Keynotes
Randall Lipps is Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer, and founder of Omnicell. Under his leadership, Omnicell has grown from offering a single product to delivering the most comprehensive portfolio of medication management solutions across the continuum of care. Mr. Lipps founded Omnicell in 1992 after observing how inefficiently medical supplies were managed when his daughter was hospitalized at birth. Inspired by his work in airline industry operations and logistics, he sought to enable better management of supplies and medications in order to improve patient care. In 2014 Mr. Lipps was elected to the Bellwether League Hall of Fame, an industry organization that honors healthcare supply chain innovators, pioneers, and visionaries. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Nurses Foundation. He previously served on the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing Board of Overseers and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Foundation Board of Directors. A longtime supporter of start-up enterprises, Mr. Lipps is on the Advisory Board of Launchpad Digital Health, an early stage investor and mentor in digital health, and RexPay, a company focused on simplifying medical bill payment. He previously served on the boards of Invuity and Candescent Health. Mr. Lipps holds bachelor’s degrees in both Economics and Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.
George Blankenship is one of the most innovative leaders in business today. As a former executive with companies like Tesla Motors, Apple Computer, Microsoft, and GAP Inc., Mr. Blankenship has more than 30 years of international strategy, retail, and real estate experiences with some of the most recognized brands in the world. He redefined the car-buying experience, and in turn revolutionized the auto industry with the introduction of Tesla’s Model S. Mr. Blankenship was the architect of Apple’s brand-building retail methodology, formulating and executing one of the most successful retail growth strategies in history. His uniquely innovative processes have transformed secure, status quo organizations into forward-thinking and dynamic players of the future. As an expert of the industry, he offers unmatched insight on the building and creating of brand loyalty and awareness, competitive positioning in the market, and what it takes to deliver superior customer care.
Scott Seidelmann is EVP & Chief Commercial Officer at Omnicell. Prior to joining Omnicell, Mr. Seidelmann was the founder and CEO of Candescent Health, a cloud-based radiology workflow and analytics provider. He was previously co-founder and CEO of Radisphere Inc., one of the largest radiology practices in the U.S., which leveraged technology and analytics to transform the radiology care delivery model to improve quality and lower costs. Earlier in his career, Mr. Seidelmann held positions with Merrill Lynch and Ericsson Venture Partners, a technology venture capital firm. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University.
Keynote Guest Speakers and Panelists
Clay Holderman, MBA, became President and CEO of UnityPoint Health in February 2021. Prior to this position, Mr. Holderman was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Presbyterian Healthcare Services, a not-for-profit payer-provider integrated health system, where he oversaw all care delivery operations, information technology, real estate and development, payor-provider integration and new ventures, and was instrumental in driving growth for the system from $2.2 billion to $4.8 billion in net revenue. Mr. Holderman earned a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University and an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University. He also completed a Fellowship in Health System Leadership from The Health Management Academy’s GE Fellows Program.
Shafiq Rab, MD, MPH, CHCIO, is the EVP, Chief Digital Officer and System Chief Information Officer for Wellforce in Burlington, MA, where he leads the organization’s digital transformation efforts across academic, community, home health and virtual settings. Dr. Rab earned a Master of Public Health from Rutgers University and holds a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery from Dow Medical College in Pakistan. Prior to joining Wellforce, Dr. Rab held CIO positions at Rush University and Rush University System for Health in Chicago, and Hackensack Meridian Health Network in New Jersey. He has served as a strategic advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has worked collaboratively with the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Dr. Rab is an ONC Health IT Fellow, currently serves as Chair of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) foundation’s board, and is a leading national expert on interoperability, cloud strategy and the modernization of healthcare IT via apps, APIs and AI.
Bill Santulli is the Chief Operating Officer for Advocate Aurora Health. In this position, his accountabilities include oversight of all hospital, ambulatory, post-acute, and home health operations. Mr. Santulli earned a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in sociology/health services research from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to joining Advocate, Bill served as the Chief Operating Officer for the New England Medical Center (NEMC), Academic Medical Center, Boston. He has previously served on served on several civic and health-related boards and currently holds a position on the American College of Health Care Executives board and is a past Chair of the Illinois Hospital Association.
Denise Cox is the Chief Customer Officer North America at Omnicell, responsible for driving all aspects of creating, building, launching, and scaling the company’s Customer Success organization. Prior to joining Omnicell, Ms. Cox served as Vice President of the Americas Customer Experience (CX) Centers for Cisco, where she led over 3000+ individuals in the delivery of effortless support, architecture, and implementation services. A frequent speaker at Women in Technology events, Denise has a Master of Science in Information Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.
Jeff Schlossnagle is the Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer, North America, at Omnicell, where he is responsible for oversight of the company’s go-to-market sales strategy. Jeff also spearheads innovative initiatives across the customer journey focused on building long-term customer partnerships. Prior to joining Omnicell, Jeff gained commercial experience in both the pharmaceutical and financial industries. He holds a BA in Political Science from Elon University.
Day 1
Blake Barlow, PharmD, MBA, MS, is the Clinical Pharmacy Manager for Adult Medicine & Cardiology at WVU Medicine in Morgantown, WV. Dr. Barlow received his Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati in 2015 and completed a dual-degree PharmD/MBA at the University of Kentucky in 2019. Most recently, he completed a two-year PGY1/PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston while also completing his Master of Science in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Barlow currently serves on the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Leader’s Advisory Group on New & Emerging Leaders.
