Pharmacy Residency Program
West Florida Healthcare is proud to be the only hospital in the area to offer all-private rooms as well as the area’s only Accredited Chest Pain Center. The facility is also an Advanced Primary Stroke Center and is the area’s only accredited Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. The West Florida Healthcare campus includes the all private room acute care hospital, the area’s only comprehensive physical rehabilitation hospital, a mental health facility and a cancer center. Affiliated with HCA, the nation’s leading provider of healthcare, West Florida Healthcare offers major services in oncology, orthopedics, cardiology/cardiovascular surgery, neurology/neurosurgery, emergency care, behavioral health, obstetrics, rehabilitative medicine and many other medical specialties.
West Florida Healthcare Department of Pharmacy is devoted to providing valuable training for incoming pharmacy residents interested in pursuing a career in hospital and health-system pharmacy with a focus on clinical care. The residency program, which began in July 2011, is in the accredidation process with ASHP and currently offers PGY-1 opportunities.
In addition to providing the best overall quality of care to our patients, we also offer a pharmacy practice residency program (PGY-1).
Our supportive, close-knit workplace means a friendly, caring, patient-centered environment with one-on-one daily interactions with directors/preceptors, private office space and laptop access to all of the necessary clinical tools (including PubMed, Clinical Pharmacology, Sentri-7 and more).
- Pharmacy Department
- Residency Program Overview
- Rotation Descriptions
- Residency Coordinator Bio & Contact Information
- Current Residency Bios
- Application Requirements
Pharmacy Department
The mission of West Florida Hospital’s Pharmacy Department is to utilize the knowledge of therapeutics and medications to ensure the best possible care of our patients. Our focus is on resolving and preventing drug-related problems, minimizing patient costs and ultimately improving patient satisfaction and safety.
In an effort to carry out our mission, our colleagues’ responsibilities include therapeutic drug monitoring, drug information provision, and continuous education of patients and health care professionals. Our staff also has the opportunity to train our PGY-1 Residents and to work with Doctor of Pharmacy Advanced Practice students from Auburn University, Florida A&M University, and the University of Florida. With access to the latest pharmaceutical technology, our pharmacists and pharmacy staff are well-equipped to optimally provide patient-centered care.
Inpatient Practice
West Florida Hospital offers opportunities to work in a variety of specialty areas, including:
- Acute Care/Internal Medicine
- Cardiology
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Critical Care
- Emergency Medicine
- Infectious Disease
- IV Therapy
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Nutrition
- OB/GYN
- Oncology
- Psychiatry
- Surgery
- Transitional Care
Residency Program Overview
Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY-1)
The PGY-1 Residency Program provides the resident with experience and training in acute care, drug information, drug use policy development, practice management, and research.
The resident will be an active member of the healthcare team with opportunities to influence medication use and safety practices. The resident will have opportunities to be involved with teaching, drug information provision, and research presentations on the local, state, and national levels.
The PGY-1 program at West Florida Hospital offers flexibility, while providing a strong foundation in all areas of pharmacy practice. The program is in the accreditation process with ASHP. Teaching opportunities are available through Auburn University.
Duration/Type: 12 months/Residency
Number of Positions: 2
Application Deadline: January 12, 2012
Start Date: Early July
Estimated Stipend: $37,500
Interview Required: Yes
Benefits:
- 16 days of personal leave
- Dental coverage
- Educational and professional travel allowances
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Professional leave for conferences and interviews
- Stipend
Rotations Descriptions
The core rotations of the program include:
- Acute care/internal medicine
- Critical care
- Drug information (longitudinal)
- Pharmacy practice management
Elective rotations can occur in infectious disease, informatics, nutritional support, oncology, pediatrics, primary care, psychiatry, rehabilitation, surgery, and transitional care/geriatrics.
Residency Coordinator Bio & Contact Information
Dr. Ernie Cyr graduated with his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2000. From there, he completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency in the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System. He currently serves as the Clinical and Residency Coordinator for West Florida Hospital, where he serves as a leader in committees on antimicrobial management, P&T, Chest Pain, sepsis, diabetes management, etc.
Ernie Cyr, Pharm.D.
Clinical/Residency Coordinator
Department of Pharmacy
West Florida Hospital
8383 North Davis Highway
Pensacola, FL 32514
Phone: (850) 494-4922
Fax: (850) 494-4917
Email: ernie.cyr@hcahealthcare.com
Current Residency Bios
Dr. Deanna Fernandes graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida in 2011. Her professional interests include Pharmacy Administration, Internal Medicine, and Ambulatory Practice. She currently serves as a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Resident at West Florida Hospital. She plans to further her residency training following the completion of her PGY-1 Residency year and to serve as a clinical preceptor in the future. Dr. Fernandes is currently conducting research regarding the significance of pharmacist involvement in daily interdisciplinary team rounding as well as a study in the field of pharmacy informatics.
Dr. Shane Chordas, originally from Youngstown, Ohio, landed in Pensacola after completing his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida in 2011. 
His professional interests include diabetes education, critical care, and academia. Following the completion of his PGY-1 Residency, he plans to pursue a clinical pharmacy position within an institution that provides the opportunities to work with future pharmacists and alongside other professional healthcare providers. Dr. Chordas is currently studying the evaluation of heparin level measurement vs. aPTT for the management of anticoagulation.
Application Requirements
Eligibility requirements for the PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency Program:
- Graduation from an ACPE-accredited school of pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree
- Eligible for licensure or already licensed as a pharmacist in the State of Florida
- On-site interview
Application materials (please send in one package via US Mail):
- Current Curriculum Vitae
- Current official pharmacy school transcript including full coursework and grades
- Letter of Intent
- Registration in the ASHP Resident Matching Program (Available at: http://www.natmatch.com/ashprmp/reglink.htm.)
- Three letters of recommendation from professional sources, accompanied by the ASHP Recommendation Form for each reference (Available at: http://www.ashp.org/s_ashp/docs/files/RTP_ResidentRecomendForm.pdf.)
Please send completed application to:
Ernie Cyr, Pharm.D.
Residency Program Director
Department of Pharmacy
West Florida Hospital
8383 North Davis Highway Pensacola, FL 32514