Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1544994
47 PHARMACY The big bets 20 pharmacy leaders are making right now By Mariah Muhammad B ecker's asked pharmacy executives from hospitals and health systems, along with academic medical centers and universities across the U.S. to share their most innovative idea they're bringing to their organization. e 20 executives featured in this article are all speaking at the Becker's Healthcare 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit, from November 4 – 6, 2026 at the Swissotel Chicago. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who will speak at our conference. e following are answers from our speakers at the event. Question: What is the best new idea you're bringing to life this year in your organization? Scott Knoer, PharmD. Regional Chief Pharmacy Officer of MercyOne (Des Moines, Iowa): It's not new to me or the profession of pharmacy, but it's new for me to implement it with my current organization. We are placing pharmacists in specialty clinics and seeing what we always see. Quality is improving, physicians have more bandwidth, and we are capturing more prescription volume. It's a win-win-win-win-win. It's a win for patients who get better multidisciplinary care. It's a win for our busy providers to help with bandwidth. It's a win for the organization financially through increased prescription capture. It's a win for our pharmacists who have engaging, rewarding, patient facing jobs. And finally, it's a win for the department since it helps with recruiting and elevates our reputation in the market. It's a universal truth that whenever you put a pharmacist in a clinic, they immediately become indispensable. Nicole Shoquist, PharmD. Chief Pharmacy Officer of JPS Health Network (Fort Worth, Texas): JPS is building a new specialty pharmacy with our long-term partner. A key area of focus is leveraging their advanced data visualization and business intelligence technology to optimize both cost and revenue performance. is platform transforms complex data into clear, actionable insights by bringing reporting, analytics, and operational visibility across the entire pharmacy into a single, intuitive portal. As these tools continue to evolve, JPS plans to explore the use of AI-enabled capabilities to streamline data management, automate health system workflows, and support teams with predictive insights. By combining robust analytics with an improved user experience, JPS is positioned to move from data to decisions more efficiently and effectively. Ashley Galla, PharmD. Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Vivo Health at Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.): is year, we're reimagining how technology and digital solutions can transform our workflows and dramatically extend the reach of our pharmacy services. We currently deploy large teams of pharmacists and support professionals across critical functions, such as prior authorization, financial assistance, care coordination, and medication management, to help patients swily access the medications and care they need. Our efforts center on strategically integrating intelligent automation to minimize manual documentation and administrative burden, developing better integration within our electronic medical record, and enhancing our ability to offer the right support to the right patient. is transformation empowers our teams to do what they do best, build meaningful relationships with patients and providers while practicing at the top of their license. By removing these administrative hurdles, we're not just improving time to therapy, we're creating the conditions for better downstream clinical outcomes and a more rewarding practice environment for our pharmacy professionals. e potential impact this will have on both our team and the patients we serve has me feeling energized. Ronnah Alexander. Chief Pharmacy Officer of Regional healthcare Affiliates, Health First Community Health Center (Providence, Ky.): is year, one of the most impactful initiatives we have launched within our organization is a comprehensive Hepatitis C test-and-treat program. We have successfully trained all of our providers to become KHAMP-certified through the Kentucky program, enabling them to both diagnose and initiate treatment for Hepatitis C directly within our health center. A significant number of patients living with Hepatitis C are unaware they have contracted the disease, oen remaining asymptomatic for years. By proactively identifying and treating these individuals, we are not only improving individual patient outcomes but truly saving lives. In addition to the clinical impact, this program also supports the long- term sustainability of our organization during financially challenging times by expanding services, improving population health outcomes, and strengthening our role as a comprehensive care provider in the community. Steven Schultz, PharmD. Vice President of Pharmacy at JPS Health System (Fort Worth, Texas): Drug diversion has been a personal passion of mine since getting into health system pharmacy. It is an area that lacks standardization and robust organizational focus as gaps are oen nuanced and technologically driven. We have recently purchased a waste testing machine and I am eager to include it in our overall drug diversion program. We are developing policies and a randomized process to obtain and test controlled substance waste. is will need diligent oversight and partnership with other departmental leaders to explain goals and organizational impacts. John A. Armitstead. Vice President of Pharmacy Services at Lee Health (Fort Myers, Fla.): One goal for the next few years at Lee Health is to expand our home infusion service into the alternate site infusion arena, creating accessible, patient-centered care options beyond the hospital setting. We intend to model and then establish neighborhood-based infusion sites that provide both health maintenance therapies and specialty infusions for patients who do not require the complexity of hospital outpatient services. ese sites will be designed to deliver high-quality, clinically integrated care while maintaining strong coordination with providers. By shiing appropriate patients to these lower-cost settings, we aim to improve affordability and patient convenience without compromising safety or outcomes. is strategy will also enhance capacity within hospital infusion centers for higher-acuity patients. Ultimately, we seek to build a scalable, sustainable infusion network that improves access, patient experience, and healthcare value. Dave Lacknauth, PharmD. Vice President of Pharmacy Services at Broward Health (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.): e evolution of medication therapies entering the market continues to accelerate, with 2026 representing one of the fastest periods of growth in advancing