PGY2 PROGRAM
Residency Program Director
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Justin Kullgren, PharmD, FAAHPM
- PGY2 Pain and Palliative Care Residency Program Director
- Palliative Medicine Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Previous Year Residents
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2026
Kate Mazujian, PharmD
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2025
Lauren Fortini, PharmD
Palliative Care Pharmacy Clinical Specialist, The James OSUWMC
About the PGY2 Pain Management and Palliative Care Residency Program
Residency Sites
Most of the training and learning experiences for the PGY2 Pain Management and Palliative Care residency program take place at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. The resident focuses on learning opportunities in inpatient and outpatient palliative care and pain management in a large academic medical center with experiences in both acute and chronic care. The Palliative Medicine Division at Ohio State is well networked with other Central Ohio Palliative Medicine fellowship and residency programs, creating a broad educational network with interdisciplinary preceptors, mentors, and colleagues for the resident. Partnership with other Central Ohio practice sites provides a diverse experience in hospice and end of life care for the resident.
At all practice sites, caring for patients with palliative care needs is integrated with becoming an expert in pain and symptom management across a wide variety of disease states and disease trajectories. The resident will also have many experiences in managing pain and other symptoms for patients with comorbid substance use disorders and terminal disease. The diversity of educational forums and patient care experiences provides a well-rounded program that can be tailored to fit the interests of the resident and facilitate achievement of professional goals. Program graduates will be well prepared to provide pharmaceutical care for pain, palliative, and hospice patients in both inpatient and outpatient practice settings.
More about The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
The Palliative Medicine consult service at OSUWMC serves patients with serious or life-limiting illness at variable stages of disease across the institution, including University Hospital, The James Cancer Hospital, and The Ross Heart Hospital. The outpatient palliative clinic serves patients with symptoms related to cancer and cancer therapies.
University Hospital (UH)
University Hospital (UH) is the flagship hospital with over 900 beds. UH is a major referral center for patients throughout Ohio and the Midwest. Palliative Medicine completes consults on patients in the surgical and medical ICUs and on general acute care floors for a variety of disease states and to help establish goals of care.
The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
The OSUCCC – James strives to create a cancer-free world by integrating scientific research with excellence in education and patient-centered care — a strategy that leads to better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. Ohio State is one of 51 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of only a few centers funded by the NCI to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials on novel anticancer drugs sponsored by the NCI. As the cancer program’s 356-bed adult patient-care component, The James is one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S. News & World Report and has achieved Magnet® designation, the highest honor an organization can receive for quality patient care and professional nursing practice. With 21 floors and more than 1.1 million square feet, The James is a transformational facility that fosters collaboration and integration of cancer research and clinical cancer care.
The Ross Heart Hospital
The Ross Heart Hospital is a leader in cardiology and heart surgery and is the only nationally ranked heart hospital in the area. The Ross is one of the largest centers for the implantation of LVAD devices in the world in addition to providing heart and lung transplants. Palliative medicine is highly integrated into the care of cardiac patients at all stages, including establishing goals of care prior to aggressive interventions.
Center for Palliative Care Outpatient Clinic
The outpatient palliative care team is comprised of physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, social workers, nurses, chaplains, psychologists, and harm reduction counselors who together work to provide whole person care to cancer patients experiencing symptoms related to cancer and cancer therapies. The clinic operates 5 days per week and actively follows approximately 1200 patients. An extension of the clinic, the Palliative Care Harm Reduction and Resiliency Clinic, cares for patient with comorbid cancer-related pain and substance use disorders. Additionally, palliative care clinicians provide embedded palliative care within the Thoracic Oncology Clinic, Geriatric Palliative Care Clinic, Stephanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center, and Ross cardiac clinic.
Key Rotations/Experiences
In addition to direct patient care experiences, the resident will also deliver didactic lectures at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and has the opportunity to earn a Teaching and Learning Program certificate. Professional development programming is coordinated by The OSU College of Pharmacy and The Wexner Medical Center throughout the residency year. The resident is expected to complete and publish at least one major research or quality improvement project with collaborative support from the Resident Research Committee, the preceptors, and practitioners from the clinical practice sites. The resident will precept IPPE and APPE students and be involved in layered learning while interacting with other pharmacy, medical, and nursing trainees at the practice sites.
