Voices

Magellan Rx Management is a next-generation pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) that helps our customers and members solve complex pharmacy challenges by connecting them to the people, technology, and information they need to make smarter healthcare decisions. View posts

Dr. Steven Arnold joined Magellan Healthcare in 2016, and serves as the senior medical director of Magellan Complete Care of Florida. Arnold is a family practice physician who is board certified in urgent care medicine. Arnold is the owner of Healthcare Global Advisors. Prior to his time at Magellan, Arnold served as chief medical officer of Access MediQuip from 2012 to 2015 and served for three years as chief medical officer for Virginia Premier Health Plan. He has also held chief medical officer positions in the Medicaid, Medicare and commercial sectors of healthcare, and management positions in hospital administration and physician provider groups. Arnold has extensive experience in the financing, implementation and certification of inpatient and ambulatory electronic health records (EHR), about which he has published several articles. He has also served on the Board of Commissioners of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology and the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. He has focused on disease management, benefits management, physician network development, contracting, utilization and quality improvement and strategic healthcare planning. In addition to his medical degree, Arnold is a certified physician executive and earned his master’s degree in clinical psychology and business administration from Warwick University in England. Arnold also served in the U.S. Air Force medical corps as a Lt. Colonel. View posts

Swati Awsare, M.D., is the chief medical officer for the specialty segment of Magellan Healthcare. Dr. Awsare has nearly 20 years of experience with regional and national health plans overseeing the medical management departments responsible for the Commercial, Medicare and Medicaid lines of business. Her experience includes serving as the West Region Medical Director at Aetna and as the Regional Vice President Medical Director for Anthem's West Region covering California, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and Washington. Dr. Awsare also has independent consulting experience with medical groups, IPAs, health plans, medical device and pharmaceutical companies while participating in advisory boards for gene therapy and genomic/genetic testing companies sharing the provider and plan perspectives on new diagnostics, technologies, therapeutics and business ventures. Her most recent experience was as the Chief Medical Executive for Health Plan Partnerships and Products for Sutter Health, an integrated delivery system consisting of 24 hospitals and approximately 12,000 affiliated physicians in Northern California. As a board-certified Internal Medicine Physician, Dr. Awsare has practiced as an attending physician in the primary care outpatient clinic and as a hospitalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Awsare earned her bachelor’s degrees in biology and psychology from the University of California, Irvine. She completed her doctorate in medicine from the University of Southern California and completed her residency in internal medicine residency at San Francisco’s California Pacific Medical Center. Dr. Awsare continues her involvement in Academia through her Mentorship of Cornell University Premedical Students and her role as a guest lecturer at the California Northstate University College of Medicine Masters Colloquium. View posts

Rakel Beall-Wilkins, M.D., MPH, joined Magellan in 2018 and serves as a Medical Director for Magellan Healthcare. Prior to her time at Magellan, she assisted in the launch of an addiction psychiatry clinic embedded within Harris Health System’s Healthcare for the Homeless Program, to combat local impacts of the nationwide opioid and synthetic cannabinoid (“K2”) epidemics. Dr. Beall-Wilkins also served as a member of the Baylor College of Medicine faculty with clinical duties at both the Ben Taub General Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Center and the Thomas Street Health Center. There she helped to expand behavioral health services by launching a neurocognitive clinic collaborative to better screen, diagnose and treat individuals with HIV/AIDS-associated neurocognitive disorder and psychiatric comorbidities. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, where she obtained a Master of Public Health degree. Dr. Beall-Wilkins obtained her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. View posts

Patti Jo Becker brings more than 25 years of experience and passion to her current role as manager of community partnerships with TMG. Her professional and personal life activities continue to influence the diverse fabric of self-directed long-term care supports. Becker's work experiences include provider roles of direct support and management; consultant roles with families, advocates, and funding agencies as well as, advocacy in local, state and federal venues Becker holds officer positions and serves on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Long Term Care Workforce Alliance, InControl Wisconsin, Respite Care Association of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Children’s Long Term Care Advisory Council and WisPACT. In her current role at TMG by Magellan Health, Becker partners on work that focuses on strengthening quality opportunities for self-direction and community living. View posts

