with my co-workers and the robust Clinical Pharmacy Program

Katie Loehr, Pharm.D.

Oncology Pharmacist

• Rotation precepted: Oncology
• Pharmacy school attended: South Dakota State University
• Professional interests: I enjoy working with students and residents.
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? Working with our clinical team.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? This career path gives me great job satisfaction.

Kristel Miller, Pharm.D., MS, BCMTMS

Ambulatory Care Pharmacist/ Medication Management

• Rotations precepted: Type 2 Diabetes/Obesity, along with MTMs
• Pharmacy school attended: University of Illinois-Chicago
• Professional interests: Obesity medicine, addiction medicine
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? I love supporting people working on weight loss along with lifestyle counseling.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? The culture and innovation

Brandon Pierce, Pharm.D., BCPS, CACP

Cardiology Clinical Pharmacist

• Rotation precepted: Cardiology
• Pharmacy school attended: University of Illinois-Chicago
• Professional interests: Cardiology, anticoagulation
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? I enjoy the interactions with providers and nursing staff. I like being a part of the care team and helping make decisions that directly impact patient care.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? I was a P4 student here and really liked the staff and work environment. I was lucky enough to have four job offers upon graduation and I chose SwedishAmerican because of the established and well-respected Clinical Pharmacy Program.

Khrystyna Savchuk, Pharm.D., BCACP

Clinical Pharmacist at Endocrinology, Primary Care and Anticoagulation Clinics

• Rotations precepted: Advanced Primary Care, Primary Care and Anticoagulation
• Pharmacy school attended: Midwestern University – Chicago College of Pharmacy
• Residency programs: PGY1 Comprehensive Pharmacy Services at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Chicago; PGY2 Ambulatory Care, UW Health, Madison, Wis.
• Professional interests: Diabetes and hypertension management
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? Direct patient care and the ability to establish a long-term relationship with patients and providers.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? The multidisciplinary approach to patient care.

Kirk Schubert, Pharm.D.

Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist

• Rotation precepted: Emergency Medicine

Lisa Thompson, Pharm.D., BCPS

Clinical Coordinator

• Pharmacy school attended: University of Iowa
• Residency program: PGY1 at Northwestern
• Professional interests: Working toward improving patient care and safety. Patient areas of interest: medical-surgical, infectious disease, nutrition support.
• What is your favorite thing about your practice area? Active involvement in a wide variety of clinical and professional activities.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? The people and clinical opportunities in pharmacy.

Megan Best

PGY1 Pharmacy resident

• Hometown: Gurnee, Ill.
• Pharmacy school: The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
• Professional interest areas: Infusion services, emergency medicine, oncology, education/teaching.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? I immediately fell in love with the people and atmosphere the pharmacy team creates here. I look forward to continuing my journey and learning as much as I can throughout my time here. 
• What are your future goals and plans? Pursuing a PGY2 if applicable towards my interests OR entering a pharmacy team as an inpatient pharmacist AND/OR holding a formal education/teaching position for students or other faculty members.

Natalie Moreno

PGY1 Pharmacy resident

• Hometown: Chicago
• Pharmacy school: University of Illinois-Rockford
• Professional interest areas: Infectious disease, cardiology and academia.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? Having previously worked with some of the staff during my pharmacy rotations, I’ve consistently been impressed by their depth of knowledge, dedication and the supportive environment they create. These positive experiences influenced my decision to pursue a residency here. I am looking forward to growing my clinical knowledge under the guidance of such knowledgeable pharmacists.
• What are your future goals and plans? I would love to find myself in a dual position, both at a university and as an inpatient clinical pharmacist. I want to have the opportunity to teach students both in and outside of the classroom.

Alejandra (Ale) Cazares

PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy resident

• Hometown: Carpentersville, Ill.
• Pharmacy school: Roosevelt University, Schaumburg, Ill.
• Professional interest areas: Ambulatory care, specialty pharmacy, outpatient clinics.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? I enjoy patient interactions, so I wanted to choose a program that allowed me to have many outpatient opportunities. Past residents spoke highly about SwedishAmerican in terms of learning experiences and opportunities. The staff I spoke to before choosing SwedishAmerican were warm and welcoming. I also chose SwedishAmerican because of the population in Rockford, as I would like to provide better access to health care and increase health literacy.
• What are your future goals and plans? Stay at SwedishAmerican as a staff pharmacist if positions are available because my experience has been great so far. Otherwise, I would like to find a job in an ambulatory care clinic.

Monesa Vu

PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy resident

• Hometown: Peoria, Ill.
• Pharmacy school: Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy
• Professional interest areas: I am interested in specialty pharmacy and ambulatory care. I am currently most interested in heart failure, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes management.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? I believe this program offers strong pharmacist mentorship, unique learning experiences and opportunities that strongly aligned with my interests, which will ultimately help me become a well-rounded and capable pharmacist who serves patients in the outpatient setting.
• What are your future goals and plans? After completing my PGY1 Community residency, I plan to pursue a position where I can continue to provide high-quality patient care in a specialty pharmacy or in an ambulatory care setting.

Madeline Wermeling

PGY2 Emergency Medicine Pharmacy resident

• Hometown: Covington, Ky.
• Pharmacy school: University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy
• PGY1 residency program: Baptist Health Louisville
• Professional interest areas: ACLS and stroke management
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? The people. Leading up to and during my interview, I felt so welcomed by everyone I met at UW Health SwedishAmerican. These interactions, on top of the strong program, confirmed that SwedishAmerican would be the program for me.
• What are your future goals and plans? Complete my BCEMP certification post-residency.

Brandon Olson

PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy resident

• Hometown: Gilman, Ill.
• Pharmacy school: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy
• PGY1 residency program: OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Ill.
• Why did you choose UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital? UW Health SwedishAmerican offers a wide variety of rotations and experiences to develop well-rounded critical care pharmacists. After meeting the residency team, it was clear they were extremely supportive of their residents and passionate about providing an individualized learning environment for them. The modernized critical care unit at SwedishAmerican also allows residents to experience new technologies and resources throughout the year.
• What are your future goals and plans? Obtain BCCCP board certification and apply for a critical care pharmacist position in Illinois.