Post-Graduate Year One (PGY1) Pharmacy Residency Program

Baptist Hospital offers an ASHP-accredited Post-Graduate Year One (PGY1) pharmacy residency designed to expose the resident to clinical pharmacy experiences in a variety of practice areas. After completion of the residency program, the resident will be equipped with the necessary skills and tools to (1) function as a proficient, knowledgeable clinical pharmacist working in an acute-care setting or (2) pursue a Post-Graduate Year Two (PGY2) residency, if desired.

Residency Expectations

  • Complete the 12-month residency program and achieve outlined goals and objectives to graduate and obtain residency certificate
  • Participate in operational activities designed to ensure that the resident gains operation experience and understands the distribution process
  • Complete a research project that is designed to improve pharmacy practice and present the completed project at the Florida Residency Conference (FRC)
  • Provide multi-disciplinary education through formal presentations including continuing educational sessions
  • Precepting pharmacy students

Learning Experiences

Required Learning Experiences

  • Orientation
  • Ambulatory Care
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • Critical Care
  • Drug Information
  • Internal Medicine I
  • Medication Therapy Management and Transitions of Care
  • Pharmacy Informatics

Mandatory Longitudinal Learning Experiences

  • Drug Information
  • Nutrition Support
  • Practice Management
  • Residency Research Project
  • Staffing

Elective Learning Experiences

  • Cardiology
  • Hematology/Oncology
  • Infectious Disease
  • Internal Medicine II
  • Nutrition Support
  • Palliative Care and Pain Management
  • Adult Psychiatry
  • Pediatric Psychiatry

Applicant Qualifications

  • Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an accredited college of pharmacy or Bachelor of Science in pharmacy with clinical experience
  • Licensed or eligible for licensure as a registered pharmacist in the state of Florida
  • Candidates must submit the following via Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhorCAS):
    • Letter of intent
    • Curriculum vitae
    • Official pharmacy school transcript
    • Three (3) letters of recommendation – two (2) letters must be from a preceptor and/or professor
  • Application deadline: January 15
  • The Residency Program Director will extend an invitation to candidates for a formal interview

Residency Administration

Amy Knoblock

Amy Knoblock, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP
Dr. Knoblock is the residency program director and the clinical specialist in internal medicine. She serves as the internal medicine preceptor for pharmacy practice residents. She also serves as a preceptor for palliative care and pain management learning experience. Dr. Knoblock earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Wayne State University, Eugene Appelebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2004. She completed a pharmacy practice residency with William Beaumont Hospital – Royal Oak in 2005. She earned board certification in pharmacotherapy in 2012 and board certification in geriatrics in 2017.
 amy.knoblock@bhcpns.org

Administration

Rudy Seelmann

Rudy Seelmann, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Seelmann is the Executive Director of pharmacy of Baptist Health Care. He serves as preceptor for pharmacy practice residents for practice management. Dr. Seelmann earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University, College of Pharmacy in 2002. He earned board certification in pharmacotherapy in 2008.
 rudy.seelmann@bhcpns.org



Shelby Gaudet

Shelby Gaudet, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, BCCCP
Dr. Gaudet is the health system clinical coordinator for Baptist Health Care and the antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist. She serves as a preceptor for the antimicrobial stewardship and infectious disease learning experiences. Dr. Gaudet earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Florida, College of Pharmacy in 2009. She completed a pharmacy practice residency with Baptist Hospital in 2010. She earned board certification in pharmacotherapy in 2010 in infectious disease in 2018 and Critical Care in 2022.
 shelby.gaudet@bhcpns.org





Preceptors



Lee Bennett

Lee Bennett, RPh
Mr. Bennett is the Director of Inpatient Pharmacy. He serves as the preceptor for the Orientation learning experience of the residency. Mr. Bennett is the inpatient pharmacy director of Baptist Health Care. He aids in acclimating residents within the department during the orientation learning experience. He serves as the preceptor for the staffing/service component of the residency. Mr. Bennett received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Northeast Louisiana University in 1995.
 lbennett@bhcpns.org



April Brown

April Brown, PharmD, BCACP
Dr. Brown is a clinical specialist in ambulatory care and serves as the preceptor for the Ambulatory Care learning experience. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Auburn University, Harrison School of Pharmacy in 2005. She completed a pharmacy practice residency with Atlanta Veteran’s Hospital in 2006. She earned board certification in ambulatory care in 2020.
 april.brown@bhcpns.org



Erin Grantner

Erin Grantner, PharmD
Dr. Grantner is one of the pharmacy operations managers at Baptist Hospital. She serves as the preceptor for the Staffing longitudinal learning experience. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida in 2015.  erin.grantner@bhcpns.org



Guntas Hira, PharmD

Guntas Hira, PharmD
Dr. Hira is one of the pharmacy clinical informatics specialists. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Ferris State College of Pharmacy in 2020. He completed a pharmacy residency with Swedish Hospital part of NorthShore Health system in 2021. Dr. Hira completed a PGY2 Pharmacy Informatics residency with Baptist Hospital in 2022 and currently serves as the PGY2 Residency Program Coordinator.  guntas.hira@bhcpns.org



Jayne Hoffman

Jayne Hoffman, PharmD
Dr. Hoffman is a clinical pharmacist specializing in medication safety and serves as a preceptor in Nutrition Support for pharmacy practice residents. Dr. Hoffman received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University, College of Pharmacy in 1983. She completed a post-doctoral residency in parenteral and enteral nutrition and intravenous therapies at Community Alimentation Services in 1984.
 jhoffman@bhcpns.org



