Harold Paz, M.D., M.S., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Aetna Joins Speaker Lineup for 2016 Armada Specialty Pharmacy Summit

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., Oct. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Armada Health Care (Armada) is pleased to announce that Harold Paz, M.D., M.S., executive vice president and chief medical officer for Aetna will speak during the 2016 Armada Specialty Pharmacy Summit general session. Each year, the conference attracts thousands of specialty pharmacy, pharmaceutical manufacturer, managed care and other healthcare industry executives. The official dates and location for the event are May 2-6, 2016 at the Wynn & Encore in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Paz as a featured speaker in May. We look forward to hearing his insight about the expanding and critical role that specialty pharmacy continues to play in the US healthcare landscape. As one of the top medical professionals in the country, we are honored to have him participate during our general session," stated Robert Irene, co-founder and president of Armada Health Care.

Harold Paz, M.D., M.S., is executive vice president and chief medical officer for Aetna. He leads clinical strategy and policy at the intersection of all of Aetna's domestic and global businesses. He is responsible for driving clinical innovation to improve member experience, quality and cost in all areas of the health care delivery system.

"I look forward to joining the general session faculty for the 2016 Armada Specialty Pharmacy Summit. This annual conference is an excellent forum for specialty pharmacy thought leadership and provides a great venue to share innovative ideas and knowledge with peers from across the healthcare industry," stated Dr. Paz.

Before joining Aetna in 2014, Dr. Paz served as chief executive officer of Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Health System, senior vice president for Health Affairs for Penn State University, dean of its College of Medicine and professor of medicine and public health sciences for eight years. Prior to his appointment to Penn State, he spent 11 years as dean of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and chief executive officer of Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Group, the largest multispecialty group practice in New Jersey where he was professor of medicine. His vision for health care transformation at Penn State led to the formation of an integrated healthcare system of four hospitals, 64 ambulatory care practices and 18 affiliated hospitals focused on population health across central Pennsylvania.

Dr. Paz has focused his research and teaching on clinical outcomes, health system organization, and health care effectiveness. A pioneer in the field of quality management, Dr. Paz was among the first to study clinical outcomes in the intensive care unit. From this early work, he recognized the need to formally train physicians in quality, and in 1993 he started the first fellowship of its kind in quality management. Currently, he is professor adjunct of internal medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and remains clinically active in pulmonary medicine volunteering at the West Haven Veteran's Administration Hospital.

A fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Chest Physicians, Dr. Paz is currently on the board of United Surgical Partners International, and the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. Dr. Paz is past chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Academic Health Centers and a former member of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the University Health System Consortium board of directors. He previously was chair of the AAMC Council of Deans administrative board and has served on the AAMC executive council in addition to corporate and scientific advisory boards in the biotechnology field. He has authored more than 85 publications, including peer-reviewed research and quality articles, chapters, commentaries and abstracts. He is the recipient of numerous awards and an honorary degree.

Dr. Paz received his bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester, a master of science in life science engineering from Tufts University, and his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He completed his internship and residency at Northwestern University, where he served as chief medical resident and instructor in clinical medicine. He was a Eudowood Fellow in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins Medical School. In addition, he was a post-doctoral fellow in environmental health science at Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.

For more information about the 2016 Armada Specialty Pharmacy Summit, visit www.armadasummit.com

About Armada Health Care:
Armada Health Care, LLC (Armada) is the industry's largest specialty pharmacy group contracting and service organization. Armada provides comprehensive and cost-effective access to the nation's $150+ billion specialty pharmacy industry. Armada offers pharmacy providers, manufacturers, health plans and wholesale distributors a total specialty pharmacy channel management solution through customized patient programs, prescription data management services, online platforms, and unique cost effective purchasing agreements on specialty pharmacy products. Armada is also the founder and host of the nation's largest annual specialty pharmacy conference. For more information, visit Armada at www.armadahealthcare.com.

Contact:
Mr. Christopher Benz
Sr. Director of Business Development
Armada Health Care
Phone: 973-564-8004
Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Armada Health Care, LLC