Meet the Candidates
All AMCP Active Members (Pharmacists, Physicians, and Nurses) are eligible to vote in the annual election to fill vacancies on the AMCP Board of Directors. A new President-elect, Treasurer and two Directors will be elected this year. The individuals elected will begin their terms at the conclusion of AMCP2021, April 13-16, 2021, in San Francisco. The Treasurer and Directors serve on the Board for two years, while the President-elect serves a total of three years — one each as President-elect, President, and Immediate Past President.
AMCP uses electronic voting for its Board elections.
- Active Members will receive an email with voting credentials on Oct. 30, 2020 from our election services partner, Election Services Corporation (AMCPHelp@mg.electionservicescorp.com).
- Online voting closes at 5:00 pm (eastern) on Dec. 4, 2020.
- See how to vote on our Board Elections page.
Meet the Candidates for President-elect, Treasurer, and Director
Candidates’ biographical summaries, platform statements, and responses to the ballot question are provided below.
Candidates for President-elect
2021–2024
Deb Schering Curry, RPh, PharmD
Senior Vice President, Clinical Services
SS&C Health
PLATFORM STATEMENT
Address the future direction of AMCP in relation to its members and how you are positioned to lead AMCP in this direction over the course of your term.
AMCP and the role of its members in healthcare is continually evolving. Recognizing and embracing this evolution is key to shaping the future of AMCP. With the upcoming elections, we face many uncertainties in healthcare over the next few years. AMCP is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this uncertainty by being the thought leaders as discussions related to the future of healthcare. As a recently “retired” board member I have had the opportunity to see first-hand how AMCP is well-positioned and at the forefront in shaping the future of the healthcare arena and working strategically with other organizations and the government to ensure critical healthcare issues, needs, and gaps are addressed. Key focus areas are ever-evolving but some that I see as critical over the next few years include the following:
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Value-based healthcare is continually evolving and organizations, such as CMS, are creating more rules related to what this means. AMCP and its members (who have access to a wealth of data, population management, RWE/RWD, and clinical studies) are uniquely positioned to continue to shape and mold the dialogue and implementation.
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AMCP recognizes the evolution of our industry due to specialty, biosimilars, and bio-pharmaceuticals. This personalized medicine movement has an impact on all of our key membership categories and thus is critical as we continue to gain insight from our stakeholders to help be at the forefront of recommendations for how these should be administered, approval processes, and recommendations for reimbursement channels.
ELECTION QUESTION
With the onset of COVID-19, address how managed care pharmacy will adapt to opportunities and challenges to support the future state of health care and how AMCP can lead in this effort.
Challenges and opportunities created as a result of COVID-19 are being recognized almost daily in the world today. AMCP is uniquely positioned to champion forward changes as a result of these. The diverse membership and goals of AMCP in managed care pharmacy allows for many different avenues of these opportunities to be addressed. While it hasn’t been easy navigating the unchartered waters of a pandemic AMCP has jumped in with both feet to ensure its members' needs are being addressed in the ever-changing world around us and to advance our mission of optimizing medicine, improving lives.
AMCP’s COVID-19 resource center has been a valuable clearinghouse of information related to the COVID-19 pandemic and all the various facets that our membership is dealing with in their day to day work and personal lives. It highlights all the areas that AMCP is actively involved in. AMCP needs to continue to be thought leaders and push for issues that are critical to our membership. The resource center has highlighted how AMCP has and continues to be active participants in discussions including federal and state legislation as a result of the pandemic, pharmacist provider status to improve healthcare during (and after) the pandemic as well as many other key issues. AMCP has demonstrated how it is currently leading during these times and will continue to lead and be involved in critical issues such as some listed below.
We have seen scope of pharmacy practice changes, including increased prescribing capabilities, testing for COVID-19, and preparation for vaccinations. We have also seen a drastic shift in how routine and preventative care is administered moving more to telehealth, delaying non urgent visits and surgeries, and ultimately changing the paradigm of the traditional office visit to more digital based visit. The increased familiarity of patients with telehealth has further opened the door for managed care pharmacy to improve and optimize healthcare delivery through population health management. AMCP is in a unique position to showcase our historical experience and how to take it to the next level including digital technology and outreach to positively impact care. We also are leaders in reimbursement methodologies and can help drive and educate for a future where we are reimbursing for any number of different types of visits.
Many AMCP members and their organizations have a wealth of data at their fingertips, especially real time pharmacy data used to monitor health care and prescription drug trends. The pandemic has opened up a world where proactive analysis of that data is done on demand to monitor, evaluate, and determine various things such as drug shortages due to the pandemic or if any restrictions need to be put in place on products being used off label for treatment of COVID-19. This real world data, pharmacy coupled with medical and other data, is also being used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment modalities in a much more real-time nature than in the past. AMCP is uniquely positioned to work with our members to continue build out methodologies in which real-world data is used to drive decisions in a situation where there isn’t clinical data and in situations where this adds additional insights to the body of clinical research.
Managed care pharmacy has demonstrated our ability to quickly adapt and be leaders in alternative methods of health care delivery. It is critical AMCP continue to be involved and front leaders in the discussions and issues outlined above as well as many others. I look forward to seeing all that we, as AMCP, can accomplish to move the profession and healthcare forward!
