Becker's Hospital Review

19 PHARMACY John Feucht II. Vice President of Provider and Ambulatory Administration at Summa Health (Akron, Ohio): As we move through the remainder of 2026, our most significant pharmacy challenge centers on pharmaceutical expense control following the loss of our 340B program status. is change has materially impacted our drug acquisition cost structure and requires a swi, multi-pronged response to preserve financial sustainability. To address this, we are executing on three key strategic initiatives: transitioning to a new Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) to maximize contract pricing leverage across our formulary, negotiating a new wholesaler agreement to secure more competitive acquisition costs and distribution terms, and implementing an aggressive biosimilar utilization strategy to capture substantial savings opportunities as clinically appropriate alternatives become available. Together, these actions are designed to offset the financial impact of 340B loss and position our pharmacy program for long-term cost-effectiveness throughout the balance of the year. Stacy Wise, PharmD. Director of Pharmacy at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System (Texarkana, Texas): Our number one priority is how to expand the pharmacy and pharmacy services within the current footprint. We are planning on adding more decentralized pharmacists, increasing our presence to include not only ICU, but NICU, ED, and each medical floor. We have added a pharmacist and technicians to our Medication History Team and have expanded our oncology presence to include evenings and weekends. Within the pharmacy, we are evaluating our current technology with available alternatives to increase the efficiency of our workflow. e primary barrier for these changes will be the capital budget process and obtaining approval. Robert Reynolds, PharmD. Director of Pharmacy at St. Clair Health (Pittsburgh): My top priority for the next year is our organization's Epic migration and that it serves as a catalyst for pharmacy. We are treating the EHR transition as an opportunity to embed our clinical programs and drug revenue cycle directly in the digital backbone of the organization. My focus will be on making sure our clinical workflows, decision support and revenue integrity are configured to not just sustain but to synergize our growth in services and the patient care we deliver. Done right, this isn't just a system change but a chance to build the foundation of how pharmacies will operate and create value for the organization for the next decade. Fatimah Muhammad. Director of 340B Pharmaceutical Services, Specialty Pharmacy, Drug Replacement, and ADM Pharmaceutical Services at Saint Peter's University Hospital (New Brunswick, N.J.): My No. 1 priority heading into the second half of 2026 is advancing patient access while optimizing the resources that make that access possible. Healthcare organizations continue to face mounting pressure from rising drug costs, reimbursement challenges, and increasing demands to do more with limited resources. As leaders, we must ensure that patients can access the therapies they need while strengthening the financial sustainability required to support those services long term. I believe the greatest opportunity lies in optimizing the intersection of pharmacy, reimbursement, technology, and data. When these areas are aligned, organizations can reduce barriers to care, improve medication access, capture appropriate reimbursement, and reinvest resources back into the patients and communities they serve. e future of health care will belong to organizations that move beyond siloed thinking and create strategies that simultaneously improve access, outcomes, and financial performance. My focus remains on identifying and scaling those opportunities in a way that creates measurable value for both patients and the health systems that care for them. Brian Latham. Executive Director of Pharmacy at Bon Secours Mercy Health (Cincinnati): In the second half of 2026, BSMH Pharmacy remains focused on advancing and evaluating technology to improve workflows, strengthen information sharing, and make better use of data to drive process improvement across the enterprise. is work includes implementing new soware for retail pharmacy operations, rolling out changes to infusion intake processes, and refining inpatient pharmacy workflows to enhance efficiency and support more informed decision-making. At the same time, managing projected drug expenditure growth—largely driven by the continued rise of specialty medications— remains a key priority. Pharmacy teams are continuing their ongoing efforts to identify and implement strategies that help offset these increasing costs. In particular, acute- care pharmacy teams are advancing 2026 initiatives while also evaluating operational and clinical cost-saving opportunities for 2027 to help reduce overall drug spend across the system. Kisha Gant, PharmD. Regional Director of Pharmacy, Northshore Region at Slidell Memorial Hospital (La.): My top priority heading into the second half of 2026 is cost containment while mitigating drug shortages. We are focused on reducing waste by evaluating expired items, non- formulary inventory, and unused formulary medications. In parallel, we are revamping our inventory specialist training to ensure team members have the skills and knowledge needed to manage our systems and requests effectively. is includes establishing a baseline understanding of 340B, as well as core inventory management principles. is role will also support education and ongoing monitoring of teams' use and documentation of non-controlled substance inventory counts. Additionally, we are reviewing top medications by account type and assessing 340B accruals when appropriate. Sally Sims, PharmD. System Director of Medication Safety at Lee Health (Fort Myers, Fla.): My number one priority heading into the second half of 2026 is ensuring our Lee Health Medication Safety and Quality Improvement Program is structured on a solid foundation through an established evidence-based framework. Our framework integrates national patient safety guidance from American Society of Health-System Pharmacists [ASHP], Institute for Safe Medication Practices [ISMP], Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], Det Norske Veritas [DNV], e Joint Commission [TJC], World Health Organization (WHO), and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement [IHI] while tailoring the structure to Lee Health System. It is intended to support a high- reliability, performance-driven quality and safety program that advances medication- use safety, clinical practice excellence, and continuous quality improvement across the continuum of care. I'm very excited to champion the Strategic Pillars and Key Elements of this framework that will drive our patient centered care to reduce Medication-Related Patient Harm and Optimize Patient Medication-Use Quality Outcomes across Lee Health through a coordinated system-based approach that promotes safe medication practices, data driven performance improvement, continuous learning, and multidisciplinary collaboration.n

• Cover