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Preceptors

Frederick Leri, PharmD, MBA, BCPS
Director, Geisinger Community Medical Center
Dr. Leri received his Bachelor of Science from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science in 1985, his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois Chicago in 1994, and his MBA from The University of Scranton in 1997. He is the director of pharmacy at Geisinger Community Medical Center and a faculty member at Wilkes University School of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Dr. Leri spent 30 years at Moses Taylor Hospital, where he held numerous pharmacy positions including residency program director. His professional interests include infectious diseases, critical care and education. Dr. Leri is the preceptor for the Internal Medicine rotation.

Christine Neary, RPh
Pharmacy Manager Clinical Pharmacist – Emergency Medicine
Ms. Neary is a 1986 graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa., with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. Before coming to Community Medical Center in 1989, she served as assistant director at Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital. She is an active member of the Acute Care Leadership Steering Committee, the Acute Care Leadership Committee, the Geisinger Community Medical Center Pharmacy Practice Council, the Geisinger Community Medical Center Residency Advisory Committee and the Employee Recognition Team. She serves as preceptor for the PGY1 Orientation rotation.

Danielle Karaffa, PharmD, BCPS
Director, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program
Clinical Pharmacist – Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Trauma Services, Cardiology
Dr. Karaffa is a graduate of University of the Sciences, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy in 2013. After graduation, she completed a PGY1 pharmacy residency at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, Pa., and her Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy Resident Teaching Certificate in 2013. After residency, Dr. Karaffa worked as a clinical pharmacist at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital until joining Geisinger Community Medical Center as a clinical pharmacist in 2015. She is board certified in pharmacotherapy. Her areas of interest include teaching and precepting, emergency medicine, cardiology, trauma services and critical care. Dr. Karaffa serves as chair of the Residency Advisory Committee and is a member of the Pharmacy Practice Council.

Krushna Shah, PharmD, BCPS
Assistant Director, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program
Clinical Pharmacist – Trauma Services, Critical Care, Drug Information and Health Education
Dr. Shah is a graduate from Wilkes University and received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy in 2019. After graduation, she completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and her Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy Resident Teaching Certificate in 2020. Dr. Shah joined Geisinger Community Medical Center as a clinical pharmacist in 2020. She is a board-certified pharmacist in pharmacotherapy. Her interests include teaching and precepting, critical care, trauma services and cardiology. She recently became the assistant residency program director under Dr. Karaffa.

Mariah Deibert, PharmD
Coordinator of Pharmacy Services - General
Clinical Pharmacist – Emergency Medicine, Cardiology
Dr. Deibert is a graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy in 2016. After graduation, she accepted a position as a clinical pharmacist as Geisinger Community Medical Center. Her areas of interest include emergency medicine, cardiology, trauma and teaching. Dr. Deibert serves as a member of the Residency Advisory Committee and the Pharmacy Practice Council. 

Anthony Alu, Pharm D, BCCCP
Coordinator of Pharmacy Service - Critical Care, Emergency Medicine
Clinical Pharmacist – Critical Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Trauma
Dr. Alu is a graduate of Wilkes University and received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy in 2012. After graduation he accepted a position as a clinical pharmacist at Geisinger Community Medical Center. He serves as the clinical coordinator for critical care and emergency medicine. His areas of interest include vasoactive medications, sedation, infectious diseases and education. Dr. Alu is an active member of the Residency Advisory Committee and the Pharmacy Practice Council, and serves as a preceptor for PGY1 critical care and for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE) critical care.

Michael J. Fox, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist – Infectious Diseases, Critical Care, Pediatrics, OB/GYN
Dr. Fox is a graduate of the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes University. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2003. After graduation he accepted a position as clinical pharmacist at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center where he specialized in critical care, pediatrics and neonatal medicine. In 2005, he accepted a position at Community Medical Center Health System as clinical coordinator, where he oversaw all the clinical pharmacy programs and precepted students from various pharmacy schools while acting as an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy. Dr. Fox transitioned to the position of clinical pharmacist with Geisinger Community Medical Center upon their merger in 2012. He is certified by the Society of Critical Care Medicine for their Fundamental Critical Care Support program in obstetrics and recently completed the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Pediatrics Pharmacy Certificate Program. He is a preceptor for antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases. Dr. Fox serves on the Residency Advisory Committee, the Pharmacy Pediatric Team, the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, the Perinatal Center Committee and the Code Lavender Team Committee. His areas of interest include pediatrics, neonatology, obstetrics, infectious diseases, pain management and critical care.