BIOGRAPHIC STATEMENT
Dr. Curry is currently the SVP of Clinical Services at SS&C Health. She received her B.S. and Doctorate of Pharmacy from Ferris State University after which she completed a managed care pharmacy practice residency. She has been involved in AMCP for over 17 years. During that time she has served on and as Chair of the Membership and Special Projects Committees and served two terms as a Director on the Board of Directors from 2016-2020. She is a co-founder and former leader of the Southwest-AMCP affiliate and currently is a member of the Midwest-AMCP affiliate. She received the 2008 AMCP Spirit of Volunteerism Award and is a Platinum level Champion of AMCP. She has presented on a wide array of topics at AMCP and other national meetings and is published on various managed care topics. She is passionate about AMCP and its mission to optimize medicine and improve lives!
James R. Hopsicker, RPh, MBA
Sr. Leader, Health and Pharmacy Management
MVP Health Care
PLATFORM STATEMENT
Address the future direction of AMCP in relation to its members and how you are positioned to lead AMCP in this direction over the course of your term.
AMCP members improve the lives of nearly 300 million Americans through the optimization of high quality, cost-effective medications and other therapies. AMCP supports its members through the strategic plan that is comprised of four key strategic initiatives: thought leadership, member engagement, build the brand, and operational excellence. Through knowledge, collaboration, and advocacy we can meet this promise of improved health outcomes together.
Over the past 20 years, I have lobbied for the practice of managed care pharmacy and been actively involved in the discussion of shifting from volume to value in pharmacy practice. I fully support and believe that appropriate use of pharmaceutical products is the best value within the current health care system. I believe the Academy is best positioned to bring key stakeholders together to define, execute, and transition policy and practice to improve patient outcomes while controlling/reducing health care costs.
AMCP cannot succeed without engaged and energized members. I have continued to support member engagement through my interaction on AMCP Committees, Affiliate work, The Buddy Program, education programming, and my existing Board service.
Based upon my AMCP and other volunteer experience, I have had the opportunity to interact with multiple constituents and demonstrated my ability to bring diverse backgrounds together to work toward a common goal. I am an effective communicator, proven leader, strategic thinker, and pride myself in relationship building. My strong knowledge of the issues facing managed care pharmacy and vast professional experience make me an ideal candidate for continued service on the AMCP Board.
ELECTION QUESTION
With the onset of COVID-19, address how managed care pharmacy will adapt to opportunities and challenges to support the future state of health care and how AMCP can lead in this effort.
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the healthcare landscape. The race is on for treatment options including vaccines and other antiviral therapies. Now is the time for managed care pharmacy and AMCP to take the lead and be an active participant as the “new” future of health care is defined. Opportunities and challenges include the role of telehealth and technology, access to care, and education/advocacy.
I believe the future state of health care will be increasingly dependent on technology. The large increase in telehealth use is beginning to stabilize, and many stakeholders have seen its value. With this increased demand, interoperability and privacy have become more important issues to be addressed. As rural hospitals and health centers feel pressure, telehealth and pharmacists can play critical roles in delivering health care.
As we successfully manage through this current health crisis, we must always put the patient first. Pharmacists must take an active role in patient care, ensuring uninterrupted care and access to critical health care services. When COVID-19 began, we all worked to ensure patients were able to receive their medications without interruption, alleviated prior authorization and step therapy rules, allowed extended days’ supply of medications, and some even made outreach calls to ensure the most vulnerable populations were able to receive their medications.
Now more than ever, the overall well-being of the patient must be evaluated and gaps addressed. This not only includes the physical and mental health of the patient, but also the social, emotional, spiritual, and financial well-being that is being significantly impacted during this crisis. In my experience, more than 50% of the increasing telehealth visits are behavioral health-related. It is important to remember that there continue to be health care challenges that existed pre COVID-19 that need continued focus. Chronic disease, the opioid crisis, and affordability of medications still require focus and attention. COVID-19 has also highlighted the health disparity issues that have always existed. We must work collaboratively to address how medications and other therapies impact different patient populations.
AMCP must play a critical role in education and advocacy. AMCP has created a COVID-19 weekly communication and resource website as well as AMCP Collaborate, a vehicle to share critical information and obtain key opinions from other managed care professionals. Furthermore, Nexus 2020 is moving forward in a virtual format, and AMCP must continue to provide relevant and timely educational content to its members.
AMCP continues to be a voice at both the federal and state levels. Advocacy is a key focus area as the new health care world emerges. Pharmacists must be recognized as a key member of the health care team. Now is the time to educate every constituent on the importance of medications and other therapies and the role that pharmacists can play, especially in the use of vaccines and testing. Many states have expanded the scope of practice, and the managed care community has embraced these changes. As pharmacies continue to service their patients, they are the healthcare professional with the most frequent interaction with the patient. On average, 40% of commercial and Medicaid members visit a pharmacy every month while over 75% of Medicare members have a prescription filled every month. It is time for managed care pharmacy to show how we can close care gaps and ensure patients can get the medications they need at a price they can afford.
AMCP must continue to convene the key stakeholders and work across geographic and other boundaries to create a health care system that works for us and the communities that we serve.
