Pharmacy Innovators Podcast
At the Pharmacy Innovators Podcast, we talk with innovative people who are going “off script,” finding new and better ways to optimize pharmacy for hospitals and health systems. Each episode provides timely and useful insights into how to transform healthcare through pharmacy.
Episodes
Ask the Innovators: Stop Looking in the Rearview Mirror of Specialty Pharmacy
Specialty pharmacy is evolving faster than ever, making it increasingly difficult for health systems to protect margins and drive sustainable growth using historical reports alone. In this episode, host Jim Jorgenson is joined by Joe Cesarz, Chief Client Success Officer at Visante, and Angie Amado, Senior Vice President, Client Services at Visante, to discuss why health systems can no longer manag
Mid-Year Check-In: The Top 10 Forces Shaping Health System Pharmacy
Halfway through 2026, one trend has become impossible to ignore: health systems are beginning to split into two very different camps.
Some are playing defense—focused on reimbursement pressures, Medicaid shifts, workforce challenges, and tightening margins. Others are taking an opportunistic approach, using these same market forces to expand specialty pharmacy, strengthen infusion services, optimi
Pharmacy Leadership in Action: Perspectives from Rush and Orlando Health
Health system pharmacy is under more pressure — and expected to deliver more value — than ever before. In this episode, host Jim Jorgenson is joined by Dr. Kate Schaafsma, Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at Rush University Health System, and Dr. Jeff Oliver, Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at Orlando Health, to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping modern health syst
Building a Strategic Pharmacy Supply Chain: Lessons from IU Health
What does it take to turn pharmacy into a true enterprise asset? In this episode, host Jim Jorgenson is joined by Derek Imars, Executive Director of Pharmacy Supply Chain at IU Health, and Steve Rough, Chairman at Visante, to explore how pharmacy supply chain is evolving—from managing drug shortages to enabling growth in infusion and specialty services—through more connected, end-to-end strategies
Pharmacy Leadership, Innovation, and 340B at Penn State Health
In this episode of Innovators Podcast, host Jim Jorgenson speaks with Dr. Sam Wetherill, VP and Chief Pharmacy Officer at Penn State Health, about his journey from Penn State pharmacy student to health system leader and how his 22 years of Army service shaped his leadership approach.
They also discuss Penn State Health’s strategic priorities, the evolving role of pharmacy within health systems, an
Top 10 Forces Shaping Pharmacy in 2026
In this episode, Visante CEO Amy Amick and Chairman Steve Rough join host Jim Jorgenson to spotlight three powerful forces from Visante’s Top 10 Forces Shaping Pharmacy in 2026 — and why pharmacy is rapidly emerging as a strategic growth platform for health systems. This conversation is designed for both pharmacy and health system leaders who are responsible for margin, strategy, and overall enter
340B Rebate Readiness: What Covered Entities Need to Know Now
As the 340B Rebate Model Pilot approaches, hospitals and health systems are preparing for one of the most significant shifts the program has faced in years. In this episode, Jim Jorgensen is joined by Kristin Fox-Smith, Managing Director, and Jerame Hill, Chief Strategy Officer at Visante, to break down what the new rebate model means for covered entities.
This conversation is especially importa
Infusion Innovation: Connecting Care Delivery to Enterprise Strategy
In this episode of Pharmacy Innovators, host Jim Jorgenson sits down with Jim Jacobsohn, Chief Growth Officer at Visante, and Joelle Hall, Director of Infusion Strategy, to explore how infusion services are becoming a strategic lever for hospitals and health systems. The conversation highlights how shifting care delivery models, increasing consumer expectations, payer pressures, and new market dis
Sustaining Care Through 340B: Insights from Benefis Health System
In this episode, Jamie Leonard shares her journey from clinical pharmacist to Director of Pharmacy at Benefis Health System in Great Falls, Montana. She oversees pharmacy operations across the continuum of care, including acute care, cancer and infusion centers, long-term care, critical access hospitals, and Benefis’ 340B program.