Dr. Rebecca Borgert is the Director of Clinical Oncology Product Development at Magellan Rx Management. In this role, Dr. Borgert focuses on developing, implementing and coordinating comprehensive oncology products and solutions for health plan clients. She is responsible ensuring achievement of program goals and continuously analyzing clinically sound program enhancements. She is a Board Certified Oncology pharmacist with clinical experience in pediatric oncology, adult ambulatory oncology, bone marrow transplantation and palliative care/hospice care. She is a graduate of the University of Florida College Of Pharmacy. View posts

Doug Brown is the vice president of pharmacy pricing and value-based solutions for Magellan Rx Management's Medicaid channel, with operational responsibility for both of the company's multi-state purchasing pools, National Medicaid Pooling Initiative (NMPI) and The Optimal Pharmacy $olution (TOP$). In addition to the nineteen states that participate in multi-state pools, he oversees the manufacturer contracting for the states of Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Brown has been in the pharmacy benefit management industry for over 13 years. He began his career with CVS/Pharmacy in 1988, serving as Pharmacist-in-Charge and a store manager. View posts

Neely Burkhardt serves as the senior vice president of Marketing and Customer Experience for Magellan Rx Management. Joining the organization in 2009, she is currently responsible for driving the Magellan Rx marketing strategy and communicating the brand’s story to the marketplace. She leads a creative and talented group of marketers to effectively execute product, digital media, thought leadership and event marketing activities across the healthcare industry. Prior to joining Magellan, Burkhardt served in various marketing leadership roles within the healthcare industry at CVS Health; and outside the industry as Senior Marketing Manager of an international restaurant chain where she actively leveraged her fluency in Spanish. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arizona with a certificate in International Business and a minor in Spanish. She served as chairperson and emcee for the 2017 Arizona Autism United charity luncheon and is also on the board of directors for the organization. In 2017, Burkhardt was honored by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association with the Rising Star Award. View posts

Kathy Campagna serves as the vice president of business development (self-funded) with Magellan Rx Management. In this role, she is responsible for the development and implementation of the company's medical pharmacy strategy for employer groups. She also integrates the program to employer groups to assist and facilitate strategy around decreasing overall specialty drug spend. Additionally, Campagna oversees the employer trend survey. Campagna's experience includes 15 years in various management positions at a large upstate New York health insurance plan, including utilization management, pharmacy operations and pharmacy network management. Campagna is a registered nurse and earned her master's degree in healthcare administration degree. View posts

Dr. Caroline Carney is a board-certified internist and a board-certified psychiatrist. She joined Magellan Health in 2016 and is currently the chief medical officer for Magellan Rx Management. Her previous experience includes the role of SVP Chief Medical Officer of Magellan Behavioral Health and Magellan Specialty Health. She served as the chief medical officer for regional health plans where she gained experience in Medicaid, Medicare, Exchange, and commercial populations. Prior to that, she served as the medical director for the Indiana Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning, helping to launch the Medicaid expansion product as well as the behavioral health transformation for the state’s community mental health services. While in Indiana, she served on the Governor’s Mental Health Commission. Dr. Carney is a published author and co-author for over 100 peer and non-peer reviewed publications focusing on issues surrounding comorbid medical and behavioral health conditions. She was a tenured associate professor of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry at Indiana University. She started her medical and academic career at the University of Iowa where she earned her medical degree, as well as a master’s degree, and directed the Med-Psych residency program. She continues to engage in regular clinical work through supporting the behavioral health team at a federally qualified health center. View posts

Varun Choudhary MD, MA, DFAPA is a Board-Certified Forensic Psychiatrist who re-joined Magellan Health in July 2019 as their National Behavioral Health Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Choudhary has worked in the mental health industry for over 16 years providing care to patients in the public sector, correctional arena, private practice, and community-based settings. He has been a consultant to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in Virginia in the past and is currently the Governor appointed Psychiatrist to the state Behavioral Health Board for the Commonwealth. Dr. Choudhary has been a practicing Tele-psychiatrist since 2006 and previously helped develop Telehealth departments in two different companies. Dr. Choudhary is active in policy, legislation, and behavioral health advocacy. He is the incoming President of the Medical Society of Virginia Foundation as well as a Board member for the Psychiatric Society of Virginia and Medical Society of Virginia. In addition, Dr. Choudhary is an Area 5 American Psychiatric Association Assembly representative and a Distinguished Fellow of the APA. View posts