BIOGRAPHIC STATEMENT
Jim’s managed care career spans over 25 years with experience in Commercial/Exchange, Managed Medicaid, and Medicare Part D programs. As Sr. Leader, Health and Pharmacy Management for MVP Health Care, a 700,000 member health insurance company servicing New York and Vermont, he oversees the development and maintenance of pharmacy policies, formulary management, and all pharmacy vendor relationships. Through partnerships with all stakeholders he is passionately committed to ensure high quality, cost-effective use of medications and other therapies.
Jim is Adjunct Faculty at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, is a student preceptor for three schools, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer’s Association, Northeastern New York Chapter.
Jim has been an active member of AMCP for more than 25 years, previously serving on the AMCP Northeast Affiliate Board and the Professional Practice and Educational Affairs Committees. He currently serves on the AMCP Board of Directors.
Candidates for Treasurer
2021–2023
Christina J. Barrington, PharmD
Vice President, Pharmacy Programs
Priority Health
PLATFORM STATEMENT
Address the future direction of AMCP in relation to its members and how you are positioned to lead AMCP in this direction over the course of your term.
Since its inception, AMCP has been the voice of Managed Care Pharmacy. The ongoing work of leadership and membership has been instrumental in shaping all aspects of managed care. I believe the organization can grow membership and increase visibility by utilizing our greatest asset: our members. Our members are some of our strongest brand advocates, and they can help us recruit and educate at extremely low costs. By arming our members with proper resources, they can help drive more interest to the organization while also increasing our standing as a thought leader.
It is important given these unprecedented times, that I help develop innovative ways to engage our current and future membership to fulfill our mission. AMCP’s mission is to improve patient health by ensuring access to high-quality, cost-effective medications and other therapies. AMCP was purposeful with every one of these words, and I am fully committed to guaranteeing that we deliver on this mission. I can help accomplish this by ensuring that our membership remains diverse, allowing AMCP to be more representative and focused on the needs and health disparities that exist in our industry while aligning with our organizational mission.
ELECTION QUESTION
With the onset of COVID-19, address how managed care pharmacy will adapt to opportunities and challenges to support the future state of health care and how AMCP can lead in this effort.
Many unique challenges have developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many organizations have disaster recovery plans in place, no one was quite prepared for the impact on the healthcare system that COVID-19 created. We have seen health systems face over capacity, limited resources, and diminished financial stability. In our communities, we have witnessed a significant impact on financial and personal wellbeing. This includes not only the effects of suffering from the virus itself, but the decline in the health of patients with chronic conditions. We have seen individuals avoid getting the necessary urgent and preventative medical treatments that they need. In response to this behavior, access to providers through telemedicine has grown exponentially, home health care is becoming the preferred site-of-service, and unique pharmacy benefits have been implemented. It is important to continue to take a multi-dimensional approach to improve the safety and health of patients. In order to accomplish this, we must be able to address the underlying issues in health care. It is also important that we look at developing strategies for addressing social determinants of health, identifying the most at-risk populations, establishing pharmacies as the best site for delivery of care, and securing and maintaining much needed medical resources.
During these difficult times, AMCP is well-positioned to spearhead addressing the unique challenges that have developed as a result of COVID-19. There are several ways in which AMCP can work to meet the pressing needs of our clients and stakeholders throughout and post COVID-19. One tactic would be to bring more awareness to reducing disparities in the healthcare of our patients. Our goal as an organization has always been to reduce health care disparities. COVID-19 has highlighted inequalities that exist within the healthcare system. AMCP is poised to help its membership by providing resources to help build strategic plans for identifying and addressing these issues within their organizations and communities they serve.
COVID-19 forced healthcare providers to adopt telemedicine in a way like never before. Telemedicine has increased the accessibility of patient care by making the delivery of services more efficient and effective. As a valued source of industry best practices, AMCP is a great resource for highlighting and encouraging the continued advancement of telehealth and other digital health platforms. As well as promoting pharmacies as a critical site for delivery of care.
As an organization that promotes and supports research, AMCP should invest and participate in research and innovation that helps build upon the lessons learned from COVID-19 as well as lead the way in creating proactive strategies for future health care setbacks. They will then be able to equip healthcare professionals with the resources they need, so they can develop combative tactics, for similar instances that may plague us in the future.
At that core of AMCP’s principles is the promotion of education and development of its members and young professionals. COVID-19 has sent a curveball throughout our entire industry and managed care professionals need access to information to learn how to combat these issues. The best way we can ensure the success of our members is to continue to provide them with the latest information and strategies they can learn from and apply in their perspective practice site.
AMCP has already proven itself to be a leader in Managed Care Pharmacy. Throughout COVID-19, AMCP has stuck true to its values and mission to stay focused on improving patient health by ensuring access to high quality, cost-effective medications and other therapies.
BIOGRAPHIC STATEMENT
Christina has over 20 years of managed care experience and is currently the Vice President of Pharmacy Programs for Priority Health, where she is responsible for setting strategy for the pharmacy department and managing the pharmaceutical services budget across the organization.
In addition to her role in pharmacy management, Dr. Barrington has conducted extensive research into the impact of value-based benefit designs and is a pioneer in risk-based contracting strategies. She has presented her research and innovative contracting strategies at a variety of conferences.
