Cardiac Critical Care APPE

Saint Luke's Hospital Cardiology Critical Care Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) Rotation involves the provision of pharmaceutical care for those patients in the Coronary Intensive Care Unit (CICU) as well as the Advanced Heart Failure/Heart Transplant Unit (H5 South). The CICU encompasses the hospitalization of patients for cardiac-related diagnoses. The complete spectrum of pharmaceutical care is experienced during the rotation, including:

  • Medication order review, clarification, and validation
  • Interaction with nurses regarding medication administration issues/questions
  • Monitoring and assessing drug therapy
  • Rounding with the health care team
  • Providing patient/family education (i.e., anticoagulant education, as well as dofetilide and sotalol education)

Interactions with other members of the health care team include staff physicians, residents and fellows, medical students, social workers, nurses, and dietitians.

Potential Topics/Activities

Core content which will be covered via actual patient care experiences, discussions of reading materials, and/or case presentations includes a review of the following:

  • Acute Coronary Syndromes
  • Advanced cardiac life support and therapeutic hypothermia
  • Cardiac arrhythmia pathology and treatment
  • Cardiac Devices (Pacemakers, ICD, VAD, IABP, etc)
  • Cardiac transplantation
  • Heart Failure (Acute Decompensated)
  • Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia
  • Infective Endocarditis
  • Peripheral Arterial Disease
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
  • Thromboembolic disorders

Emphasis will be placed on designing, monitoring, and evaluating patient-specific pharmacotherapy. The preceptor serves as a role model and a learning resource for the student, but also provides the opportunity for independent practice. The student is encouraged to take initiative in assisting the direction of the learning experience during the rotation to optimize their personal development.

Location

Preceptors

Kedra Blunck, PharmD, BCPS-AQ Cardiology
  • School of pharmacy: University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Residency training: PGY1—Carl T. Hayden Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • Specialty interests: Cardiology Critical Care, Heart Failure, Transplant, Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Health system, hospital, pharmacy, and residency committee involvement: Saint Luke’s Hospital Cardiac Transplant Team, Saint Luke’s Hospital Mechanical Circulatory Support Team, Saint Luke’s Pharmacy Residency Research Oversight Committee
  • Professional involvement: American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), Cardiology and Transplant PRN, American College of Cardiology (ACC)
  • Pharmacy awards, accolades: 2012 Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacists Best Student Poster Award; 2012-2013 Saint Luke’s Hospital Pharmacy PGY1 Preceptor of the Year; 2015 Greater Kansas City Society of Health-System Pharmacists Pharmacist of the Year
Chip Hayes, PharmD, BCPS, BCCP
  • School of pharmacy: Creighton University
  • Residency training: PGY1—Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City; PGY2 Cardiology—The Ohio State University
  • Specialty interests: Heart failure, electrophysiology, acute coronary syndromes, anticoagulation
  • Professional involvement:  Cardiovascular Evidence-Based Practice Team (EPT); Comprehensive Cardiac Care Center Multidisciplinary Performance Improvement Committee; Heart Conference Planning Committee; Cardiovascular medication safety committee
  • Health system, hospital, pharmacy, and residency committee involvement: American College of Cardiology (ACC), American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), and American Society of Health-System Pharmacy (ASHP)
  • Pharmacy awards, accolades: 2020 ASHP Pharmacy Residency Excellence Award Preceptor of the Year; 2018-2019 Saint Luke’s Hospital PGY1 General Practice Residency Preceptor of the Year; June, 2013 Saint Luke’s Hospital Employee of the month; 2012-2013 Saint Luke’s Hospital PGY1 General Practice Residency Preceptor Recognition Award; 2010-2011 Saint Luke’s Hospital PGY1 General Practice Residency Preceptor of the Year
Leah Sanchez, PharmD, BCCCP
  • School of pharmacy: University of Missouri-Kansas City
  • Residency training: PGY1—Houston Methodist Hospital; PGY2 Critical Care—Houston Methodist Hospital
  • Specialty interests: Cardiology, Critical Care, Advanced Heart Failure, Cardiac Transplant
  • Health system, hospital, pharmacy, and residency committee involvement: Anesthesia Evidence-Based Practice Team (EPT), Cardiac Transplant Selection Committee, Research Oversight Committee, Residency Advisory Committee