Becker’s asked pharmacy executives from hospitals and health systems across the U.S. to share what their system has done to expand their access to care.
The 10 executives featured in this article are all speaking at the Becker’s Healthcare Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit, from Nov. 5-6, 2025 at the Hilton Chicago.
To learn more about this event, click here.
If you would like to join as a reviewer, contact Mariah Muhammad at mmuhammad@beckershealthcare.com or agendateam@beckershealthcare.com.
As part of an ongoing series, Becker’s is talking to healthcare leaders who will speak at our conference. The following are answers from our speakers at the event.
Question: What has your system done to most effectively expand access to care?
John Armitstead. Vice President of Pharmacy Services at Lee Health (Fort Myers, Fla.): Access to care remains a critical element of modern healthcare delivery, and health system pharmacy plays a vital role in addressing this challenge. Our efforts focus on ensuring that medications are both accessible and affordable for diverse patient populations. At our site, we have implemented and continue to advance several key initiatives that enhance access, remove treatment barriers, and support smooth transitions of care. These include collaborative practice agreements, home and alternate site infusion services, hospital-at-home care, 24/7 community prescription access, prior authorization support, telehealth, medication therapy management, and comprehensive medication management. Ultimately, the goal is to provide medication-related care that is seamless and consistent from the patient’s perspective, reinforcing continuity and quality across all settings.
Carrie Dunford. Chief Pharmacy Officer and Vice President of Intermountain Healthcare (Salt Lake City): At Intermountain Health, we have several programs to provide access to care via technology and expansion to rural areas. We have a program to deliver chemotherapy medications and train nurses in our critical access and small community hospitals to administer the medications so that medication travels and not the patient and their caregivers. We have implemented a pharmacist provided platform for online care called On-Demand, which allows patients to receive medications without an in-person visit for needs like contraception, naloxone, PEP and PrEP, and others. This allows us to pair the strength of brick-and-mortar care with the convenience of online care especially where we serve rural communities across the Mountain West. We’ve also invested in pediatric access through the Primary Promise campaign, which helped fund new behavioral health services and intensive services for children with autism, among other initiatives. Internally, we’ve embedded access with virtual appointments, same-day appointments, digital communication, and streamlined care coordination. These efforts reflect our system-wide commitment to making care more accessible, equitable, and patient-centered.
Michael Eagon. Senior Pharmacy Manager of Ambulatory Pharmacy at the University of Texas Medical Branch and Nathan Vo. Senior Pharmacy Manager of Revenue Integrity at the University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston): The University of Texas Medical Branch has adopted a comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy to effectively expand access to care. Within the department of pharmacy, we have focused on targeted initiatives addressing access challenges across both the medical and pharmacy benefit sides to directly tackle barriers.
One innovative approach at UTMB involves integrating clinical pharmacy services alongside the revenue cycle operations team to enhance medication access through medical benefits. Pharmacist involvement in pre- and post-authorization reviews has effectively closed gaps in clinical expertise during the submission process. This collaboration underscores the value of incorporating clinical perspectives within traditionally non-clinical areas to improve patient care.
In parallel, UTMB leverages our specialty pharmacy services to support medication access via pharmacy benefits. By embedding specialty pharmacists within outpatient clinics, we streamline medication delivery and optimize care coordination for patients with complex conditions. Our dedicated call center support staff play a critical role by providing timely patient outreach, medication education, and addressing patient concerns. Additionally, we have enhanced prior authorization workflows and financial assistance programs to minimize delays in medication access and treatment initiation.
Together, these initiatives have markedly improved timely access to specialty care and medications, ultimately advancing patient outcomes throughout our health system.
Urshila Shah, PharmD. Executive Director of Pharmacy Services, Oncology Services, and Clinical Research at St. Joseph’s Health (Paterson, N.J.): At St. Joseph’s Health, we’ve expanded access to care by integrating pharmacy and oncology services to deliver same-day treatment starts, streamlined care coordination, and specialty pharmacy support for complex regimens. By aligning clinical, operational, and financial strategies across sites, we’ve reduced delays in therapy initiation and improved equitable access — particularly for underserved populations. Our interdisciplinary team model ensures patients receive timely, high-quality, and personalized cancer care from diagnosis through survivorship.
