Cardiology

The Department of Pharmacy Practice has provided postdoctoral training specializing in the study and treatment of cardiovascular disease for nearly 30 years. Our 1-year ASHP-accredited PGY2 Cardiology Residency continues that tradition. The goal of this residency is to afford the opportunity to develop expert knowledge and skills in the area of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy through clinical service, education, and scholarly activities.

PGY2 Program Purpose

PGY2 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists in specialized areas of practice. PGY2 residencies provide residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care or other advanced practice settings. Residents who successfully complete an accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency are prepared for advanced patient care, academic, or other specialized positions, along with board certification, if available.

UIC PGY2 Cardiology Program Goals

Consistent with other PGY2 pharmacy residency programs, the goal of this program is to build upon education obtained through Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and PGY1 pharmacy residency programs to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacy specialists in cardiology. We seek to develop the resident’s expert knowledge and skills in the area of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy through clinical service, education, and scholarly activities. This program provides residents with opportunities to function independently as practitioners by conceptualizing and integrating accumulated experience and knowledge and incorporating both into the provision of patient care that improves medication therapy. Upon completion of our program, residents have become very successful, competent cardiovascular clinical pharmacists and have secured clinical specialist positions in both ambulatory and inpatient settings as well as clinical faculty appointments in colleges/schools of pharmacy.

Application Deadline

January 6, 2025

Clinical

• Rotations as described on Training Site & Facility
• Member of Code Blue and Stroke Teams
• Participates in PharmD On-Call program and Weekend Critical Care Coverage
• MUE and/or Guideline Development

Teaching

• Academic appoint at the Retzky College of Pharmacy
• Didactic lecutres (2) – Ventricular Arrhythmias and Cardiogenic Shock
• Precept pharmacy students and PGY1 residents on rotation
• ACPE-accredited seminar
• Academic leadership program
• Assists in coordinating and presenting in weekly Critical Care Conference

Research

• Flipped model
• Present initial project at Annual American College of Cardiology Meeting
• Manuscript development and submission

Requirements

• The PGY2 Cardiology Program requires a PharmD degree and completion of an accredited PGY1 residency program
• Licensure in Illinois
• Ability to start the residency on July 1.

Required Rotations (4-5 week rotations)

• Orientation
• Coronary Care Unit I
• Coronary Care Unit II
• Coronary Care Unit III (Independent / Precepting)
• Outpatient Cardiology I (Heart Failure, Electrophysiology)
• Outpatient Cardiology II (Pulmonary HTN, Women’s Cardiovascular, Structural)
• Academic

Longitudinal Rotations

• Heart Failure Clinic
• Electrophysiology Clinic
• On-call program (July – August)
• Weekend ICU/ED Coverage (every 3rd weekend September – June)

Elective Rotations (choose 5)

• Medical Intensive Care Unit
• Cardiology Consults (General, Electrophysiology, Heart Failure)
• Cardiothoracic Surgery (offsite – University of Chicago)
• Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (offsite – University of Chicago, Loyola University Medical Center)
• Advanced Hearth Failure (offsite – Loyola University Medical Center)
• Heart Transplant (offsite – University of Chicago)
• Transitions of Care Cardiology Clinic
• Antithrombosis Clinic
• Research
• Emergency Department

Stephanie Dwyer Kaluzna, PharmD, BCCP
Residency Program Director, PGY2 Cardiology
Clinical Pharmacist, Inpatient Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery
Clinical Assistant Professor

Scott T. Benken, PharmD, BCPS-AQ Cardiology, FCCM
Clinical Pharmacist, Medical Intensive Care Unit
Clinical Associate Professor

Robert J. DiDomenico, PharmD, BCPS-AQ Cardiology, FCCP, FHFSA, FACC
Clinical Pharmacist, Inpatient Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery
Associate Professor

Vicki Groo, PharmD, BCCP, CHC
Clinical Pharmacist, Heart Failure Clinic
Clinical Associate Professor

Erika Hellenbart, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Pharmacist, Heart Failure / Antithrombosis Clinic
Clinical Assistant Professor

Nancy Shapiro, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP
Operations Manager, Antithrombosis Clinic
Residency Program Director, PGY2 Ambulatory Care
Clinical Professor

Jessica Tilton, PharmD, BCACP
Clinical Pharmacist, Electrophysiology Clinic
Clinical Services Coordinator, Medication Therapy Management Clinic
Clinical Assistant Professor

Lori Wilken, PharmD, BCACP
Clinical Assistant Professor

All of our clinical preceptors at UIC are responsible for direct patient care in each of their areas
of expertise and practice in innovative practice sites. Additionally, each preceptor is active in
the medical center with qualitive improvement initiatives and departmental committees. Lastly,
each faculty member is responsible for experiential training of pharmacy students and
pharmacy residents, didactic teaching at the College of Pharmacy, research, and other scholarly
activities related to their specialty areas.