Jamie discusses the unique challenges of serving a largely rural an
Ask the Innovators: Navigating the Shifting 340B Landscape
In this episode of Ask the Innovators, Jim Jorgenson sits down with Visante’s Angela De Ianni, Managing Director, and Nivedha Poondi, Consultant, to unpack the rapid changes happening across the 340B program. From the transition to a rebate model to the ongoing challenges around DSH eligibility, our guests break down what these shifts mean for covered entities and share practical advice on how hos
Leading with Purpose: Pharmacy Innovation at Community Health Network with Dr. Dawn Moore
In this episode of Pharmacy Innovators, host Jim Jorgenson sits down with longtime friend and colleague Dr. Dawn Moore, Vice President of Pharmacy at Community Health Network in Indiana. With a career grounded in both strategy and service, Dawn shares her journey through health system leadership, her approach to ambulatory pharmacy growth, and the ways she's navigated competitive pressures in spec
Maximizing Value in the Pharmacy Revenue Cycle
In this episode of The Innovators Podcast, host Jim Jorgenson is joined by pharmacy revenue cycle experts Maxie Friemel and Tim Miller to explore the often underestimated, and increasingly critical, world of pharmacy finances. The conversation goes well beyond billing, diving into key issues such as prior authorizations, denials, biosimilar adoption, charge structures, and payer audits.
For hospit
A New Chapter: Alex Varkey on Leadership, Change & the Future of Pharmacy
In this episode, host Jim Jorgenson sits down with returning guest Dr. Alex Varkey to discuss big changes—both personal and professional. Since his last appearance, Alex has completed his term as President of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and made a major career move, leaving a successful role in health-system leadership to join Visante.
Alex shares what motivated his transition, wh
Advancing 340B: Strategic Perspectives in a Changing Landscape
In this episode of the Pharmacy Innovators Podcast, host Jim Jorgenson is joined by two powerhouse voices in the 340B space: Kristin Fox Smith, Visante’s own 340B expert, and Ted Slafsky, Publisher & CEO of the 340B Report.
Together, they dive into the latest political and regulatory shifts shaking the 340B landscape — from new Congressional leadership and pending legislation to the major reo
Pharmacist Burnout and Beyond: What the Data Tells Us
In this episode, host Jim Jorgenson talks with Dr. Brianne Bakken, PharmD, MHA, Associate Professor at The University of Iowa College of Nursing, about the National Pharmacist Workforce Study (NPWS) and its impact on pharmacy. They explore key findings on burnout, job satisfaction, and staffing shortages, as well as how AI, telepharmacy, and policy changes are reshaping the profession.
Dr. Bakken
Top Opportunities for Healthcare Executives in 2025
In this episode of the Pharmacy Innovators Podcast, Visante CEO Steve Rough and President Phil Brummond dive into Visante’s Top Ten Issues Facing Health System Pharmacy in 2025. This insightful discussion covers key topics such as alternative payment models, revenue cycle optimization, centralized medication access, and more—critical areas shaping the future of pharmacy practice.
Join them as th
Ask the Innovators: Your Questions on the 340B Program
In this episode, we address audience-submitted questions about the 340B Program with Kristin Fox Smith and Sean Hall, two leading experts from Visante. Topics range from potential legislative changes and manufacturer rebate models to operational challenges and future program expectations. Whether you’re a healthcare professional or simply curious about the 340B Program, this episode offers valuabl
Key Takeaways from ASHP Midyear: Insights with Dave Hager and Lynn Thoma
In this episode, we’re joined by Dave Hager, Managing Director at Visante, and Lynn Thoma, Senior Director at Visante, as they share their key takeaways from the ASHP Midyear Conference.
Dave and Lynn dive into the major themes shaping pharmacy practice, highlight perspectives that challenged or inspired them, and discuss how the conference content aligns with the current trends and challenges fa
Systemness in Action: How McLeod Health Pharmacy Elevates Organizational Excellence
In this episode, host Jim Jorgenson welcomes Dr. Jenna Swindler, Vice President of Pharmacy Services at McLeod Health System in South Carolina. Dr. Swindler shares her career journey and provides an overview of McLeod Health’s pharmacy operations. The conversation dives into the critical role of "systemness" in multi-hospital organizations, highlighting how McLeod defines and implements this conce
Navigating Pediatric Pharmacy: Challenges and Innovations with Dr. Kendrea Jones
In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Kendrea Jones, Director of Pharmacy at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, to explore the unique challenges and opportunities in pediatric pharmacy. Dr. Jones shares her career journey, insights into the specialized pharmacy services at Arkansas Children’s, and how the hospital is tackling workforce shortages, high-cost therapies, and drug shortages.
