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

Teresa Banner is a senior training specialist with Magellan Federal. She is also a military spouse, nurse, and Certified Family Life Educator who is passionate about supporting military families and promoting connections between military and civilian communities. 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

Stephanie Bender, DA, MA, LMHC is a Regional Supervisor for Magellan Federal working in the Military and Family Life Counseling Program. Stephanie currently manages school-based MFLCs in Virginia Beach, VA. Stephanie received her undergraduate degree in Family Studies from Messiah University, her Master’s Degree in Counseling from the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and her Doctorate in Ecopsychology and Environmental Humanities from Viridis Graduate Institute. She has been independently licensed since 2008 in the state of Washington. Stephanie’s grandfathers were Veterans of the Army, and her father is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force. Stephanie hobbies include hiking in the mountains, taking walks with her goats, and hosting visitors to her hometown of Olympia, WA. View posts

Jenna Berkwit is a senior quality improvement manager on Magellan Federal’s Military Family Life Counseling program. She received a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Western Illinois University and has more than 15 years’ experience in quality improvement with the past nine in the healthcare field. She is an ISO 9001 Certified Internal Auditor and an active member in the American Society for Quality (ASQ). View posts

Dr. Keith Brown completed his medical training at Stanford University and then served as a faculty member at the University of Washington. He is licensed in nine US states and maintains board certification in Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychiatry. During his 26-year career, Dr. Brown has served as the medical director for several managed care companies including United Health Care, Centene and Magellan Health. As an officer in the Air Force Reserve, he has provided training on suicide prevention and combat stress. 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 serves as Magellan Health’s President of Behavioral Health and Chief Medical Officer. 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. She has 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. She is a frequent speaker about behavioral health services, integrated and collaborative care, and the importance of self-care during the pandemic. 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

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 MY LIFE (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 use disorders. In recognition of his work, Dicharry was awarded Mental Health America’s 2019 Clifford W. Beers Award for the outstanding work of a consumer who works to improve conditions for and attitudes toward people with mental illness; 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

Melody DiMaio, PharmD, CDOE, CVDOE, joined Magellan Rx Management as a clinical program pharmacist in 2018. Melody works on a variety of clinical programs for different health plans. In her role, she collaborates with clinical personnel to determine appropriateness of medications. In addition, she makes recommendations to physicians and other prescribers on medication regimens as per plan guidelines. Melody earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Rhode Island and is a Registered Pharmacist in the state of Rhode Island. View posts

Krystal Doucette is a lead talent acquisition consultant at Magellan Federal. She has seven years of experience in recruitment and talent acquisition. Krystal joined Magellan Federal in February 2019 and has been dedicated to finding talent to provide confidential, solution-focused mental health counseling to the active-duty military and their families. Krystal has a personal interest in supporting the military community, with family members that are currently on active duty, military spouses, and veterans. Krystal is a certified recruitment marketer and holds a degree in History with a concentration in American Military History from the College of William and Mary. View posts

Stacy Drones is a credentialed Advanced Victim Advocate through the National Advocate Credentialing Program and Senior Director of Family Programs at Magellan Federal. Stacy serves as the Program Manager for the Army Family Advocacy Support Services contract. She has worked with military family programs since 2007 and joined Magellan Federal in 2013. She has approximately 20 years of experience working with victims of family violence. Stacy graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and completed her Master of Arts in Counseling from Prairie View A&M University. View posts

Barbara Ann Dunn, LCSW, ACSW, is director of program innovation and outcomes for Magellan Healthcare and is responsible for proposing, implementing and evaluating innovative programs across behavioral health. Barbara’s work includes creating data collection systems using evidence-based and emerging assessment tools. Before joining Magellan, Barbara worked in early childhood and alternative education, child welfare, faith-based organizations and community mental health. She holds a master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Binghamton University. View posts

