J Clin Pathways. 2016;2(1):55.
Journal of Clinical Pathways will serve as a forum for the exciting exchange of data, research, insight, and perspectives that will form the foundation of value-based care. To frame that conversation, the journal is proud to introduce the members of its Editorial Advisory Board, a diverse group of individuals who represent a wide array of different professions and disciplines. As clinical pathways and other approaches to value-based care continue to be implemented across different health care settings, it will be important that all of the stakeholders are aptly and appropriately represented in discussions about optimizing clinical pathway development, implementation, and outcomes assessment. Therefore, special care was given to the selection of each of the following members, who represent the perspectives of payers, pathway developers, health care providers, patient advocates, and health economics researchers and experts. Led by Editor-in-Chief Winston Wong, the Editorial Advisory Board will advise the Editors on the editorial direction of the journal to ensure that its mission of presenting the timeliest and highest quality information is achieved.
Editor-in-Chief:
Winston Wong, PharmD
Dr. Wong is the President of the W-Squared Group. The W-Squared Group is committed to assisting small niche healthcare innovators with developing their value statement and launching their technology in the government and commercial marketplace.
Dr. Wong earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 1981 from the University of the Pacific and completed a general residency at the University of Nebraska Hospital and Clinics. Since earning his degree, he has held numerous staff, clinical, and leadership positions in hospital, group purchasing organization, and managed care settings.
Dr. Wong is known for his clinical innovations throughout his 30-year career. Among his accomplishments are participating as a member of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) STAT committee that was the first to address the value of medical therapy management (MTM) services, implementing the provider network Pay-for-Quality program in oncology and rheumatology, and incorporating MTM services into the overall medical management strategy in a health plan. Current focuses for the W-Squared Group are in the areas of genomic profiling in oncology and the development of clinical pathway strategies in oncology, immunology, urology, and chronic diseases, in partnership with specialty pharmacy and provider organizations.
Alex W. Bastian, MBA
Mr. Bastian leads the San Francisco office of Gfk Strategy Consulting, where he has led major engagements in market access and commercial strategy in various roles, from consultant to principal consultant. The majority of his work focuses on value drivers for pipeline technologies as well as alternative funding sources from traditional and non-traditional payers around the globe. These experiences have made him an expert concerning methodologies to drive commercial value of research and development activities, including assessment of assets and challenges in clinical development.
During his tenure with GfK, Mr. Bastian has spoken at several conferences and has published posters and abstracts on various pricing, access, and health economic themes. Mr. Bastian also currently serves as a strategic advisor for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Value in Cancer Task Force and helped to develop their conceptual framework for assessing the value of different cancer treatments.
Larry Blandford, PharmD
Dr. Blandford is the executive vice president and managing partner of Precision Advisors, where he leads the strategic insights and market expertise capabilities. Prior to the acquisition of Hobart Group Holdings by Precision for Medicine in 2013, he held a similar position as Managing Partner of Hobart Innovations. For more than 20 years, he has served numerous roles in various sectors of the healthcare industry ranging from pharmacy benefit management and health information technology to market access consulting and pharmacy practice.
Prior to joining Hobart, he held leadership roles in product development and sales and account services for 14 years at CVS Caremark. During his time there, Dr. Blandford led initiatives in physician connectivity as well as electronic prescribing programs, and he was responsible for developing and maintaining strategic relationships with key payer clients. In addition, Dr. Blandford’s career includes roles in clinical pharmacy benefit management products, disease management initiatives, pharmacy and therapeutics committees, health information technology, and pharmacy practice, in both hospital and retail settings.
Terry A. Cronan, PhD
Dr. Cronan is a professor of psychology at San Diego State University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in psychology from San Diego State University and completed her doctoral studies at Michigan State University. She then returned to San Diego, where for 3 years she worked as a research psychologist for the Naval Health Research Center and the Navy Personnel Research and Development Center. During this time, she also was a lecturer at San Diego State University, teaching experimental psychology, physiological psychology, and statistics. She joined the full-time faculty in 1991.
Dr. Cronan’s research interests include community interventions, community psychology, literacy development, multicultural issues, coping and chronic diseases, and health care utilization. She is the director of the Health Outcomes Studies Lab, where she has developed, implemented, and evaluated community interventions focused on community psychology, literacy development, multicultural issues, coping and chronic diseases, and health care utilization. She is now examining factors related to hiring a health care advocate and testing the effects of acceptance and commitment therapy for breast cancer patients.
