NDSU pharmacy alumnus John Savageau (RPh, 1990) has been named the new director of pharmacy for Sanford Health for the Bismarck, North Dakota region.
Savageau had served Sanford as the manager of inpatient pharmacy and the staff pharmacist in the intensive care unit (ICU) for 29 years. His new duties include leading the Sanford inpatient and outpatient pharmacy services. Former Director of Pharmacy, Tom Simmer, (BS Pharmacy, 1975) is retiring from Sanford after 45 years of service.
“What I am looking most forward to is being a servant leader to all our talented pharmacists,” said Savageau. “That they all have the opportunities I was given to work alongside our nursing and medical staff for our patients.”
He said his education from NDSU provided a foundation for success.
“NDSU School of Pharmacy provides for a unique opportunity for students to work closely with licensed pharmacists and other healthcare professionals,” said Savageau. “This arrangement helped myself, as a student, understand the complexity of healthcare and all the necessary roles each team member plays to make a patient well.”
In his new position as director of pharmacy, Savageau, a Fargo, North Dakota native, said he looks to continue the excellent care provided to people in central and western North Dakota, while building on a culture of safety.
“I also want to advocate for the advancement of our profession as healthcare providers, emphasizing the contributions and value pharmacists provide in healthcare,” said Savageau.
The Sanford Bismarck region provides health care to central and western North Dakota, eastern Montana and northern South Dakota. It includes 21 clinics in Bismarck, Mandan, Minot, Dickinson and Watford City, as well as a Level II trauma center located in Bismarck.
About NDSU School of Pharmacy
NDSU’s pharmacy program (PharmD) encompasses both the basic and clinical sciences to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and professionalism essential to the practice of pharmacy. The School offers early admission, traditional admission, and post-baccalaureate and pharmacy technician pathways to a PharmD degree. There are also dual degree options to complete your MBA, MPH, or PhD while working on your PharmD. NDSU also offers both MS and PhD degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The graduate program emphasizes both research and teaching excellence.
As a student focused, land grant, research institution, we serve our citizens.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, one of the largest health systems in the United States, is dedicated to the integrated delivery of health care, genomic medicine, senior care and services, global clinics, research and affordable insurance. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization includes 46 hospitals, 1,500 physicians and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations in 26 states and 10 countries. Learn more about Sanford Health's transformative work to improve the human condition at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.