Emily Olivier, PharmD, MS ICL

Emily Olivier, PharmD, MS ICL
Dr. Olivier is a clinical pharmacist who is one of the preceptors for Medication Therapy Management. Dr. Olivier earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Auburn University in 2018. In 2020, she completed a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy during which she earned her Master’s in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership from The University of Memphis.
 emily.olivier@bhcpns.org



Daniel Padgett

Daniel Padgett, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Dr. Padgett is the clinical specialist in critical care. He serves as the critical care preceptor for pharmacy practice residents. Dr. Padgett earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Belmont University, College of Pharmacy in 2014. He completed a pharmacy practice residency with Baptist Hospital in 2015. He earned board certification in pharmacotherapy in 2015 and board certification in critical care in 2018.
 daniel.padgett@bhcpns.org



Neel Patel, PharmD, BCPS

Neel Patel, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Patel is one of the pharmacy clinical informatics specialists. Dr. Patel earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Mississippi in 2019. He completed a pharmacy residency with Coram/CVS Specialty Infusion Services in 2020. Dr. Patel completed a PGY2 Pharmacy Informatics residency with Baptist Hospital in 2021. He received board certification in Pharmacotherapy in 2022.
 neel.patel@bhcpns.org



Courtney Pitts

Courtney Pitts, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Pitts is the transitions of care clinical specialist. She serves as the primary preceptor for cardiology and medication therapy management. Dr. Pitts earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Mississippi in 2018. She completed a pharmacy practice residency with Baptist Hospital in 2019. She received board certification in pharmacotherapy in 2021.
 courtney.pitts@bhcpns.org



Current Residents

Tracy Heffes, PharmD

Tracy Heffes, PharmD
Dr. Heffes earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Houston, College of Pharmacy in 2023. Her areas of interest include medication therapy management, antimicrobial stewardship, and oncology.  tracyann.heffes@bhcpns.org



Evan McIntosh, PharmD

Evan McIntosh, PharmD
Dr. McIntosh earned his Doctor of pharmacy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2023. His areas of interest include ambulatory care, drug information, and oncology.  evan.mcintosh@bhcpns.org



Past Residents

  • 2022-2023 - Hejab Khan, PharmD
  • 2022-2023 - Dana Williams, PharmD
  • 2021-2022 - Kaitlin Byrd, PharmD
  • 2021-2022 - Kaitlin Shields, PharmD, BCPS
  • 2020-2021 - Kara DeGrave, PharmD
  • 2020-2021 - Roger “Nate” Johnson, PharmD, BCPS
  • 2019-2020 - Brandon Dittmar, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP
  • 2019-2020 - Ian McVickar, PharmD
  • 2018-2019 - Whitney Benson, PharmD, BCPS
  • 2018-2019 - Courtney Pitts, PharmD, BCPS
  • 2017-2018 - Evelyn Grafton, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
  • 2017-2018 - Kayla McIntyre, PharmD, BCPS
  • 2016-2017 - Marie Barnicoat, PharmD
  • 2015-2016 - Cara Iacobellis, PharmD, BCOP
  • 2014-2015 - Daniel Padgett, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
  • 2013-2014 - Ryan Heath, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP
  • 2012-2013 - Jose Valdes, PharmD, BCPP
  • 2011-2012 - Brian Meister, PharmD, BCPS
  • 2010-2011 - Harjot Jassal, PharmD, BCPS
  • 2009-2010 - Shelby Gaudet, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, BCCP, BCCCP

Past Residency Research Projects

  • The development of a novel inpatient opioid withdrawal protocol in a community hospital setting
  • Comparison of tenecteplase and alteplase for acute ischemic stroke treatment at a community hospital system
  • Assessment of blood glucose management in COVID-19 positive patients on systemic corticosteroid therapy
  • Assessing pharmacist-driven pain stewardship interventions in a community health care system
  • Antipsychotics in patients using long-acting injectable medications for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in the inpatient and transition of care setting
  • Implementation of an AUC-based vancomycin drug monitoring protocol
  • Effect of procalcitonin assay values on antibiotic prescribing practices at a community health system
  • Evaluation of an adult diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) management protocol and time to resolution of DKA in a community health system
  • Compliance rates of an inpatient alcohol withdrawal assessment and treatment protocol
  • Evaluation of mass spectrometry implementation on adult inpatients with contaminated blood cultures at a community based health care system
  • Effects of an ascorbic acid, hydrocortisone and thiamine regimen in addition to conventional treatment of sepsis in the intensive care unit at a community hospital
  • Implementation of pharmacy services in an outpatient heart failure clinic
  • Evaluation of a pharmacist-driven protocol for managing metabolic disorders of behavioral medicine patients on scheduled antipsychotic medications
  • Evaluation of regadenoson and dipyridamole for use in pharmacologic stress tests
  • Evaluating the impact of clinical pharmacy interventions of the Joint Commission Hospital-Based Inpatient Psychiatric Services (HBIPS) core measures
  • Exparel ® for the treatment of post-operative pain
  • Stress ulcer prophylaxis utilization and optimization in the intensive care unit
  • Perioperative use of intravenous acetaminophen
  • Evaluation of a pharmacist-driven warfarin dosing service at a community hospital
  • Inpatient IV vancomycin therapy: clinical pharmacist management compared to physician management