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Pharmacy Residency Program

The VA Illiana Health Care System Pharmacy Practice Residency Program information.

The VA Illiana Heath Care System Pharmacy Practice Residency Program is a 12-Month Program

NMS Code: 212713

Program Description

  • Number of positions: 2
  • Application Deadline: Received by January 2, 2025
  • Starting Date: June 30, 2025
  • Estimated Stipend: $54,911
  • Interview Required: Yes
  • Benefits: Affordable Health, Dental, and Liability Insurance, 11 Holidays, 13 days of annual leave and 13 sick days and travel assistance

Purpose

Our ASHP-Accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program is a structured and advanced education and training experience that provides the foundational skills required to become competent and confident clinical practitioners, as well as future leaders in pharmacy practice. This program builds on PharmD education to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for PGY2 pharmacy residency training.

VA Illiana Pharmacy Department

Within the VA Illiana Pharmacy Service, approximately 60 employees work to provide exceptional care to our Veterans. Outpatient Pharmacy processes about 30,000 prescriptions per month, with fully operating pharmacies located at the Danville, IL main campus and the Peoria, IL Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). The Inpatient Pharmacy provides care to approximately 150 beds that consist of acute care, long term care, rehabilitation, and mental health. Inpatient clinical pharmacists perform pharmacokinetic dosing, conduct chart reviews, and provide bedside medication education. In addition to traditional dispensing services, Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners (CPPs) provide care to Veteran’s in various areas of practice at the main campus in Danville, IL and all CBOCs.

VA Illiana Clinical Pharmacy Services

VA Illiana CPPs practice at the top of their pharmacist license with prescriptive authority under a scope of practice and are essential members of the health care team in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) CPPs provide chronic disease state management including, but not limited to, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, tobacco cessation, anticoagulation, and weight management. Mental Health CPPs provide pharmaceutical care across the entire spectrum of the Mental Health Service, including outpatient psychiatric clinics, substance use disorder, and acute psychiatric care. Other specialty areas involving CPPs include Pain Management, Home Based Primary care (HBPC), Long Term Care and Harm Reduction. VA Illiana CPPs are highly qualified preceptors with a variety of years of pharmacy practice, board certifications, and residency training.

Current Residents

Avery Risinger, PharmD,  2024 - 2025 PGY1 Resident, VA Illiana health care

Avery Risinger PharmD

VA Illiana health care

Dr. Risinger is originally from Mattoon, Illinois. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy in May 2024. Dr. Risinger’s pharmacy practice areas of interest include primary care, mental health, and academia. She chose VA Illiana for her PGY-1 residency due to the focus on ambulatory care, variety of mental health-related learning experiences, and opportunity to work closely with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy. In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts, doing various crafts, hanging out with her cats, and spending time with family/friends.

Natalie Spudic, PharmD, 2024 - 2025 PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident

Natalie Spudic PharmD

VA Illiana health care

Dr. Spudic is originally from Mokena, Illinois. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy.  Dr. Spudic’s pharmacy practice area of interest is mental health and substance use. She chose the VA Illiana because she enjoys providing health services to Veterans that have served our country. She was also interested in the opportunities for mental health pharmacists within the VA.  In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing tennis, and traveling. 

Pharmacy Preceptors

Residency Program Director

Dallas Warner, PharmD, BCPS 
Dr. Warner is a 2020 graduate from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy. She completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at VA Illiana Health Care System in 2021. In addition to her role as the Residency Program Director, she is a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner in Home Based Primary Care. In her free time she enjoys reading, playing pickleball, DIY house projects, and adventuring with her dog. 

Residency Program Coordinator

Jordan Meyer, PharmD
Dr. Meyer is a 2011 graduate from Drake University.  She did a PGY1 in Acute Care and PGY2 in Pediatrics at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.  She worked in pediatrics for 5 years and then transitioned into ambulatory care at the VA Illiana.  She started at the Peoria CBOC in 2015 and then transitioned to the Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner at the Bloomington CBOC when it opened in 2019.  In June of 2024, she took over as the Associate Chief of Clinical Pharmacy Services, where she holds her current role.  She enjoys traveling and “being on the go” with her husband and three children!