Monica Collins is the senior director of system transformation for Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania, where she is responsible for leading the strategy and planning efforts in system transformation. Her responsibilities include engaging providers, state agencies and stakeholders in a collaborative approach to develop a high-value service delivery system. She brings more than 20 years of behavioral healthcare experience to this role both from a provider and then a payer perspective. Collins earned her master's degree in counseling psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and her master's degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University. View posts

Tammy Cooley is the Director of Operations for Magellan Healthcare in Wyoming which oversees High Fidelity Wraparound statewide. Tammy’s work began in 2010 as a peer, providing youth and family support and family care coordination. She was among Wyoming’s few certified High Fidelity Wraparound coaches which led to creating the state’s first agency dedicated to High Fidelity Wraparound in 2013. Tammy’s lived experience parenting a child with Social Emotional Disorder, navigating the juvenile justice system and other child serving systems, along with her education and professional management experience, provides insights and understanding foundational to her practice. View posts

Steve Cutts is the senior vice president and general manager of specialty at Magellan Rx, leading sales, account management, operations and product development across the division and delivers solutions to help clients successfully manage complex specialty pharmaceuticals in one of the fastest growing areas of healthcare spending. Steve began his career as a retail pharmacist and transitioned to managed care in 2010. Steve earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from University of Rhode Island and serves as Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at URI, mentoring 6th year pharmacy students as a preceptor. He is a registered pharmacist in the state of Rhode Island. View posts

Greg Dicharry is the national youth empowerment director for Magellan Healthcare. Dicharry developed the MYLIFE (Magellan Youth Leaders Inspiring Future Empowerment) program, one of the nation's leading programs for youth who experience mental health, substance abuse and/or foster care-related challenges. Dicharry was introduced to the world of mental health while living in Hollywood, living his dream of working in the entertainment industry. It was there he experienced his first manic episode while directing a music video, and was hospitalized and diagnosed with co-occurring bipolar and substance abuse disorders. In recognition of his work, Dicharry was awarded a 2014 SAMHSA Voice Award for consumer/peer leadership, the 2013 Howie the Harp Award for Advocacy in the Arts and a 2013 National Council Reintegration Award for mentorship. Dicharry earned his bachelor's degree in communication from Arizona State University and is a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP). View posts

Ken Fasola is the chief executive officer of Magellan Health, a leader in managing the fastest growing, most complex areas of health, including special populations, complete pharmacy benefits and other specialty areas of healthcare. Fasola joined the Company as CEO in November 2019 and also serves on the Magellan Health Board of Directors. He is responsible for Magellan’s strategic direction and overall growth, as well as the development and operational execution of the Company’s business strategy. Fasola has a successful leadership career spanning three decades in the healthcare industry. Most recently, he served as president and chief executive officer of HealthMarkets, Inc., one of the largest health insurance agencies in the U.S., which was acquired earlier this year by UnitedHealth Group. Prior to his role at HealthMarkets, Fasola was responsible for Humana’s individual major medical, specialty and supplemental insurance operations. Prior to that, he was chief executive officer for Secure Horizons, a division of UnitedHealth Group and one of the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage insurer. Additionally, he served as chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Care’s Central region and as National Sales Officer and president of UnitedHeath Care lines of business. Fasola holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Planning and Administration from Pennsylvania State University. View posts

Diane J. Felder, M.D., is the medical director for Magellan Healthcare of Texas. She is board certified in both general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Felder has extensive managed care experience, including clinical strategy, operations and parity compliance for Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, State Employed and Retired, Exchange Health Plans, and Pharmacy Management. Dr. Felder was in private practice from 1990 -2010 providing behavioral health services to children and their families. Previously served as the medical director for Houston’s largest child welfare organization, which provided a spectrum of behavioral health services. She was also a medical director to large child and adolescent treatment centers, consultant and expert witness to school districts, juvenile probation, and pediatric medical providers. During those year she was also involved in behavioral health managed care and has two decades of managed care, strategic planning, quality improvement, utilization review, and request for proposals responses. She has been involved in full-time managed care since 2010. View posts

Dr. Seth Feuerstein is the chief medical officer of medical and digital innovation at Magellan Healthcare. He leads development of effective business and clinical programs that leverage technology. A psychiatrist by trade, he most recently developed Cobalt, a virtual therapeutic program which addresses many common behavioral health conditions. He serves on the clinical faculty at the Yale School of Medicine, on the advisory board of the Yale Center for Biomedical and Interventional Technology, and as a psychiatrist for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. He has twice been named a Healthcare Hero by New Haven Magazine, and has launched Little Wonder, a non-profit organization that supports cancer patients. Feuerstein received his bachelor's degree from Cornell University, his medical and law degrees from New York University, and completed his medical internship and residency at Yale University. View posts