We a
The AI Advantage: Streamlining Workloads in Healthcare
In this episode, Jim Jorgenson talks with Joe Lassiter, Ghalib Abbasi from Houston Methodist and robotics expert Frederik Ebert about the growing role of AI in healthcare, focusing on medication use and technology. They discuss how AI enhances clinical decision-making and automation, while also addressing its potential to reduce administrative costs in hospitals. Tune in to explore how AI is trans
340B Policy and Real-life Challenges
The 340B landscape is constantly evolving, presenting both challenges and opportunities for healthcare providers. Visante is committed to helping organizations navigate the complexities that come with a 340B program.
To stay informed, listen to our latest podcast on all things 340B. Our guests, Ted Slafsky, Publisher and CEO of 340B Report, and Kristin Fox-Smith, Senior Vice President at Visante
Empowering Change: Leadership and Advocacy in Hospital Pharmacy
In this episode of Pharmacy Innovators, we delve into the critical roles of leadership and advocacy within hospital pharmacy settings. Hospital pharmacists are not only frontline healthcare providers but also leaders driving impactful change in patient care.
Join us as we sit down with St. Luke's Vice President & Chief Pharmacy Officer, Kelley Curtis, who shares her insights on navigating the
Ask the Innovators: Your Questions on Infusion Services
In this special edition of our Innovators podcast, we address your questions about infusion services and site-of-care strategies. Join our guests, Erick Siegenthaler, PharmD, MHA, and Dale Drizd, Pharm D, RPh, as they chat with Jim Jorgenson about setting up a home infusion program, optimizing pharmacy revenue, preventing costly leakage, and much more. Gain valuable insights to enhance patient acc
Pharmacy Perspectives from Beyond the Northern Border
Delivering quality pharmacy care to communities across remote, often wintry Northern Canada presents unique challenges. Kevin McDonald and Sammu Dhaliwall from North West Telepharmacy Solutions join Jim Jorgenson to discuss overcoming geographical, weather, language, technology, and financial barriers to provide essential medications and clinical care.
Kevin McDonald, Director of North West Telep
Leading with Innovation: Transforming Health System Pharmacy
Don't miss this transformative opportunity to join Majid Tanas, a respected pharmacy executive and leader, for an enlightening discussion on mastering the complexities of today's healthcare landscape.
Majid delves into the critical role of hospital pharmacy in enhancing the full patient experience, the strategic design of organizational structures to boost collaboration, and the imperative to aba
Top Opportunities for Healthcare Executives in 2024
In this exclusive episode of the Visante Pharmacy Innovators, our leaders seize the opportunity to delve into this year’s selections for the annual Top 10 and explain why four issues are particularly worth paying attention to. Steve Rough, Phil Brummond and Jim Jorgenson dig deeper into specialty pharmacy and infusion services, consolidated service centers, benchmarking and analytics, and pharmacy
Uncovering the Financial Opportunity of Pharmacy Revenue Cycle
In this episode, Visante Executive Advisor Jim Jorgenson and Senior Director Dave Hager are joined by two experts in the pharmacy revenue cycle industry who provide valuable insights and knowledge on establishing an effective strategy and structure for success.
Lindsey Amerine and Maxie Friemel, pioneers in the field, offer guidance on initiating the process, assembling a cross-functional team, p
The Importance of Work-Life Balance in Healthcare
Happy New Year, listeners! The start of the New Year usually comes with self-reflection and new intentions. As we continue to see staffing shortages, escalating workload demands, burnout and silent quitting as significant challenges for hospitals and health systems how do we address these labor concerns?
In this episode, we embark on one of the topics that healthcare workers have the most trouble
Pharmacy Informatics and Technology Impact on Medication-use
Discover the fascinating world of pharmacy informatics and technology and its profound impact on medication-use across the health system. In this episode, we delve into the trends, challenges, and opportunities in technology and informatics that are shaping the future of Pharmacy. From business analytics, interoperability, and technology optimization, we explore how technology innovations streamli
What’s next for USP drug compounding compliance?
In this episode of Visante Innovators, Jim Jorgenson talks with Pharmacy Stars CEO Keith Streckenbach. Keith is an innovator in sterile drug compounding and passionate about helping pharmacies reach their compliance goals and meet increasingly complex standards.