Additionally, she has served as the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Managers for the Illinois Foundation of Quality Health Care, and as a member of the URAC Measures Advisory Research Group.
As an active member of AMCP since 1996, Dr. Barrington has held the office of President of the Midwest Affiliate for two terms and currently serves as AMCP’s Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance Committee.
Ryan Steadman, PharmD, MBA
Division Head-Aetna Medicaid
CVS Health
PLATFORM STATEMENT
Address the future direction of AMCP in relation to its members and how you are positioned to lead AMCP in this direction over the course of your term.
“The Times They Are a Changing” as the great Bob Dylan once sang and that couldn’t be truer today than ever for managed care pharmacy. AMCP has always and will continue to play a vital role in shaping the future needs of managed care pharmacy for patients/members/individuals/providers/payors in our great country. Today, the Academy has over 30 “Where We Stand” position statements posted on their website that provide guidance and position on a variety of issues impacting managed care pharmacy practice. Aside from our great members, these statements along with all of the other policy and advocacy work are what make this organization thrive in our complex world. Advocating on the behalf of not only pharmacists, but all utilizers of our complex health care model is the very forefront of this organization and is what is required to continue to drive effective health care change and innovation. AMCP will continue to be the voice and unifier related to managed care pharmacy topics and should continue to educate legislators and all individuals involved in providing/developing healthcare. I have been an AMCP member and a PBM clinical/sales leader for over 13 years and have experience working with all types of healthcare payers/providers/vendors. This background has allowed me to innovate/collaborate/change managed care pharmacy processes that have helped control costs and improve care. If given the opportunity to become Treasurer, I will personally continue to push this organization and our great membership body to continue serving as the voice of managed care pharmacy.
ELECTION QUESTION
With the onset of COVID-19, address how managed care pharmacy will adapt to opportunities and challenges to support the future state of health care and how AMCP can lead in this effort.
COVID19 has disrupted and changed the world we know for multiple generations in our country and has been devastating to our economy and healthcare system. It has changed our lives in more ways than can be written in a one-page response. I will focus my response on the impact, challenges, and opportunities for managed care pharmacy and how AMCP is positioned well to support now and in the future our response needed to continue flattening the curve and eventually eradicating the pandemic.
First and foremost, we need to think about our members, patients and providers. We need to quickly adopt a no patient or member left behind strategy to ensure that chronic care patients and soon to be diagnosed patients receive the care/treatment/prescriptions that are required to prevent other healthcare complications and comorbidities. We need to promote adherence now more than ever and should continue working with CMS and State agencies to continue to promote policies/relax restrictions that allow for early refill protocols and prescription cost mitigation strategies.
AMCP’s promotion of grassroots advocacy on the role pharmacists can play in fighting COVID19 will be instrumental in the frontline battle with the virus. Encouraging our AMCP membership (in partnership with APhA) to message Members of Congress to allow pharmacists to test and vaccinate for COVID19 will greatly impact how quickly we identify those infected and eventually vaccinate against this virus. Testing efforts have increased exponentially and continue to improve, however allowing pharmacists to become authorized providers for COVID19 will help reduce the provider strain and will allow members to seek care locally and timely.
AMCP should partner with other healthcare associations/organizations to continue promoting policies and task force changes to support the financial burdens (still widely unknown) that will be a result of this pandemic. The data shows that elective procedures, standard routine care and maintenance check-ups with providers have drastically declined and this will create a great deal of impact to our health systems infrastructure, resourcing, and budgeting processes. We should continue providing/partnering on healthcare trends data directly and indirectly related to COVID19 so that the federal healthcare agencies and insurers can plan cost mitigation strategies and payment models for COVID19 treatment.
We (all) also need to be a public promoter of the simple and appropriate actions as defined by the CDC to continue to prevent this virus from spreading including proper hand washing, social distancing, facial coverings, and quarantine measures if ill. Data proves these protocols and actions are highly effective when followed appropriately. We should also promote efforts to improve social determinants of health for all. We cannot ignore socio-economic factors, physical factors, and behaviors that already impacted healthcare prior to the pandemic. Patients will continue to need financial support, housing, transportation, healthy behavior education, and access to quality healthcare. Promoting community-based resources and partnering with community providers is now more important than ever. We should also focus on state efforts to allow for Medicaid expansion as unemployment numbers have risen during the pandemic.
The COVID19 economic and healthcare impact to our society will be overwhelming and we need to help in the areas of expertise that AMCP can provide guidance and influence including promotion of policy change to promote prescription adherence, advocating for pharmacist provider status for COVID19, and providing important healthcare trend data that will help create payment models with our healthcare systems and insurers. Most importantly AMCP needs to be the voice from a managed care pharmacy perspective that places our members and patients first and promotes the efforts needed for eradication.
BIOGRAPHIC STATEMENT
Dr. Ryan Steadman is currently the Division Head for Aetna Medicaid at CVS Health. As the Division Head he manages the Medicaid PBM P&L, business development, pharmacy solutions, and implementations. Dr. Steadman has been with CVS Health for 13 years and has held various client services and clinical leadership roles. Dr. Steadman started with CVS Health in 2007 as a Managed Care Pharmacy Resident.