Dana Foglesong is the director of recovery and resiliency services for Magellan Complete Care of Florida. In this role, she leads a diverse team of recovery support navigators who provide peer support services as part of MCC’s integrated health team approach. Foglesong manages the operations and budget for the Recovery Support Initiative, partnering with recipients, peer-run organizations, advocates and providers to expand peer support services in Florida, as well as providing technical assistance and training to providers and community stakeholders. She coordinates companywide initiatives to focus and provide guidance in promoting the concepts of recovery, resiliency, and wellness throughout Magellan Complete Care. Prior to joining Magellan, Foglesong worked for the Florida Department of Children and Families in the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. In that role, she advised the department on key contracts for optimal recovery integration at all levels of care, in addition to working with key stakeholders to define specialized standards for training and supervision of peer specialists. She was a member of The National Association of Consumer/Survivor Mental Health Administrators providing guidance on national projects including a NASPHD publication for enhancing the peer provider workforce. Foglesong has been as a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist in Florida since 2010. She founded The Peer Support Coalition of Florida to expand leadership, advocacy, and employment opportunities for individuals with lived experience. In 2015 she received the Amada Hope Award for her commitment to providing help and hope to others and for exemplifying recovery. Foglesong holds a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work. In her free time, she is active in efforts to reduce homelessness in her local community. She enjoys sleeping, bicycling, and dreaming up big ideas in her hammock. View posts

Lara Frick, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP joined Magellan Rx Management as a Drug Information Clinical Pharmacist in 2015. In this role, she serves as a drug information resource across Magellan, evaluating new drugs, developing clinical policies, evaluating therapeutic class reviews, and researching and creating content for clinical publications. Since obtaining her Doctor of Pharmacy degree and completing her pharmacy practice residency, she has earned over a decade of expertise in clinical management, formulary development, and drug intelligence in the academic, acute care, mental health, and outpatient settings. As an advocate for evidence-based practice, she collaborates with a wide variety of clientele, including direct patient care and commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare plans. View posts

Dr. Shareh Ghani is the vice president and medical director for Magellan Healthcare. A diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, he began his career in inpatient psychiatry and worked as a consultation and liaison psychiatrist for many years. He has worked as a psychiatrist in traditional ambulatory care settings and in urgent psychiatric care environments. Dr. Ghani previously served as the chief medical officer for Magellan Health Services for the Maricopa Contract in Phoenix, Arizona from 2010 through 2014. He has a deep interest in quality outcomes and analytics and has published several research papers and has presented at many academic and research conferences. View posts

Dr. Gary M. Henschen is the senior vice president — medical management for Magellan Healthcare, providing clinical expertise in new product development and quality improvement programs, and overseeing medical management for Magellan's behavioral health programs. Prior to joining Magellan, Henschen was chief medical officer of Charter Behavioral Health Systems and held a private practice of psychiatry and psychoanalysis for fifteen years in Greensboro, N.C. Henschen completed his residency and chief residency in psychiatry at Duke Medical Center. His research interests have included the assessment and prevention of suicide; psychiatric consultation-liaison with primary care physicians; the development of quality metrics; addressing the needs of persons diagnosed with serious mental illness and substance abuse disorders; and providing consultation to behavioral special investigation units. Henschen is licensed to practice medicine in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Iowa. View posts

Pat Hunt is the director of child and family resiliency services for Magellan Healthcare. In her role, she promotes meaningful involvement of families of children and youth; advances family support and education; and highlights lived experiences of children, youth and families to ensure both policy and practice align with and support resiliency and recovery. She previously held a seven-year senior leadership position with the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, with two years directing its office of policy. Hunt also has served as a VISTA Volunteer; directed a federally funded, rural substance abuse prevention project; and was executive director of a statewide, family-run organization for children’s mental health. View posts