Dr. Cronan has received over $12 million in grant funding over the years, published over 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and authored over 300 conference presentations, almost all of them with student co-authors.
Bruce Feinberg, DO
Dr. Feinberg currently serves as chief medical officer and vice president of clinical affairs for Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions. He is nationally recognized for his expertise in specialty oncology and the business of specialty healthcare. He has been instrumental in the development of clinical pathways in oncology care that aim to control costs, improve quality, and increase predictability—key factors in developing a sustainable approach for caring for patients with high-cost diseases.
Prior to joining Cardinal Health, Dr. Feinberg was instrumental in establishing Georgia Cancer Specialists, one of the first and largest integrated oncology specialty practices in the southeastern United States. As chief executive officer and president of Georgia Cancer Specialists, he expanded community access to oncology care by bringing the latest cancer treatments, technologies, and clinical trials closer to the patient.
A highly sought-after speaker on cancer-related topics who regularly publishes in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Feinberg is also the author of the bestselling Breast Cancer Answers and its follow-up book, Colon Cancer Answers.
Willard Harms, MD, MBA
Dr. Harms is currently vice president of medical affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina. He has been with the Plan for 4 years, and his role includes medical policy development, provider relations, and oversight of medical management. Dr. Harms spent the previous 15 years at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, where he had a similar role. Since 1990, Dr. Harms has held positions with Rush Prudential Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma, and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.
Dwight E. Heron, MD, FACRO, FACR
Dr. Heron is the chairman of radiation oncology at University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UPMC) Shadyside, vice chairman of radiation oncology at University of Pittsburg Cancer Institute, director of radiation oncology services at UPMC Cancer Center, and professor of radiation oncology and otololaryngology, head and neck surgery, and clinical and translational science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He specializes in stereotactic radiosurgery, high-dose rate brachytherapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), intraoperative radiotherapy, and interstitial hyperthermia.
Dr. Heron’s research interests include stereotactic radiotherapy for benign and malignant brain and body tumors; evaluation of PET-CT in staging and management of head and neck, lung and a variety of other cancers, including the use of 4D PET-CT for thoracic and abdominal malignancies; and identifying and addressing factors contributing to differences in cancer care outcomes in various populations in Western Pennsylvania.
Edward Li, PharmD, BCOP, MPH
Dr. Li is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of New England College of Pharmacy. Dr. Li earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and his Master of Public Health degree from the University of New England (UNE). He completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and an Oncology Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Before joining UNE, Dr. Li was a member of the faculty at Wilkes University, Nesbitt College of Pharmacy and Nursing, and most recently was the Oncology Pharmacy Manager at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a not-for-profit organization whose clinical practice guidelines in oncology are the standard of care in the United States and around the world. Dr. Li is a board-certified oncology pharmacist, and his research focuses on evaluating health policy issues as they relate to oncology practice, pharmacoepidemiology, and pharmacoeconomics.
Maria Lopes, MD, MS
Dr. Lopes has been in the managed care industry for over 19 years. She is currently the chief medical officer of Magellan Rx Management and was formerly chief medical officer of EmblemHealth, chief medical director of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey and chief medical officer of AMC Health. In her role at MagellanRx, she oversees clinical program development and implementation, patient outreach and clinical assessment, pathway development, and strategic solutions across medical and pharmacy benefits. She works closely with over 40 health plans to bring customized and innovative programs that add quantifiable clinical and economic value.
Dr. Lopes has extensive experience in disease and case management, employee health and wellness, and quality initiatives to improve performance on the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) and Medicare Star Ratings. She has been responsible for medical policy development and implementation, correct coding initiatives, fraud and abuse, physician profiling, and the development of a medical home pilot project in New York. She has overseen medical and pharmacy utilization in a network and a staff model. She has worked closely with Geisinger Health Systems on innovative strategies in tele-health, data analytics, and health information technology to improve patient engagement and care coordination and reduce costs.
Dr. Lopes is an obstetrician and gynecologist. She has a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Wesleyan University, received her Medical degree from the University of Connecticut, and has a Master’s degree in administrative medicine from the University of Wisconsin.
