Contact

Phone: 440.312.7524
Fax: 440.312.7104
Email: frigelsk@ccf.org

Clinical Specialist at Hillcrest Hospital since 2003

Education

  • Doctor of Pharmacy 2002, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
  • Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences 2000, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
  • Pharmacy Practice Residency 2002 to 2003, The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, Greensboro, NC
  • Clinical Specialist at Hillcrest Hospital since 2003
  • Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist since 2005
  • Board Certified Cardiology Pharmacy 2019
  • Masters in Business Administration (in progress) Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH

Areas of Interest

  • Cardiovascular Disease
    • Acute Coronary Syndrome; Congestive Heart Failure; Cardiovascular risk factors; and Atrial fibrillation
  • Critical Care
  • Stroke
  • Anticoagulation
    • Afib stroke prevention; VTE treatment and prophylaxis; HIT
  • Daily clinical activities of the critical care units

Research and Current Projects

  • Pharmacist QTc scoring tool assessment for QTc prolonging medications
  • High Risk Scoring Tool to help reduce readmissions
  • Medication Management – Hospital Quality Measures for Acute Myocardial Infarction and Congestive Heart Failure; Stroke Quality Measures
  • Outpatient Congestive Heart Failure group education classes
  • Hospital Readmission Team
  • Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Patient Education

Service

  • Committee member for the following Hillcrest Hospital Performance Improvement Committees: CCU; CSICU; ICU; CSICU M&M; Cardiac Cath Lab; Stroke Center Certification; and Chest Pain Center Accreditation.
  • Committee member of the Cleveland Clinic Health System Cardiovascular Specialty Panel for P&T
  • Committee member of the Hillcrest Hospital P&T Committee
  • Committee member of Cleveland Clinic Health System ICU Operations Pharmacy Subcommittee
  • Hillcrest Hospital representative for the Cleveland Clinic Pharmacy Clinical Integration Committee
  • Volunteer Manager/Coach of my boys’ baseball, basketball and soccer teams
  • Hillcrest Family YMCA Community Advisory Board Member

Teaching

  • Preceptor for PharmD APPE students
  • Continuing education for nursing, pharmacy, and physicians at Hillcrest Hospital
  • Ursuline Nurse Practitioner program guest lecturer

Honors and Awards

  • Cum Laude The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
  • Nominated for Residency Preceptor of the Year 2012-13; 2018-19
  • Triangle Award Volunteer of the Year Hillcrest Family YMCA 2018

Publications

  • Newell B, Wirick N, Rigelsky F, Migal K. Implementation of a Pharmacist Monitoring Process for Patients on QTc Prolonging Antibiotics: A Pilot Study. Hosp Pharm. 2021 Dec;56(6):772-710. Epub 2020 Oct 20.
  • Herschman MA, Rigelsky FS, Axtell SS. A Pilot Study Comparing Hospital Readmission Rates In Patients Receiving Rivaroxaban or Enoxaparin After Orthopedic Surgery P T. 2016:41(6):376-380.
  • Rigelsky FS, Mauro VF. Pearls to prevent pharmacy perils: St. John’s Wort. Ohio Pharmacist 2002;51 (October):17.