As chief executive officer of Magellan Rx Management, Mostafa Kamal is responsible for all of Magellan's pharmacy business lines, including commercial, government and specialty pharmacy divisions. He leads the strategy, operations, profitability and growth of Magellan Rx Management with the overarching goal of delivering best-in-class drug management solutions that help clients improve the health of their members, and overall cost and quality of care. Before joining Magellan, he held various roles with Medco Health Solutions, Inc. with responsibility for pricing, underwriting, strategy and Medicare Part D products and services. Additionally, he worked with clients to develop strategies to address health care reform and associated product offerings to ensure clients were successfully positioned in the post-health care reform era. Kamal received his bachelor of science in economics from Rutgers University. View posts

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Srini Koushik is the chief technology office of Magellan Health, leading delivery of innovative technology and data-enhanced services that improve patient outcomes and care for people who need it the most. Prior to Magellan, Koushik was president and CEO of NTT Innovation Institute, a Silicon Valley-based startup focused on building multi-sided platforms for today's digital businesses. He has over 28 years of experience as a programmer, chief technology officer, chief digital officer, chief information officer and P&L owner for Fortune 100 companies, including IBM, HP and Nationwide. Koushik holds a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Madras, a master's degree in computer science from the University of Bombay, a master's degree in business administration from Ohio State University, and executive education in systems thinking, design thinking, clean energy and innovation from the MIT Sloan School of Management and Duke University. View posts

Tom Lane, NCPS, CRPS, is the senior director of community and recovery supports for Magellan Healthcare and provides leadership and guidance in promoting the concepts of recovery, resilience and wellness throughout Magellan’s systems of care. He has 20 years’ experience developing peer-provided services and supports across multiple systems of care and settings. He is an expert regarding the inclusion of these services and supports in multiple healthcare systems, from publicly funded (e.g. Medicaid, federal block grant, county) systems, commercial health plans and managed care environments to federal/DoD peer support initiatives and models designed to serve military members and their families. A particular area of interest for Tom is the intersection of behavioral health, first responder systems and peer-run organizations. He has done extensive work with justice system partners as a crisis intervention team trainer for multiple jurisdictions and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He has provided consultative services to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, Mental Health America, the National Institutes of Corrections, the Council of State Governments, as well as multiple state mental health authority and behavioral health planning council entities. Before joining Magellan in 2007, Lane worked as vice president of recovery supports and forensic services at a large community mental health center. Previously, he worked to develop the Office of Consumer Affairs for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and was the first project director of the Support, Technical Assistance and Resources (STAR) Center, a SAMHSA-funded technical assistance center. As a health activist, Lane is especially interested in advancing social and community inclusion to improve personal health outcomes. Lane previously served as a member of the National Advisory Board of the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion, the American College of Emergency Physicians Coalition on Psychiatric Emergencies and the National Quality Forum Collaborations and Partnerships workgroup. From 2014 – 2017, he served on the national board of directors for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the country’s leading advocacy group for people living with mood disorders. View posts

Dr. Latimer has served as the Chief Medical Officer of Senior Whole Health (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Magellan Health) for the past five years during which time Senior Whole Health achieved a 4.5 STAR rating, a level II quality rating from the New York Department of Health for its Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) product and in addition became the first plan in the United States to be fully NCQA certified both as a Medicare and Medicaid health plan. Dr. Latimer joined Senior Whole Health in 2013 as the Chief Medical Officer coming from Humana where he most recently served as the Regional Vice President, Senior Products. He has over 20 years of multi-state health plan experience including direct responsibility for quality and new market development, as well as oversight of all market operations. He was a practicing physician for over 10 years. A Fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice, Dr. Latimer received his BA in Biochemistry from Dartmouth College, his Medical Degree and Masters in Public Health from Tulane University and his MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. View posts

As senior vice president of external affairs for Magellan Healthcare, John Littel shapes business development, government relations, and communications strategies to help enable new market and product entry in an evolving healthcare landscape. Prior to Magellan, Littel served in leadership roles at WellPoint and Amerigroup, and served as senior counsel at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, as well as the deputy secretary of health and human services in Virginia. View posts

Brian MacDonald joined Magellan Rx Management in 2016 and is the Senior Manager of Specialty Clinical Programs. He is primarily responsible for clinical oversight of Magellan Rx Cares, a patient management program for patients of our specialty pharmacy. The Magellan Rx Cares program strives to improve outcomes and quality of care related to specialty medications through Motivational Interviewing-based patient consultations. In addition, Brian provides oversight to other clinical programs which focus on utilization management and dose optimization in categories including IVIG and hemophilia. Brian has been in the healthcare industry for over 10 years and has previous experience in community pharmacy and long-term care. Brian earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island and is a Registered Pharmacist in the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. View posts