Jordan T. DeAngelis, PharmD. Enterprise Director of Pharmacy Business and System Services at UVA Health (Charlottesville, Va.): At UVA Health, we’re expanding access to care by investing in infrastructure that brings pharmacy services closer to the communities we serve. One example is the opening of our health system’s ninth community pharmacy in Nelson County’s Stoney Creek area, restoring local access after the closure of two other pharmacies in the county — leaving just one other pharmacy in the region. We’re also launching a 40,000-square-foot central pharmacy services center across two facilities in northern Charlottesville, designed to support up to 4,000 prescriptions daily through centralized dispensing and home delivery. These efforts reduce delays, improve convenience, and strengthen our ability to serve patients across Virginia and beyond.
Kelley A. Curtis, BS, PharmD. Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer of St. Luke’s Health System (Boise, Idaho): At St. Luke’s in Idaho, we’ve expanded access to care through targeted investments in innovative services. Our work includes partnering with Lab Courier and launching a same day home med delivery pharmacy program, placing micro retail pharmacies in our busier clinics, and placing medication lockers in a local grocery store chain that has 24/7 hours of operation. This helps improve access to medications where it’s most convenient for patients. Additionally, we are building infrastructure to support GLP-1 weight management and expanding infusion therapy access outside the hospital, including plans for a mobile infusion option, which are all designed to meet patients where they are. These efforts help reduce barriers, improve equity, and create a more connected care experience.
Jordan Spillane, PharmD. Director of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services at Froedtert ThedaCare Health (Milwaukee): Access to specialists is a challenge for most health systems, often with the next available appointment months away. As care teams evolve, ambulatory clinical pharmacists embedded within specialty clinics can implement collaborative practice agreements to positively impact access. A successful example of this involves the largest dermatology clinic at our organization.
Visit volume to the largest dermatology clinic in the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network has increased by 22% over the previous fiscal year and less than 25% of new patients can schedule a dermatologist appointment in 10 days. In November 2023, a CPA was implemented which created a workflow for the dermatology clinical pharmacists to manage stable patients on either a biologic or immunosuppressant 6 months after starting their therapy. In this new workflow, the pharmacist visit directly replaces a dermatologist visit. Within the visit, the pharmacist assesses control of the dermatologic condition and medication adherence, addresses any medication related concerns, orders laboratory monitoring and ensures the patient has appropriate follow-up scheduled. Evaluation of this workflow shows the financial breakeven point occurs at 69 visits, which can occur within 2 weeks.
This workflow has demonstrated that involving a pharmacist in the direct management of stable patients on biologic or immunosuppressant therapy improves dermatologist access and has a positive financial impact for the health system.
Michael C. Dejos, PharmD. System Medication Safety Officer of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (Memphis, Tenn.): Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare is taking bold steps to enhance healthcare access and improve patient outcomes through innovative initiatives impacting healthcare quality and patient safety. A cornerstone of this effort is a grant-funded chronic disease education and support program, equipping patients with evidence-based care, self-management tools, and referrals to specialized treatment. By empowering individuals with knowledge and resources, the program promotes proactive disease management and reduces preventable complications. In addition, the adoption of the Epic electronic health record system has optimized our care coordination, allowing providers improved access to patient histories and ensuring more accurate, timely treatment. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare also continues to strengthen its partnership with the Dispensary of Hope, supplying essential medications to underserved populations who may otherwise face financial barriers to treatment. Expanding medication accessibility even further, our growing efforts in mail-order and specialty pharmacy services ensure that patients receive their medications on time, improving adherence and overall health management. Together, these initiatives reinforce our commitment to patient-centered care, creating a healthcare system that prioritizes safety, efficiency, and equitable access for all.
Mike Wascovich, PharmD, MBA. Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer of Ascension (St. Louis): At Ascension, we are dedicated to serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Across the country, there are emerging gaps in the pharmacy space. That is why we are constantly working to improve access and ensure our patients get the medications they need. While our patients can always visit a brick-and-mortar pharmacy, we are also focused on expanding our home prescription delivery services. We are also working closely with our partners at Dispensary of Hope and other programs to extend medication access to underserved communities. Ascension will continue to invest in ways to ensure people can easily access their medications.