Linda Y. Evans, MD, FAPA, is Board-certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and has worked in the behavioral health field for 30 years. She was an Army officer for 16 years and a civilian working for the military for 10 years. She served as a psychiatrist for servicemembers and their families on military posts around the world. She is a former associate professor for the Augusta University’s Medical College of GA child psychiatry fellowship training program. Upon leaving the military, she worked in many different areas of psychiatry to include private practice, inpatient child and adult psychiatry, telepsychiatry, and outpatient addiction treatment. She worked part-time in rural areas in the community mental health setting. She served as physician for the regional developmental disabilities department where she developed a special interest in mental health of adults and children with autism and other developmental disabilities, a very underserved population. She is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and member of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians’ Association and American Academy of Child and Adolescent psychiatry View posts

Dana Foglesong, MSW, NCPS, CRPS, is the national senior director of recovery and resiliency services for Magellan Healthcare. She joined Magellan in 2015 as a director for a Medicaid mental illness specialty plan in Florida. Prior to Magellan, Dana worked for the Florida Department of Children and Families in the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health and founded the Peer Support Coalition of Florida. In her leadership roles, Dana utilizes her professional and lived experiences with recovery to transform policy and practice, deliver data-driven innovation, and work for the meaningful inclusion of people served and their families in the design, implementation and evaluation of systems and service delivery practices. Dana currently serves as the immediate past president of the board of directors for the National Association of Peer Supporters. She is a former member of the National Council’s Addressing Health Disparities Leadership Program and executive committee board member for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She is a published author and co-author of peer and non-peer reviewed publications and is a frequent speaker on the supervision of peer support workers, recovery-oriented practices, and peer delivered and whole health approaches within integrated health settings. Dana is a nationally certified peer specialist and holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Central Florida. 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

Jamie Hanna, MD, serves as the medical director for the Louisiana CSoC program. She is board certified in Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Hanna completed medical school at the University of Alabama School of Medicine and a subsequent internship in Pediatrics, residency in General Psychiatry, fellowship in Child and Adolescent psychiatry, and fellowship in Infant Mental Health with Louisiana State University in New Orleans. Prior to joining Magellan Health in 2020, Dr. Hanna served as an assistant professor and assistant training director with Louisiana State University School of Medicine working with the acute behavioral health unit, consult liaison services, and emergency psychiatric services at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. 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

Paula Hensley, MD is a Board-Certified psychiatrist and serves as a senior medical director with Magellan Healthcare in New Mexico. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed publications on mental health topics including grief, bereavement, depression, medication side effects, and pharmacoeconomics. She has conducted clinical trials on affective illnesses, schizophrenia and medication side effects. As a voluntary faculty member at the University of New Mexico, she serves on the University’s Human Research Review Committee. She has over 20 years of experience in clinical medicine and has worked in academia, private health care systems that serve the community, and the state hospital, including the forensic unit. She has a deep commitment to serving the less fortunate, working for equality in the delivery of medical care, and improving outcomes for all individuals. View posts

Karen Jablonski, MD, is board-certified in neurology and sleep medicine. She joined Magellan Healthcare in 2019 and serves as a physician clinical reviewer for the Specialty/NIA line of business. She is also a member of Magellan’s guideline development team, serving as a subject matter expert for neurology/sleep medicine. Dr. Jablonski graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in the biological basis of behavior. She completed medical school at The State University of New York Stony Brook School of Medicine and went on to complete her medicine internship at Northwell Health/Long Island Jewish Medical Center, neurology residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore and Sleep Medicine fellowship at Jefferson University Hospital. Prior to joining Magellan, Dr. Jablonski spent time in a private neurology practice, and performed and oversaw medical utilization reviews as an associate medical director. Dr. Jablonski is passionate about integrated health and wellness. She has a certification in culinary medicine from Tulane University and helps instruct a culinary medicine course for medical students at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. View posts

