About Us

Kootenai Health

As a regional medical referral center, Kootenai Health (formerly Kootenai Medical Center) provides a comprehensive range of medical services to patients in northern Idaho and throughout the Inland Northwest. Our main campus is located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and includes a non-profit hospital licensed for up to 397 beds. Saint Mary’s Health in Cottonwood, Idaho, and Clearwater Valley Health in Orofino, Idaho are also part of Kootenai Health.

Kootenai is accredited by DNV and has held Magnet^TM designation for nursing excellence since 2006. As the Emergency Referral Center for the Region, we maintain a Level II Trauma Center designation, Level III NICU designation, Level I STEMI designation, Level II Stroke Center designation by Idaho’s Time Sensitive Emergency System (TSE), and accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Kootenai Health has also achieved a Five Star Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Kootenai Health is the largest employer in northern Idaho, with over 3,700 employees (75% of which are women), and more than 200 employed providers across 25+ clinical specialties from family medicine, cardiology, orthopedics, surgery and more. We provide needed jobs, which in turn, benefit local businesses. Kootenai Health’s growth and success help drive economic development in our region.

It is our mission to improve health one patient at a time in a friendly and professional culture committed to superior quality and safety.

The Kootenai Health Way

The Kootenai Health Way is our shared commitment to safety, compassion, and engagement. Our focus on these values helps us create the best possible experiences for our patients, their families, and our co-workers. It is who we want to be every day to everyone.

Proud to be one ranked among the best in the country.

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program

Pharmacy Department Mission

We strive to be experts in pharmaceutical care in order to provide compassionate, understandable, and financially responsible medication therapy in collaboration with patients and their healthcare team.

Program Description

Our post-graduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy residency is a twelve month, clinical and administrative program that aligns with the core requirements set forth by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Our ASHP-accredited program encompasses acute patient care, foundational practice skills, and proficient practice management that builds on a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education. Our program accepts two (2) residents each year.

Within our PGY1 residency, residents will experience the advantages of our unique training program, which capitalizes on a diverse range of rotations and educational opportunities spanning both acute and ambulatory care environments. All aspects of your pharmacy practice education will be grounded in our patient-centric commitment to delivering compassionate care.

Our residency program is thoughtfully crafted to offer a comprehensive overview of institutional pharmacy practice while being adaptable to the specific needs of each resident. Graduates will be well-prepared to provide advanced pharmaceutical care services across a broad spectrum of patients in a variety of practice settings.

Program Strengths

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program at Kootenai Health is strong because of our Team. Our pharmacy department (preceptors and staff alike) is highly engaged and invested in the success of our residents. We take pride in watching our residents grow and succeed and are dedicated to giving them the support and feedback necessary to do so. 

The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program at Kootenai Health is feedback friendly. While we give residents feedback throughout the year, we also ask that our residents provide us with feedback. We are constantly growing and consider all resident feedback when adjusting our residency program. Because of this, our program is customizable to residents’ interests and learning needs. 

Pharmacy residents have the unique opportunity to participate in multidisciplinary education with the medical residents and faculty of Kootenai Health’s Family Medicine Residency, as well as with physicians completing a behavioral health fellowship at our facility. Residents will work closely with medical providers as well as with various members of the healthcare team working towards the goal of providing exceptional care to our patients.

At Kootenai Health, we see the importance of precepting for the growth and development of the pharmacy profession. Our preceptors and staff take a genuine interest in our learners and see it was a rewarding professional responsibility, for which we have been recognized by the Idaho State College of Pharmacy as the 2023 Precepting Site of the Year.

Residents will have the opportunity to serve as preceptors and mentors to IPPE and APPE student pharmacists and will participate in an advanced teaching certificate course offered through the Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Additional teaching experiences are also available through Washington State University and Idaho State University.

Upon completion of the program, residents will be prepared to serve as clinical/staff pharmacists, preceptors, adjunct clinical faculty, or pursue a PGY2 pharmacy residency. 

Our location is another advantage of our program. As a regional medical referral center, Kootenai Health provides care for many patients who live in rural settings. The ability to make a significant impact on our community, while enjoying the recreation-oriented Coeur d’Alene and surrounding areas, keeps our team engaged and motivated. This results in high retention rates for pharmacy staff; many of which are previous residents.