Pharmacy Residency (VA - Fort Meade, SD - VA Black Hills Health Care System)
The VA Black Hills PGY-1 pharmacy residency program builds on a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education to contribute to the development of skilled clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of Veterans with a wide variety of health conditions. Our residents graduate from the program eligible for board certification and PGY-2 pharmacy residency training.
Program Description
The VA Black Hills PGY-1 pharmacy residency trains pharmacy residents in the setting of a large, rural VA health care system. The VA Black Hills Health Care System serves over 20,000 Veterans across two main Medical Center facilities (Fort Meade and Hot Springs) and several Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). Our health care system is located in the beautiful Black Hills of western South Dakota.
While both inpatient and outpatient learning experiences are required, resident involvement in the ambulatory care setting is robust. This includes participation in established medication therapy management (MTM) clinics such as: anticoagulation, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, tobacco cessation, COPD. Residents also have required learning experiences in home based primary care, inpatient clinical pharmacy, and internal medicine. Most of our learning experiences are longitudinal, allowing residents to maintain their clinical skills in these different practice areas throughout the year.
Residents also participate in a longitudinal professional development rotation designed to enhance leadership ability and emotional intelligence. An elective teaching certificate program is available which equips residents to pursue a position in an academic setting. Our site has numerous academic affiliations, including the South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions. Feedback from both residents and preceptors is highly valued and used to customize each resident’s experience.

Program Rotations and Example Schedule
Required
Required
Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) – L [BJA1] Specialty-PACT - L
Anticoagulation (AC) - L
Community Living Center (CLC) - L
Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) - L
Inpatient Clinical Pharmacy (ICP) - R
Internal Medicine (IM) - R
Pain Management (Pain) - R
Orientation (Orient) - R
Practice Management (PM) - R
Residency Project (Proj) - L
Medication Use Process (MUP) - L
Professional Development (PD) - L
Practice Coverage (PC) - L
[BJA1]On the website, can we hit "enter" here? So Specialty-PACT is on its own line?
- Elective
Teaching Certificate (TC) - L
Antimicrobial Stewardship (ASP) - R
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) - R
Compounded Sterile Preparation (CSP) - R
Oncology (Onc) - R
R = rotational; L = longitudinal
See learning schedule and an example schedule in the Resources section. Elective experiences are customized based on residents’ interests and future plans. Experiences may vary from the examples listed above and may also include an extension of a required learning experience.
Application Process
Applicants interested in the VA Black Hills PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency are required to submit applications to the ASHP PhORCAS portal (https://portal.phorcas.org) by January 10th. Our program NMS code number is: 137921.
The following materials are required:
- Letter of intent
- Curriculum vitae
- Official copy of college transcripts
- Three references (via PhORCAS reference request)
Additional requirements:
- Pharm.D. from an accredited College of Pharmacy
- U.S. citizenship
- Ability to participate in an on-site interview (if selected)
- Candidates will be notified of interview status no later than February 15th.
Program Preceptors
Joe Berendse, Pharm.D., BCACP
Clinical Pharmacy Faculty
Dr. Berendse received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from South Dakota State University in 2015. He completed both his PGY-1 pharmacy residency and PGY-2 ambulatory care residency at the Boise VA Medical Center in Boise, ID. He is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice for South Dakota State University. He precepts the Residency Project andSpecialty-PACT rotations. He also serves as a member of the Residency Advisory Committee.
Abigail Cole, Pharm.D., BCPS
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Cole attended pharmacy school at the University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy and graduated in 2020. She completed her PGY-1 pharmacy residency at the VA Black Hills Health Care System. She works as a clinical pharmacist for the Pain team and precepts residents on the Pain rotation.
Amy Doten, Pharm.D.
Chief of Pharmacy
Dr. Doten received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from The University of New Mexico in 2002. She completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at HealthPartners in Minneapolis, MN. She precepts the Practice Management rotation and serves as a member of the Residency Advisory Committee.
Anna Delzer, Pharm.D., BCACP
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Delzer attended pharmacy school at South Dakota State University and graduated in 2014. She completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at the VA Black Hills Health Care System. She precepts residents on the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) rotation.
Emily Ertz, Pharm.D., BCACP
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Ertz received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from The University of Minnesota in 2015. She completed her rural health/ambulatory care PGY-1 residency at the Minneapolis VA Health Care system. Dr. Ertz precepts residents on the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) rotation.
Ashley Hyde, Pharm.D., BCPS, CACP
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Hyde received her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from South Dakota State University in 2016. She completed her PGY-1 pharmacy residency at the VA Black Hills Health Care System, and now precepts the Anticoagulation rotation for the residency program.
Kathleen Haivala, Pharm.D.
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Haivala received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from North Dakota State University in 2006. She worked as an inpatient hospital pharmacist for 17 years before coming to work at the VA Black Hills Health Care System in 2023. She works primarily in the areas of inpatient, internal medicine, and outpatient pharmacy. She assists with the Inpatient Clinical Pharmacy rotation.
Cole Kling, Pharm.D., CACP
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Kling received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from South Dakota State University in 2010, after which he began his career with the VA Black Hills Health Care System. He works primarily in the areas of internal medicine, anticoagulation, and geriatrics. He precepts the Practice Coverage and Inpatient Clinical Pharmacy rotations and assists with the Anticoagulation rotation.