Meagan Jones, LPCC, TCADC, serves on the Child & Youth Behavioral team of the Military & Family Life Counselor program at Magellan Federal. Meagan is a licensed clinical therapist with a specialty in substance abuse treatment. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Memphis, Tennessee. Having a veteran mother for inspiration, Meagan has long advocated for access to mental health resources for the armed forces and their families. Before working for Magellan, Meagan worked in inpatient psychiatric and addiction treatment for military and civilian patients, creating evidence-based holistic healing curriculum. For the past two years, Meagan has supported the families and youth of Fort Campbell, KY. Meagan has a passion for play, uplifting others, and often spends her time volunteering with children as a character performer. She also loves to travel, discover new houseplants, and is an avid gamer. 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

Sajel Lala Kana, MD, FACMG, is a board-certified clinical geneticist at a tertiary care children's hospital in Miami, Florida. She completed her genetics training at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, a global leader in genetics and metabolism. Prior to her genetics training, she completed a pediatrics residency at Louisiana State University and medical school at St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies. She is passionate about the technology startup space and global health and has been involved in the creation and evolution of many companies when she is not conducting and partaking in global medical missions spanning several continents. When she is not immersed in science, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family, friends and pup. View posts

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Dr. Doris Lebischak completed her medical training at St. George’s University School of Medicine. She is board certified in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and licensed in six US states. In her career of over 30 years, Dr. Lebischak has worked in many different areas of psychiatry including private practice, community mental health, forensics, and managed care. In 2020, Dr. Lebischak joined Magellan Healthcare as a medical director in California. In her spare time, she is involved with Community Volunteers in Medicine to provide psychiatric care to children and adolescents who are uninsured. 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

Dr. Haita Makanji joined Magellan Rx Management in 2014. She is currently the vice president of clinical strategy and innovation within specialty in which she assumes several roles and responsibilities, including development and management of specialty clinical programs and interfacing with payers and pharmaceutical companies to bring unique solutions to curb the rising specialty spend. For clinical program development and management, she is responsible for the design, implementation, and day-to-day operations of specialty programs that improve the quality of care for patients with high-cost disease states including but not limited to rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, oncology, and rare diseases such as hemophilia. Furthermore, she oversees the MRx Comprehensive Oncology Management Program which encompasses utilization management with unique strategies to curb the rising spend in oncology and complex case management. A significant portion of her role has also expanded to lead clinical program development efforts for other lines of business including employer groups and Medicaid plans. Additionally, Dr. Makanji leads a team of pharmacists, including board-certified oncology pharmacists who are tasked to support payers and assist with comprehensive medical and pharmacy data analyses, prior authorization and medical policy design, and organizing unique key opinion leader thought leadership panels. Dr. Makanji has been in the healthcare industry for over 10 years. She began her career as an HIV-certified pharmacist at Walgreens and transitioned to managed care in early 2012 with CDMI, LLC (which was later acquired by Magellan Rx Management in 2014). Dr. Makanji earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston, MA. She is currently a registered pharmacist in both Rhode Island and Connecticut and has additional advanced training in HIV from the University of Buffalo, and medication therapy management and immunizations from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). Dr. Makanji also serves as president of the Northeast affiliate of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP). View posts

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Dr. Ángel-Luis Mercado-Santiago, NCC, LPC, EOLD, has been working as a military family counselor in Puerto Rico for 11 years. Dr. Mercado-Santiago is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor licensed in Puerto Rico and North Carolina. He has a Ph.D. in psychology with a major in gender diversity and a master's degree in Counseling Psychology with a specialty in couples and family therapy. He has also been a part-time university professor at Ana G. Méndez University for 18 years. View posts

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

Dr. Jon Metzler, Ph.D., CMPC® is the Director of Human Performance at Magellan Federal. He provides strategic leadership to help organizations optimize performance, enhance resilience, and sustain readiness through coaching innovations taught by a highly specialized staff of cognitive performance coaches. Dr. Metzler has over 20 years of extensive experience providing direct performance psychology consultation to teams and athletes representing many different sports of various competitive levels including intercollegiate athletes, Olympians, Paralympians, and professional athletes. Over his 10 years directly supporting the U.S. Army in performance psychology and resilience, he has helped develop the course content that Magellan Federal has delivered to over 2.7 million training and coaching engagements across the Army in the past five years. He is a past president and fellow of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and currently serves as Chair of the Council for Certified Mental Performance Certification® and is a member of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry. He holds three bachelor’s degrees from Concordia University – Portland, a Master of Arts in Sport Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology with a specialization in Psychology of Movement and Sport from the Pennsylvania State University. View posts