Managed Care Pharmacy is very important to Dr. Steadman and he has served on a variety of leadership and committee positions within AMCP where he currently serves as a member of the Finance Committee and Diplomat to the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Steadman also served as Membership Committee Chair 2015-2016. Dr. Steadman currently lectures at the University of Cincinnati on the topic Managed Care Pharmacy Practice.
Dr. Steadman received his PharmD from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from Wright State University.
Candidates for Director
2021–2023
Maribeth M. Bettarelli, PharmD, RPh
Senior Director, Quality and Accreditation
CVS Caremark
PLATFORM STATEMENT
Address the future direction of AMCP in relation to its members and how you are positioned to lead AMCP in this direction over the course of your term.
As managed care pharmacy continues to evolve, AMCP plays a significant role in helping shape its future. With the broadening role of the pharmacist, we have an opportunity to deepen the impact of pharmacy in overall health care.
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The rapid growth of Specialty pharmacy remains at the forefront, and identifying means to ensure appropriate access while considering high costs is a fine balance. With the nature and high-touch required for these products, payers are keen on innovative patient management programs. As evident in several educational sessions at the Annual and Nexus conferences, our AMCP membership has the expertise and experience to enhance the patient experience while being mindful of overall associated costs.
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With pharmacy services expanding beyond traditional dispensing, it is clear that pharmacists play an intrinsic role in health care. Immunizations, diagnostic screening and testing, medication therapy management – these are a few of the additional services that may be integrated into a pharmacy’s daily workflow. Clear guidance and the availability of industry standards are necessary to ensure the quality and outcomes of these incremental services.
These collective pharmacy and patient care services have received increasing attention from stakeholders, with many requiring that providers hold multiple accreditations and report performance outcomes. I believe my experience and strong interest in program development, pharmacy operations, accreditation, and quality initiatives positions me well to lead AMCP in the direction of strengthening our strategy and perspectives around the ongoing need for quality and performance metrics for these evolving pharmacy services.
ELECTION QUESTION
With the onset of COVID-19, address how managed care pharmacy will adapt to opportunities and challenges to support the future state of health care and how AMCP can lead in this effort.
There is no doubt that all of us have experienced challenges over the last several months. While COVID-19 has intensified concerns about the unknown, it has also given us the opportunity to reevaluate the current state of health care services, think outside the box, and come up with new and innovative ways of providing accessible, convenient, safe, and quality care. With some hospitals at or near capacity and other health care facilities limiting operating hours, identifying and implementing alternative means to serving patients was critical, particularly at the height of the pandemic. The sheer volume and span of pharmacies and pharmacy staff that cared for patients during this time has catapulted our profession to the forefront and has allowed us to deliver more intensive clinical services that can easily and fully integrate into the health care model.
There are several areas that could benefit from AMCP’s leadership including pharmacy and pharmacist reimbursement, data interoperability, and patient engagement. Reimbursement for pharmacy and pharmacist services is an ongoing topic of interest. While there is clear value in these clinical services, there is still work to be done around the qualitative and quantitative approach in determining performance-based payment. Defining practical and achievable metrics to assess performance is an active and ongoing effort that requires collaborative input. Existing challenges around data interoperability is another critical need requiring resolution, as it is connected both to reimbursement as well as the general provision of care. In order for pharmacists to provide high-quality, patient-centric care, it is vital that they be recognized as part of the health care team and have visibility to patient records. In the absence of interoperability, pharmacist intervention and impact are limited.
AMCP can also impact patient engagement. With more patients seeking self-directed care, it is imperative that patients have a solid understanding of their medical conditions, medications, and the importance of adherence in order to make informed decisions. As pharmacists have a greater opportunity to engage with patients, it is vital for AMCP members to be aware of and incorporate health literacy into their work. Health literacy, the ability to take in health care information, understand the information, and then act on it, is an important aspect of health care, in general. As clinicians, we have a responsibility to educate and empower our patients.
As the practice of pharmacy continues to evolve and expand, the availability of educational programs and resources is essential to ensure pharmacists are well-armed to deliver more comprehensive clinical services. AMCP has an abundance of resources already available, and it will be important to continually review and refine current resources as well as develop new content. Despite the COVID-19 circumstances, I am optimistic about the potential opportunities. It is truly an exciting time in health care, and I look forward to continuing to support AMCP and our membership in impacting these areas of focus and partnering with other industry leaders to accomplish that.
BIOGRAPHIC STATEMENT
Maribeth Bettarelli is Senior Director of Quality and Accreditation at CVS Caremark. She received her PharmD from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed her residency at the Veterans Administration Chicago Health Care System. She has over 19 years managed care pharmacy experience including work in clinical account management, program development, and utilization management. Currently, she oversees CVS Caremark’s accreditation programs, supports health plan accreditation needs, and promotes quality improvement initiatives. She is an active AMCP volunteer, having served on multiple committees including Membership and Organizational Affairs, and is a founding member of the AMCP Midwest Affiliate. She is the current Midwest Region Diplomat Director, serves on the JMCP Editorial Advisory Board, and is a Silver Level AMCP Champion. These experiences, along with her desire to promote medication management principles to improve health care for all, demonstrate her qualifications and commitment to serve on the AMCP Board.