Lisa Bellini is the Senior Vice Dean for Academic Affairs for Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine where she has oversight for policies and procedures for faculty, academic partnerships, leadership searches, internal and external chair review processes, wellness, and professionalism. Dr. Bellini obtained her MD from the University of Alabama and completed her Internal Medicine residency, a chief residency and pulmonary fellowship at Penn. Her research focuses on health and well-being, and the effects of fatigue and sleep deprivation on patient outcomes and the learning environment.
George Blankenship is one of the most innovative leaders in business today. As a former executive with companies like Tesla Motors, Apple Computer, Microsoft, and GAP Inc., Mr. Blankenship has more than 30 years of international strategy, retail, and real estate experiences with some of the most recognized brands in the world. He redefined the car-buying experience, and in turn revolutionized the auto industry with the introduction of Tesla’s Model S. Mr. Blankenship was the architect of Apple’s brand-building retail methodology, formulating and executing one of the most successful retail growth strategies in history. His uniquely innovative processes have transformed secure, status quo organizations into forward-thinking and dynamic players of the future. As an expert of the industry, he offers unmatched insight on the building and creating of brand loyalty and awareness, competitive positioning in the market, and what it takes to deliver superior customer care.
Matt Eberts is the Director of Pharmacy & IV Services at Penn Medicine – Lancaster General Health where he is responsible for pharmacy operations at Lancaster General Hospital, Women & Babies Hospital, affiliated cancer and infusion centers, community pharmacies, and ambulatory pharmacy practices. Dr. Eberts received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Duquesne University, an MBA from Robert Morris University, an MHA from PA College, and is a graduate of the Pharmacy Leadership Institute at Boston University. He is a past president of the Pennsylvania Society of Health System Pharmacists and Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society of Health System Pharmacists and active member of PSHP.
Christopher Fortier, PharmD, FASHP, serves as the Chief Pharmacy Officer and Residency Director for the PGY-1/PGY-2 HSPA Residency Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Fortier received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Connecticut and completed both a PGY-1 Practice Residency and a PGY-2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina Medical Center. Additionally, Dr. Fortier serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University School of Pharmacy, and the MCPHS.
Kevin Hansen, PharmD, MS, BCPS, BCSCP, is Assistant Director of Pharmacy at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro, North Carolina. Dr. Hansen provides leadership and operational oversight for pharmaceutical compounding and pharmacy perioperative services. He serves as the Residency Program Director for the Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership residency program. In addition, Dr. Hansen serves as adjunct faculty for the Universityof North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
As the product innovator responsible for developing the Omnicell 340B platform, Mr. Hines' innovative vision led to the solution’s proprietary compliance methodology and robust rules engine that allows covered entities to take a highly customized approach to their unique compliance requirements. Mr. Hines' previous roles include an auditor for the state of Arizona, senior financial analyst for Cigna, and Director of Analytics and Outcomes for Caremark. In addition to leading a team of 30 product innovators, he is also known for leveraging his analytical approach and experience as an analyst and auditor to interpret claims data and drive 340B program optimization for each client.
Clay Holderman, MBA, became President and CEO of UnityPoint Health in February 2021. Prior to this position, Mr. Holderman was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Presbyterian Healthcare Services, a not-for-profit payer-provider integrated health system, where he oversaw all care delivery operations, information technology, real estate and development, payor-provider integration and new ventures, and was instrumental in driving growth for the system from $2.2 billion to $4.8 billion in net revenue. Mr. Holderman earned a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University and an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University. He also completed a Fellowship in Health System Leadership from The Health Management Academy’s GE Fellows Program.
Dr. John Jordan is the Senior Director of Pharmacy Services for TidalHealth, and Associate Professor for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. He received his Post-BS Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Pharmacy, then completed an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) accredited Pharmacy Practice Residency at Shore Health System. A Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, Dr. Jordan is a member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and Maryland Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Kelley Kugler is a senior innovation manager and director of the Cobalt platform in Penn Medicine’s Center for Health Care Innovation where she leads the design and strategy for new initiatives focused on embedding brain and behavioral health into the places where Penn delivers physical care. Ms. Kugler earned her bachelor's degree in neuroscience and studio art from Dartmouth College and a master's degree in the social science of the internet from the University of Oxford. Prior to entering the world of medicine, Kelley served as a design consultant for some of the world’s largest brands spanning retail, travel, and technology.
Randall Lipps is Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer, and founder of Omnicell. Under his leadership, Omnicell has grown from offering a single product to delivering the most comprehensive portfolio of medication management solutions across the continuum of care. Mr. Lipps founded Omnicell in 1992 after observing how inefficiently medical supplies were managed when his daughter was hospitalized at birth. Inspired by his work in airline industry operations and logistics, he sought to enable better management of supplies and medications in order to improve patient care. In 2014 Mr. Lipps was elected to the Bellwether League Hall of Fame, an industry organization that honors healthcare supply chain innovators, pioneers, and visionaries. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Nurses Foundation. He previously served on the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing Board of Overseers and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Foundation Board of Directors. A longtime supporter of start-up enterprises, Mr. Lipps is on the Advisory Board of Launchpad Digital Health, an early stage investor and mentor in digital health, and RexPay, a company focused on simplifying medical bill payment. He previously served on the boards of Invuity and Candescent Health. Mr. Lipps holds bachelor’s degrees in both Economics and Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.
Gee Mathen is Director of Clinical Applications and Technical Services for the Pharmacy department at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, where he manages a team of Epic Willow pharmacy experts that recently completed a three-campus implementation of Epic and Omnicell. He received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Houston and holds Epic Willow, EpicCare Inpatient, and EpicCare Inpatient Decision Support Master’s certifications. Mr. Mathen’s areas of expertise include decision support, best practice alerts, alternative alerts, and patient scoring.