Sarah Kling, Pharm.D.
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Kling received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from South Dakota State University in 2015. She then completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System in Sioux Falls, SD. Dr. Kling precepts the Anticoagulation rotation.
Maggie Kruschel, Pharm.D.
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Kruschel received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from South Dakota State University in 2015. She completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at Nebraska-Western Iowa VA Health Care System—Lincoln Division. She works as a clinical pharmacist for the Home-Based Primary Care team and precepts the Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) rotation.
Mike Lemon, Pharm.D.
Clinical Pharmacy Faculty
Dr. Lemon received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kansas in 1994. He completed his PGY-1 pharmacy residency at the VA Medical Center in Little Rock, AK. He is a Professor of Pharmacy Practice for South Dakota State University. He works primarily in the areas of inpatient care and antimicrobial stewardship. Dr. Lemon precepts the Internal Medicine and Antimicrobial Stewardship rotations..
Jessica Mitchell, Pharm.D.
Residency Program Director / Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Mitchell graduated from the University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy in 2008. She then completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at the VA Black Hills Health Care System (as the program's first resident). She works as the Residency Program Director, precepts the Orientation and Medication Use Process rotations, and serves as a member of the Residency Advisory Committee.
Rachel Mitchell, Pharm.D., BCPS
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Mitchell received her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from South Dakota State University in 2020. She completed her PGY-1 pharmacy residency at the VA Black Hills Health Care System, and now precepts the Practice Coverage rotation for the residency program.
Lisa Narveson, Pharm.D., BCOP
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Narveson received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from North Dakota State University in 2003. She completed her PGY-1 pharmacy residency at Sanford Health in Fargo, ND and her PGY-2 oncology residency at University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas. She was an assistant professor teaching Neoplastic Diseases at NDSU and clinical oncology pharmacist at Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo prior to coming to VA Black Hills Health Care System. She works primarily in the areas of inpatient, internal medicine, oncology, and pharmacogenomics. She precepts the Oncology elective rotation, and will be establishing a Pharmacogenomics elective rotation.
Lindsay Newenhouse, Pharm.D.
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Newenhouse received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from South Dakota State University in 2021. She completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at the VA Black Hills Health Care System and was hired on as a pharmacist shortly after. She is the lead Community Living Center (CLC) pharmacist and is the preceptor for the CLC rotation.
Krista Sarvis, Pharm.D., BCPS
Associate Chief of Pharmacy
Dr. Sarvis received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from South Dakota State University in 2007. She completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency with the University of Wyoming and the Community Health Center of Central Wyoming in Casper, WY. Dr. Sarvis has worked at the VA Black Hills Health Care System since 2009. She currently precepts the Residency Project rotation and serves as a member of the Residency Advisory Committee.
Whitney Hutchison, Pharm.D.
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
Dr. Hutchison received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from South Dakota State University in 2021. She completed her PGY-1 pharmacy residency at the VA Black Hills Health Care System. She currently works in pain management, substance use disorders, and mental health. She precepts the Pain Management rotation for the residency program.
Current Residents
Taylor Campbell, Pharm.D.
Dr. Campbell was born and raised in Rock Springs, WY, recently relocated to Douglas, WY. She attended pharmacy school at the University of Wyoming and graduated in 2024. Her current pharmacy practice interests include ambulatory care, chronic disease state management and oncology. She enjoys being outside fly fishing, hiking, hunting, shooting her bow, and spending time with family and friends.
Michael “Chase” Cochran, Pharm.D.
Dr. Cochran is originally from Wheatland, WY. He attended Pharmacy School at the University of Wyoming and graduated in 2024. His current pharmacy practice interests include pain, substance use disorders, mental health, and geriatrics. While not at work, he enjoy being outdoors, golfing, watching sports, and spending time with family and friends.
Brynn Van Eldik, Pharm.D.
Dr. Van Eldik is originally from Westfield, IA. She attended South Dakota State University for pharmacy school and graduated in 2024. Her current practice interest areas include ambulatory care, cardiology, and geriatrics. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking and running, spending time with family and friends, and doing anything and everything that involves being in the sun during the summer.
Benefits and Practice Coverage
Salary and Benefits
Residents will receive an annual stipend of $47,937, which includes salary plus health and life insurance. Fringe benefits include 13 days of paid leave, 13 days of paid sick leave, & 7-11 paid holidays. On-site housing may be available for rent. Furthermore, financial support to attend the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, Midwest Pharmacy Residents Conference, and South Dakota Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SDSHP) Annual Meeting are provided.
Practice Coverage
Each resident will be assigned to cover the service longitudinally as appropriate after completing a three-week concentrated learning experience. The purpose of working as a pharmacist is to gain experience and improve skills in the medication use process.
Typically, residents will rotate coverage every third weekend in addition to 1-2 work days per month. Residents are also expected to work 2-3 minor holidays per year. With practice coverage, residents work with inpatient, and outpatient pharmacy systems. A pharmacist will always be available to assist the resident with any questions that arise during practice coverage. Residents may be eligible for dual appointment.
Resources
Please submit questions to:
Jessica Mitchell, Pharm.D.
VA BHHCS Pharmacy
113 Comanche Rd
Fort Meade, SD 57741
Phone: 1-
Email: Jessica.Mitchell12@va.gov