Vinson C. Lee, PharmD, MS, FCPhA, FAMCP
Vice President, Market Access & HEOR
The Kinetix Group
PLATFORM STATEMENT
Address the future direction of AMCP in relation to its members and how you are positioned to lead AMCP in this direction over the course of your term.
Over the last 15 years, I have worked in managed care consulting and the pharmaceutical industry, in both commercial and medical roles with increasing responsibility and leadership. These roles have afforded me the opportunity to engage with our members, and to understand the challenge that we continue to face, providing quality healthcare and medications to patients at a cost they can afford. In addition, my experience on the AMCP Board of Directors this past year has provided me with additional insights into what our members value most, such as connecting with other managed care pharmacy professionals, professional development and educational opportunities, and advocacy initiatives to ensure the value and concerns of pharmacists and managed care are understood.
My broad leadership experience on the national level with AMCP, the state level as past President of the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), and local level at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy teaching managed care and serving as a chapter adviser for our AMCP Student Chapter, have provided me with the experience to continue for another term on the Board of Directors serving our members. I believe that AMCP must continue being a leader in the pharmacy profession. In addition, as an AMCP Director, I want to inspire all pharmacists and student pharmacists to remain actively engaged in our profession and continue to build collaborative relationships. I will continue to enhance our relationships with state and national pharmacy associations to leverage membership, drive pharmacy policy, and increase grassroots advocacy.
ELECTION QUESTION
With the onset of COVID-19, address how managed care pharmacy will adapt to opportunities and challenges to support the future state of health care and how AMCP can lead in this effort.
The past few years have continued to bring uncertainty to health care reform, drug pricing, and access to affordable health care. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, priorities and needs have shifted to ensure the well-being of our patients and those infected by the coronavirus. However, with uncertainty and change comes opportunity and AMCP can continue to be a leader in pharmacy and healthcare.
AMCP must be able to convene new ideas from all practice areas of pharmacy and from a variety of health care professionals. This has been showcased through the AMCP Partnership Forums where experts from managed care pharmacy, provider groups, integrated delivery systems and the pharmaceutical industry are brought together to discuss the most pressing topics. In the coming year, topics such as patient access to affordable treatments during a pandemic and expansion and coverage of telehealth services will need to be addressed.
AMCP must continue to expand our partnership with national and state pharmacy associations and leverage our commitment to student pharmacists and Schools of Pharmacy. It is well known that an understanding of the basic building blocks of managed care is crucial for all pharmacists to learn, regardless of the practice setting they work in. Collaboration with other pharmacy and health professional associations will not only continue to showcase AMCP’s leadership in managed care, but also help drive membership and advocacy. It is crucial that pharmacists are recognized as healthcare providers and can help serve patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and afterward with testing and vaccinations. It is imperative that we rally our members and partner with other pharmacy associations to drive awareness with Congress and other government stakeholders.
We must also continue working with the growing number of Schools of Pharmacy across the country, many of which have converted to virtual platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic and the foreseeable future. It is imperative that student pharmacists are exposed to and understand the principles of managed care, which is not taught in the curriculum at every School of Pharmacy. Programs such as the Fundamentals of Managed Care Certificate Program are excellent ways to showcase AMCP’s expertise and provide resources to students and faculty that can be accessed online and virtually.
As a Past President of the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), the nation’s largest state pharmacy association, and as adjunct faculty at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, I am in a unique position to help drive partnerships, advocacy, and education from every level, local, state, and national. I hope to continue my service to our AMCP members for another term on the Board of Directors and help accelerate AMCP’s leadership efforts, now and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
BIOGRAPHIC STATEMENT
Vinson Lee is currently Vice President, Market Access & HEOR, at The Kinetix Group, an insights-powered healthcare strategy agency with industry-leading expertise in health systems and market access. Dr. Lee has over 15 years of experience in managed care pharmacy, the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and consulting. He has held various commercial market access, medical affairs, and HEOR leadership roles within the pharmaceutical industry.
Vinson has been an active member of AMCP since 2002, currently serving as an AMCP Director. He was an AMCP student leader at the USC School of Pharmacy and has served on numerous committees including Educational Affairs, Membership, Nominations, Organizational Affairs, Audit, and Schools of Pharmacy Relations (Chair). He was also a State Advocacy Coordinator and Diplomat to USC, before becoming their Student Chapter Faculty Advisor. In addition, Vinson is a Past President and Past Speaker of the House of Delegates of the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA).
Kathleen Shoemaker, PharmD, MBA, CPHIMS
Senior Director Strategic Alliances
Premier Inc.
PLATFORM STATEMENT
Address the future direction of AMCP in relation to its members and how you are positioned to lead AMCP in this direction over the course of your term.