Gary Owens, MD
Dr. Owens is currently president of Gary Owens Associates. He has more than 30 years of experience in medical and pharmacy management. Previously, Dr. Owens was at Independence Blue Cross for 22 years, and for 10 years he was vice president of medical management and policy with responsibilities for medical and pharmacy management, technology evaluation and medical policy. Owens has presented extensively on managed care and pharmacy management topics at conferences of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, the National Association of Managed Care Physicians, and the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care. He has written more than 90 articles on managed care, pharmacy, and biotechnology, many of which have been published in American Health and Drug Benefits, The Journal of Managed Care Medicine, The American Journal of Managed Care, and The Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy.
Patti Peeples, RPh, PhD
Dr. Peeples is a health economist, educator, marketer, pharmacist, and entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in the healthcare field. She is the founder and chief executive officer of www.HealthEconomics.com, a top-ranked resource portal that serves as the global Connected CommunityTM for individuals involved in healthcare value, including those in health economics, outcomes research, pricing, reimbursement, and market access. She is also principal researcher at HE Institute, a healthcare consulting agency devoted to improved patient outcomes.
Dr. Peeples has served in senior positions in medical affairs, health outcomes, and product management and has worked for major pharma organizations including Alza, Novartis, and Xcenda. She is on multiple Boards of Directors, including the Board of Grants for the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education and the Advisory Board of CreateHealth.io, a digital healthcare customer insight company. She is a frequent speaker at major industry conferences on healthcare value.
Dr. Peeples is the author of dozens of peer-reviewed publications on cost-effectiveness of healthcare interventions and patient-reported outcomes, and she holds a PhD in health economics from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and a Master of Science degree in pharmaceutical marketing and a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy, both from University of Mississippi. She completed an administrative pharmacy residency at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Margaret Rausa, PharmD
Dr. Rausa earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Now the Vice President of Clinical Program Development at eviCore, Dr. Rausa has over 10 years of experience in the managed care industry, with a focus on specialty pharmacy and medical oncology, and is one of the emerging leaders in the fields of clinical pathway development and pharmaceutical management.
Prior to joining eviCore healthcare, Dr. Rausa led clinical training initiatives and served as Specialty Pharmacy Residency Director for CVS Caremark Corporation. As part of her former experience as a pharmacy benefit manager, Dr. Rausa has managed a variety of specialty pharmacy clinical programs and has also led a pharmacy team in the development and maintenance of evidenced-based utilization criteria for an extensive list of specialty therapies.
Edward Stepanski, PhD
Dr. Stepanski joined Vector Oncology in 2006 after holding many leadership positions in academic medical centers and in national medical societies for more than 20 years. Dr. Stepanski brings strong organizational expertise, scientific acumen at the highest academic standards, as well as sensitivity to the needs of oncology from both the business and clinical perspective. Under his leadership, Vector Oncology developed the Health Outcomes and PharmacoEconomics (HOPE) and Pharma Services business units. Ed has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and books covering many topics in oncology research, sleep medicine, and statistical methodology. Dr. Stepanski is also a professor of internal medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center.
In Memoriam
Gary M. Cohen, BSPharm, RPh, CSP
Journal of Clinical Pathways would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of Mr. Cohen, one of the founding members of the journal’s Editorial Advisory Board, who passed away suddenly in September. Mr. Cohen was a healthcare business executive with over 30 years of experience in pharmacy and pharmacy-related specialties, retail and chain pharmacy management, healthcare publishing, pharmacy continuing education, and pharmacy certification boards.
Mr. Cohen graduated from the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy of Long Island University in 1981 and was licensed to practice pharmacy in the State of Florida. He served as publisher of Specialty Pharma Journal, the leading journal servicing the Specialty Pharmacy Channel. He also served as acting executive director for the Specialty Pharmacy Certification Board and was one of the founders of the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP). Previously, he was the CEO of Synergy Healthcare Communications, a full service managed markets communications agency, and had also launched Pharmacy Power-Pak, a leading pharmacy education provider.
Mr. Cohen was an active supporter of Journal of Clinical Pathways during its development. In addition to providing guidance to the Editors, he played an integral role in forging a media partnership between the journal and Specialty Pharmacy Education Center (SPEC), an organization that he founded that provides continuing medical education programs to physicians, pharmacists, and patients.