Teri Moore is a licensed Marriage, Family Therapist and currently serves as senior field operations director for the Military & Family Life Counseling (MFLC) program at Magellan Federal. Teri has been with the MFLC program since its inception in 2012. Moore is currently responsible for 4 Regional Directors, 48 regional Supervisors, and 1,370 rotational counselors delivering non-medical consultations to military families all over the world. Her credentials include a bachelor's degree in Comparative Literature, a Secondary Teaching Credential; a master's degree In Psychology, and a certificate in Advanced Business Management from the University of Southern California. Teri resides in Southern California. 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

Lou Parrott M.D., Ph.D., being both ABPN Certified and ABPM Addiction Medicine Certified, has been a Medical Director with Magellan since 2011. He managed Magellan’s commercial New Jersey and Pennsylvania business before becoming VP Medical Director for its Northeast Region in 2017 and later for expanded business Nationally in 2018. This expanded business included commercial, exchange, Medicare and Medicaid. Currently, he oversees all medical management and review activities across corporate behavioral health, as well as guidance regarding quality, customer, network, utilization, government, and stakeholder interactions nationally for Magellan Behavioral Health. Before joining Magellan, he was Medical Director at Crozer-Chester Health System, overseeing child, adolescent and adult outpatient behavioral health, as well as methadone and intensive outpatient (IOP) clinics, where he developed an Office Based Opiate Treatment program. Other positions have included psychotherapy practice, Crisis Response Center & Homeless Outreach Program attending, Appeals Consultant, and clinical positions at University of Pennsylvania and Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. Dr. Parrott received his M.D. and Ph.D. through Case Western Reserve University’s Medical Scientist Training Program and completed University of Pennsylvania’s Psychiatric Residency & Clinical Research Scholars Programs. View posts

Stacy Kay Paskvan (LMFT, LCMHC-S) is a Regional Supervisor on Magellan Federal’s Military Family Life Counseling program team, currently supervising Child Youth Behavior Schools connected to Ft. Bragg Army Base in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from California State University, San Bernardino in 1997; a master’s degree in counseling with an emphasis in marriage and family from Webster University in 2005; and a master’s degree in management and leadership from Capella University in 2014. She has been independently licensed since 2007 spanning the states of Texas, South Carolina, and North Carolina. She is passionate about military families, being both a retired US Air Force Veteran and a military spouse and has focused much of her career on understanding the ins-and-outs of the military family. She has witnessed the struggles of many military members who have denied themselves the help they needed due to their drive to “get the job done” and appreciates the opportunity to be part of Magellan Federal’s Military Family Life Counseling program that is positively impacting the mental health of military members and their families. When not working, she spends her time shuttling her 10-year-old twins, George and Zuzu, around town, enjoying her cats and dog, and feeding the crows and squirrels that like to play in the pine trees outside her office window. She loves to travel and hopes to someday get to Kathmandu, Nepal to get glimpse of Mt. Everest up close, as well as the Galapagos Islands. 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

Jim Rebello joined MRx in 2013. He is currently the vice president of specialty strategy within the MRx Specialty division. Jim works with payers and internal stakeholders on the innovation and execution of the MRx Specialty product portfolio to provide savings across both pharmacy and medical benefits. Jim is a pharmacist with 10+ years of managed care experience working directly with health plans and employers. He began his career with CDMI, where he was the lead account manager for the company’s largest accounts, serving as the main point of contact for all customer needs. Jim received his Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island and also served in the United States Air Force. View posts

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

Dr. Sassani was recruited to Magellan in early 2012 and currently serves as corporate vice president and chief medical officer for its California behavioral health services. Prior to Magellan, he held various leadership roles in direct-care services including department chair and hospital vice chief of staff in southern California. In 2017, he received a faculty appointment as associate professor of psychiatry at a University of California teaching hospital. He was residency trained at Harvard, and is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. View posts

