Contact: Paul Meznarich
715-838-5805
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Jenny Paulus spent her final day of work filling hospitalized patients’ prescriptions and later analyzing blood samples and consulting with patients on blood-thinning medication. Brandon Simmons was stationed in the Critical Care Unit to consult with staff on patients’ dosages and treatments.
Luther Midelfort pharmacy residents Brandon Simmons and Jenny Paulus
It appeared to be another typical day in the life of a pharmacy resident. But for Paulus and Simmons, when they left Luther Midelfort on June 25, they were leaving behind a legacy that will influence future pharmacists to come.
“They’ve played an integral role in designing the program as it moves into its second year,” says Catherine Lea, director of Luther Midelfort’s Postgraduate Year One Pharmacy Residency program.
Paulus and Simmons are the program’s first graduates. And although they were the ones who were technically supposed to be “learning,” they provided plenty of learning opportunities for program staff.
“We did plenty of research and planning leading up to the launch of the program, but you can never account for everything,” Lea says. “Not only were Jenny and Brandon flexible with our tweaking and adjusting things as we went along, they gave us great feedback from their perspectives as far as what worked and what they thought we could do better.”
It was a unique position for the residents, but one they were prepared for, they say.
“We knew in the beginning that we’d be running into unexpected situations,” Paulus says. “But it was such a collaborative setting that it was very easy to offer ideas for next year.”
Upon leaving the residency program, Paulus will start working as a pharmacist for Luther Midelfort Northland in Barron. Simmons has been accepted into a second-year residency program with Kaiser Permanente in Denver.
Luther Midelfort has already begun training two new pharmacy residents. For more information about the residency program, contact Lea at 715-838-5195.
# # #
In partnership with Mayo Clinic, Luther Midelfort offers a full range of quality medical services, including cardiac and orthopedic surgery, cancer and trauma care programs. Through a network of community-based healthcare providers in west-central Wisconsin, Luther Midelfort provides access to experts close to home.