As AMCP completes its 2018-2020 strategy, it will have a framework to support the future direction for addressing its membership needs. AMCP made strides in providing useful resources and engaging education to members, helping them drive innovation in their work settings. AMCP has become the go-to authority for policy and regulatory recommendations that advance managed care pharmacy issues. It has worked with the Foundation to stimulate research and an award-winning publication. It also convened and enabled BBIC, to power research generating evidence with needed data and models. And AMCP has operated with excellence, pushing out a new look and feel, a new modern website, and a successful virtual annual meeting. Some Managed Care Pharmacy 2020 trends are familiar to those that drove AMCP's past strategy: continued shift to value-based care, increased integration of medical and pharmacy benefits, challenging drug prices. Added new trends, include medication systems gaining connectivity, cautious consumers about prescribed medications, emphasis on social determinants of health, Pharmacists emerging as primary care providers. AMCP members are negotiating these complex trends now, and AMCP can leverage its current strategy learnings, these already involved members, and its dedicated staff to set the new strategic course. If I am elected to the board, I bring my leadership and experience in the healthcare industry: in payer strategy, as a managed care pharmacist and director, as a dual degree student preceptor, in Health IT and quality measurement including PROMS, MIPS, in value models, and professional education and credentialing. I truly appreciate this opportunity.
ELECTION QUESTION
With the onset of COVID-19, address how managed care pharmacy will adapt to opportunities and challenges to support the future state of health care and how AMCP can lead in this effort.
As AMCP looks to set its new strategic plan, healthcare cannot be more complicated. There are changes in Medicare, Medicaid, and new value payment models to fuel a shift to value-based care. Drug prices continue to challenge patients and payers. Patients are cautious about taking even necessary prescribed medicines due to the Opioid epidemic. Pharmacists are emerging as patient care providers, providing a range of clinical services that maximize medication therapies - essential contributors to a health system's clinical team, and providing value for new value payment models.
The National Emergency, in response to COVID-19, halted some of these trends and fueled others. AMCP's members now must work through the COVID-19 reality: the streamlining of drug development and approval processes, the budgetary impact of COVID-19 therapies, PPE, and medicine supplies shortages, engaging cautious beneficiaries to be compliant, to get a COVID vaccine, a flu vaccine. AMCP's members will be managing an influx of enrollees into Medicaid plans due to the unemployment burden. They will act on access to care issues, respond to telehealth coverage, and address at-risk and disparate patient populations. Managed care pharmacy principals, knowledge, and practice will suit AMCP's members well. They will successfully manage the COVID and post-COVID patients' and beneficiaries' medication benefit needs and address social determinants identified using science, data, evidence, and expertise.
AMCP will be called on to support current and also bring new members into the organization. To accomplish this, AMCP must decipher the post COVID environment, look to the past, evaluate learnings from the AMCP 2020 strategy, and set the course with a new strategic plan.
Now and in the post-COVID era, AMCP must continue as the managed care pharmacy advocate and policy expert. AMCP should leverage the Foundation and its BBIC relationship to power-up strategically important studies that generate evidence to understand the post-COVID market, to evaluate exciting new therapies, care delivery models, and inform new tools. There will be the need for therapies and tactics addressing the long-term effects of the virus, a new mental health crisis, an ongoing opioid epidemic, and continued affordability issues, all of which will need evidence to support AMCP's members' decision-making.
AMCP members will need to understand how healthcare delivery is so quickly changing. AMCP should also engage with market disrupters to share expertise and research. New innovators such as retail, technology companies, and employers will respond to needs identified from the COVID-19 response with telehealth, telemedicine, wearables, and direct prescription delivery services. AMCP members must plan for how the marketplace is evolving, the new payers, and the impact on pharmacy benefits.
AMCP members should engage with their professional colleagues to share best practices quickly during the national emergency. AMCP Connect is an excellent example of providing a new forum to accomplish this. AMCP should explore other innovative services that help its members quickly navigate.
Students are the future of our profession, and Gen-Z pharmacists will soon enter the workplace. They will be eager to apply technology solutions and services. AMCP should set a plan that prepares to leverage these technology skills and quickly engage these new pharmacists.
COVID-19 has created a marketplace that is difficult to understand and navigate. AMCP is challenged to develop the new strategic roadmap and provide high-value services to support its members in navigating this new environment. With talented, knowledgeable staff and strong leadership, AMCP is up to that challenge. If elected, I will support this talent with valuable input and oversite based on my years of career experience. I do appreciate your consideration of me for the board.
BIOGRAPHIC STATEMENT
I have been an active member of the Academy for many years and have benefitted from its leadership and vision to optimize medicines and improve lives. So too have I frequently joined that leadership in roles, including chairing Educational Affairs, and volunteering with Membership, Special Topics, JMCP/AMCP Research Committee. I serve as a Conference Buddy, a Student Diplomat, and a JMCP Journal Reviewer. I have precepted many dual degree students from different universities, and I have presented and moderated AMCP national meeting sessions. My professional volunteer experiences also include leadership and board experience with other organizations, including NCPDP, NQF, PQA, IPA. Professionally, I am an executive, servant leader with over 30 years in the healthcare industry in managed care pharmacy, payer strategy, healthcare quality, Health IT services, and pharmacist roles. Combining my work and AMCP committee experience will serve me well if given the privilege to serve as a Director.
Celynda G. Tadlock, PharmD, MBA
CEO & Founder
Impera Healthcare Strategies
PLATFORM STATEMENT
Address the future direction of AMCP in relation to its members and how you are positioned to lead AMCP in this direction over the course of your term.
