Essentia Health

Site Profile

Organization: Essentia Health is an integrated health system serving patients in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Idaho.

Headquartered in Duluth, Minn., Essentia Health combines the strengths and talents of 15,000 employees, including more than 1,900 physicians and advanced practitioners, who serve our patients and communities through the mission of being called to make a healthy difference in people's lives.

Essentia Health, which includes many Catholic facilities, is guided by the values of Quality, Hospitality, Respect, Justice, Stewardship and Teamwork. The organization delivers on its promise to be "Here With You" in 15 hospitals, 75 clinics, seven long-term care facilities, two assisted living facilities, four independent living facilities, five ambulance services and one research institute.

Pharmacy Services: Essentia Health pharmacy services include: 19 ambulatory pharmacies, including our prescription service center, the specialty pharmacy, decentralized inpatient pharmacy services, infusion pharmacy, investigational pharmacy, and medication therapy management services. Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services were first offered at the Duluth Clinic internal medicine department in 2004. MTM services continue to be offered in the Internal Medicine department and are also now offered at: Lakewalk Clinic, Lakeside Clinic,  and the Duluth Family Medicine Clinic. MTM providers may also be asked to see patients in: Pediatrics, Elder Care, Balance Center, and the Pain Clinic. Essentia Health has been a residency site since 2008.

Educational Experience

The resident will develop clinical skills through extensive direct patient care experiences while receiving feedback on performance. The specific program for each resident may vary in structure based upon the resident's entry-level knowledge base, skill and interest. The resident will receive training and develop competence in managing and improving the medication-use process, providing evidence-based, patient-centered medication therapy management with interdisciplinary teams, exercise leadership and practice-management skills, demonstrate project-management skills, and provide medication and practice-related education/training.

The resident will spend 1/2 of the year within the Internal Medicine department and 1/2 of the year at the Duluth Family Medicine Clinic. There will be many opportunities to interact with providers and impact drug therapy decisions while gaining proficiency in all aspects of MTM. The resident may be involved in the expansion of MTM services across the Essentia Health System.

In addition to the longitudinal patient care opportunities in primary care settings, the resident will be expected to participate in several unique educational opportunities, or rotations.

The following rotations will be required, and other elective rotations (including a general inpatient care rotation) may be designed to suit the resident’s needs and career goals.

• Teaching: The resident will teach at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Duluth in the pharmaceutical care learning center one-half day per week. The resident will also provide experiential teaching in their clinical practice environment and serve as a mentor to one pharmacy student per semester. Presentations to medical providers and other teaching opportunities will be offered.
• Management: The resident will meet with the Director of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services, the Ambulatory Pharmacy Clinical Manager and Ambulatory Pharmacy Operations Manager throughout the year to discuss management, leadership, and be guided in project management.

Other activities include:
• Participating in monthly journal club/topic discussions
• Attend monthly residency advisory committee (RAC) meetings
• Attending committee meetings
• Providing drug information and education to physicians and advanced practice providers
• Staffing one day per week at one of the ambulatory care pharmacies

Typical Weekly Schedule (PDF)

Site Coordinator

Krista Rouse, Pharm.D, BCACP is the site coordinator and will act as a preceptor during time spent in internal medicine department. She will be responsible for overseeing all of the resident’s practice activities, and ensuring proper and adequate evaluation of the program.  She joined Essentia Health in 2011 as a Clinical Pharmacist.  Her primary practice site is in the internal medicine department at the Duluth Clinic where she provides medication therapy management services.  Dr. Rouse serves as a preceptor for Pharm.D. students during their Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience and is a mentor to first year Pharm.D. students.  She received her Bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from the University of Minnesota.  She completed her pharmacy PGY1 residency at St. Luke’s hospital where she practiced inpatient pharmacy, but focused her research project on developing ambulatory care services.  Her interests include chronic disease management through ensuring patients are educated about proper use of their medications and expanding the role of the pharmacist with the healthcare system.
Email: krista.rouse@essentiahealth.org
Phone: 218-786-2708

