Fourteen Excelera Member Pharmacists Receive Exclusive "Certified Specialty Pharmacist" Accreditation

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Excelera®, a subsidiary of Shields Health Solutions and the company behind the Excelera Network, a nationwide network of leading health systems and academic medical centers with specialty pharmacies, today announced that fourteen member pharmacists have earned or recertified for the exclusive Certified Specialty Pharmacist (CSP) credential from the Specialty Pharmacy Certification Board (SPCB). The newly certified and recertified pharmacists in the Excelera Network are:

• Vicki Lanier, RPh, CSP - Avera Health
• Amy Ross, PharmD, CSP- Avera Health
• Amber Rollo, PharmD, CSP - Banner Health
• Dave Andersen, PharmD, CSP – Billings Clinic
• Alexandra Hughes, PharmD, MSCS, CSP - Indiana University Health
• Josh Alldredge, PharmD, CSP - Intermountain Healthcare
• Debbie Keck, RPh, CSP - Monument Health
• Lenny Petrik, PharmD, CSP - Monument Health
• Michael Satterness, PharmD, CSP - Monument Health
• Melanie Alexander, PharmD, CSP - Novant Health
• Johnny Chang, PharmD, CPP, BCPS, CSP - Novant Health
• Kelly Dugan, PharmD, BCPS, CSP - Rush University Health
• Neel Jhobalia, PharmD, AAHIVP, CSP - Rush University Health
• Mark Natanek, PharmD, CSP - Rush University Health

Differing from the obligatory and state-specific licensure process, the SPCB's certification process is a voluntary program providing certification at a national level and allowing pharmacy professionals to demonstrate their specialty pharmacy aptitude and expertise in their designated specialized areas. Employers, manufacturers, patients, payers, and other healthcare providers rely on the CSP credential as an indicator that a professional is highly trained and competent in a variety of practice settings.

"Health systems that are part of the Excelera Network are held to the highest standards in terms of specialty pharmacy expertise, integrated care delivery, and improved patient outcomes," said Meredith Holt, National VP of Health System Partnerships at Excelera. "The CSP certification is a rigorous and trusted accreditation that demonstrates the commitment these professionals bring to their to respective fields. We are proud of the accomplishments of these new CSP certificants and of the ongoing commitment each of our members shows to improvement in specialty pharmacy care."

Most of the 25-plus members in the Excelera Network have at least one active CSP certificant. For a full list of Excelera members, visit: https://excelerarx.com/members

For more information about the CSP, visit http://www.spcboard.org/

About Shields Health Solutions 
Shields Health Solutions is a specialty pharmacy integrator and care provider, partnering with hospital leaders on every aspect of specialty pharmacy creation, growth and management. The company provides the fastest, lowest risk model for health systems to create a hospital-owned specialty pharmacy program. In doing so, Shields provides health systems with on-site pharmacy and care professionals, a purpose-built specialty pharmacy technology platform, and access to 80+ percent of all limited distribution drugs (LDDs) and most (health insurance) payors in the nation. Shields provides ownership of all specialty pharmacy assets in a health system's name.

About Excelera®
The Excelera® Network is comprised of integrated delivery networks, health systems, and large academic medical centers with a deep commitment to caring for complex patients. Through national-scale collaboration, the network more efficiently gains access to limited distribution drugs, utilizes tools, technology, and best practices to deliver high quality care.

ExceleraRx, LLC is a healthcare company that empowers integrated delivery networks, health systems, and large academic medical centers to provide integrated care for complex patients, leading to improved health outcomes and decreased healthcare costs. To learn more, visit http://www.excelerarx.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE ExceleraRx, LLC