Harm Reduction Coordinator

Beth Dinges (pronounced “hinges” w/ a “d”), PharmD
Dr. Dinges graduated from University of Iowa in 2005 and has been with the VA ever since, including PGY1 at Southern Arizona Healthcare System and PGY2 at VA San Diego Health Care System. Her background is primary care. She helped pilot the VAs first syringe program, in 2017, at VA Illiana. In 2023, Beth transitioned from V12 Academic Detailing Service to a newly created position, as “harm reduction coordinator”, at VA Illiana. In addition to local syringe program management, she has a clinic for patients to access supplies, along with low-barrier buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and Hepatitis C treatment. Above all, she is passionate about making healthcare a less stigmatizing and more accessible environment for marginalized populations. 

Home Based Primary Care (HBPC)

Dallas Banning, PharmD, BCPS (see profile above)

Dawn Bolton, PharmD, BCACP
Dr. Bolton is originally from the suburbs of Chicago, IL. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from Midwestern University in 2005.  She practiced as an acute care clinical pharmacist and also as an outpatient anticoagulation pharmacist at a private sector hospital in Joliet, IL for over 14 years prior to joining VA Illiana in 2020.  Dawn was previously the Anticoagulation Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner at VA Illiana.  In October 2023, she transitioned to the Home Based Primary Care team and is currently one of the  Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners in HBPC.    In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, traveling, playing tennis, baking, and gardening.

Long Term Care

Cameron Norton, RPh, BCGP
Cameron Norton is the Long-term Care Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner at VA Illiana.  She graduated from Butler University in 1999 and worked for many years in high-volume retail pharmacy either as staff pharmacist or pharmacy manager.  Cameron joined the VA Illiana pharmacy team in May of 2015 as an inpatient clinical pharmacist.  In April 2020, she assumed her current role and is grateful for the privilege of working with VA Illiana’s  inpatient residents.  Outside of work she enjoys, watching her children’s extra-curricular activities, playing tennis, reading, and playing the piano. 

Marissa Brakefield, PharmD
Dr. Brakefield is a Nashville native who received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Lipscomb University. She completed her PGY-1 at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center – a facility that focuses primarily on geriatrics, psychiatry, and ambulatory care. Dr. Brakefield then graduated this past June from the PGY-2 in Pain Management & Palliative Care program at the North Florida / South Georgia VA Health Care System. Her current focus area is within hospice and palliative care. In her free time, she enjoys cooking with the help of her two cute cats, listening to music, and going to concerts with her husband. 

Mental Health

Kylie Gones, PharmD, BCPP
Dr. Gones is the Inpatient Mental Health Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner for the acute psychiatric unit and psychosocial residential rehabilitation treatment program (PRRTP) at VA Illiana. She  earned her PharmD degree at Butler University in Indianapolis IN.  She completed her PGY-1 Residency at VA Illiana Health Care System here in Danville, Illinois and has been working at this facility ever since. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family, cooking, and doing anything outdoors!

Andrew Wakefield, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP
Dr. Andrew N. Wakefield grew up in the suburbs of Indianapolis. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy and minor in Spanish from Purdue University in 2019 and went on to complete a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency at Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas, TX and a PGY2 psychiatric pharmacy residency though Eskenazi Health and Purdue University in Indianapolis, IN. He started at VA Illiana Health Care System in October 2021 as an outpatient Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner in mental health and substance use disorders. Dr. Wakefield has a DEA license which allows him to prescribe controlled substances and thus increase access to medication-assisted treatment for patients with substance use disorders. He precepts the residency program’s required outpatient mental health rotation, the elective rotation in substance use disorders, and co-precepts the required evidence-based medicine rotation. In his free time, Dr. Wakefield enjoys hiking, playing tennis and pickleball, reading, writing, playing video games, and spending time with his wife, two children, and dog.

Madelynn M Burgess, PharmD, BCPP
Dr. Burgess is the daughter of a naval pilot and grew up across the USA. After earning her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy in 2021, she completed a PGY1 and PGY2 in psychiatric pharmacy at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. With her passion for mental health, she began working at the VA Illiana Health Care System in July 2023 as an outpatient Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner in mental health. Her areas of interest include serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and harm reduction. When not working, you can find Dr. Burgess cheering on the Georgia Bulldawgs, spending time with her husband, taking her black lab on an outdoor adventure, or traveling.

Pain Management

Jessica Geiger, PharmD, MS, BCPS 
Dr. Geiger is passionate about safe and effective pain management that increases function in the affected person.  She currently works as the Pain Management, Opioid Safety and PDMP (PMOP) Coordinator for the VA Illiana Healthcare system where she provides care to veterans with pain as well as program management. She attended pharmacy school at the University of Findlay and completed a PGY1 residency program in 2012. She has worked in the fields of pain management, palliative care, and hospice exclusively since completing her residency and served as program director for an ASHP PGY2 Pain and Palliative Care Residency. Education is important to her and in her spare time (when she is not at a sports field for her kids), she enjoys developing and delivering pain related programming for local, state and national platforms. 