Christina Michalek, BSc Pharm, RPh, FASHP, is the Medication Safety Specialist and Administrative Coordinator for the Medication Safety Officers Society at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). In this position, Ms. Michalek works collaboratively with health-system leaders and clinical staff to define, design, and improve medication safety initiatives. Additionally, she is the ISMP lead for medication-related technology issues and has served as a Patient Safety Analyst to the ECRI Institute Patient Safety Organization since 2013. Ms. Michalek earned her pharmacy degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, completed a PGY1 residency at Suburban General Hospital, and is currently a fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
JoAnne Myhre, BA, CPhT, is the Drug Diversion Program Manager for Allina Health, where she is responsible for the implementation and management of an effective, risk-based approach to mitigating diversion risks. This includes reporting risk exposures to organizational leaders, strengthening the process of investigating, communicating, managing and reporting identified diversion incidents, and leading employee education efforts for identifying impairment and potential diversion. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Management from the College of St. Scholastica, has an Organizational Leadership Graduate Certificate, and is currently completing a Masters in Organizational Leadership and Development at St. Catherine University. She has worked as a pharmacy technician in various practice settings over the past 30 years and spent the majority of her career in hospital practice as a Pharmacy Operations Manager.
Susan Paparella, MSN, RN, is Vice President at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) where she oversees the development and implementation of ISMP’s Consulting, Collaborative, and Educational Services, and regularly presents on medication safety-related risks and challenges to national audiences across the U.S. A graduate of the Abington Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Ms. Paparella received a BSN and MSN with honors from Villanova University. She is coauthor and faculty for the ASHP/ISMP Medication Safety Certificate Program, a co-lead of ISMP’s Medication Safety Intensive program, and, since 2002, has served as adjunct faculty at the Temple University School of Pharmacy.
Shafiq Rab, MD, MPH, CHCIO, is the EVP, Chief Digital Officer and System Chief Information Officer for Wellforce in Burlington, MA, where he leads the organization’s digital transformation efforts across academic, community, home health and virtual settings. Dr. Rab earned a Master of Public Health from Rutgers University and holds a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery from Dow Medical College in Pakistan. Prior to joining Wellforce, Dr. Rab held CIO positions at Rush University and Rush University System for Health in Chicago, and Hackensack Meridian Health Network in New Jersey. He has served as a strategic advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has worked collaboratively with the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Dr. Rab is an ONC Health IT Fellow, currently serves as Chair of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) foundation’s board, and is a leading national expert on interoperability, cloud strategy and the modernization of healthcare IT via apps, APIs and AI.
Bill Santulli is the Chief Operating Officer for Advocate Aurora Health. In this position, his accountabilities include oversight of all hospital, ambulatory, post-acute, and home health operations. Mr. Santulli earned a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in sociology/health services research from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to joining Advocate, Bill served as the Chief Operating Officer for the New England Medical Center (NEMC), Academic Medical Center, Boston. He has previously served on served on several civic and health-related boards and currently holds a position on the American College of Health Care Executives board and is a past Chair of the Illinois Hospital Association.
Jeff Spencer is an experienced leader and consultant in the healthcare industry, with special expertise in relationship management, 340B drug programs and health system pharmacy strategies. Throughout his career, Mr. Spencer has helped a diverse range of clients successfully develop and implement 340B programs that improve cost-effectiveness, operational efficiency and patient health outcomes. In his role with Omnicell 340B, he is responsible for sales, client growth and satisfaction. Prior to his 11 years with PSG as a consultant and 340B Link leader, Mr. Spencer worked for six years in the health and group benefits consulting area with Towers Watson.
Dennis Wright is Senior Director, Central Pharmacy Product Marketing for Omnicell, and is responsible for leading Product Marketing efforts for the Central Pharmacy portfolio and delivering on the vision of the Autonomous Pharmacy. Mr. Wright holds a bachelor’s degree from Thiel College and an MBA focused on marketing from The University of Pittsburgh, Katz School of Business.
Day 2
Terri Albarano, PharmD, MS, is Director of the Autonomous Pharmacy Advisory Board and Thought Leadership initiatives at Omnicell. She graduated with a PharmD and Master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and joined Omnicell in February 2019. Ms. Albarano has authored several articles on IV workflow management systems and has a passion for improving safety and quality in pharmacy.
Michael Anderson currently serves as Director of Pharmacy at Baptist Health Lexington, a 434-bed acute care community hospital located in Lexington, Kentucky. Baptist Health Lexington is a part of Baptist Health System, which has eight facilities in Kentucky, and one in southern Indiana. He obtained his BS Pharmacy and PharmD degrees from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Morehead State University. Mr. Anderson has spent 34 years as a hospital pharmacist with 31 of those years being in management roles. He has had experience in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.
Mike Axelsen, PharmD, BCPS, serves as a Senior Manager on the Medication Technology Team at Fresenius Kabi, where he manages all technology-related initiatives. A graduate of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS), Mr. Axelsen is primarily responsible for helping customers optimize storage of Simplist ready-to-administer syringes in their automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs). By leveraging existing data from ADCs, Mr. Axelsen provides succinct roadmaps for reorganization to make storage of Simplist simple, time-effective, and efficient. Prior to joining Fresenius Kabi, Mike worked as an informatics pharmacist in Kansas City.
