PGY2 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency Program

Mission Statement

The TGH PGY2 Infectious Diseases (ID) pharmacy residency program builds on Doctor of Pharmacy education and PGY1 pharmacy residency training to contribute to the development of ID pharmacotherapy specialists. The program will aspire to produce versatile ID pharmacists who can practice in different settings of care and facilitate transitions of care. As a safety net hospital, the PGY2 ID resident will care for underfunded individuals and be responsible for creating safe, effective, and affordable discharge plans and working with these patients in an ambulatory setting. The program aims to maintain dedication to evidence-based pharmacotherapy, antimicrobial stewardship (ASP), and continuous quality improvement. A focus on the development of leadership, management, and interpersonal skills, that are vital to an ID pharmacists’ clinical practice, will be addressed throughout the residency year. Also, effective communication skills will be taught to prepare the PGY2 ID resident to successfully make interventions and thereby become an independent practitioner. Finally, the program’s goal is that the resident will spearhead practical research wit deliverables that will hone verbal and written communication skills necessary for professional development at an institutional, state, regional, and national level. Residents who successfully complete this PGY2 ID residency will be prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with knowledge to become board certified in Infectious Diseases.

Program Overview

Tampa General Hospital is a tertiary care, level I trauma center and one of the most comprehensive medical facilities in West Central Florida. Due to the complex patient population cared for at TGH, a variety of infections are treated daily at the institution; therefore, making TGH a great environment for learning and teaching. The Infectious Diseases service line provides specialized care for immunocompromised patients with HIV/AIDS, solid organ transplant, and oncology diagnoses. The PGY2 ID resident will be an integral part of the healthcare team for each infectious diseases team, providing care to patients with known or suspected infectious disease concerns. The resident can enhance their precepting skills while serving as a co-preceptor for rotating PGY-1 residents. In the ambulatory care setting, the PGY2 resident will gain experience in the longitudinal management of HIV/AIDS patients and their associated infections through the Hillsborough County Health Department Specialty Care Clinic as well as opportunities with transition of care from TGH. In addition to providing direct patient care, residents will be involved in scholarly activities such as journal publication, clinical research, and platform and poster presentations at state and/or national meetings.

The TGH ID pharmacy preceptors will provide a comprehensive educational environment for the PGY2 resident. These preceptors are integral parts of the various ID teams (academic and private practice) caring for patients at Tampa General Hospital. They have a proven commitment to training pharmacists and residents in the management of various ID states. Their backgrounds represent a diverse mix of experiences and training, including ID specialty residency training and board certification(s). In addition to their focus on direct patient care, these preceptors are involved in scholarly activities such as journal publication, textbook publication, scientific journal peer review, clinical research, and platform and poster presentations at various state and national meetings. These practitioners are also actively involved with local, state, national and international professional organizations (e.g., Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists (FSHP), Making A Difference in Infectious Diseases (MAD-ID) and Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP), and Vizient).

Teaching

Residents completing this residency program will have a variety of teaching responsibilities throughout the year. Formal teaching opportunities include an accredited grand rounds presentation to pharmacy staff, student topic discussions, morning report to medical residents, and a presentation for the University of South Florida (USF) Infectious Diseases fellowship program’s weekly lecture series. Didactic teaching opportunities at USF College of Pharmacy are available for the resident to engage in. A teaching certificate program is also offered through the USF College of Pharmacy if not previously completed as a PGY1 resident. Finally, informal opportunities are numerous, including nursing in-services and patient/caregiver medication education and counseling.

Residents may serve as a co-preceptor for PGY1 residents on their mandatory ID rotations during the 2nd half of the residency year.

Scholarly Activity 

The PGY2 ID resident will become proficient in completing clinical research projects designed to advance ID / ASP pharmacy knowledge and practice. PGY2 residents will lead and complete one major research project, and garner IRB approval for a second research project for the next incoming resident. The resident will submit an abstract(s) to an ID focused conference for presentation (if selected), and the research project will be written as a manuscript for publication submission. In addition to these research projects, quality improvement projects will be completed with an ID pharmacotherapy specialist throughout the year as needs arise. Residents with a specific interest in publication can complete and submit a manuscript for publication during the residency year. Additionally, residents may present their projects at the following meetings:

• Vizient Annual Meeting
• Florida Residency Conference (FRC)
• Making A Difference in Infectious Diseases (MAD-ID) (if accepted)

Staffing Responsibilities 

During the first half of the residency year, the PGY2 ID resident will be trained to independently function as a decentralized, unit-based clinical pharmacist and complete their staffing responsibilities every 4th weekend. During the latter part of the year, the PGY2 ID resident will transition into an ID pharmacotherapy specialist weekend staffing role and be responsibility for the Antibiotic Stewardship on-call phone every 4th weekend.

All residents work one major (Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Day) and one minor (Labor Day and Memorial Day) holiday throughout the year.
 

Program Sites

• The resident will complete various clinical rotations and activities at Tampa General Hospital

• Longitudinal Ambulatory Care experience is conducted at Hillsborough County Department of Health Specialty Care Clinic, which focuses on HIV care and antiretroviral pharmacotherapy

• Academic teaching experiences may be conducted at the USF College of Pharmacy

• Elective rotations are available in Bone Marrow Transplantation ID at Moffitt Cancer Center and Pediatric ID in Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital

Learning Experiences

 Table of Infectious Diseases PGY2 Experiences

Longitudinal Experiences

• Major and minor research projects
• HIV/AIDS Ambulatory Care (see details above)
• Infectious Diseases / Antimicrobial Stewardship administration duties
• Staffing: decentralized, unit-based pharmacist and Antibiotic Stewardship on-call phone coverage (refer to Staffing Responsibilities)
• Teaching: Pharmacy, physician, nursing, and various medical professional teaching. University teaching, if desired at the USF College of Pharmacy

Core TGH Infectious Diseases Preceptoers

• Nicholas Piccicacco, PharmD, BCIDP, AAHIVP
• Kristen Zeitler, BS, PharmD, BCPS
• Melissa O'Neal, PharmD

Click to see the preceptors page for bios and information

Program Specifics

Table of Program Specifics

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Medical insurance (e.g. health, dental)
• Sick leave
• Paid vacation
• Retirement plan contributions
• Health and Wellness Center
• Professional travel reimbursement
• Lab coats
• Resident office
• Resident computer
• Cell phone stipend (pending eligible carrier)
• ACLS certification

Contact

Please address all correspondence to PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency Director:

Nicholas Piccicacco, PharmD, BCIDP, AAHIVP
PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency Program Director
Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy Specialist
Tampa General Hospital
npiccicacco@tgh.org