Melissa Gallegos

Specialty Pharmacy executive responsible for leading Specialty Pharmacy services for Ascension Health. Led a national team of over 80 pharmacists, technicians, and support personnel dedicated to caring for some of the most vulnerable patients as they navigate life altering medical diagnoses. Responsible for the growth, strategy, and design of the specialty pharmacy program including embedding pharmacists within specialized medical clinics such as oncology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, dermatology, infectious disease, etc. Aligned closely with system 340b Director to optimize Ascension’s ability to provide care for the poor and vulnerable individuals within the communities served. In addition to embedding team members in physician offices, directed URAC and ACHC accredited centralized pharmacy in Detroit, Michigan with redundant services in Austin, Texas. Responsible for specialty pharmacy P & L to include budgeting, projections, capital projects and nearly quadrupled revenue and net operating income in two years.

Specialty Pharmacy Operations Manager. Integral part of management team responsible for the capital budget, design, and implementation of a new Specialty Pharmacy business line for Sentara Healthcare. Responsible for managing a 40+ member multi-disciplinary team of team coordinators, clinical pharmacists, nurses, pharmacy technicians, and materials management associates. Part of leadership team responsible for the revenue management including contract relationships for 340b business lines. Achieved URAC accreditation with 100% compliance to all standards.

Responsible to help manage over $90 million in gross revenue, implemented and wrote policies and procedures to meet URAC accreditation standards with 100% compliance, managed clinical pharmacist team, created clinical content scripts for patient management program, networked with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure optimal patient care, and sat on multiple corporate level professional development committees.

Practiced patient-oriented pharmacy care while creating and managing operating budget and leading pharmacy staff direct reports. Responsible for rolling out vaccination services and bedside delivery program of discharge medications to hospitalized patients. Through an affiliation with a hospital that births over 3000 babies annually, created a specialized program focusing on the education and administration of pertussis vaccination to pregnant women and the family members of newborn infants.

Served as staff pharmacist and pharmacy manager at several locations throughout the Wasatch Front. Helped grow and establish three locations from infancy to thriving pharmacies by building customer loyalty and practicing patient-oriented care.

Trained both interns and externs from the University of Utah, supervised technicians, and counseled patients concerning their medications. Covered many Fred Meyer pharmacies along the Wasatch Front, quickly adjusting to needs of various pharmacy teams in order to maintain smooth working relations and to ensure excellent customer service. Earned numerous customer service awards.

Magna Cum Laude

• Elected Pharmacy Delegate to the Associated Students of the University of Utah (ASUU)
• University of Utah Bowling Team Member