Lani Bertrand is Senior Director, Clinical Consulting at Omnicell. She is charged with leading the Solution Consulting team, whose efforts consist of clinical and technical support throughout the customer journey. She has also been influential with expanding the role of the clinical consultant to better serve the customer with complex solution design, workflow analysis, and technology adoption. Previously, Ms. Bertrand has provided pharmacy consultation, business development, management and implementation support services to health systems. Her healthcare business experience, in tandem with clinical practice, fosters her commitment to enable pharmacy and patient care transformation.
James L. Besier is the pharmacy manager/PIC at Shriners Children’s Ohio in Dayton, Ohio. He is an experienced leader in health system pharmacy practice having held the positions of project manager, operations manager, assistant director, and director of pharmacy. As an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), he is co-director of the Personnel Management course in the Health-System Pharmacy Administration (HSPA) Master’s degree program. He is also an adjunct assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Besier received his Doctor of Philosophy (organizational studies) at the Union Institute and University, after completing both his Master of Science in pharmacy administration and Bachelor of Science in pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati. As a Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), Jim is a reviewer for ASHP and the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (AJHP).
As an expert in customer success across many roles at Omnicell, including Implementation Specialist, Customer Experience Consultant, and now Clinical Consultant, Kylie Bolton has gained a deep understanding of Point of Care and Central Pharmacy automation technology. Before joining Omnicell, Ms. Bolton worked as a pediatric nurse at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. She graduated with her MSN in Informatics from the University of Utah.
Denise Cox is the Chief Customer Officer North America at Omnicell, responsible for driving all aspects of creating, building, launching, and scaling the company’s Customer Success organization. Prior to joining Omnicell, Ms. Cox served as Vice President of the Americas Customer Experience (CX) Centers for Cisco, where she led over 3000+ individuals in the delivery of effortless support, architecture, and implementation services. A frequent speaker at Women in Technology events, Denise has a Master of Science in Information Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.
Nilesh Desai is the Chief Pharmacy Officer at Baptist Health. In this newly created role, he is responsible for pharmacy enterprise operations across the nine-hospital system, including oversight of the system’s ambulatory pharmacies. Mr. Desai spent 21 years with Hackensack University Medical Center/Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey as administrator of pharmacy and clinical operations. During his tenure, he led an effort to centralize and integrate all decision-making on technology, training, educational materials, formulary standardization, medication management policies, workflows, and Epic build and standardization across the network. He also expanded the clinical pharmacist team and the pharmacy residency program, and established Transitions of Care, Med to Beds, and PGY2 Emergency Medicine programs.
Jamin Engel, PharmD, MBA, BCSCP, is the Regional Director of Pharmacy for the Western Region of Sentara Healthcare, a 12-hospital non-for-profit system within Virginia and North Carolina. His responsibilities include leadership and oversight of pharmacy operations and strategic planning at RMH Medical Center (SRMH), Northern Virginia Medical Center (SNVMC), and Martha Jefferson Hospital (SMJH). He graduated from VCU School of Pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and obtained a Masters of Business Administration degree from James Madison University. In additional to his role as pharmacy director, Jamin serves as an expert for sterile compounding, authoring several publications, teaching certification programs, serving on regulatory committees, and performing independent consulting. He is a clinical professor for Virginia Commonwealth University and a preceptor for Shenandoah University College of Pharmacy.
Jillian Foster, PharmD, MBA, FACHE, FASHP, is currently the System Pharmacy Service Line Administrator for Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation (BMHCC). She provides strategic direction to the BMHCC pharmacy teams at all Baptist hospitals, infusion centers, retail pharmacies, home infusion, mail order and specialty pharmacy in MS, TN, and AR. Dr. Foster graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy after completing a Health Policy Fellowship with United States Senator Thad Cochran. She also completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency (PGY1) and Specialty Residency (PGY2) with an emphasis in Pharmacy Management and Administration at North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC) in Tupelo, MS. She has an MBA from the University of Mississippi. She worked in Tupelo as the Pharmacy Benefits Manager at NMMC before moving to Oxford, MS as the Director of Pharmacy for Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi. She later held leadership positions at Baptist Medical Group and the Baptist Cancer Center before moving to the Baptist Corporate office. Dr. Foster served on the Phi Lambda Sigma National Executive Committee as Parliamentarian. She is Past President of the Mississippi Pharmacists Association and the Mississippi Society of Health System Pharmacy. She is currently serving as President of the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy. She and her husband, Doug, live in Olive Branch, MS and enjoy many church, community, and sports activities with their three young children.
Rich Griner is the Chief Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) of Pediatrics for Brenner Children’s, Chief OB CRNA for The Birth Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist System, and oversees pediatric anesthesia at Clemons Surgical Center. Prior to these positions, he developed and managed the anesthesia departments at Davie Medical Center and Clemmons Surgical Center. Mr. Griner completed his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, earned his Master of Nursing, with a concentration in Anesthesia, from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and is Board Certified by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists.
Sharon Higgins, RPh, is the Clinical Informatics Pharmacist for Torrance Memorial Medical Center. A 30-year pharmacy industry veteran in Hospital, Long Term Care, Home Infusion, and Telepharmacy settings, Ms. Higgins’ major areas of responsibility include implementing and maintaining the applications that support medication storage, ordering, delivery, and administration.
Charlie Hirner is a results-oriented operations leader and pharmacist with experience developing and maintaining pharmacy operations in both clinical and non-clinical settings. As a pharmacy manager for Osco Drug, followed by a decade as director of specialty pharmacy operations for OptumRx, Mr. Hirner acquired a full spectrum of pharmacy experience, including specialty pharmacy, PBM and PA/utilization reviews, medical benefit pharmacy/infusion, large-scale automated fulfillment and dispensing, pharmacy supply chain management, retail pharmacy operations, hospital pharmacy operations, 340B, and pharmacy industry relations. He is known as an operational innovator who achieves improved execution through his ability to create, understand, and manage complex processes, systems and projects. Today, Mr. Hirner champions the pharmacy perspective for the Omnicell 340B leadership team and uses his clinical and operational insights to inform and guide technology, process, support, and pharmacy network improvements as leader of more than 60 operations team members for Omnicell 340B.