If elected to the AMCP Board, I will contribute to the success of the AMCP Strategic Plan by creating venues to showcase the magnitude of involvement in AMCP at the highest leadership level of the corporations from which our members are employed and by expanding opportunities for involvement across the entire membership. Active, visible participation at the highest levels will assist the Academy in being recognized as the thought leader for helping managed care pharmacy professionals improve patient outcomes while controlling health care costs.
An equally high priority is to expand opportunities for involvement across the membership. Throughout my career I have supported and encouraged staff to attend and be actively involved in AMCP. Having a passion for mentoring young professionals, I have supported staff involvement in AMCP leadership roles, committee work, conference presentations, developing and operating a managed care residency program, as well as submitting poster presentations and articles. As AMCP embarks on building a new group of practice leaders, numerous involvement opportunities across the membership will be required.
Creating a highly visible forum for senior leadership and expanding opportunities for involvement across the membership position AMCP strategically to serve its members. These efforts will also have an indirect impact by attracting new members, increasing meeting attendance and sponsorship, and expanding the membership contribution to the Academy's goals. In addition, these actions will support AMCP in becoming the primary source of policy and regulatory recommendations and advancing managed care pharmacy.
ELECTION QUESTION
With the onset of COVID-19, address how managed care pharmacy will adapt to opportunities and challenges to support the future state of health care and how AMCP can lead in this effort.
The impact of COVID-19 presents many opportunities for managed care pharmacy by which AMCP can play a vital leadership role. Further expanding educational offerings into areas of accelerated growth, due to COVID, and supporting the broader pharmacy community on mutually beneficial policies to advance the practice of pharmacy are critical leadership roles for AMCP.
Continuing to expand educational offerings to AMCP membership in health technology areas that have experienced large growth due to COVID-19 is an important leadership role for AMCP. Health technology investments have been further acceleration due to COVID-19. Some of the key health technology growth areas include digital health, digital therapeutics, telemedicine, and remote monitoring devices. Investments in digital-therapeutics companies in the United States have grown by an average of 40 percent per year over the past seven years and are expected to grow further in 2020 due to COVID-19 accelerating the need for more remote care options. In addition, pharmaceutical manufacturers have shifted their 2020 digital health strategies to specific therapeutic areas include clinical-grade digital solutions which have the potential to produce direct impacts on patient outcomes.
Students, new practitioners, and seasoned managed care members alike require knowledge and the ability to apply critical thinking skills in this emerging space. Considering the fact that digital therapeutics are being approved by the FDA a critical appraisal process will need to be established by managed care professionals to guide coverage decisions. The appraisal process will need to address evidentiary standards for safety and efficacy, ease of use standards, technology standards for data privacy, place in therapy considerations (e.g. 1st line before medications, in conjunction to improve the performance of medications, etc.), and benefit of coverage. Considering these dynamics, AMCP could expand the AMCP P&T Committee Competition to include a digital therapeutic evaluation. In addition, AMCP could lead the way by building upon the information garnered during the AMCP Partnership Forum on Digital Therapeutics by continuing to offer more virtual educational programs in this emerging space.
For many years one of the biggest opportunities, on the cost savings side of managed care, has been appropriate site-of-care or level-of-care selection for each medical situation and pharmaceutical delivery. COVID-19 has also further accelerated managed care efforts to promote the most-appropriate, lowest-cost site-of-care. These lower-cost sites-of-care, such as community pharmacies, are now in more high demand with consumers as a result of COVID-19. Patients visit community pharmacies ten times more frequently than they see other healthcare providers producing an attractive opportunity. This creates a venue for AMCP to lead the way with the broader pharmacy policy community on mutually beneficial policies that benefit the overall practice of pharmacy while promoting the most appropriate site-of-care in areas such as tele-pharmacy, community pharmacy-based COVID testing, community pharmacy-based COVID-19 vaccination, and touchless home delivery. A tremendous platform for collaboration with other associations representing various aspects of pharmacy practice is not available.
In summary, the onset of COVID-19 presents many opportunities for managed care pharmacy and the future state of health care for which AMCP can play a vital leadership role. Further expanding educational offerings into areas of accelerated growth due to COVID will benefit student members, new practitioners, and seasoned managed care members. Supporting the broader pharmacy community on mutually beneficial policies to advance the practice of pharmacy are critical leadership roles for AMCP.
BIOGRAPHIC STATEMENT
As an AMCP member for 26 years, I have benefited from tremendous networking and educational opportunities that supported my career. Recently launching Impera Healthcare Strategies, I have secured agreements in value-based innovations, market access solutions, and industry trends. Supporting diverse clients, from evidence-based pathway organizations to blockchain consortia to providers to manufacturers, with common interests in managed care is rewarding. I previously held the role of Vice President, Clinical Strategy and Pharmacy Experience role at Aetna; served as President and Chief Operating Officer, Pharmacy at Coventry; and held executive roles at Express-Scripts and Anthem.
I received my PharmD from Mercer University and MBA from Keller Graduate School. I am passionate about mentoring young professionals, supporting managed care residency programs, and encouraging individuals to serve in AMCP leadership roles. I love spending time with my husband, our children and grandchild, supporting community wellness events, and serving individuals with special needs.