Kate Smith (LPC, ATR) is a Regional Supervisor for Magellan Federal working in the Military and Family Life Counseling Program. Kate has supervised OCONUS and CONUS locations for Magellan over the last 7 years and currently manages installations in Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Kate received her undergraduate degree in Fine Art from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutger’s University and received her Master’s Degree in Art Therapy and Counseling from New York University. She has been independently licensed since 2001 in the State of New Jersey. Kate’s father is a Veteran of the Air Force and served in the Coast Guard Auxiliary until he was 82 years old and this dedication to serving the community is something that Kate feels strongly about continuing. When not working, Kate enjoys archery, spending time with her family, and is working on hours towards becoming a certified wildlife rehabilitator. 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 vice president of clinical information at Magellan Rx Management. She provides dynamic oversight and actively engages in drug and clinical information, evidence-based writing, development of clinical policies, as well as specialty and traditional drug pipeline forecasting. Dr. Tabatabai provides thought leadership and targeted insights for a wide range of audiences on the most impactful trends in the pharmacy and healthcare spheres. She leads drug recall efforts and steers the supply chain task force. She is a champion of raising awareness and providing trusted education to patients and other key stakeholders on COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. Dr. Tabatabai 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 and respected clinical resource across the enterprise. View posts

Paul Taraborelli MSW, LICSW, is a Child Youth Behavioral (CYB) Director on Magellan Federal’s Military Family Life Counseling program. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of New England and his master’s degree in social work from Boston University. He has held his independent license in Rhode Island for over 25 years and is an active member in Rhode Island’s Association of Infant Mental Health (RIAIMH). He has provided clinical consultations on early childhood mental health issues, approaches to supporting children in the classroom with a range of developmental, behavioral, and medical issues for early childhood programs and working with families with children presenting with behavioral concerns. He has presented in the past on topics including guiding behaviors in a classroom setting, the development and use of a bereavement protocol and services for families, adolescent drug abuse and treatment, and child abuse and neglect View posts

Dr. Candice Tate is a medical director at Magellan Healthcare. Dr. Tate believes in quality mental health services, such as psychotropic medication in combination with psychotherapy. Her treatment philosophy includes a strong physician-patient therapeutic alliance and safe, responsible medication management. Dr. Tate joined Magellan in 2017. She has years of experience in psychotropic medication management for a variety of psychiatric conditions in inpatient and outpatient settings. During her graduate medical training, Dr. Tate was extensively trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy and was supervised by experienced psychoanalysts. She is also familiar with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Dr. Tate graduated from the University of Tennessee Medical School in Memphis and completed her graduate medical education in General Psychiatry at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. Dr. Tate is a board-certified psychiatrist by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. View posts

Ronna Trent is the director of the Program Management Office for Magellan Federal. Ronna retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years of service as an Army Medical Specialist Corps officer in 2017 and joined Magellan Federal as a program manager for contracts supporting benefits for transitioning service members and their survivors. As the Director of Magellan Federal’s Program Management Office, Ronna oversees engagement with community partners, continuing to build relationships and exchanges with organizations that serve veterans and caregivers. She and her husband, retired Colonel Stoney Trent, are raising three children in Bethesda, MD. View posts

Misty Tu, MD, completed her training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She is board certified in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. She helped expand psychiatric crisis centers in Maricopa County early in her career and has worked in multiple regions. She has experience in all levels of care with a variety of patient populations. The bulk of her career has been working with the chronic and seriously mentally ill. Dr. Tu was the senior medical director of psychiatry and behavioral health for Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota and helped expand access to medication assisted treatment for individuals dealing with addictions. She was also the clinical lead in developing the High Complexity Case Unit for that health plan. In her current role with Magellan, Dr. Tu is fostering increased collaboration for individuals in acute care settings. 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