Kim Howland leads the product organization for EnlivenHealth™, working closely with customers to develop the roadmap for current products and envision and deliver new solutions to the market. Prior to joining EnlivenHealth™, Dr. Howland served as Chief Product Officer at Diameter Health, where she developed software solutions to solve healthcare data interoperability challenges. She served as VP for Product Development for Omnicell, Inc. and opened and led the San Francisco office of Health Advances, a healthcare management consultancy. Dr. Howland holds a B.S. in Biology from Bates College, a Masters in Medical Sciences from Harvard Medical School, and a Ph.D. in Immunology from Harvard University.
Jon G. Jackson, PharmD, MMHC, is Health IT Director, Vanderbilt University Medical Center: After receiving his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from The University of Mississippi and completion of residency training, Dr. Jackson began a career that has spanned imultiple pharmacy practice areas including retail and hospital intensive care. After attending Vanderbilt Owen School of Business and receiving a Master's in Health Care Management, Dr. Jackson's experience shifted to leading inpatient hospital pharmacy operations and leading clinical initiatives through pharmacy informatics. In his current role, Dr. Jackson has responsibility for inpatient and outpatient pharmacy areas through informatics support. He also leads operational clinical decision support and deployment at Vanderbilt.
As Director of Pharmacy for Georgia-based Archbold Medical Center, Andrea Jarzyniecki, PharmD, is responsible for oversight of inpatient, outpatient, and retail pharmacy services at John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital, Brooks County Hospital, Grady General Hospital, Mitchell County Hospital, Archbold Northside Center for Behavioral and Psychiatric Care, Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center, Archbold Employee Pharmacy, and Archbold Pinetree Pharmacy. Dr. Jarzyniecki received her Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy and is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist. She is a member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
As a pharmacy consultant for EnlivenHealth™, David Kirkus advises the company on building and enhancing solutions that meet the evolving demands of retail pharmacy partners. He is lauded for his 20-year history of developing and implementing innovative strategies and solutions in the retail pharmacy industry. Prior to joining EnlivenHealth™, Dr. Kirkus served as a pharmacy executive at Publix SuperMarkets with a tenure of over 18 years. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Georgia.
Michael Korthuis is Vice President of Engineering at Omnicell, leading the Omnicell One and platform engineering teams. Prior to Omnicell, Mr. Korthuis led engineering at Curation Health, an advanced clinical decision support platform, and Candescent Health, a cloud-based radiology workflow and analytics provider. He has extensive experience with numerous cloud-hosted businesses. Mr. Korthuis holds a Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from McGill University.
Dr. Andrew Lodolo has served as the Pharmacy Manager for Inpatient Services for Eskenazi Health since 2019. A 2011 graduate of Purdue University College of Pharmacy, Dr. Lodolo pursued PGY-1/PHY-2 residencies at Indiana University Health and Eskenazi Health, respectively. Additionally, Dr. Lodolo has gained recognition as a practice leader on local, regional, and national levels serving as the Pharmacist Lead at the Wheeler Missions Medical Clinic in Indianapolis, as an active member of the Indiana Societyof Health-System Pharmacists and the Indianapolis Coalition for Patient Safety, and through continued leadership roles in the Society of Critical Care Medicine and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Melanie Massiah-White is Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer for Inova Health system, where she is responsible for the Inova Department of Pharmacy spanning five hospitals, retail and specialty sites, two schools of pharmacy, ambulatory, as well as first- and second-year residencies. Melanie received her Bachelor of Pharmacy from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science, her Masters of Health Administration from Marymount University and completed her Pharmacy Residency at Inova Fairfax Hospital. Melanie has served as a board member for the Healthcare Council of the National Capital Area (HCNCA) and is a faculty member at both the School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Shenandoah University. She recently co-led the Inova Health System’s Northern Virginia COVID vaccination clinic, vaccinating more than 450,000 residents.
Andrew McLaughlin, PharmD, MBA is Director of Product Management, Pharmacy and Medication Dispensing for Cerner Corporation. Over the last 9 years, he has worked in a variety of roles helping to design, demonstrate, implement, and optimize the electronic health record (EHR). He currently has executive responsibilities over the development of Cerner’s pharmacy and medication dispensing product portfolio including interoperability with Omnicell.
Katherine Mieure, PharmD, BCPS, is the System Director of Pharmacy for Acute Care Services at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist System where she is oversees inpatient operations and clinical pharmacy services. Dr. Mieure completed her PharmD at Drake University College of Pharmacy and her ASHP-accredited residencies in Pharmacy Practice and Critical Care at the University of Kentucky Hospital. Prior to her current position, Katherine held Clinical Pharmacy leadership positions at The University of Chicago Medicine in Chicago, IL and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. A member of the American Society Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), Dr. Mieure serves on the ASHP Commission on Credentialing for residency training and is an active member of the Vizient’s University Health Consortium’s Pharmacy Council’s Pharmacy Practice Advancement Committee and a graduate of ASHP Foundation’s Pharmacy Leadership Academy.