• 2025  Emma Dittmar, PharmD

Since 1969, over 300 pharmacists successfully trained in our ASHP accredited first-year-post-graduate program. In addition, we have graduated over 100 individuals in our various specialized pharmacy residencies that encompass a wide range of fields that is second to none. Our diverse faculty, in combination with the numerous progressive practice sites, provides our residents with an experience like no other. Our residency alumnae hold prominent positions within pharmacy academia, industry, and professional organizations nationwide and are leaders in the world of pharmacy practice. We are proud of our tradition, our outcomes and our graduates and with the increasing expectations of the public and other health professional to improve the lives of patients, we are confident that our residency programs will grow and develop to meet this challenge.

Past Residents

• 2024 JinJoo Chung, PharmD 
  Advanced Heart Failure/Heart Transplant Clinical Pharmacist
  Loyola University Medical Center
• 2023  Jenine Abuzir, PharmD
  Cardiology/Pulmonary Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner, Edward Hines, Jr Veterans Affairs Hospital
• 2022: Elena Wellen (Buff), PharmD
  Cardiology Clinical Pharamcy Specialist, Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center
• 2021: Nicole Saccone, PharmD
  Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Heart Failure
  Advocate Aurora Health
• 2020: Erin Pozzolano, PharmD
  Clinical Assistant Professor; Antithrombosis Clinic Pharmacist
  University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy
• 2018  Jaclynne Metayer, PharmD, BCCP
  Clinical Ambulatory Pharmacists, Cardiovascular Group
  Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
• 2017  Stephanie Dwyer, PharmD
  Clinical Assistant Professor; Cardiovascular Clinical Pharmacist
  University of Illinois at Chicago
• 2016  Alexandra Goncharenko, PharmD, BCPS, BCCP
  Heart Failure Clinical Pharmacist
  Advocate Medical Group
• 2015  Nicole G. Zimbardi, PharmD, BCPS
  Cardiovascular Clinical Pharmacist
  St. Joseph’s Hospital
• 2014  Dejan Landup, PharmD, BCPS
  Heart Failure Clinical Pharmacist
  Advocate Medical Group
• 2013  Yana Blekhman-Labinov, PharmD, BCPS
  Medical Science Liaison
  Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
• 2012  Sarah Hanigan, PharmD, BCPS-AQ Cardiology
  Clinical Pharmacist, Cardiology & Anticoagulation
  University of Michigan Health System
• 2011  Adam Bress, PharmD, MS CTS
  Assistant Professor
  Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Utah
• 2009  Elizabeth Greenhalgh, PharmD, BCPS
  Coordinator & PGY1 Residency Program Director
  Loyola University Medical Center

Publications

Journal Articles

• Gasbarro NM, DiDomenico RJ. Appropriate use of intravenous diltiazem for rate control in patients with acute-onset atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Am J Health-Syst Pharm 2019;76:214-20. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/zxy033
• Mansour IN, Bress AP, Groo V, Ismail S, Wu G, Patel SR, Duarte JD, Kittles RA, Stamos TD, Cavallari LH. Circulating procollagen type III N-terminal peptide and mortality risk in African Americans with heart failure. J Card Fail 2016;22:692-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2015.12.016. Epub 2015 Dec 22.
• Hanigan S, DiDomenico RJ. Emerging therapies for acute and chronic heart failure: hope or hype? J Pharm Pract 2016;29:35-45. doi: 10.1177/1933719115615877.
• DiDomenico RJ, Bress AP, Na-Thalang K, Tsao YY, Groo VL, Deyo KL, Patel SR, Bishop JR, Bauman JL. Use of a Simplified Nomogram to Individualize Digoxin Dosing versus Standard Dosing in Patients with Heart Failure. Pharmacotherapy 2014;34:1121-31. Epub 2014 Aug 28. doi: 10.1002/phar.1480.
• Drozda K, Labinov Y, Jiang R, Thomas MR, Wong SS, Patel S, et al. A pharmacogenomics service experience for pharmacy students, residents, and fellows. Am J Pharm Educ 2013;77:175. doi: 10.5688/ajpe778175
• Bress A, Han J, Patel SR, Desai AA, Mansour I, Groo V, et al. Association of aldosterone synthase polymorphism (CYP11B2-344T>C) and genetic ancestry with atrial fibrillation and serum aldosterone in African Americans with heart failure. PLoS ONE 2013;8:e71268. https://doi.org/10.1271/journal.pone.0071268.

Book Chapters

• Landup D, DiDomenico RJ. Chapter 7: Ischemic Heart Disease. In: Chisholm-Burns MA, Wells BG, Schwinghammer TL, Malone PM, Kolesar JM, Rotschafer JC, DiPiro JT, eds. Pharmacotherapy Principles & Practice, 5th ed.. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2019.
• Bress A, Cavallari LH, DiDomenico RJ. Chapter 5: Ischemic Heart Disease. In: Katz M, Matthias K, Chisholm-Burns MA, eds. Pharmacotherapy Principles & Practice Study Guide: A Case Based Care Plan Approach, 4^th ed.. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2017.
• Cavallari LH, DiDomenico RJ, Bress A. Chapter 5: Ischemic Heart Disease. In: Katz M, Matthias K, Chisholm-Burns MA, eds. Pharmacotherapy Principles & Practice Study Guide: A Case Based Care Plan Approach, 3^rd ed.. Chicago: McGraw-Hill, 2013.