Christine Vartan, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Vartan is a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner in Pain Management and a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University. Dr. Vartan completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency as well as a PGY2 Pain Management and Palliative Care Pharmacy Residency at the West Palm Beach VAHCS. Upon completion of her residency programs, she worked at the West Palm Beach VAHCS and in 2024 she joined the VA Illiana Healthcare System. Dr. Vartan is passionate about helping patients and developing safe and effective pain medication regimens while encouraging a multimodal approach to pain management. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, and baking.

Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT)

Andrew Schaefer, PharmD, BCACP
Dr. Schaefer is one of the ambulatory care Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners at the Danville main campus. He attended pharmacy school at the Saint Louis College of Pharmacy (StLCoP), now known as University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis.  It will remain StLCoP to him.  He has been at Danville the longest out of all the preceptors, starting his career here in 1998! For fun, he enjoys manual labor, listening/watching comedy, spending time just about anywhere outdoors and would play about any sport (including curling, seriously!).  He was introduced to pickleball in July 2022 and now may be found on a court multiple  times weekly.  He also drives the speed limit but thinks he would enjoy racing about any vehicle if given the opportunity.

Ashley Thais, PharmD, CDCES
Dr. Thais is a graduate of Purdue University and completed her residency at the Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis. Her current practice setting is within ambulatory care at the Decatur CBOC and she also serves as the preceptor for the core ambulatory care rotation as well as the longitudinal rotation. In her time off, she enjoys spending time and traveling with her husband and four children.

Paige Meade, PharmD
Dr. Meade graduated from Creighton School of Pharmacy in 2018 and completed her residency at the VA Illiana Healthcare System in 2019. Since completing her residency program, Dr. Meade has continued to work for VA Illiana as a clinical pharmacy practitioner. Her current practice setting is within ambulatory care at the Springfield and Decatur community-based outpatient clinics. Outside of the pharmacy profession, Dr. Meade enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons. She also enjoys true crime podcasts, traveling, and spending time outdoors.

Holly Bourgeois, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Bourgeois is one of the ambulatory care pharmacists at the Peoria CBOC. She completed pharmacy school at University of North Carolina and completed PGY1 at Oregon State University. Her hobbies include hiking and spending time outdoors.

Latoiya Purifoy, PharmD
Dr. Purifoy is a graduate of University of Illinois Chicago Pharmacy School.  She currently works at the VA Illiana Health Care System in the Peoria CBOC as a clinical pharmacist where she manages patients with diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia amongst other disease states.  When not at work, she enjoys baking and cooking for her family of six.

Olivia Crowder, PharmD
Dr. Crowder is from Cayuga, Indiana.  She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Butler University in 2022 and completed her PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency here at VA Illiana Healthcare System in 2023. Dr. Crowder is one of the ambulatory care Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners. She has a passion for assisting patients in managing chronic disease states such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. She enjoys working at VA Illiana because of the opportunities to provide health services to those living in rural communities.  In her free time, she enjoys attending Indiana and Illinois festivals and events, judging 4-H goat shows, and traveling with family and friends. 

Academic Detailing 

Grace Fenner, PharmD
Dr. Fenner is the Academic Detail Clinical Pharmacist and an ambulatory care Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner at VA Illiana. She completed her pharmacy education at Drake University in 2018. She did a PGY-1 Ambulatory Care-Focused residency at the Phoenix VA. Since completing residency, she has continued to work for the VA. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and going for walks with her dogs Stevie and Finley. 

Pharmacoeconomic Program Manager

Julie Beauchamp, PharmD
Dr. Beauchamp obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA. She is passionate about advocating for the pharmacy profession and a highlight from her years in pharmacy school was getting to go with the American Pharmacists Association to speak with representatives on Capitol Hill. Dr. Beauchamp pursued further clinical training and went on to complete her PGY-1 Residency with the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System in Southern CA. She is grateful to have had the opportunity to grow in her leadership skills while serving as a member of the Federal Resident Council during this time. She continued her training by completing a PGY-2 Residency with VISN 21 in Population Health Management and Data Analytics, specializing in pharmacoeconomics, data management, pharmacy administration, and population health initiatives. She is excited to now serve as a Pharmacoeconomic Pharmacist with the VA Illiana Health Care System and continue in a rewarding career with the VA!

