PRESS RELEASE

Pharmacy Quality Alliance Appoints 2022 Board of Directors and Executive Committee

Leaders from Diverse Healthcare Professions, Organizations and Industries Guide PQA

Alexandria, Va. (December 15, 2021) – The Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) Board of Directors approved its 2022 Executive Committee and appointed 11 new members to the 25-member board during its 2021 fourth quarter meeting. The appointments are effective January 1. 

“The PQA board is a dynamic and diverse group of visionaries and experts in health care,” Micah Cost, PharmD, MS, PQA’s Chief Executive Officer and an ex officio member of the board, said. “The level of knowledge, expertise and leadership that each one of these individuals brings to the board will be vital to our continued success as an organization. It’s my pleasure to welcome our 11 new board members and to continue to work alongside our returning board members to fulfill PQA’s mission and implement the bold goals of the Blueprint PQA 2025 strategic plan.” 

Michael Duteau, President of Noble Health Services, will serve as PQA’s board chair in 2022. Duteau has been a member of the PQA board since 2019. Duteau succeeds Jerry Penso, MD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer at AMGA, who served as PQA’s board chair in 2021. Penso will continue as a board member. 

“PQA has a vital role to play in supporting the safe and effective use of medication,” Duteau said. “I am proud to work alongside the PQA board, members and staff to optimize medication use through research, measurement and other quality initiatives that improve patient care and health outcomes.” 

PQA’s board, including its executive committee, represents the breadth and diversity of PQA’s multi-stakeholder membership. In addition to Duteau, the 2022 executive committee includes: 

  • Michael Taday, Senior Vice President, Humana Pharmacy, Humana, Inc. (vice chair) 
  • Vikki Ahern, Senior Vice President and Plan President of Medicare Part D, Magellan Rx Management (secretary) 
  • Susan Cantrell, Chief Executive Officer, AMCP (treasurer) 
  • Rick Gates, Senior Vice President, Pharmacy and Healthcare, Walgreens Boots Alliance (member at large) 
  • Jerry Penso, President and Chief Executive Officer, AMGA (immediate past chair) 

The new board appointments for 2022 are:  

  • Amina Abubakar, Owner and CEO, Avant Pharmacy & Wellness Center (representing CPESN USA) 
  • Shantanu Agrawal, Chief Health Officer, Anthem, Inc. 
  • Ilisa Bernstein, Senior Vice President, Pharmacy Practice & Government Affairs, American Pharmacists Association 
  • Ceci Connolly, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alliance of Community Health Plans 
  • Laurin Dixon, Lead Executive, Medicare Products, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield 
  • John Hill, Executive Vice President & GM, National Council for Prescription Drug Programs 
  • Jim Kirby, Senior Director, Business Development, Kroger 
  • Brian Nightengale, President, Community & Specialty Pharmacy & Long-Term Care, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Amerisource Bergen 
  • Matt Osterhaus, Pharmacist, Osterhaus Pharmacy (representing National Community Pharmacists Association) 
  • Tricia Lee Rolle, Senior Advisor to the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)
  • Harry Travis, Senior Vice President, Member Services and Operations, CVS Health 

Seven board members will continue their service in 2022: 

  • Christie Boutte, Senior Vice President, State Strategic Affairs and Advocacy, National Association of Chain Drug Stores 
  • Lou Dallago, Vice President, Channel Management, Pfizer, Inc.  
  • Linda Garrelts MacLean, Vice President, Community Pharmacy Foundation, Professor Emeritus, Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals Sciences 
  • Sharon Jhawar, Chief Pharmacy Officer, SCAN Health Plan 
  • Jeffrey Kelman, Chief Medical Officer, Center for Medicare at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 
  • Bhavesh Modi, Vice President, Pharmacy, Healthfirst 
  • Jason Spangler, Executive Director, HTA Policy Strategy & Engagement, Global Government Affairs & Policy, Amgen Inc. 

PQA has three 2022 board liaisons, who provide additional insights and counsel relevant to PQA’s multi-stakeholder members. They are: 

  • Alan Balch, Chief Executive Officer, Patient Advocate Foundation 
  • Michelle Ketcham, Director, Division of Clinical and Operational Performance, CMS 
  • Jeff Rochon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pace Alliance  

PQA thanks the following board members and liaisons whose terms conclude at the end of the year:  

  • Mike Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Medicare Part D, United Healthcare 
  • Anne Burns, Vice President, Professional Affairs, American Pharmacists Association 
  • Jamie Chan, Vice President, Clinical Quality, Blue Shield of California  
  • Ronna Hauser, Senior Vice President, Policy and Pharmacy Affairs, National Community Pharmacists Association 
  • Tripp Logan (liaison), Chief Operating Officer and Pharmacy Consultant, Enhanced Service Pharmacy Alliance and MedHere Today Consulting 
  • David Medvedeff, Chief Executive Officer, AspenRx Health  
  • Cindy Pigg, Senior Vice President, Commercial Market Pharmacy Leader, Aon  
  • Troy Trygstad, Executive Director, CPESN USA 

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Contact: Rachel Cormier, Communications Coordinator, [email protected]