Chris Newman, PharmD, serves as Vice President of Clinical Services at Georgia-based Archbold Medical Center. After earning his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from The University of Georgia, and a Master of Science degree in Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After beginning his career with Archbold as a pharmacy technician, Dr. Newman was promoted to Director of Pharmacy in 2013, responsible for all pharmacy operations for the Archbold system of hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient services. Today, Dr. Newman’s responsibilities also include laboratory, pharmacy, materials, oncology, and cardiovascular operations for the health system. Additionally, Dr. Newman serves as a member of the Autonomous Pharmacy Advisory Board.
Avani Patel, CPhT, 340B ACE, Director, Omnicell 340B Network Development: With more than 20 years’ experience in the trenches of 340B pharmacy operations, Ms. Patel knows 340B from the perspectives of retail pharmacy, specialty pharmacy and payers. After nearly five years as a senior pharmacy technician for Walgreens, she dove deep into 340B pharmacy operations through stints at a third-party administrator, health plan and specialty pharmacies prior to leading the Omnicell 340B network development team. At Omnicell, Ms. Patel leverages her in-depth pharmacy knowledge and long-term pharmacy relationships to tailor each 340B client’s pharmacy network to their unique therapies, providers and patients in order to deliver maximum 340B value for their program.
Ken Perez is the VP of Healthcare Policy for Omnicell. He is a thought leader on various subjects, including health policy, healthcare economics, AI, data analytics, population health management, and the opioid crisis. Previously, Ken served as the SVP of Marketing for MedeAnalytics. He has been a columnist for hfm, the monthly journal of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, for a decade. Ken holds a bachelor's degree in international relations with an emphasis in economics from Stanford University and a MBA with a concentration in finance from UCLA Anderson.
Jeff Schlossnagle is the Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer, North America, at Omnicell, where he currently oversees Omnicell’s go-to-market sales strategy. He spearheads efforts to establish long-term customer partnerships, including initiatives related to the entire customer journey. Prior to joining Omnicell, Jeff gained commercial experience in both the pharmaceutical and financial industries. He holds a BA in Political Science from Elon University.
Scott Seidelmann is EVP & Chief Commercial Officer at Omnicell. Prior to joining Omnicell, Mr. Seidelmann was the founder and CEO of Candescent Health, a cloud-based radiology workflow and analytics provider. He was previously co-founder and CEO of Radisphere Inc., one of the largest radiology practices in the U.S., which leveraged technology and analytics to transform the radiology care delivery model to improve quality and lower costs. Earlier in his career, Mr. Seidelmann held positions with Merrill Lynch and Ericsson Venture Partners, a technology venture capital firm. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University.
In her role as a Clinical Nurse Consultant with Omnicell, Kristine Shepherd, MSN, RN, combines 25 years of clinical and management experience with an expertise in process improvement and safety to build collaborative relationships committed to increasing the efficiency of health care delivery. Before joining Omnicell, Ms. Shepherd served as a Director of Nursing for the New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division, providing expertise and consultation to healthcare partners concerning infectious diseases, policy and practice improvement. She received a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management from The George Washington University.
Thomas J. Siepka is Vice President, Hospital and Health Systems at Gates Healthcare Associates, a pharmaceutical and healthcare consulting firm that provides extensive clinical, programmatic, and regulatory knowledge and insight to an array of organizations nationally and abroad. He leads a talented team of consultants and provides clients with expert advice, consultation, and support built upon his nearly 30 years at hospitals and health systems, including serving as Chief Pharmacy Officer for two nationally recognized academic medical centers. His experience includes inpatient and outpatient clinical and operational program development, ambulatory programs, pharmacy supply chain and logistics, retail pharmacy and specialty pharmacy development, development and build out of central service centers, as well as pharmacy benefit management
Ted Slafsky is one of the nation’s leading experts on health care policy, pharmaceutical pricing, the hospital industry and health care access. Based in Washington, D.C., he is Founder and Principal of Wexford Solutions LLC where he consults with businesses and non-profits looking to strengthen their position in the marketplace and improve health care outcomes. Ted is also the Publisher and CEO of 340B Report, the only subscription-based news service covering developments in the federal 340B drug pricing program. He holds a Master of Public Policy from Duke University and Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Tufts University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Mark Steinbeck, RPh, MBA, is currently the Pharmacy Director for Saint Luke’s East Hospital in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Mr. Steinbeck received his BS in Pharmacy from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Pharmacy, and his Master’s in Business Administration from Baker University School of Professional and Graduate Studies. A member of ASHP, MSHP (Missouri Society of Health System Pharmacy) and GKCSHP (Greater Kansas City Society of Health System Pharmacy), Mr. Steinbeck has presented at the state and local level on recruitment and automation, and has previously served an Adjunct Clinical Instructor in the Division of Pharmacy Practice and Administration. He is a registered pharmacist in Missouri and Kansas.
Mark Sullivan PharmD, MBA, BCPS, FASHP, is Associate Chief Pharmacy Officer for Vanderbilt University Hospital and Clinics in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Residency Program Director for the Administrative Residency at Vanderbilt. He has supported implementation of a number of medication-related systems, including automated medication cabinets, “Smart Pump” infusion systems, CPOE, and BCMA systems. He has served as an invited member of the USP Safe Medication Use committee, vice chair of the ASHP Practice Managers Section Advisory group on communications, and chair of the ASHP Practice Manager’s Section Advisory group on manager development. He also served as the inaugural chair of the Tennessee Hospital Association Pharmacist Collaborative and is Past President of the Tennessee Society of Health System Pharmacy. He holds faculty appointments to the University of Tennessee, Belmont University and Lipscomb University Colleges of Pharmacy and served on the Admissions Committee for the inaugural class of the Lipscomb College of Pharmacy.
