MINNEAPOLIS, MN, February 11, 2021 — The 2020-21 Residency Rotation Series is designed for pharmacists in residency programs affiliated with Excelera Network members. Attendees will learn about integrated specialty pharmacy, Excelera and the Excelera Network, and explore a variety of topics intended to provide pharmacy and administrative residents perspective on different aspects of health system specialty pharmacy (HSSP). The virtual program consists of four, one-hour sessions which include interactive experiences with thought leaders in HSSP as well as the opportunity to present research.
“Excelera is committed to advancing specialty pharmacy within the health system and we’re proud to work with our members to give pharmacy residents the opportunity to collaborate, learn from peers, and broaden their experience,” said Lana Gerzenshtein, PharmD, BCPS, CSP, manager of Network Clinical Programs at Excelera and Residency Coordinator. “While this year’s virtual program looks different than in previous years, we are pleased that we can continue to provide this valuable experience in a new format.”
Specialty pharmacy residency programs help to address gaps in the specialty pharmacy curriculum. Established in 2018, Excelera started the Specialty Pharmacy Residency Rotation to meet the increasing demand for specialty pharmacy expertise. The program gives residents exposure to all disciplines – including finance, general counsel, marketing and operations with Excelera. –. The rotation can also include activities focused on home infusion, the payer/pharmacy benefit manager dynamic or pharma contracting, illustrating Excelera’s flexibility in tailoring the experience to the type of information the resident is striving to learn, while meeting their defined residency goals for elective rotations.
Residents in the program learn how Excelera and its member health systems:
- Actively collaborate with one another through committees, workgroups, and user groups.
- Promote best practices and takeaways through member-led webinars and discussions.
- Develop and manage limited distribution specialty drug access contracts.
- Develop and optimize pharmacy operations to aid in the integration and growth of specialty pharmacy within the health system.
- Use Excelera’s best-in-class data platform to provide critical insights into the patient journey for payers and manufacturers.
The pinnacle of the residency rotation is an opportunity to present a pharmacy research or quality improvement project (QIP) to Excelera Network members during one of two Excelera Residency Showcase events. The first showcase of the 2020-21 residency rotation was held on December 3, 2020, and highlighted projects by residents at Fairview Pharmacy Services, Keck Medicine of USC and Novant Health. The second and final showcase was held on January 28, 2021, and highlighted projects by residents at Northwestern Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital and OHSU.
“The Excelera residency showcase was a great opportunity for me to share my current specialty pharmacy research project with the Excelera team as well as other residents working on specialty pharmacy projects,” said Esther Eom, PharmD, PGY1 Pharmacy Resident at Yale New Haven Hospital. “I highly recommend all residents involved in specialty pharmacy to take part in Excelera’s residency rotation to gain exposure to complex specialty pharmacy medications, workflow, and processes outside of the pharmacy, and am confident that future residents would benefit from attending the residency rotation and working with the Excelera team.”
Residents also participate in virtual networking opportunities with other residents, Excelera Network members and Excelera team members throughout the year. The final Excelera Residency Rotation virtual networking event will take place in March. For more information about the Residency Rotation Series, contact us here.
About Excelera®
The Excelera® Network is comprised of integrated delivery networks, health systems, and large academic medical centers with a deep commitment to caring for complex patients. Through national-scale collaboration, the network more efficiently gains access to limited distribution drugs, utilizes tools, technology, and best practices to deliver high quality care. ExceleraRx, LLC is a healthcare company that empowers integrated delivery networks, health systems, and large academic medical centers to provide integrated care for complex patients, leading to improved health outcomes and decreased healthcare costs.