To connect with our pharmacy residency program contacts and ask questions, please send an email to Pharmacy.Residency@SalemHealth.org.

Learning opportunities

As a pharmacy resident at Salem Health, you will gain broad exposure to a wide variety of patient populations and have the opportunity to further develop your skill sets in many areas including clinical pharmacy services, pharmacy operations, administration and leadership, and project management.

The following required and elective learning experiences currently offered include:

• Orientation
• Adult Critical Care I & II
• Adult Internal Medicine I & II
• Emergency Department I
• Cardiovascular Care Unit (CVCU)
• ID I: Introduction to Infectious Disease
• IV Room & Operating Room
• Neonatal, Pediatric and Obstetrics
• Emergency Department II
• Oncology (Adult) 
• Operating Room II
• Pharmacy Operations
• Pharmacy & Therapeutics / Medication Safety Committee
• Teaching and Learning Experience - Oregon Pharmacy Teaching Certificate (OPTC) ¹
• Residency Project ²
• Pharmacy Staffing ³

Additional information: See more details here.

Several learning experiences may be repeated as an elective but no more than 12 weeks can be spent in a single level of care (i.e. Critical Care, Internal Medicine).

¹ Oregon Pharmacy Teaching Certificate (OPTC) program: This program is jointly operated by the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy and Pacific University School of Pharmacy. It is intended for postgraduate pharmacy trainees who are interested in didactic and experiential education activities and includes workshops, practical training and hands on teaching experiences. Residents that successfully complete all required teaching activities will be awarded a teaching certificate.

² Residency Project: Each resident completes a year-long project during the residency year. Potential projects are identified by the Residency Advisory Committee and presented to the residents for consideration and ranking early in the year.  Residents participate in all stages of the process including developing a time line, obtaining IRB approval, data collection and analysis, submitting an abstract for presentation of the project at the Northwestern States Conference for Residents and Preceptors and a poster for ASHP Midyear, and completing a manuscript. 

• Projects from previous years
  

Citywide Residency Conference:  Residents participate in quarterly meetings, intended to round out a residency experience and provide networking opportunities with Portland-area residents & Residency Program Directors. Participation in this program allows residents to share knowledge across organizations and includes educational sessions to further enhance the residency experience. Some example topics include personal and professional leadership, preceptor development, change management, project justification, and legislative advocacy. These sessions are likely to restart during the 2024-2025 residency year

³ Pharmacy Staffing Commitment:  Service commitment is crucial to the development of professional practice skills.  Residents will gain proficiency in both operational and clinical skill sets during the staffing experience, which includes exposure to both central and decentral pharmacy practice. This exposure will provide valuable experience and insights into key inpatient pharmacy processes for acute care facilities, increasing one’s ability to lead practice improvement initiatives. Residents are expected to staff approximately 32 hours per month, 8 hours per staffing shift.

Medical Emergency Response: Residents will receive upfront training Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and will have the opportunity to actively participate in hospital-wide code blue responses throughout the residency.

Residency Program Director

Matthew Tanner, PharmD, BCPS

After graduating from Idaho State University’s College of Pharmacy in 2002, I completed an Adult Medicine Residency at the Boise VA.  I helped establish swing shift ICU coverage at Salem Hospital and leapt at the opportunity to practice opposite of our day ICU pharmacist for about 8 years. In 2012, I stepped into the Clinical Coordinator position and was given the opportunity to establish our PGY1 residency. Currently, I precept the P&T and Medication Safety rotations.

I am originally a farm boy raised in Southern Idaho and my interests include hiking, reading science fiction (especially Star Wars and Battletech), Pokemon Go with my son, and rollerblading and playing board games with my daughters.

I invite you to check out our residency – the website, the showcase, and asking us questions by e-mail. If you like what you see, then maybe your picture will be on our residency site next year!

Residency Program Coordinator

Wesley Porter, PharmD, BCPS

Wes graduated with his PharmD degree from the University of Colorado in 2017. He completed his PGY-1 inpatient residency training at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada in 2018 and began working as the ICU Clinical Pharmacist at Salem Health in 2021.

Serving as the residency program coordinator since 2023, Wes works closely with the program director, residents and preceptors to organize the residency year. In addition to the coordinator role, Wes precepts for the Adult Critical Care I & II, Teaching & Learning, and Pharmacy Residency Project learning experiences.

When not at work, Wes loves to explore the Oregon Coast and frequent the nearby farmer’s market with his family.

Preceptors

Nathan Brabham, RPh

Nathan received his pharmacy degree from Oregon State University. Nathan has been Salem Health’s operating room pharmacist for more than two decades and has received numerous awards for service excellence from the organization over the years. He serves as preceptor for the IV Room / OR learning experience.

Danielle Britt, MA, PharmD

Danielle received her PharmD from Washington State University in 2007. She completed a PGY-1 pediatric focused residency training program at Providence Alaska Medical Center 2008 and joined Salem Health as the Infectious Diseases/ Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist in October 2016. Danielle was awarded her MAD-ID Basic and Advance Antimicrobial Stewardship Certificates in 2014 and 2018. She serves as a preceptor for the Antimicrobial Stewardship / Infectious Disease I & II learning experiences, leads the hospital inpatient stewardship program and is co-chair for the COVID-19 medication task force work group. Her professional interests include infectious diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, pediatrics and HIV management. In her free time, Danielle enjoys spending time with her family and exploring the Pacific Northwest.

Stephanie Cassidy, PharmD

Stephanie received her PharmD from Pacific University in Oregon. She been with Salem Health since 2017. Stephanie works in various positions at the hospital including Critical Care, Pediatrics and Internal Medicine. Stephanie has served as chair and preceptor for the Clinical Pharmacy Practice Council learning experience. Outside of work she likes to spend time with her 5-month-old son, husband and two dogs.

Grozdana Fundak, PharmD

Grozdana received her PharmD from University of Washington and completed an ASHP-accredited residency training at the University of Washington, Harborview Hospitals. She started at Salem Health in 2002 and has been recognized multiple times by the organization for her service excellence as an oncology pharmacist. Currently she serves as preceptor for the Adult Internal Medicine I & II, Oncology and Pharmacy Staffing learning experiences.

Caroline Houston, PharmD

Caroline received her PharmD from University of the Pacific. She has been with Salem Health since 2012 as an IV pharmacist and serves as the primary preceptor for the IV Room / OR learning experience.

Aron Howe, PharmD

Aron received his PharmD from Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. Since 2012, Aron has been one of Salem Health’s Emergency Department pharmacists and serves as preceptor for Emergency Department I & II learning experiences.

Cejae Legal, PharmD

Cejae received her PharmD from Oregon State University. She has been with Salem Health since 2001 first as a student, a clinical pharmacist in 2004 and specialized in cardiovascular ICU in 2008. She serves as the primary preceptor for the Cardiovascular ICU and Pharmacy Staffing learning experiences, and has received the Outstanding Resident Mentor Award three years in a row. Additionally, she teaches the cardiac pharmacology class to new cardiac nurses.

Rachel Lukas, PharmD, BCPS

Rachel received her PharmD with a leadership emphasis from the University of Minnesota in 2020. She completed a PGY-1 residency at St. Charles in Bend, Oregon, and started working for Salem Health in 2021. Rachel was one of the recipients of the Team Star Award given by ICU staff in recognition of collaborative clinical service in 2022. She was named Preceptor of the Year by pharmacy residents in 2023. She currently serves as a preceptor for the Emergency Department I & II learning experiences. Her clinical interests include hypertonic therapies for traumatic brain injury, pharmaceutical management of acute spinal cord injuries, and optimization of antidote stocking.

Shannon Muller, PharmD 

Shannon received her PharmD from Pacific University in 2021. She completed a PGY-1 residency at Salem Health Hospital and continued to work for the hospital following residency, providing patient care to several areas including medical surgical floors, intensive care, emergency department, IV room, and main pharmacy. More recently she has accepted a position as one of the family birth center (FBC) pharmacy partners and serves as a preceptor for the FBC/Neonatal ICU learning experience.

Cory Rahn, PharmD

Cory received his PharmD from Oregon State University. He completed PGY-1 residency training at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Cory serves as a preceptor for the longitudinal Pharmacy Administration learning experience.

Rick Rochetto, RPh

Rick received his pharmacy degree from Oregon State University. He started his inpatient pharmacy career at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, OR and joined Salem Health in 1996 as an ICU Clinical Pharmacist. He has been awarded the Pharmacist Award of Excellence in 2000 and has been involved in numerous protocol work. Rick serves as the primary preceptor for the Adult Critical Care I & II learning experiences.

Erich Schmidt, PharmD, BCPS

Erich received his PharmD from the University of Georgia. He has been with Salem Health since 2002 as a clinical pharmacist in many different areas, including Neurotrauma ICU, Medical-Surgical/ Orthopedic and Intermediate care ICU.  Erich serves as a preceptor for the Adult Internal Medicine I & II learning experiences.

Tae Yu, RPh, BCPS

Tae received his pharmacy degree from Oregon State University in 1999. After graduation, he worked retail pharmacy and started at Salem Health in 2003 as a night shift pharmacist. He was awarded his Board Certification in Pharmacotherapy in 2013. Tae serves as a preceptor for the Neonatal, Pediatric and Obstetrics and Pharmacy Staffing learning experiences.

Chelsea Zipse, PharmD, BCPS

Chelsea received her PharmD from the University of Kansas in 2017. She completed a PGY-1 residency at Saint Alphonsus in Boise, Idaho and then stayed on as an Internal Medicine Pharmacist. In 2021, she moved to Oregon and joined the Salem Health pharmacy team, where she provides patient care to several different areas, including oncology, medical-surgical, and neurotrauma units. Chelsea serves as a preceptor for the Adult Internal Medicine I & II and Oncology learning experiences.

Current residents