Matthew Walker, MD, is the leading clinical voice for spine surgery at Magellan Healthcare. He provides key insights that help the company navigate this evolving specialty. Since joining Magellan in 2014, Dr. Walker has played an integral role in the development and growth of the spine surgery program. Dr. Walker has 20 years of clinical experience as a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon. In addition to his work at Magellan, he continues in active clinical practice, performing elective spinal surgery and covering spine trauma calls at a Level I Trauma Center. Dr. Walker received his undergraduate and medical degrees from West Virginia University. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, followed by a fellowship in spine surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. View posts

LaShondra Washington, M.D., DFAPA, joined Magellan Healthcare in 2015 and currently serves as a Senior Medical Director. She is a board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist. Prior to her time at Magellan, she served as a psychiatrist in the inpatient, private practice and community settings. Dr. Washington is a cum laude graduate of Clemson University and received her medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia. She completed her internship/residency in psychiatry at Tulane University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and completed her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the University of Maryland Medical Center/Sheppard Pratt Hospital in Baltimore. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association (district branch of the American Psychiatric Association) and recently completed her term as Assistant Secretary of the Atlanta Medical Association. Dr. Washington was named a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in 2018. 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 is the serves as the Medical Director of Cardiology and 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

Allison Welliver, LMHC, MCAP, serves as a senior manager in the Adolescent Support & Counseling Services program at Magellan Federal. Allison graduated from the University of Central Florida with an MA in Clinical Psychology and has 17 years of experience in the field of counseling. Allison worked as an adolescent drug court counselor for five years before becoming an Adolescent Support and Counseling Services (ASACS) counselor in 2013. She provided services for middle and high school students in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and was promoted to Clinical Supervisor in 2018. Allison currently serves as ASACS Worldwide Program Manager where she oversees the ASACS program with OCONUS positions located in Asia, Europe, and Hawaii. She is a licensed mental health counselor and a Master's Level Certified Addiction Professional. Allison is currently completing a second master’s degree program in Public Administration. View posts

Cherisse Wells serves as a senior strategic communications specialist with Magellan Federal and currently supports the Defense Health Agency, Warrior Care Recovery Coordination Program (WC RCP) as part of the Strategic Communications Team. Cherisse has bachelor's degrees in both English and psychology from Rutgers College, Rutgers University. Since 2009, Cherisse has served the military population and recovering service members through her work in communications, event planning, and training and curriculum development. Much of that time has been with Magellan Federal where she has won awards for her work, including an APEX Award for Publication Excellence and a MarCom Gold Award. What keeps Cherisse passionate about her work and career is that hope that she is making a difference, even if in a small way, to help improve life for others. Cherisse also likes to travel, loves the water, and is obsessed with Asian cuisine. View posts

Dr. Samuel L. Williams, III joined Magellan Health in 2020 and serves as a medical director for Magellan Healthcare. He is also a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist. His previous experience includes serving as the medical director at two federal qualified health centers in Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC, which provided a spectrum of medical and behavioral health services. Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, he is a graduate of Ross University School of Medicine. He completed his Psychiatry residency training at Michigan State University/Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies and his fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. In addition, Dr. Williams has an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and committee member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. His interests involve pediatrics, adult and women’s health, integrated behavioral health, business of medicine/healthcare, managed care, public health and policy, decreasing health disparities and advancing equity, diversity and inclusion. View posts

Alaysia Yates, SHRM-CP, serves as Talent Acquisition Coordinator at Magellan Federal and is also a Military Spouse. She has 8 years of experience assisting in recruitment, talent acquisition, and organizational staff fulfillment. Alaysia joined Magellan Federal March 2018 and has been integral in establishing and maintaining partnerships to assist recruitment strategies for military spouse and veteran communities through affiliation with Military Spouse Employment Partnership, Veterans Ascend, Virginia Values Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and Hiring our Heroes. Alaysia has a passion for enriching the quality of life within the Magellan community. Alaysia is SHRM-CP credentialed by the Society for Human Resource Management and holds a Human Resource Management certificate from George Mason University. View posts