Preceptors 

Danielle MacDonald, Pharm.D., BCACP will serve as a preceptor during time spent at the Duluth Family Medicine Clinic.  She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy–Duluth in 2007. She completed her ambulatory care pharmacy practice residency with SuperiorHealth Center (SHC) and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy in 2007-2008. After residency, Dr. MacDonald continued her employment with SHC (later acquired by Essentia Health) providing both medication therapy management services and community pharmacy-based care. She currently practices at the Lakewalk and Lakeside Family Practice Clinic and the Duluth Family Medicine Clinic. Her interests include optimizing disease management services, mentoring and precepting pharmacy students, and providing continuing education.
Email: danielle.macdonald@essentiahealth.org
Phone: 218-576-0118

Ann Yapel, Pharm.D., BCACP will serve as a preceptor during time spent at the Duluth Family Medicine Clinic and Essentia Health Neighborhood Clinics, Lakewalk and Lakeside.  She is a 2001 graduate of the University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy.  Ann worked with the Superior Health clinic system from 2001 until it merged with Essentia Health in April of 2011. Ann currently practices clinical pharmacy at both the Lakewalk and the Duluth Family Medicine Clinic sites.  In this role the pharmacist provides Medication Therapy Management Services primarily by direct patient care encounters.  Other responsibilities include participation in a health care team, providing education to medical providers and ancillary staff as well as precepting both pharmacy and non-pharmacy students wishing to apply to a pharmacy program.  Ann feels strongly that educating patients enhances their medication experience and medical care overall.
Email: ann.yapel@essentiahealth.org
Phone: 218-576-0120

Cassie Furr, Pharm.D, BCACP is a clinical pharmacist practicing at the Lakewalk Essentia Health Family Medicine Clinic where she provides medication therapy management services.  She received her Bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Minnesota - Duluth and her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from the University of Minnesota.  She also completed a pharmacy PGY1 residency through the University of Minnesota Ambulatory Care Residency Program practicing at Essentia Health in Duluth in 2014.  She has been with Essentia since 2008, joining as a pharmacist in 2014.    Dr. Furr held a split practice, comprising of both clinical and community pharmacy services, until acquiring a full time clinical practice in July of 2018. Dr. Furr serves as a preceptor for Pharm.D. students as well as a mentor to first year Pharm.D. students.  She finds working with residents to be incredibly rewarding and fosters professional growth.  
Email: cassandra.furr@essentiahealth.org
Phone: 218-576-0197

Kirsten Stone, Pharm.D is a 2002 graduate from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She has been with Essentia Health since April 2014. She started her career at Essentia Health as a pharmacy manager at the Lakewalk pharmacy. Within a year, she was promoted to her current position as the Clinical Manager of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services. In this position she juggles 3 different roles; supervision of 11 interns dedicated to prescription monitoring program information for Essentia’s Opioid program, oversight of Essentia Health Ambulatory Clinical Pharmacists and lastly the development, implementation and management of clinical services for Essentia’s 19 ambulatory pharmacies. She participates in the Essentia Health System P&T Committee, Immunization Committee, Opioid Steering Committee and Community Opioid Task Force.  She greatly enjoys working with the pharmacy residents and appreciates the eagerness to learn, knowledge, variety and experiences that come with their participation. 
Email: kirsten.stone@essentiahealth.org
Phone: 218-786-1047

Roseann Hines, Pharm.D is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy.  She completed her PGY1 Residency, with a focus in Pediatrics, at Ministry- St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield, WI.  After her residency, Roseann worked as a clinical/staff pharmacist in Pediatrics at Ministry-St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and as a clinical specialist in women and children services at WakeMed Health& Hospitals in Raleigh, NC before her transition to Essentia Health as the Acute Care Senior Clinical Manager.  In 2019, Roseann transitioned to the Ambulatory Pharmacy team as the Senor Manager for the Office of Mediation Use Management.  She has responsibility and oversight for outpatient prescribing across the health system including  the prior authorization team, the Essentia Health preferred drug list (PDL), electronic decision support tools and clinical services such as the Medication Therapy Management Program.
Email: roseann.hines@essentiahealth.org
Phone: 218-786- 8516