Pharmacy Operations

Ashlee Cunningham-Stonewall, PharmD
Dr. Cunningham-Stonewall was born and raised in Danville, IL. She graduated from the PharmD program at Purdue University in 2003 and was the second youngest person in her graduating class. After graduation she worked for both CVS in Indiana and Walgreens in IL due to the extreme shortage of pharmacists. In 2004, she became the Walgreen’s Pharmacy Manager in Danville and worked until 2009 when she moved on to a new role as the PE/PI pharmacist at the VA.  Her career swiftly took flight as she then worked for VISN 11 as the PE/PI pharmacist, came back to Danville as a staff pharmacist, promoted to Outpatient Supervisor and then Associate Chief of Pharmacy Operations. She has also filled in as the Acting Inpatient Supervisor and the Acting Associate Chief of Clinical Pharmacy. She has traveled to many different VAs for various positions and has been a consultant on SOARS and VISN CSR teams. She loves working for the Veterans and has deep roots with many family members serving in the military, including her husband.

Pharmacy Leadership
Chief of Pharmacy

Ashley Lorenzen, PharmD
Dr. Ashley Lorenzen is the Chief of Pharmacy at VA Illiana. Dr. Lorenzen completed her pharmacy schooling at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy in 2012 followed by a PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Dr. Lorenzen has experience in large academic medical centers, retail, community, and independent pharmacy, ambulatory care pharmacy and was an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice with Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy for 5 years. Dr. Lorenzen has been a residency preceptor and was most recently the Residency Program Director for the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center. Dr. Lorenzen was the first ever DEA licensed clinical pharmacist in Michigan and has a passion for geriatric care and still practices. Dr. Lorenzen currently precepts the administrative and leadership rotations with VA Illiana.  

Associate Chief of Pharmacy - Clinical

Jordan Meyer, PharmD (see profile above)

 

Pharmacy Residency Application Process

VA Illiana Health Care System follows the rules of the Residency Matching Program, therefore, all applicants must be registered with the ASHP Residency Matching Program. The NMS Code is 212713.

Pharmacy Residency Application Process

VA Illiana Health Care System VAMC follows the rules of the Residency Matching Program, therefore, all applicants must be registered with the ASHP Residency Matching Program. The Program Code is 212713. To apply for the VA Illiana Health Care System Pharmacy Practice Residency, please submit your application package containing a curriculum vitae (CV), letter of intent, official copy of your pharmacy school transcript, and three letters of recommendation to PhORCAS. If any of the above materials are not received by the application deadline, the applicant will not be considered for an interview. The application deadline is January 2, 2025.

Eligibility Requirements

The degree program must have been approved by The American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) or prior to the establishment of ACPE, have been a member of the American Association of the Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).

  • Participation in the ASHP matching program
  • Participation PhORCAS (Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service)
  • Eligibility for pharmacy licensure in any state of the United States

Application Package submitted via PhORCAS

  • Pharm.D. Degree
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Letter of Intent
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official copy of academic transcripts from pharmacy school
  • Eligible for licensure
  • Interview Required

Deadlines

All application paperwork must be received by January 2, 2025.

U.S. Citizenship

It is a federal requirement that all employees of the VA must be a US citizen either by birth or naturalization.

Supplemental Application Forms

Found at: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/
▪ Application for Health Professions Trainees (VA Form 10-2850D)
▪ OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment

Contact Information

Dallas Warner, PharmD
Residency Program Director 
Phone:
Dallas.warner@va.gov

Pharmacy Residency Curriculum

Pharmacy Residency Curriculum

Pharmacy Residency Curriculum at the VA Illiana Health Care System.

Core (Required) Learning Experiences

  • Pharmacy Operations
  • Evidence Based Medicine
  • Home Based Primary Care
  • Pain Management
  • Mental Health – Inpatient
  • Mental Health – Outpatient
  • Primary Care
  • Long-Term Care

Elective Learning Experiences

  • Advanced Core Rotation
  • Pharmacy Leadership
  • Harm Reduction
  • Centralized Anticoagulation Services Hub (CASH) – Outpatient Anticoagulation
  • Academic Detailing
  • Substance Use Disorders
  • Other elective opportunities may be available depending on staff availability

Longitudinal Learning Experiences

  • Academia
  • Ambulatory Care
  • Inpatient Pharmacy Staffing
  • Medication Use Evaluation
  • Pharmacy Leadership
  • Quality Improvement Project