Brian Richards

• I am the one 340b Analyst for a 3-hospital system, that includes: 1 DSH, 2 CAH, and 3 Separate TPA's for contract pharmacies with a total of 150 Contract Pharmacy Stores
• I am self-taught, and was the sole member of the CMHC 340b Team from 9-23 to 3-24
• I now have a 340b Program Coordinator, whom which did not come from a DSH
• I have taught this individual the ins and out of these entity types, and what tools to use to efficiently audit claims
• Found an 2+ year issue with how our Split-BillIng software was handling our 3 hospital systems, essentially running Them all through our DSH where the other 2 are CAH. I found this by trying to pull reports for my very first audit. This has many non-compliance implications and resulted in the organization losing quite a sum of money with GPO Purchases. I implemented a branch coding fix, and now all locations are within their respective hospital systems, as well as purchases/accumulations and working correctly for all 3 places. The estimated savings per year going forward from my fix is quite large. -Identified errors with the way our credentialing department was handling our provider information, which was resulting in missed capture of qualified 340b claims, as well as claims that should not have qualified. This is now been fixed, and is Downloaded/reformatted one per month, and is achieving much better results then the previous process.
• Found an 2+ year issue with how our Split-Billing software was handling our 3 hospital systems, essentially running
• Identified errors with the way our credentialing department was handling our provider information, which was resulting
• Identified issues with our RevCycle/PFS team and IT Teams tiering logic, resulting in many Medicaid claims not receiving
• I reached out to MaineCare myself, and made a flowchart of how claims from different payors are supposed to get modifiers. MaineCare confirmed I was correct,

Claims.ims. This was fixed by re-iterating best practice and setting up a line of communication with our Coding department.

• Identified sub-par by practices on recording NDC's that were billed 340b, resulting in inaccurate accumulations on
• Identified wildly inaccurate accumulation numbers within all of our oncology centers, due to using a separate programfor entering a manual charge for the infusion. Two Hospitals kept an electronic record of the preps alongside NDC's andsuch. Implemented an electronic log at the 3rd hospital, and created a calculation worksheet to look at the reported
• Identified sub-par ordering practices from the past, as in manual 340b purchases with no encounter, and manual GPO purchases for an outpatient covered drug, and took on ordering/reporting duties alongside our new Pharmacy
• Buyer, to ensure that the past practices do not happen, and we now order 340b correctly and compliant.
• Identified concerns of previous 340b work and corrected and implemented them going forward. For example, split-ordering, separating locations to their correct PID within MacroHelix to ensure proper communication of utilization vs
• Identified years of unmatched crosswalk not being complete within MacroHelix, and completing all of it to date, as wellas daily checks to ensure its completed.
• Identified the different Manufacturers that a a DSH and a CAH entity can designate for single contract pharmacies, and recommended the locations to designate based on claim volume and savings.
• Identified issues with non-340b locations at our DSH site not being blocked in 2 of our TPA's, resulting in ineligible claims qualifying. I created a list of eligible vs non eligible locations and implemented/updated these with all 3 of our TPA's to ensure accuracy. These claims now correctly carve out.
• Created a Savings/Finance decrease report for all of our contract pharmacies. The elements included reasons such as: Manufacturer Restriction (Including a description of our inability to choose a Single Contract Pharmacy due to us having an in-house retail Pharmacy) Store Volume, and Average Savings per Item.
• Identified blacklisted items (Vaccines, Anesthesia Gas, Base Fluids) qualifying 340b in our entities, and made a master list to have blacklisted in all PID's within MacroHelix that is updated every time a new one is seen within an audit, which is seen by filtering the "NDC Description" tab and looking for any items to add to the blacklist.
• Worked with an internal-audit individual from within our contract company to go to our 2 CAH sites and do an internal audit, and identify any issues, as well as teach the technicians best purchasing/340b practices.

• Worked with coworkers to complete tasks
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks while remaining adaptable and flexible
• Responded quickly to meet customer needs and resolve problems
• Focused on learning new skills and staying updated with industry changes
• Worked with co-worker to prepare hazardous and non hazardous infusions for varying diagnoses, in a timely manner
• Innovated and Implemented Par Levels for drugs used for compounding to reduce inventory levels to reduce risk for monetary loss, as well as risk of wastage due to expiration
• Implemented new storage methods for supplies to ensure less particulate generation and more neat organized storage
• Prepared, and made changes for the then upcoming implementation of the new USP 797/800 changes
• Ensured patient coverage by coming in early/staying late frequently
• Experienced a successful walkthrough from The Joint Commission with zero findings and numerous comments of success from the surveyors.
• Coordinated care for a diverse patient population, demonstrating cultural competence in addressing individual needs and preferences related to oncology treatment.

• Started as a front working Pharmacy Technician
• Job duties include: Refilling Omni-Cell dispensing cabinets on every floor, Receiving and Executing requests from nurses and providers, Filling medication labels as they print throughout the day, Maintaining Inventory and communicating with the buyer about quantities, Filling Emergency medication boxes and Code Trays
• As an trained IV Technician, I compound IV medications in a Sterile USP 797 Environment, in a Laminar Airflow Hood
• Compounding scheduled and continuous infusions for all inpatients throughout the day
• Other specialties of the day are: Compounding, hanging and programming a Cardiac Pole based on patients weight
• Compounding Emergency Drugs such as: Alteplase, KCentra, Wilate, Narcan, Antibiotic Intramuscular Injections, Vitamin K, etc
• I am, the one IV Technician on at a given time, therefore if multiple 'stats' come in at once, it is up to me to determine severity and compounding order
• Multitasking safely is a necessary ability, as is the passion for the job
• All done within a very timely manner, however, sterility and patient safety are of the UTMOST importance
• I am also a Trained Chemotherapy Infusion Compounding Technician, actively compounding a wide variety of Hazardous and Chemotherapy Infusions for the Cancer Care Center at CMMC, and before that at Medical Oncology at CMMC
• Chemotherapy compounds are all done in a USP 800 Certified Hood in a Negative Pressure Enviroment
• As well as for the USP 797 Room, Using double PPE while cleaning the Hoods daily with Bleach, Pre-empt, and Alcohol
• This includes Donning a CAPR (Overhead air filtration system) whilst cleaning the room and underneath the hood, to protect myself from any hazardous materials left behind
• On top of this, Chemotherapy technicians double check the Pharmacists Math, repeat it back to them, and show any and all work before any drug is injected or finished, using an entirely needless system.