Michael Kozlovski, Pharm.D: I am the current manager of the Essentia Health Third Street Pharmacy located within the Duluth Clinic. I have been in this position for 8 months. Previously, I was the manager of the Essentia First Street pharmacy, the Walmart Pharmacy in Hermantown, and the Walgreen’s Pharmacy in Virginia, MN. I graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy in 2015 where I attended the Duluth campus from 2011-2015. Throughout my time as a pharmacist I have grown to value the stories that make each of us unique. Taking the time to unlock these stories has allowed me to step back from my role as a manager to connect with coworkers and patients on a more intimate level. I enjoy having those meaningful conversations about life, health, and family as often as I can. At home I love spending time with my wonderful wife of nearly 4 years, Cidne. Together, we have a beautiful daughter Savannah who recently turned one. Her favorite activity is to keep mom and dad busy by running everywhere in the house and chasing our ever-patient pup, Finnegan, from room to room. My family means everything to me.
Email: Michael.Kozlovski@EssentiaHealth.org 
Phone: 218-786-3483

Kenzie Hohman, PharmD, BCPS is the pharmacy manager at the Essentia Health Specialty Pharmacy.  She completed her Pharm.D. at the University of Minnesota (Duluth campus), residency training at Essentia Health – St. Mary’s Medical Center, and is currently working to complete her Masters in Business Administration at the College of St. Scholastica.  Prior to transitioning to her role with the Specialty Pharmacy, she worked as a Pharmacy Operations Senior Manager for acute care pharmacy services at Essentia Health.  Her interests include medication quality and safety, practice advancement, and improving the delivery of pharmacy services.
Email: Kenzie.hohman@essentiahealth.org
Phone: 715-817-7145

Darin Steenerson Pharm.D, BCACP is the Manager of the Essentia Specialty Pharmacy.  He earned his Pharm.D. from the University of MN-Duluth in 2012.  He went on to complete an Ambulatory Care Residency through the University of MN at Essentia Health.  After residency he took over as Pharmacist-in-Charge of the Essentia Health Clinic Pharmacy in Superior. He enjoyed the collaborative nature of the Superior clinic/hospital and the relationships that develop with providers and other clinic staff. Along with dispensing, the pharmacy provided immunizations, had a discharge delivery service and worked with Lake Superior Community Health Center as a contract pharmacy allowing low-income patients access to affordable medications. As he begins his new role in Specialty Pharmacy, he notes “My passion has always been high quality patient care and working collaboratively with other departments.” His interests outside of pharmacy include music, camping, hiking, golfing, and being outdoors.
Email: Darin.Steenerson@EssentiaHealth.org 
Phone: 715-817-7880

Irina V. Haller, PhD, MS is a senior research scientist at Essentia Health Institute of Rural Health and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School – Duluth.  She received her doctoral degree in physiology from Petrozavodsk State University, Russia and Master’s degree in applied and computational mathematics from the University of Minnesota - Duluth.  She has been with Essentia Health since 2000. Dr. Haller’s research focus is in health services research, informatics. She has extensive experience biomedical research methodology and taught research methods to medical students, family practice and pharmacy residents. Dr. Haller serves as a preceptor and leads the Pharmacy Research Learning Experience for pharmacy residents.  
Email: irina.haller@essentiahealth.org 
Phone: 218-786-8185

Colleen M. Renier, B.S. is a biostatistician with the Essentia Institute of Rural Health (EIRH), at Essentia Health. She received her Bachelor’s degree in mathematics (statistics) from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, in 1981. Ms. Renier was the statistical analyst for the Department of Behavioral Sciences, at the University of Minnesota, School of Medicine, Duluth, from 1981 until she joined EIRH, in 1998. From 2005-2008, she was also a member of the adjunct faculty of the University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, Duluth, teaching beginning statistics. In 2014, she was the recipient of the Achievement Award in Industry, from the Applied Public Health Statistics section of the American Public Health Association. Ms. Renier works with residents on research/residency project development, evaluation, interpretation and presentation, and finds their interest, energy and growth exciting.
Email: Colleen.Renier@EssentiaHealth.org
Phone: Office 218-786-3438 / Toll-free: 877-710-1094