As SVP – Data Strategy and Analytics at Magellan Rx Management, Mudit Maheshwari is responsible for reporting and analytics needs of all of Magellan’s pharmacy business lines, including the commercial, government and specialty pharmacy divisions. He leads the advanced analytics, business intelligence and specialized analytics teams of Magellan Rx Management with the overarching goal of delivering innovative, best-in-class analytics and reporting solutions to help clients improve the health of the people they serve, as well as the overall quality and cost of care. The development of intelligent algorithms, analytics, and reporting solutions to solve complex business problems is his passion. Maheshwari is a proven leader in the healthcare industry with over 20 years of experience in managing analytics, reporting, underwriting, pricing model development, strategy, product development, network management and Medicare Part D products and services for Fortune 100 companies including Medco Health Solutions and Express Scripts. Before joining Magellan, Maheshwari was responsible for advanced analytics and reporting with CareCentrix. His advanced analytics work, and pricing/underwriting models helped transform CareCentrix from a home health benefit management company to a post-acute benefit manager. Maheshwari received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, India and MBA from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, USA. View posts

Sagar Makanji, PharmD, joined Magellan Rx Management (MRx) in 2012. He is currently is Vice President of Clinical Programs at MRx, where he leads the design, implementation, and management of clinical programs for health plan clients. His primary focus is quality improvement programs that enhance the level of care for several disease states including diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and asthma with a key emphasis on CMS Star Ratings and HEDIS measures for Medicare health plans. Makanji is also responsible for developing innovative strategies in order to maximize patient engagement and outcomes for various population segments including commercial, Medicaid, and dual-eligibles. Part of this role also includes developing strategic partnerships in order to improve clinical program offerings in the marketplace for all lines of business. Makanji received his formal education at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, where he earned a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree and graduated valedictorian, honors scholar, and summa cum laude. Shortly after graduation, he completed his national and state licensing examinations and worked as a staff pharmacist for Walgreens, where he had interned as a pharmacy student. After one year, he went to work for Target Corporation as an Executive Team Leader Pharmacist in Trumbull, Connecticut, where he established business relationships with nearby organizations and achieved incredible growth. During his tenure with Walgreens and Target Corporation, Makanji also published several manuscripts with the Hartford Hospital Evidence-Based Practice Center in Hartford, Connecticut. Makanji is currently a registered pharmacist in both Rhode Island and Connecticut, and has additional advanced training in medication therapy management and immunizations from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). In addition, he serves as a delegate to the America’s Health Insurance Plans Star System Work Group, where he is involved in strategy and support activities to help address priorities and potential enhancements related to CMS Star Ratings. He also serves as a preceptor for sixth-year, advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) students from both the University of Connecticut and University of Saint Joseph Schools of Pharmacy. View posts

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Matthew Mertel is responsible for analytics, marketing, and MRxStudio for Magellan Rx Management. MRxStudio is tasked with driving innovation within Magellan Rx. is Before joining Magellan Rx Management, he was a management consultant for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, where his responsibilities included identifying, planning and executing information technology-driven business strategies for healthcare companies. Mertel earned a master’s degree in business administration with honors from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. View posts

Teresa Odom is the director of clinical care services for Magellan Healthcare’s employer segment as well as the Employee Assistance Program Center of Excellence. In this position, Odom is responsible for the clinical processes involved in overseeing all clinical services including military coaching and transition programs. Prior to assuming this role, Odom was a clinical supervisor for eight years, responsible for the clinical processes involved in the day-to-day operations of integrated accounts. Odom provided direct supervision to the clinical staff conducting concurrent reviews for members in active treatment. Odom also provided direct supervision to the intensive care manager team, the outpatient care management team and oversaw the ambulatory follow-up process. Prior to assuming the role of clinical supervisor, Odom worked in various roles within the Midwest care management center, including inpatient care management; outpatient care management and intensive care management, while acting as the team lead involved in succession planning with her direct supervisor. Previously, Odom was an in-home clinician providing individual, family and group therapy. Odom also worked in the addiction field, in both a residential treatment facility and an outpatient program as a community support worker conducting individual assessments, life skills groups and assisting individual’s in transitioning recovery skills into every day living. Odom was director of a children’s program within a residential treatment facility working directly with children impacted by a parent’s substance use. Odom was also an adjunct profession at the University of Missouri-St Louis master’s degree counseling program, teaching the application of counseling skills. Odom is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and a member of the Missouri Counselors Association. She is also a certified employee assistance professional (CEAP), and is currently working toward becoming a qualified substance abuse professional (SAP). View posts

