Cutline: Pictured are the new residents in HCMC’s PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Program. Caitlin Jackson, PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident, and Wesley Clark, PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident.
Paris, TN- Henry County Medical Center is excited to welcome Caitlin Jackson and Wesley Clark to our PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Program. Both have been at HCMC since July and are involved in many projects throughout the organization.
Originally from Cunningham, TN, Jackson received a BS in nutrition in 2015 from East Tennessee State University. She began her pharmacy journey at Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2017 and graduated in June 2020. Soon after, she joined HCMC as a PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident.
“This residency at Henry County Medical Center has given me ample opportunities to expand my clinical knowledge and improve my patient care skills,” said Jackson. “I have found the pharmacy partners to be dedicated to their profession and always willing to assist me with anything. It has been an excellent experience thus far.”
HCMC’s other pharmacy resident, Clark, is originally from Gleason, TN. He graduated from Greenfield High School in Greenfield, TN in 2011. He attend the University of Tennessee at Martin where he graduated with a degree in Biology. In 2016, Clark began his pharmacy training at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in Memphis, TN. After his clinical rotation experiences, he decided he wanted to pursue additional clinical training and was accepted into the PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency program at HCMC.
Clark shared, “At Henry County Medical Center, I have the opportunity to expand my clinical skillset and medication knowledge and play a direct role in patient care in a number of areas within the hospital including the critical care unit, emergency department, Lake Haven psychiatry unit, and general medicine floors.”
“We are very excited to have Caitlin and Wes with us this year at Henry County Medical Center,” said Paula Bell, PharmD, BCPS, Director of Pharmacy, PGY1 Residency Program Director. They are from this area, which typically provides extra motivation when it comes to caring for patients. Being from small towns, they appreciate the privilege to care for our local community, and at times, people we have known our entire life. We are excited for what the future holds for Caitlin and Wes here at HCMC and for all of their future endeavors.”
Henry County Medical Center’s PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Program prepares residents with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to become a well-rounded pharmacy practitioner and an adjunct pharmacy school faculty member serving a community hospital.
A pharmacy resident is a licensed pharmacist that pursues additional training to gain a better understanding of how to apply the knowledge and skills learned in school to real patients, situations, and settings. Residency training is crucial to new pharmacists, who are going into a healthcare environment that involves ever-changing roles and responsibility.
During a residency, the resident will get the chance to work with patients as part of an interdisciplinary team, sharpening their critical thinking skills, and learning the subtleties of leadership. They also will have the opportunity to be exposed to different facets of practice and learn about the many and varied career paths available to pharmacists today. The 12-month program provides the necessary opportunities for highly motivated pharmacists to achieve their professional goals.
“The Pharmacy Residency Program here at Henry County is such an asset for our community, like the future Medical Residency will be,” said Bell. “These two programs provide a feeder system for our community to have residency trained pharmacists in our hospital, as well as recruiting physicians to remain in the community after residency completion. Our facility is Growing Forward with post-graduate training opportunities, which is a tremendous service to provide to our great community.”
To learn more about our pharmacy residency program, check out our website at www.hcmc-tn.org as well as a video about the program featuring Paula Bell, HCMC Director of Pharmacy at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x1IpVgC9MI&t=12s.
Located in Paris, TN, Henry County Medical Center is a progressive, integrated healthcare organization committed to serving the healthcare needs of Henry County and the adjoining region. Including a 142-bed hospital and other facilities, the medical center provides a variety of outpatient services, as well as inpatient care. Henry County Medical Center is a county-owned and operated nonprofit institution. For more information: www.hcmc-tn.org.