Published Abstracts

• Goncharenko A, Groo VL, Mansour I, Gans C, Stamos T, DiDomenico RJ. Hospitalization for acute heart failure provides opportunities to intensify chronic therapy for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. J Card Fail 2016;22(Suppl):S98[abstract 284]. Poster presentation: 20th Annual Scientific meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Orlando, FL. September, 2016.
• Mansour IN, Ismail S, Bress A, Groo, V, Patel S, Heith H, Stamos T, Cavallari L. Serum N-terminal procollagen III propetide predicts all-cause mortality in African American patients with heart failure.  J Card Fail. 2014;20:S107-S108.  Poster presentation at the Heart Failure Society of America, Annual Scientific Meeting, Las Vegas, NV. September 2014
• Mansour IN, Kansal M, Ismail S, Groo V, Patel S, Bress A, Marpadga R, Cavallari L, Stamos TD. Serum N-terminal procollagen III propeptide correlates with left ventricular global longitudinal strain in African Americans with heart failure. JASE. 2014;27:B40. Poster presentation at the American Society of Echocardiography, Annual Scientific Meeting, Portland, OR. June 2014.
• Bress A, Patel S, Desai AA,  Mansour I, Groo V, Han J, Progar K, Shah E, Stamos T, Kittles R, Cavallari L.  Association of aldosterone synthase polymorphism (CYP11B2 -344T>C) with atrial fibrillation in African–Americans with heart failure.  J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013;61(10_S). Poster presentation at the American College of Cardiology 62^nd Annual Scientific Session, San Francisco, CA. March 2013.
• Labinov Y, DiDomenico R, Nutescu EA, Cavallari LH. Comparative accuracy of pharmacogenetic warfarin dosing algorithms and the warfarin dosing label plus clinical judgement. Pharmacotherapy2013;33:e19.[Abstract 28]. 2013 American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual meeting. Albuquerque, NM. October, 2013.
• Lam J, Bress A, Nutescu E, Groo VL.  Evaluation of dabigatran prescribing practices at University of Illinois Medical Center.  Pharmacotherapy 2012;32:295e.  Poster presentation at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Annual Meeting.  Hollywood, FL, October 2012
• Bress A, Groo VL, DiDomenico RJ, Stamos TD, Patel S, Cavallari LH. The Effect of Epithelial Sodium Channel Genotype on Loop Diuretic Requirements in Systolic Heart Failure: the First 50 Subjects. Pharmacotherapy 2011;31:e415-6[Abstract 381]. Poster presentation: 2011 American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual meeting. Pittsburgh, PA. October, 2011.
• Cavallari LH, Patel SR, Blekhman Y, Groo VL, Stamos TD. NPPA genotype is associated with aldosterone breakthrough in heart failure.  J Card Fail 2010; 16(8S):S38.  Poster presentation at the 14th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America.  San Diego, CA,  September 2010.
• Blekhman Y, Patel SR, Groo VL, Stamos TD, Cavallari LH.  Aldosterone escape in heart failure and atrial natriuretic peptide precursor A (NPPA) genotype.  Pharmacotherapy 2010; 30:207e.  Moderated poster presentation at the 2010 Spring Practice and Research Forum of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Charlotte, NC, April 2010
• Greenhalgh E, Groo V, Stamos TD, DiDomenico RJ. Torsemide vs Furosemide Plus Metolazone for Symptomatic Heart Failure. Pharmacotherapy 2009;29:e88[Abstract 198]. Poster presentation: 2009 American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)/European Society of Clinical Pharmacy International Congress on Clinical Pharmacy. Orlando, FL. April, 2009.
• Greenhalgh E, DiDomenico RJ. Predictors of Diuretic Resistance in Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure. J Card Fail 2008;14(Suppl 1):S80 [Abstract 257]. Poster presentation: 12th Annual Scientific meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Toronto, Ontario, Canada. September, 2008.

Miscellaneous Publications

• Gasbarro N, DiDomenico RJ. The role of ivabradine in reducing the risk for cardiovascular mortality or hospitalization for worsening heart failure. Pharmacy Practice News Report/Advertorial. New York: McMahon Publishing; May, 2016.
• Labinov Y, DiDomenico R.  The role of platelet function monitoring during thienopyridine/P2Y₁₂therapy. Cardiology Today, March 2013. http://www.healio.com/cardiology/vascular-medicine/news/print/cardiology-today/{2D9C69A1-B931-4FB6-A5C1-64ECF1FA8441}/The-role-of-platelet-function-monitoring-during-thienopyridineP2Y12-therapy?page=0&Filter=
• Labinov Y, DiDomenico R, Cavallari L.  Pharmacists’ role in warfarin pharmacogenetics.  KeePosted2013;39:9-10.