Karim is Vice President of Clinical Outcomes Advanced Analytics and Research (COAR) at Magellan Health. Karim oversees strategy and execution around Magellan Rx Management’s advanced clinical and economic analytics and outcomes research. He is responsible for advanced analytics innovation, including development, implementation, and deployment of predictive analytics, including machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities. He also manages clinical and financial analytics, including outcomes reporting and research. These analytics and solutions help improve the clinical and economic outcomes of patients and customers. Karim is well published with over 25 peer-reviewed abstracts, and three published manuscripts. Karim is a clinical pharmacist, with additional training and degree in Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HE&OR), and has been with Magellan for over six years now. Karim has over 10 years of leadership experience in pharmacy benefit management, managed care organization, and pharmaceutical industry; past experiences also include ambulatory care, inpatient pharmacy, Managed Medicaid, Medicare Part D, and retail pharmacy. Karim has a Doctorate of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) form Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, along with a Master of Science (M.S.) from the University of Texas at Austin. Karim’s undergraduate degree is in business with a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in Accounting. View posts

Dr. Steven Pratt is the senior medical director for the employer segment within Magellan Healthcare. He joined Magellan Healthcare in 2017 and previously served as the executive medical director of behavioral health for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (MN DHS). In his current role, Pratt is responsible for clinical oversight of utilization management, case management, and a unique disability management program. His expertise is relied upon in product development, quality oversight and contract management for the employer segment. In addition to extensive experience in leadership of public sector, direct care organizations, he has previous health plan experience working for United Health Group (UNH). At United Health he was involved in development of disease management and health advocacy programs. Pratt has a deep interest in cost containment through wellness promotion and integrative care. He is adept at leading organizational change, engaging individuals who are not engaged in change efforts and holding all, including himself, accountable to the highest standards of performance. He has a breadth of experience as a public speaker and trainer with particular interest in what he and the MN DHS termed “The Core Four” evidence-based practices: Person-centered Culture, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma Informed Care and Positive Behavior Supports. Pratt earned his medical degree and bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. View posts

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Kristen Reimers is the senior vice president of specialty clinical solutions for Magellan Rx Management. In this role, Reimers focuses on analyzing and identifying medical pharmacy cost management and quality improvement initiatives for health plan clients and prospects. She is an integral part of the development and support of the company’s medical pharmacy strategy, and serves as a clinical resource across the organization. Reimers supports all clinical pharmacy programs involving medical specialty medications and additional clinical programs, as needed. Reimers has extensive health plan pharmacy management experience with a large Blues plan. Prior to joining Magellan Rx Management, she played a key role in developing and leading an integrated specialty drug program for pharmacy and medical benefits, leading utilization management clinical and process development across all lines of business, clinical criteria development and medication therapy management programs. Reimers is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. View posts

Barry M. Smith was the chief executive officer of Magellan Health from 2013-2019, a leader in managing the fastest growing, most complex areas of health, including special populations, complete pharmacy benefits and other specialty areas of healthcare. Prior to Magellan, Smith served in leadership roles at VistaCare, Inc., a national provider of hospice services, Value Rx, Inc., then one of the country's largest pharmacy benefit management companies, and PCS Health Systems, also a pharmacy benefit management firm. He currently serves on the board of directors of The Ensign Group, Inc., a diversified provider of healthcare services. Smith retired in 2019 View posts

Shelli Stewart is the communications manager for Magellan Healthcare in Wyoming. Shelli relies on her marketing and communications background to develop engaging strategies that share Magellan’s mission with the citizens of Wyoming. Prior to coming to Magellan, Shelli was a communications administrator for the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, a state agency focused on worker-related issues. Shelli holds a master’s degree in organizational management. View posts

