Pharmacy Residency Program

This is your opportunity to join one of Montana’s most modern and progressive health systems. Our state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technologies make Benefis an exceptional working environment. Becker’s Hospital Review rated us as one of the 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare for six consecutive years, starting in 2014. In 2018 and 2021, Forbes recognized Benefis Health System in its ranking of America’s Best Employers.

Application Process

• Application for Pharmacy Residency Program: Please email Logan Tinsen.
• Application deadline: First Monday in January (Jan 6, 2025).
• There are three open resident positions to apply for.
• Application materials: Letter of intent, curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation, official college transcripts, if applying from pass/fail school, provide class rank.
• All materials are submitted via PhORCAS.
• Interviews: Late January/February.
• Email the program contacts directly for specific information.

Pharmacy Department Mission Statement

Mission: Provide safe and effective, high quality patient centered pharmacotherapy through professionalism, respect, and communication.

Vision: The Department of Pharmacy is committed to:

Patient Care: Being an integral member of the healthcare team responsible for the outcomes associated with the medication use process.

• Contributing to and accepting responsibility for optimal therapeutic outcomes through partnerships with patients, caregivers, and health care professionals.
• Fostering an environment that promotes the safe, efficacious, and cost-effective use of medications.
• Provide evidence-based care that optimizes medication use across all health care settings.
• Recruiting and retaining highly qualified pharmacists and supportive personnel.

Education: Fostering an environment designed to advance knowledge.

• Mentoring and training staff members to enhance their professional development.
• Educating patients and healthcare professionals on the safe use of medications.
• Providing health education programs to the community.
• Ensuring high quality care through the education of students, residents, and staff to apply evidence-based approaches to practice.
• Develop students, residents, and staff to become leaders in all practice settings.

Public service: Ensure forward thinking to advocate for pharmacists as members of the healthcare team.

• Participate in local, state, and national health initiatives that promote and advocate health improvement, wellness, and access to health care.
• Serve as patient advocates, especially for underserved populations.
• Participate as active leaders of the University and the public at large.

Core Values: We as pharmacists believe in…

• Excellence and Patient Centered Care
• Honesty and Integrity
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Respect and Teamwork (collaboration)

Pharmacy Strategic Initiatives 2022 – 2027 Long Term

Pharmacy Operations

• Replace Robot / Evaluate full cabinet fill model
• Growth of Technician roles as staffing allows

Clinical Quality and Safety

• Medication Safety Specialist Pharmacist Lead 100% established and integrated
• Maintain tPA “order to delivery” times below 10 minutes
• Establish Clinical Dashboard with metrics, benchmarks, goals, action plans
• Establish Clinical Pharmacist Criteria
• Clinical (AMS Specialist) Pharmacist support to Infectious Disease and System-wide Antimicrobial Stewardship initiatives
• Maintain Pharmacist on Readmissions Committee
• Ambulatory Pharmacy comprehensive med review for Home Health patients with polypharmacy

Staff Satisfaction and Wellbeing

• Improve pharmacy staff satisfaction scores to be above 4.0 and maintain
• Evaluate implementing a Shared Governance Model for both Technicians and Pharmacists

Growth of Pharmacy Services

• Evaluate addition of Ambulatory Care Pharmacist to practice as part of the integrated clinical team for Chronic Condition Management
• To meet identified need, expand Anti-Coagulation Clinic services to meet the need of expanded cardiac services in Great Falls BMG. Investigate tele-med Anti-coag services (Helena in future)
• Participate in building/space design for Medical Office Building (to include ASC and Infusion) in Helena, MT
• Implementation of entity owned Specialty Pharmacy
• Meds to Beds Program
• Transitions of Care Pharmacist

Financial Stewardship and Cost Savings

• Contribute to drug cost savings across all areas - $1,500,000 goal 2022
• Continue to increase Pharmacy awareness and participation at the revenue cycle level
• Pharmacy interventions to affect (decrease) patient out of pocket expenses