General Hospital/Acute Care Rotation - Hedrick Medical Center APPE

Hedrick Medical Center is a 25-bed acute care critical access hospital located in Chillicothe, Missouri, and is part of the Saint Luke’s Health System. Hedrick Medical center provides comprehensive care, including 24-hour emergency services, a spacious maternity unit, Intensive Care Unit featuring eICU, a specialty clinic, an onsite chemotherapy infusion center, and inpatient and outpatient surgery.

Students will participate in the daily drug distribution process, clinically monitor patients, and experience the unique challenges a critical access hospital encompasses. Students will apply their acquired knowledge and skills to a wide range of professional services and activities that the pharmacy department provides.

Potential Topics/Activities

  • Medication dispensing/distribution under pharmacist supervision
  • Communicate with nurses and physicians to optimize medication use
  • Selected topic discussions
  • Respond to drug information requests (verbally and/or through documentation in chart)
  • Targeted drug therapy monitoring including vancomycin, aminoglycosides, and others
  • Antibiotic surveillance including review of microbial culture and sensitivity data
  • Medication profile review and identification of drug-related problems
  • Adverse drug reaction and medication error reporting
  • Medication counseling on discharging patients
  • Documentation of clinical activities in the medical record
  • Various shadowing opportunities
  • Introduction to IV preparation and sterility testing

Goals/Objectives

  • Introduce students to the medication use process and patient care activities that occur in the critical access hospital pharmacy setting  
  • Provide a learning environment for students to apply classroom knowledge and skills to patient care
  • Foster students’ ability to effectively communicate with other members of the health care team
  • Improve students’ proficiency in using available resources to ensure the safe and effective use of medications

Location

Preceptors

Katie O’Dell, PharmD, BCPS
  • School of pharmacy: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy
  • Residency training: PGY1—Saint Luke’s East Hospital
  • Specialty interests: Rural medicine
  • Health system, hospital, pharmacy, and residency committee involvement: Hedrick Medical Center/Wright Memorial Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee