PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency Program

Patient care is provided by a staff of approximately 60 pharmacists and 35 pharmacy technicians. In addition to distributive functions, a wide variety of clinical services are maintained to ensure our Veterans receive optimal care.  Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners play an integral role by enhancing care to patients in all settings at the KCVA including primary and specialty care, both at the medical center and in community based clinics.  These pharmacists function as licensed independent practitioners and work under a scope of practice to provide medication therapy management services.

Clinical Pharmacy Services

The clinical pharmacist and pharmacy technician staff provides pharmaceutical care to veterans using a systematic process designed to ensure patients are educated and drug therapy is monitored. Pharmacists with scopes of practice are positioned on acute care multidisciplinary teams and ambulatory primary and specialty care areas to collaborate with teams and conduct medication management activities.

Informatics

The Pharmacy service works to develop and enhance technology that improves patient care and enhances work flow for both clinical and distributive functions of the pharmacy through use of the electronic medical record (VistA/CPRS) as well as outside vendors. Through incorporation of technology and clinical decision support practices, pharmacists and technicians are able to focus on developing reports that enhance the ability to provide population based patient centric care. 

Leadership

The pharmacy leadership team includes 20+ members comprised of program managers, supervisors, associate chiefs and chief positions throughout operational and clinical areas to enhance the VA veteran and pharmacy employee’s experience. The team is responsible for overall functions of the department, developing strategic goals to align with the VA mission to prioritize patient safety and high-quality veteran care.

Operational Pharmacy Services

The operational pharmacist and pharmacy technician staff are in the inpatient and outpatient pharmacies to provide care throughout the acute care, clinic and outpatient settings. The pharmacists manage work-load activities and provide recommendations to KCVA clinicians in the medication and consult adjudication process.

Pharmacoeconomics

The Pharmacy Outcomes/Healthcare Analytics pharmacist provides support to the KCVA and Veterans Integrated Service Network 15 (VISN 15) P&T Committees as well as the National VA Pharmacy Benefits Management group. Activities include evaluating new and evolving drug therapies, predicting, tracking and   trending pharmacy budget, medication use evaluation,  analyzing  adherence to performance monitors,  research, academic detailing and other administrative duties.

The PGY-2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership residency program builds on education of Pharm.D. degree requirements and PGY-1 experience to provide residents with experience in pharmacy administration and leadership, allowing the resident to develop knowledge and skills to lead and supervise pharmacy staff. The resi-dent will gain experience in operational, clinical, and administrative settings to prepare them for careers in pharmacy leadership. 

The Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership residency is a comprehensive 52-week program offered by the Kansas City VA Medical Center. Our pharmacy department boasts a robust administrative team with expertise in inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory care, and pharmacoeconomic leadership. The resident will gain valuable experience in multidisciplinary collaboration, expansion of services, and pharmacy workload, fiscal and human resource management in a high reliability organization. The resident will participate in activities to ensure compliance with regulatory standards including VHA Directives, Joint Commission, and USP 795/797/800. The resident will conduct evaluation and adjustment of processes as part of patient safety initiatives and service recovery. In addition, residents will longitudinally monitor patients’ progress through the inpatient and ambulatory care clinical rotations. The resident will benefit from mentorship and guidance from leaders within the pharmacy department, medical center, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 15, and national VHA. 

Duration:     52 weeks
Position(s):     1
Starting Date:     June 29, 2026
Estimated Stipend:     $52,789
Application Deadline:     January 2, 2026
Interview Required:     Yes

Benefits include health insurance, annual leave (vacation), days off for illness/ appointments/family care and paid federal holidays.

Structurally, the residency is divided into block, condensed, and longitudinal rotations. The rotations are arranged to combine required experiences along with electives in the resident’s identified area of interest to allow pursuit of residency and expansion of skills throughout the year. Simultaneously, the resident is expected to prioritize and work on ongoing requirements in longitudinal rotations. 

In each experience, the resident works closely with the residency director and the rotation preceptor to develop goals and objectives that will assist the resident in expanding skills for current and future practice. Regular meetings with the residency director ensure that long-term goals are met.