With USP Chapters 797 and 800 becoming compendial, and therefore enforceable by boards of pharmacy or other regulatory agencies, quickly
Systemness in Health System Pharmacy: Perspectives from Two Transformational Leaders
In this episode of Visante's Innovators podcast, successful pharmacy leaders, Melissa Ortega from Tufts Medicine and Staci Hermann from Dartmouth Health, join Jim Jorgenson for an in-depth discussion on the greatest challenges and opportunities facing the contemporary pharmacy leader.
Dave Hager moderates the discussion with these two phenomenal pharmacy trailblazers for an intriguing, timel
The infusion market is evolving. Are you ready?
It’s a familiar theme in healthcare: the movement of traditional acute care to a variety of ambulatory settings. Infusion therapy is one of the fastest-growing examples of this transition, and the market continues to shift as a result of this strong growth. In this episode of our Visante Innovators podcast, we take a deeper look at what’s driving the expansion of the infusion market. Join Visant
Medication Adherence: Why It Matters
Why has an important quality and financial element like medical adherence flown under the radar all these years? Professor William (Bill) Kelly from Taneja College of Pharmacy at USF, joins our host, Jim Jorgenson, to discuss why pharmacist interventions and medication adherence are crucial to patients' quality of life. In the episode, Bill dives into his most recent publication on adherence and g
It’s a Crisis: The Pharmacy Technician Shortage
Health systems have been plagued by shortages of pharmacy technicians and many fear it will continue to get worse. Rico Powell, Senior Consultant at Visante and Managing Partner at Professional Pharmacy Technician Academy, joins our host, Jim Jorgenson, to discuss the pharmacy technician crisis. In this episode, Rico highlights technicians’ role in medication safety and what pharmacy leaders can d
340B Program Pressures Intensify: Who Will Fund Indigent Care?
Maria Kossilos, Assoc. Chief Pharmacy Officer at Cambridge Health Alliance, joins Kristin Fox-Smith (340B ACE), Managing Director at Visante, to discuss how pharmaceutical manufacturer restrictions – some as recent as last week – put enormous financial pressure on health systems and covered entities who are doing what they can to care for vulnerable and underserved patients across America.
Koss
Visante Pharmacy Automation Series - Part 4
In this episode of the pharmacy innovators podcast we have Ghalib Abbasi and Gee Mathen. These two innovators are making major breakthroughs in pharmacy automation and making it safer for patients! Let's see how they're doing that...
Visante Pharmacy Automation Series - Part 3
In part 3 of our series on automation, we're going to be talking about the optimization of the automation solution that has been selected.
Visante Pharmacy Automation Series - Part 2
In the first of our series on pharmacy automation we talked about initial planning...now, we discuss implementation!
Visante Pharmacy Automation Series - Part 1
In the first of four parts of our series on Pharmacy Automation Projects, we're going to discuss what goes into initial planning.
Kennedy Erickson - President APhA-ASP
Kennedy was Born and raised in Olympia, WA, and is a student at Washington State University (WSU) College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Spokane
Kennedy was elected the National President for APhA-ASP in 2021 and has been an advocate for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the profession as well as the power of advocacy by promoting pharmacists to join together through
Amar Festic - Expert in Pharmacy Robotics and Automation
Amar Festic is in charge of Business Development and sales for Loccioni USA, an innovation company focused on high end robotics for hospital pharmacies. He is one of the nation’s experts in robotics applied to IV compounding and has spent 10+ years implementing complex robotics projects and integrated platforms, working with some of the leading institutions in the United States (Mayo Clinic, Cleve
Dr. LaQuoia Johnson - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Today on the show we have Pharmacist Dr. LaQuoia Johnson! LaQuoia is more than a pharmacist these days, she's also a life coach and educator that focuses largely on diversity, equity and inclusion.
LaQuoia started a program called Grace Culture that gives a framework for training people on diversity in the workplace.
If you'd like to contact LaQuoia, reach out to her by email at:
laquoiajohn
Pharmacy Innovators Podcast
Today on the Pharmacy Innovators Podcast we welcome Alex Varkey. Alex is the Director of Pharmacy at Houston Methodist Hospital - Texas Medical Center in Houston, TX. Alex received his PharmD from the University of Houston in 2005. He then completed a two-year administrative residency at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH while completing his Master of Science in Health-System Pharmacy
Pharmacy Unscripted
On the first episode of Pharmacy Unscripted we welcome CEO of Visante, James Jorgenson. James is a pharmacy leader with over 30 years of experience in hospital management and leadership.
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