Trish Tanner, Chief Pharmacy Officer, Ballad Health, is an experienced health-system pharmacy leader with a passion for opioid overdose prevention. After losing her nephew to an accidental opioid overdose, Ms. Tanner dedicated herself to honoring her nephew and helping others avoid the same fate. Her accomplishments led to being asked to serve as chair of Ballad Health’s Opioid Task Force. Ms. Tanner received her pharmacy degree from the University of Florida and her MBA from Jacksonville University.
Greg Teale, PharmD, BCPS, is the Vice President for Pharmacy Services for Saint Luke’s Health System, with oversight for 15 hospitals, 4 oncology infusion clinics, 5 retail pharmacies, specialty pharmacy, home infusion and a population health ambulatory team. Dr. Teale received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Northwest Missouri State University, his Doctor of Pharmacy from Creighton University, and his Pharmacy Practice Residency from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Active in local, state and national pharmacy organizations, Dr. Teale currently serves as chair of the Hospital Advisory Committee, which helps to jointly promulgate rules between the Missouri Board of Pharmacy and the Missouri Department of Health.
Peggy Tighe deciphers and interprets highly complex healthcare matters and translates them into action. She teams with health systems, patient groups, and provider organizations to develop persuasive policy arguments and strategies to influence Congress and relevant agencies, creating change to protect and support providers and the patients they serve. Peggy has spent her career understanding the complex policy problems that health systems, patient groups, and provider organizations face, and influencing federal policy and decision making on their behalf. Peggy’s prior experience in healthcare lobbying and policy with two highly visible, national healthcare associations, the American Medical Association and the Health Insurance Association of America, as well as with dozens of national coalitions and individual clients, make her unique in this space.
Jennifer E. Tryon is the Associate Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer for Wake Forest Baptist Health. Dr. Tryon completed her PharmD at the University of Iowa and her MS in Health System Pharmacy Administration at the University of Wisconsin. She completed both her pharmacy practice residency and specialty residency in pharmacy administration at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. Prior to her current position, Dr. Tryon served as the Executive Director of Pharmacy and Interim Chief Pharmacy Officer at the University of Chicago Medicine. An active member of ASHP, she he has served her profession as a Director- at-Large and Chair for the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers and as Associate Faculty for the Pharmacy Leadership Academy. Dr. Tryon is the current Chair of the Autonomous Pharmacy Advisory Board.
Tyler Vest, Pharm.D., M.S., BCPS, BCSCP is a Pharmacy Manager of Automation, Medication Distribution, and Controlled Substances at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. In this position, he oversees the automated dispensing cabinets, medication delivery and distribution, and controlled substances for the department of pharmacy. Tyler is also an Assistant Professor of Clinical Education at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Tyler completed his Pre-Pharmacy Studies at the University of Kentucky, and his Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy. He completed his Master of Science Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a Specialization in Health-System Pharmacy Administration at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Tyler completed his PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency Programs at the University of North Carolina Medical Center. His current interest areas are Acute Care Operations, Leadership Development, Oncology, Practice, and Pharmacy Technician Advancement, Pharmacy Practice and Distribution Models, Productivity and Monitoring, and The Medication Use Process. Tyler is actively involved in the profession. On the state level, he is actively involved in the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists (NCAP). On a national level, Tyler is involved in several roles in ASHP and is a member of the Vizient University Health-System Consortium Pharmacy Network Practice Advancement Committee (PPAC).
William von Oehsen is a Principal in Powers, Pyles, Sutter and Verville, PC, a law firm specializing in health care law and policy. He has more than 30 years’ experience on pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement matters, including the 340B drug discount program, the Medicaid drug rebate program, Medicare Part D, Robinson-Patman, and state Medicaid and pharmacy laws. He helped establish and serves as outside counsel to 340B Health, an advocacy organization of over 1,400 public and private non-profit hospitals participating in the 340B program. Bill played a key role in helping to enact the 340B program in 1992, as well as to expand the law in 2010 under the Affordable Care Act. He provides guidance to pharmacies, pharmacy-related vendors and consultants, states, local governments, and other health care entities in their efforts to improve access to pharmaceutical care and to ensure compliance with drug pricing laws. Bill received a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, an MTS from Harvard University, and a JD from Georgetown University.
Zach Zwieg, MBA, MS, ACE, is Pharmacy Business and Analytics Manager for Avera Health System where he assists in overseeing all 340B program operations for 26 Avera Health facilities, focusing on compliance program integrity to ensure quality patient care. Additionally, Mr. Zwieg oversees the health system’s Medication Access Program, working directly with patients to improve access to the vital medications necessary to improve their lives, health and overall well-being.
Day 3
Tony Allis is a Client Success Executive at Omnicell. In this role, Tony partners with Omnicell’s largest and most forward-looking customers to support and execute their strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Omnicell, Tony worked with Aesynt and McKesson, where he worked with hospital leaders to automate the medication use process. Tony holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management from Virginia Tech University, along with a Six Sigma Greenbelt Certification from Villanova University.
Arlin Ashemore, PharmD, MS, serves as the IV Clinical Account Manager for Omnicell IV automation compounding services. Dr. Ashemore received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy and his Master of Science in Pharmacy Leadership and Administration from the University of Houston while simultaneously completing a two-year ASHP-accredited residency program in Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Ashemore subsequently completed a fellowship in Automation and Outcomes Research with Omnicell and Wake Forest Baptist Health, where he worked with the Autonomous Pharmacy Advisory Board to advance the use of automation to reduce error-prone activities and improve outcomes within the medication use process.
