GPhA Board builds relationships, addresses concerns one conversation at a time
State Medicaid Director Linda Wiant (center, in pink), with the GPhA Board of Directors yesterday at GPhA.
Yesterday, State Medicaid Director Linda Wiant visited with the GPhA Board of Directors to discuss a range of issues impacting GPhA members, from concerns about CMO network adequacy to problems with prior authorizations.
Wiant, a Mercer-trained pharmacist, also commented on recently-passed legislation that will subject Medicaid recoupments to the audit bill of rights, indicating that she had implemented new policies several months ago to address concerns about excessive clawbacks, and that in her opinion the GPhA-supported legislation simply made those policies part of the Code of Georgia. In response, directors alerted Wiant that her policy changes were clearly not being adhered to by some state subcontractors.
The GPhA Board also met with officials from the Health Prevention Division of the State Department of Public Health to discuss partnering opportunities in chronic disease management, immunizations and prescription drug abuse prevention. The officials, Director of Health Protection Dr. Pat O’Neal, Director of Chronic Disease Prevention Dr. Jean O’Connor, and Director of Pharmacy Dr. Kimberley Hazelwood, indicated they welcomed further conversations about how pharmacists and DPH can work together.
The meetings with Wiant and Public Health are the latest in a series of stakeholder visits the Board has undertaken to engage and build relationships with key stakeholders and partners in Georgia pharmacy. The meetings are one result the new policy governance structure GPhA members approved last July. Under that structure, the size of Board of Directors was reduced from 41 to 11 members, and the Board refocused its attention on outreach and policy-setting.
Since last September, in addition to yesterday’s meetings, GPhA board members have met with:
- Deans of the pharmacy schools at Mercer and South
- Pharmacy student leaders from South, Mercer and UGA
- UGA and South pharmacy school faculty
- Leaders of the Georgia Food Industries Association, Georgia Society of Health System Pharmacists and the Georgia Association of Chain Drug Stores
- The president and the CEO of the Medical Association of Georgia
- Leaders of the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation
- The Chairman of the Georgia Board of Pharmacy
- Leaders of GPhA’s practice academies
- The CEO of Alliant Quality, Dennis White
“These meetings are great information-gathering sessions,” said GPhA President Tommy Whitworth of LaGrange. “They not only build relationships, but they are already creating opportunities for us to pool our resources and knowledge with other groups to help our members and the patients we serve.”
GPhA board member Drew Miller of Griffin chats with DPH’s Dr. Jean O’Connor and Dr. Pat O’Neal yesterday at GPhA.