Christopher Defrancesco, BSc, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist – Drug Information and Health Education, Cardiology 
Dr. DeFrancesco received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1994 from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science and his doctorate in 2011 from Shenandoah University. With a commitment to the philosophy of lifelong self-directed learning, Dr. Defrancesco earned certification from nationally recognized organizations, such as his American Pharmacists Association Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery Certificate and his Pain Management Certificate. He maintains a practice at Geisinger Community Medical Center. His primary areas of interest include pain management, internal medicine and cardiology as well as serving as preceptor for PGY1 pharmacy residents. Dr. Defrancesco also serves as adjunct faculty at Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy and Passan Nursing.

Shannon Exeter, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist – Emergency Medicine, Trauma Services
Dr. Exeter graduated from Temple University School of Pharmacy in 2008. She has been a clinical pharmacist at Geisinger Community Medical Center for five years with focus in critical care, trauma, infectious diseases and emergency medicine. Prior to working at the hospital, she was a clinical pharmacist at Moses Taylor hospital for seven years with experience in critical care, NICU and general medicine. She serves as the residency preceptor for the trauma rotation at Geisinger Community Medical Center.

Lindsey Schneider, PharmD, BCCCP
Clinical Pharmacist – Emergency Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Critical Care
Dr. Schneider graduated from Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes University in 2009, then completed a PGY1 residency at York Hospital, WellSpan Health System in York, Pa. After residency, she accepted a position with Geisinger and is now an acute care clinical pharmacist at Geisinger Community Medical Center. She has been board certified in pharmacotherapy and is now board certified in critical care. Dr. Schneider is a preceptor for the Critical Care, Emergency Medicine and Infectious Diseases rotations. 

Andrea Mayer, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Pharmacist
Dr. Mayer graduated from Temple University School of Pharmacy with her Doctor of Pharmacy in 1999. She then completed a pharmacy practice residency at Christiana Care Health System. After residency, she began her career as a clinical pharmacist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s Home Infusion Service. In 2008, she began working for Community Medical Center, which later became Geisinger Community Medical Center. She works as a clinical pharmacist and is involved in precepting the residents’ longitudinal staffing experience.

Erika Monacelli, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist, Infectious Diseases
Dr. Monacelli is a graduate of Temple University School of pharmacy. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy in 2014. After graduation, she completed a PGY1 pharmacy residency at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, Pa., and the Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy Resident Teaching Certificate in 2015. After completing her residency, she joined Geisinger Community Medical Center as a clinical pharmacist in 2015. She is a member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship and Residency Advisory committees and serves as a residency preceptor for the Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infectious Diseases rotations. 

Philip Scavo, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist – Infectious Diseases, Internal medicine, Cardiology
Dr. Scavo is a graduate of Wilkes University and received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy in 2018. After graduation, he completed his PGY1 residency at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in 2019. Upon completion of residency, he accepted a clinical pharmacist position with Geisinger Community Medical Center, where he continues to practice and serves on the Pharmacy Practice Council. His professional interests include general internal medicine, antimicrobial stewardship, trauma services and teaching.

Christine M. Kowalski, RPh
Clinical Pharmacist
Ms. Kowalski graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Sciences. She has been a clinical pharmacist at Geisinger Medical Center since 1996. She is an active member of the Employee Recognition Committee, Residency Advisory Committee, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Safety Committee and the Lackawanna County Pharmacy Association for over 20 years. Her areas of interest include anticoagulation, cardiology, patient and medication safety.

Nancy Evans, RPh
Clinical Pharmacist
Ms. Evans graduated with a bachelor of science in pharmacy from Temple University. She has been a clinical pharmacist at Geisinger Community Medical Center since 1992. She is an active member of the Pharmacy Practice Council, the Residency Advisory Committee and the Employee Recognition Committee. Her areas of interest include hematology/oncology, surgical services and patient and medication safety.