Published on June 23, 2025
Stough & Neckel Graduate Pharmacy Residency Program
The Owensboro Health PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Program recently graduated two pharmacists, Lexie Stough and Emily Neckel, marking a significant milestone in their pharmacy careers.
Lexie appreciated the numerous electives offered by the pharmacy program and the knowledgeable preceptors with specialized expertise. She values the hands-on experience gained through geographical rounding, verification, and order entry. Lexie believes these experiences will prepare her for her career as she plans to return to Ohio and work as a clinical pharmacist at Ohio State University.
Emily shared her positive experience with the program, emphasizing that her growth as a pharmacist came from working with diverse and knowledgeable preceptors from various backgrounds who inspired and educated her. Emily plans to return to her hometown of Paducah, Kentucky, to work as a clinical staff pharmacist at Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital.
“The PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency is a rigorous program, and both Lexie and Emily persevered through it. Not only did they excel, but they also completed numerous projects throughout the year that resulted in improvements to our health system. We are very proud of their work,” said Aeriel Thorpe, Clinical Pharmacist and Director, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program.
Throughout their residency, Lexie and Emily conducted and presented several research and evaluation projects to enhance patient care across the health system. Emily's projects included evaluating the management of hyperkalemia (potassium levels in the blood) and comparing alteplase to tenecteplase (ischemic stroke). While Lexie focused on hypercalcemia of malignancy (elevated calcium levels in cancer patients) and the dosing of apixaban. They presented their findings at the American Society of Health System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting and the Great Lakes Pharmacy Resident Conference. These projects are part of the residents' annual longitudinal work, contributing to systemic improvements in healthcare, said Thorpe.
The upcoming PGY-1 program will start on June 30 and welcome two new pharmacy residents. The pharmacy leadership team values feedback from residents from previous years to enhance the program continually. They build on the lessons learned and strive to implement improvements every year.
Learn more about the Owensboro Health Pharmacy Residency Program.
About Owensboro Health
Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; four outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.
On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.