Learning Experience |
Duration |
|---|---|
| Orientation | 1-4 weeks |
| Acute Pain Management | 4 weeks |
| Chronic/Interventional Pain Management | 6-month longitudinal |
| Inpatient Palliative Care in Oncology | 4 weeks |
| Inpatient Palliative Care in Internal Medicine | 4 weeks |
| Inpatient Palliative Care in Cardiology | 2 weeks |
| Outpatient Palliative Care | 4 weeks |
| Pain Management and Substance Use Disorders | 4 weeks |
| Inpatient Hospice Care | 4 weeks |
| Hospice Home Care | 3-month longitudinal |
| Independent Practitioner Capstone | 4 weeks |
| Practice Management & Professional Development | 1-year longitudinal |
| Research Project | 1 year longitudinal |
| Teaching & Precepting | 9-month longitudinal |
| Staffing | 1-year longitudinal |
Learning Experience |
Duration |
|---|---|
| Opioid Stewardship | 3-6 month longitudinal |
| Psychiatry | 2-4 weeks |
| Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Care | 4 weeks plus competency training |
| Sickle Cell Pain Management | 2-4 weeks |
Key Preceptors
Marliese Gibson, PharmD, BCPP
Pharmacy Coordinator Kobacker House
OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital
Jessica Hirsch, PharmD
Palliative Medicine Clinical Pharmacist Specialist
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
James Cancer Hospital
Gary Houchard, PharmD
Palliative Medicine Clinical Pharmacist Specialist
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
James Cancer Hospital
Melissa Hunt, PharmD
Pediatric Clinical Pharmacist
Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services
Justin Kullgren, PharmD, FAAHPM
Palliative Medicine Clinical Pharmacist Specialist
PGY2 Pain Management & Palliative Care Residency Program Director
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
James Cancer Hospital
Bridget McCrate Protus, PharmD, MLIS, BCGP, CDP
Director of Drug Information
Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services
Max Stevenson, PharmD, MA
Palliative Medicine Clinical Pharmacist Specialist
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
James Cancer Hospital
Maureen Saphire, PharmD, BCGP, CDP
Opioid Stewardship and Palliative Medicine Pharmacist
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
James Cancer Hospital
Selected Resident Research
Intravenous Dosing Strategy for Ketamine in the Treatment of Cancer Pain. Siegel L, Quirk K, Houchard G, Ehrman S, McLaughlin E, Hajmousa O, Saphire M.
A Pharmacoeconomic Study of Respiratory Medications for Hospice Patients with End-Stage Respiratory Disease. Stevenson MH, Protus BM, Lovell AG, Saphire ML.
Transdermal Buprenorphine Use for Pain Management in Palliative Care. Hirsch JM, Kale SS, Saphire ML, Palettas M, Kullgren JG.
Palatability of Crushed Over-the-Counter Medications. Lovell AG, Protus BM, Dickman JG, Saphire, ML.
State Legislation to Prevent Diversion of Opioids in Hospice Programs: A Deeper Look Into Ohio Law. Kneuss TG, Protus BM, Lovell AG, Kullgren JG.
Hospital Opioid Requirements Following Continuation Versus Discontinuation of Buprenorphine for Addiction – A Retrospective Cohort Study. Houchard G, Abel S, Kullgren JG, Saphire M.
Evaluation of QTc interval prolongation among patients with cancer using enteral methadone. Lovell AG, Protus BM, Saphire ML, Kale SS, Lehman A, Hartman A.
Petroleum jelly (Vaseline balls) for the treatment of constipation: a survey of hospice and palliative care practitioners. Tavares CN, Kimbrel JM, Protus BM, Grauer PA.
Impact of opioid prescribing restrictions on non-opioid adjuvant use in a palliative oncology population. Dolan A, Saphire ML, Kullgren JG, Hopkin T, Ansari H.
Pharmacist-Guided Methadone Opioid Rotation in Hospice Patients through an Interdisciplinary Methadone Follow-up Program. Davis LA, Collier K, Jones M, Protus BM, Kimbrel J.
BENEFITS AND ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Application Deadline:
January 3, 2027
We welcome applications from non-U.S. citizens who have a “green card” (permanent resident status) or a current visa valid through the entire duration of the residency program. The Ohio State University pharmacy residency programs are NOT able to sponsor visas for pharmacy residents (PGY1 or PGY2).
Number of Positions: 1
Start Date: July 1, 2027
Annual Salary – $56,000
Vacation Days – 10 days
Support for up to two national conferences
Staffing Requirements at The James – 19 weekends per year
Completion of a major quality improvement or research project
Contact the program director for a complete list of completion requirements