Dr. Maryam Tabatabai is the senior director of drug information for Magellan Rx Management. She provides oversight and actively engages in evidence-based writing, development of clinical policies, new drug evaluations, as well as specialty and traditional drug pipeline forecasting. Dr. Tabatabai provides leadership and serves on a number of key committees and is the editor-in-chief for several Magellan Rx Management clinical publications, including MRx Pipeline, Clinical Alert, and Trend Alert blog. Since obtaining her Doctor of Pharmacy degree, she has gained meaningful pharmacy and clinical experience in the community, academic, hospital, and ambulatory care settings. Upon completing her pharmacy practice residency, she joined Magellan where she has been a central clinical resource across the enterprise View posts

Yagnesh has been with Magellan for over 4 years, in managed care for 5 years, and was a clinician in the field of Behavior Analysis for 11 years prior. Yagnesh has over 16 years experience in ABA, starting off by working directly with individuals on the autism spectrum to directing programs in homes, schools, and community based settings. Currently, as the Vice President of Autism for Magellan, Yagnesh oversees both the autism and ABA product for Magellan nationally. His team of BCBAs and licensed clinicians provide a unique experience in ABA UM as they all have similar experience to Yagnesh with real-world experience. Yagnesh also engages in the decision making process for ABA both at Magellan and nationally, with participation in work groups such as ICHOM, speaking at conferences and universities, and developing outcomes measures for the field of ABA. View posts

Gabi Vandermark is a technologist, a problem solver and a strategic consultant leader. As the IT Chief of Staff at Magellan Health, she drives strategy execution, the business of IT operations and collaborates with key leaders to identify and bring to life innovative solutions that support our Massive Transformative Purpose to "Lead humanity to healthy, vibrant lives". Gabi’s career trajectory illustrates her curiosity and desire for continuous learning. With a Bachelors in Computer Science, she started her career as a Software Developer at Nationwide Insurance, where over the course of 10 years, she moved positions, departments and or roles roughly every two years building depth of knowledge in software development and architecture, service-oriented design; and breadth of experience in organizational change management giving her a unique view into the interworking, challenges and opportunities familiar to most organizations. Prior to Magellan Health, Gabi started Rottie Consulting, where she focused on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Client Relationship Management (CRM) systems implementation in Latin America. As an independent consultant, Gabi strived to be the fearless, confident partner her clients needed to succeed. Today, at Magellan Health, Gabi works closely with the CTO to implement Exponential (ExO) IT, a new way for managing the business of IT in an Exponential world, attracting the workforce of the future through different initiatives such as the recently launched Women in Technology group. View posts

Erin Waszkiewicz is the communications manager for the Wyoming Care Management Entity for High Fidelity Wraparound. In that role, she’s responsible for creating and maintaining a cohesive, consistent message through many different mediums. She joined the Magellan of Wyoming team in January of 2017, bringing with her 12 years of communications experience in various industries, as well as a passion for thinking outside the box and serving her community. Waszkiewicz earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communication-public relations from Colorado State University-Pueblo. View posts

Dr. Watman has worked at Magellan Healthcare since 2014 as a Senior Physician Reviewer. In her role, she trains new physicians in the appropriate utilization of cardiac studies. In addition, she is involved in creating and implementing cardiac guidelines as well as collaborating with health plans and providers in order to provide quality patient care. Dr. Rosalind Watman is a Board-Certified Cardiologist with over 30 years of experience. She spent most of her clinical career at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, New York where she was the Director of the Telemetry unit, Director of Cardiac Ambulatory Services and Director of Women’s Health. She also served as the Program Director for the Osteopathic Internal Medicine and Cardiology Fellowship Programs. View posts

Adam Weliver serves as the senior vice president, leader and profit & loss (P&L) owner of the employer segment within Magellan Healthcare. In this role, he is responsible for helping Magellan Healthcare take its unique breadth of clinical capabilities and innovative solutions to the next level for employers, employees and their families. By focusing on the consumer – what they need, how they behave and where they want to go – Weliver and his team are committed to delivering significant value to employers’ total rewards, well-being and human resources programs. With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and human resources (HR) benefits consulting, Weliver is experienced in encouraging innovation, ensuring business strategies are successful and connecting with the consumer. He comes to Magellan from Humana, where he was the vice president of national wellness solutions. Prior to that, he consulted with the top three HR benefits consulting firms and lead national accounts at a large BlueCross BlueShield plan. Weliver has an M.B.A. from DePaul University and is proud of his liberal arts degrees in English, French and economics from Wabash College. View posts