David Berkowitz, PharmD, is currently an Omnicell One Field Strategist for Omnicell, and serves as Director of Omnicell’s Fellowships in Data Analytics, Automation Research and Applied Clinical Informatics. A graduate of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy where he is also an associate professor of pharmacy practice, Dr. Berkowitz served on the College’s Digital Health Advisory Committee, was selected as preceptor of the year for the Massachusetts Society of Health-Systems Pharmacy in 2018, served on the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Section of Pharmacy Informatics Professional Development Advisory Group and is an advisor for the digital health platform, HealthXL.
Denise Cox is the Chief Customer Officer North America at Omnicell, responsible for driving all aspects of creating, building, launching, and scaling the company’s Customer Success organization. Prior to joining Omnicell, Ms. Cox served as Vice President of the Americas Customer Experience (CX) Centers for Cisco, where she led over 3000+ individuals in the delivery of effortless support, architecture, and implementation services. A frequent speaker at Women in Technology events, Denise has a Master of Science in Information Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.
Neil DiBernardo, PharmD., is a Sr. Solution Design Consultant for Omnicell’s Central Pharmacy solutions, focused on identifying opportunities to advance Central Pharmacy operations through the strategic use of automation technologies and process improvement. Neil earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from the USC School of Pharmacy and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Loyola Marymount University. With 20+ years of experience in central pharmacy medication use processes to advance patient safety, drive operational efficiencies and leverage cost containment opportunities, Neil has the clinical and operational knowledge needed to help hospitals and health systems connect the dots from current state to a potential future state aligned with Autonomous Pharmacy Vision.
Mark Dixon, R.Ph., MHA, FACHE, leads the Mark Dixon Group, LLC, specializing in providing C-Level services to health systems and medical suppliers to increase relevancy and performance in an era of health reform and value creation, implement population health and consumerism strategies, create durable physician clinical integration network strategies, and develop and implement “quadruple aim” results. Mr. Dixon holds an MHA in Health Care Management and a BS in Pharmacy from the University of Minnesota. Prior to starting the Mark Dixon Group, LLC, Mark held executive positions for Fairview Health Services, Community Hospitals of Indiana, Inc., and Allina Health Abbott Northwestern Hospital where he focused on delivering strategic, operational, and financial success.
Jeff Johnson, PharmD, MBA, currently serves as a Pharmacy Performance Strategist on the Omnicell One Field Strategist team. Prior to joining Omnicell, Dr. Johnson spent the bulk of his career at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, UT, focusing primarily on centralized pharmacy distribution, supply chain, 340B compliance, and acute care. A certified drug diversion investigator and a member of NADDI and IHFDA, Dr. Johnson also serves as a clinical advisor for several drug and alcohol treatment centers throughout the Mountain West, educating staff, residents and their families about the pharmacophysiology of addiction and recovery.
Rafael Saenz, Pharm.D., M.S., FASHP, is Chief of Staff for the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) in Washington, DC, responsible for implementation of the organization’s international strategic initiatives. Dr. Saenz received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, and his Master of Science in Pharmacy Administration from the University of Wisconsin, where he concurrently completed his Pharmacy Administration Residency Program. Prior to his current position, Dr. Saenz served first as Pharmacy Operations Manager for UPMC in Pittsburgh and then as Chief Pharmacy Officer at the University of Virginia (UVA) where he oversaw pharmacy enterprise for the health system. Dr. Saenz is a past chair of the Virginia Board of Pharmacy and has served the profession through active membership in several state and national pharmacy organizations, with a focus on increasing the scope of practice for pharmacists and technicians.
Dennis Sanchez is a Change Management Consultant for Omnicell. He has 25+ of professional services experience and six years as a certified Prosci Practitioner on global technology change management projects. A subject matter expert and scholar in technology adoption research, Mr. Chavez is currently pursuing a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree in Leadership Psychology at William James College.
Jennifer E. Tryon is the Associate Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer for Wake Forest Baptist Health. Dr. Tryon completed her PharmD at the University of Iowa and her MS in Health System Pharmacy Administration at the University of Wisconsin. She completed both her pharmacy practice residency and specialty residency in pharmacy administration at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. Prior to her current position, Dr. Tryon served as the Executive Director of Pharmacy and Interim Chief Pharmacy Officer at the University of Chicago Medicine. An active member of ASHP, she he has served her profession as a Director- at-Large and Chair for the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers and as Associate Faculty for the Pharmacy Leadership Academy. Dr. Tryon is the current Chair of the Autonomous Pharmacy Advisory Board.
Ryan L. Wiggins is a Customer Success Manager (CSM) with Omnicell where he serves as a customer’s primary point of contact, dedicated resource, and passionate advocate in driving overall success. He has over 20 years of experience in both retail and academic hospital pharmacy setting leading the development, implementation, and spread of pharmacy care-delivery as well as medication management innovations. Prior to Omnicell, Ryan served as Pharmacy Automation System Administrator for the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and Pharmacy Technician in the UMMC IV Lab.
Linda Williams is a Customer Experience Consultant with Omnicell responsible for engaging with customers to enhance their success during conversion to Omnicell; providing workflow improvements, system optimization, and adoption recommendations to increase the use of their system; and delivering Best Practice recommendations to ensure compliance and consistency. Prior to joining Omnicell, Ms. Williams spent 18 years with Baylor Health Care System, most recently as the Manager of Technical Operations at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. She also spent 3 years serving as a communication specialist in the U.S. Army. Linda holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Pharmacy Technology from Fayetteville Technical Institute.