Poster Presentations

  • Use of intravenous diltiazem in a community hospital before and after a national drug shortage. Benjamin Newell, Pharm.D.; Frank Rigelsky, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCP; Sandra Axtell, Pharm.D., BCPS 2019 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting
  • ST Segment elevation myocardial infarction following administration of tissue plasminogen activator for acute stroke. Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS; Matthew Nagar, PharmD, BCPS; Julia Kuroski, PharmD, BCCCP; Melissa Raich, PharmD, BCCCP 2017 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.
  • Retrospective Review of Code Blue Medication Usage in a Community Hospital Matthew M. Kolenda, Pharm.D.; Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS; Melissa Raich, Pharm.D., BCCCP 2017 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.
  • Evaluation of a comprehensive pharmacist education consult service for patients on oral anticoagulants. Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS, BCPS 2016 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.
  • Rebound elevation of international normalized ratio forty-eight hours after administration of four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate. Melissa M. Raich Pharm.D., BCPS; Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS, BCPS 2016 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.
  • Pharmacists’ Evaluation of Apixaban Dosing for Atrial Fibrillation. Matthew D. Delisle, PharmD; Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS; Sandra S. Axtell, PharmD, BCPS 2016 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.
  • Utilization of Prothrombin Complex Concentrate for the Reversal of Life Threatening Bleeding due to Warfarin in a Community Hospital. 2015 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS; Matthew Nagar, Pharm.D., BCPS; Pamela G. Ong, Pharm.D., BCPS
  • Evaluation of bivalirudin during percutaneous coronary intervention before and after a process change. 2014 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Meliss a A. Herschman Pharm.D; Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS; Melissa M. Lagzdins Pharm.D, BCPS; Michael A. Jakubecz RPh, MBA
  • Pharmacist’s Evaluation Of Rivaroxaban Dosing For Atrial Fibrillation. 2013 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Colton R. Hutton, Pharm.D.; Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS; Melissa M. Lagzdins, Pharm.D., BCPS
  • Evaluation of Dabigatran Usage in a 500-bed Tertiary Care Medical Facility. 2012 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Ashleigh N. Hogue, PharmD; Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS; Melissa Lagzdins, PharmD, BCPS
  • Implementation of the pharmacy practice model initiative in a community hospital and the pharmacist’s role in heart failure quality measures and readmission rates. 2012 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS; Michael A. Jakubecz R.Ph., MBA
  • Evaluation of an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent therapeutic interchange program within a health system. 2008 Spring Research and Practice Forum of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Phoenix, AZ
  • Medication Management Pharmacist: Meeting the Quality Measures – One Year Later. 2005 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS; Sandra S. Axtell, Pharm.D., BCPS; Michael Jakubecz, R.Ph., MBA; Chris F. Bartolotta, R.Ph.; Jennifer K. Bryan, Pharm.D.; and Cindy Wong, R.Ph
  • Medication Management Pharmacist: Meeting the Core Measures. 2004 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Michael Jakubecz, R.Ph., MBA; Sandra S. Axtell, Pharm.D., BCPS, Frank S. Rigelsky, PharmD, BCPS, Julia Glowczewski, R.Ph
  • Evaluation of C-Reactive Protein Screening for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment. ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, December 2003 New Orleans, Louisiana

Lecture Presentations

  • Lipids Treatment updates. Hillcrest Hospital Advanced Practice Nursing/Physician Assistance Continuing Education Series 2018
  • Management Case Study: Small Intradepartmental Groups Drive Pharmacy Improvement Process in a Large Community Hospital. 2016 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting
  • Oral anticoagulants. Hillcrest Hospital Advanced Practice Nursing/Physician Assistance Continuing Education Series 2016.
  • Lipid Guidelines. Hillcrest Hospital Cardiac Rehab Nursing Education Series 2015
  • Hypertension Guidelines Hillcrest Hospital Cardiac Rehab Nursing Education Series 2015
  • Pharmacist participation in shared patient education classes for heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Cleveland Clinic 2015 Ambulatory Nurses Conference
  • Hillcrest Pharmacy PPMI lecture series 2012 to 2014: Heart Failure; Anticoagulation; Atrial Fibrillation; Hypertension; Hyperlipidemia
  • Oral Anticoagulation: Out with Old and in with the New? Ohio College of Clinical Pharmacy Spring 2013 Pharmacotherapy Update
  • Cleveland Clinic Nursing Institute Dimensions in Cardiac Care: Pharmacotherapy Track: ATP IV Lipid Guidelines: How low (or high) to should we go? September 2012
  •  Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis and the National Patient Safety Goal for Anticoagulation
    • Hillcrest Hospital Department of Family Practice CME conference October 2008
    • Hillcrest Hospital VTE Awareness Month Presentation March 2009
  • Ursuline College Nurse Practitioner Program guest lecturer 2008 to present
    • Cardiovascular disease
  • CCHS Critical Care Classes 2007 to 2014
    • Critical Care Homodynamic Monitoring and Interventions
  • Management Case Study Presentation. ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, December 2007 Las Vegas, Nevada. Medication Management Pharmacist: Meeting the Hospital Quality Measures
  • Ohio Association of Physician Assistants 2007 Pharmacology Conference Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
    • Respiratory Inhalants Agents
    • Renal Agents for Multiple Renal Conditions
  • Southeastern States Conference for Pharmacy Resident and Preceptors, April 2003 Athens, Georgia Evaluation of C-Reactive Protein Screening for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment