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Good Samaritan Hospital Pharmacy Residency

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About the program

Good Samaritan Hospital (GSH) is a 402-bed facility located in Puyallup, Washington. GSH provides comprehensive health care services, including emergency care, intensive/critical care, stroke, and cardiac services, medical surgical, family birth center, neonatal, oncology, Children’s Therapy, and rehabilitation programs.

Decentralized pharmacists assigned to all major service areas. Clinical services offered by the pharmacy department include prescriptive protocol management (including anticoagulation, vancomycin, aminoglycosides, TPN, renal, and IV to PO), medication order verification of CPOE, drug information and clinical consults. In addition, medication histories are taken by trained medication reconciliation technicians and verified by pharmacists.

Distributive services are centralized and include IV admixture service and unit dose system. Distributive services are supported through using the central pharmacy carousel and multiple Pyxis automated dispensing machines deployed in patient care areas.

Other services include an ambulatory pharmacist clinic that cares for anticoagulation and diabetes patients.

MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

The ASHP accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency program at GSH has been in place since 1992. The program experience will be individualized to assure adequate training in three core areas: develop the resident’s competence in providing patient care; develop the resident’s competence in practice management; and develop the resident’s competence in project management.

Good Samaritan Hospital’s pharmacy residency program prepares its graduates for clinical patient care positions in a hospital or clinic setting. Residents completing this program will have developed the necessary skills, including leadership, problem solving, and clinical judgment, to be competent clinical pharmacists. The residency program promotes the development of clinical, analytical, organizational, and leadership skills necessary to provide pharmaceutical care.

Please see our residency program manual for specific information, including required and elective learning experiences, staffing requirements, and benefits.

Our Team & Location

Steven Larson is the Residency Program Director and the primary preceptor for Oncology rotation. He received his Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from Brigham Young University, and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Washington. He completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in 2015. Steven is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, mountain biking, flying kites at the beach, playing basketball, and eating yummy food.

Sean Baltes was born and raised in Kenosha, WI. He attended the University of Wisconsin — Parkside for undergrad and the University of Wisconsin — Madison for pharmacy school. He enjoys fishing, hiking, and going to the various outdoor markets in and around Puyallup!

 

Jennifer Niyazova was born and raised in Shoreline, Washington, after her family immigrated to the United States from Uzbekistan. She attended Shoreline Community College and pharmacy school at the University of Washington. She enjoys watching soccer, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Regina Meng was raised in San Jose, CA before moving up to Seattle for undergrad/pharmacy school. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, trying new coffee recipes, and spending time with family and friends.

Michelle McDonnell is the primary Medical/Progressive Care preceptor. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Washington and completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in 2012. She is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist. Michelle is a member of WSPA and SPSPA. In her free time Michelle is an avid equestrian, riding dressage and hunter/jumpers. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends and keeping their two large dogs active (a German Shepherd and an Alaskan Malamute).

Carla Savage is the primary Evening Shift preceptor. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Washington. Carla completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at St. Anne Hospital in 2013 and is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, good eats, and spending time with her family, friends, and yorkie Ruby.

Wendy Keck is the primary Emergency Medicine preceptor. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from The University of Montana in 2000 and completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in 2001. She established the Emergency Medicine Pharmacist position at Good Samaritan in 2004 and is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist. She is a member of SPSPA and ACCP. In her free time, Wendy enjoys reading, puzzles, family, friends, and hosting team building events.

Jen McKaig is the primary Infectious Disease preceptor. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of the Pacific. Jen completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in 2018 and is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, playing tennis, and spending time with her family, friends, and Lucy (her golden retriever).

Stephanie Tang is the primary Cardiac preceptor. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Washington and completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in 2016. She is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys traveling, exploring new places and food, and spending time with family and friends.

Juliana Ihm is the primary Core preceptor. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois Chicago and completed a Pharmacy Residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in 2022. She is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. In her free time, Juliana enjoys traveling, exploring new restaurants and cafes, crocheting, and spending time with her family, friends, and Bori (her Pitbull mix).

Fassica Tesfaye is an Evening Shift Preceptor. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Washington in 2020 and completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Tacoma General Hospital in 2021. She is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, live music, good eats, reading, and tending to her indoor plants.

Hailee Williams is the primary Critical Care preceptor. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Idaho State University in 2020, and she subsequently completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in 2021. Hailee is a board-certified critical care specialist. In her free time, Hailee enjoys spending time with her animals (3 cats and a dog), reading, gardening, and doing all kinds of arts and crafts.

The City of Puyallup, pronounced Pew-Al-Up, is situated at the foot of scenic Mount Rainier in the beautiful Puget Sound region, 10 miles east of Tacoma and approximately 35 miles south of Seattle.

In its early years, Puyallup was an agricultural community. Farmers grew hops, berries and flowers and the city continues to pay homage to its agricultural roots. The spring is celebrated with the annual Daffodil Parade and in the fall the Washington State Fair continues to be a favorite destination for visitors.  There is a farmers’ market in Pioneer Park in downtown Puyallup, every Saturday from early May to late October, where many locals gather to sell home-grown produce and plants as well as baked goods and crafts.

Over the years, the city gained prominence as a regional commercial and service center for eastern Pierce County. Puyallup continues to serve its residents and neighbors with a strong, diversified economy.

Puyallup has a unique downtown antique district. There are also lots of shopping opportunities on Puyallup’s South Hill. The city boasts cinemas, restaurants, a two-year community college, parks and recreation, good K-12 schools, nice residential districts and a lot more.

MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital and Puyallup are surrounded by natural beauty.  Mount Rainier National Park to the southeast and the Cascade Mountains to the east offer a wealth of outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, snowboarding and snow-skiing.  If you prefer water sports, the beautiful Puget Sound is nearby for boating, fishing, water-skiing, and scuba diving.

How to apply

Application deadline: January 2

All applicants must participate in the PhORCAS and ASHP National Matching Service (NMS Match) programs. Please ensure you are applying to the correct program.

Program information

MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

PhORCAS & NMS program number = 125313

Application procedure & checklist

Complete applications must be submitted through PhORCAS by January 2. Applications lacking any required items (see below) or received after this date will not be considered.

  • Letter of intent
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Three references from pharmacy preceptors, professors, or employers
  • Official transcript from accredited School of Pharmacy
  • If your School of Pharmacy uses a Pass/Fail grading system, please include a class ranking (if available)

Applicant interviews

After review of applications, the Residency Program Director will contact selected applicants in late January or early February to schedule an interview with our team. Interviews last approximately four hours. More information will be provided when an offer to interview is accepted by the applicant.

The match

Applicants must participate in the match. After the match has resulted, the residency program director will contact matched residents. Any unmatched positions will move to phase II of the match. The application process for phase II is the same as phase I.

Questions?

For more information on the Good Samaritan Hospital Residency, contact Steven Larson, PharmD, BCPS at [email protected].

Want to learn more? Download our Pharmacy Residency Manual.