Michael Peters

His Story

Dr. Michael J. Peters received his PharmD from Purdue University College of Pharmacy in West Lafayette, IN in 2017. He completed a combined PGY-1/PGY-2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration residency at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, TN in June 2019. He passed the Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist examination in Fall 2018. He completed the Apexus 340B Operations Certificate program and passed the subsequent program exam to become a 340B Apexus Certified Expert in January 2019. He also completed the Masters of Business Administration program at the University of Memphis Fogelman College of Business in Memphis, TN.

Facility

Eskenazi Health serves as the public hospital division of the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County. Physicians provide a comprehensive range of primary and specialty care services at the 315-bed teaching hospital and outpatient facilities both on and off of the Eskenazi Health downtown campus as well as at 10 Eskenazi Health Center sites located throughout Indianapolis. Eskenazi Health provides over 950,000 outpatient visits annually spread among specialty care, primary care, emergency department, and mental health/addiction. Additionally, Eskenazi Health annually has over 23,000 adult admissions or observation stays.

Recent Significant Projects

I have been involved early in my role as Pharmacy Business Manager with enhancing collaboration between the pharmacy and revenue cycle departments to ensure charging and billing practices are optimized and run with integrity throughout the health-system. Additionally, I have been charged with increasing financial transparency and cost awareness across the pharmacy department and P&T Committee with a focus on actionable prospective changes. A third major project is focused on optimization of purchasing patterns and improving the overall pharmacy supply chain.

Initial Involvement in ASHP

I am involved with ASHP through the New and Emerging Leaders Section Advisory Group within the Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders. As a new leader who recently completed a residency, collaboration for advancement and development of resources for new leaders is a major focus of our group. Additionally, I am involved with ASHP through participation in the CV review program as a reviewer, as Fall 2019 represents my 5th cycle of reviewing CV's for students and residents.

Why did you become involved in ASHP? 

I became involved with ASHP to connect with resources that I need to complete my job in an optimal fashion. The work that I do on a daily basis impacts the patients that Eskenazi Health serves at a macro-level from the health-system perspective, and I need to ensure that I have the right tools and education to complete our mission for our patients. ASHP has connected me with timely daily updates, access to online education materials as well as educational conferences, and expanded my network to allow me to stay current and relevant in the dynamic health-system pharmacy landscape. Additionally, ASHP provides me with a platform to give back through mentorship of students and residents as well as working through a Section Advisory Group to contribute towards the mission of ASHP and the advancement of pharmacy practice.

Advice for Someone New to Specialty Area

I would encourage somebody new to my specialty area of pharmacy business management to utilize any and all educational and networking opportunities. A large majority of what I do in my role today was never taught (or just scratched the surface) during my pharmacy curriculum. Even with several years focused administration training during a residency program, I am still learning the nuances of how to navigate the larger pharmacy enterprise constantly. I have found subscribing to the appropriate listserves has connected me with individuals that have the expertise that I am looking for as well as help to advertise upcoming webinars with content that I am still mastering. Finally, I would encourage networking within your health-system outside of the pharmacy arena to get connected with local content experts (e.g. revenue cycle team) for location specific history and applicability.

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?

The value of ASHP stems from the magnitude of involvement and interconnectivity between frontline providers and health-systems across the country. It serves as the largest network of pharmacists with a focus on advancement of the profession to ultimately improve patient care and outcomes. ASHP facilitates the Midyear Clinical Meeting, or the largest convention for pharmacists globally. Without ASHP, there would be no central hub for best practices to be spread across the country, implementation would be stalled, and many pharmacists would be without an avenue to better themselves for their organization and patients.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?

The value of ASHP for the profession is robust. Similar to how I would describe the value to a friend or colleague, the major value of ASHP for our profession arises from the magnitude of the size of the network. The collaborative mentality that is shared is also a valuable component to the culture of the organization, with a focus on advancing care as well as training the future generation of pharmacists. ASHP also provides value from an advocacy and public policy standpoint, as ASHP continues to lobby successfully for many advances in the profession.