At Houston Methodist, the Director Specialty Pharmacy position is responsible for providing strategic direction for a system-wide comprehensive specialty pharmacy program along with retail operations. The position ensures the strategic and operating objectives are consistent with the goals, mission and values of the organization. The position is responsible ensuring standardization of specialty pharmacy services across the organization and a practice model that provides value-based care to patients. The Director Specialty Pharmacy position anticipates and recognizes evolving factors (i.e., pharmacogenomics, precision medicine, etc.) and directs the development of strategies to support the specialty pharmacy business.

The Director position responsibilities include overseeing the activities of the department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence and efficiency to accomplish strategic and operational objectives. In addition, this position is accountable for employee engagement, adequate staffing levels, budget development and compliance, staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work related performance, and developing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. This position also ensures training, monitoring and operations initiatives are implemented which secure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/government regulations.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Directs, develops and implements strategic and operational/high level projects and processes either through independent/highly autonomous work or through the facilitation of work teams to enable the effective and efficient completion of objectives.

• Oversees management of and ensures development for staff to meet overall objectives in terms of quality, service and cost effectiveness. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem. Directs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees.

• Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators.

• Provides leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes.

• Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one's area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals. Drives the promotion of teamwork within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed.

• Ensures effective and efficient delivery, communication, and administration of the specialty pharmacy program across the organization.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Oversees department operations, designated projects, schedules and activities as needed to ensure that goals or objectives are accomplished within the prescribed time frame. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction.

• Drives department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability. Serves and actively participates on various entity committees as a voice for the department.

• Develops partnerships and ensures pharmacy services are supporting the needs of all primary customers across and external to the organization, including but not limited to: patients, executives, medical directors, physician groups, nursing, external entities, etc.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines. Responsible for staff maintenance of credentials and competencies, per accrediting/ licensing agency and/or department guidelines as applicable.

• Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes and information systems by monitoring and improving the department workflow and enhancing operations, using peer-to-peer accountability and identifying solutions via collaboration. Implements process improvements utilizing tools such as lean principles. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.

• Responsible for employee compliance to policies and procedures and performs associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., licensure/certification compliance, focal point review requirements, disaster plan, in-services, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.).

• Maintains integration of specialty pharmacy services throughout the entity to ensure compliance with legal requirements set by federal, state, and local agencies as well as rules and regulations of other accreditation/regulatory agencies that govern the practice of specialty pharmacy.

• Promotes positive patient outcomes and experiences through the appropriate use of pharmaceuticals.

• Provides oversight and guidance in conjunction with the quality management committee and the governing body to ensure appropriate monitoring of quality metrics, HM business practices, and compliance to accreditation standards and regulatory statutes.

• Ensures compliance of limited distribution drugs and specialty pharmacy network contracts.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develops and manages department operational and capital budgets, approvals, and ongoing maintenance of the department(s), ensuring operation in a cost-effective manner. Proactively identifies and plans for capital needs related to current equipment and future department projects. Ensures staffing plans and schedules meet department needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness.

• Creates department strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to department specifications.

• Optimizes drug therapy costs and revenue cycle as they relate to drug formulary decisions for the organization.

• Interacts with payers, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other stakeholders in order to create visibility for specialty pharmacy services and establish relationships that will grow and sustain the business.

• Provides oversight of specialty pharmacy network applications.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies and implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve department, entity or system operations by leading unit projects and/or other department/ system-directed activities. Proactively leads task forces and committees. May represent HM at assigned community or professional organization meetings.

• Drives change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures. Partners effectively with stakeholders as appropriate.

• Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates My Development Plan (MDP) on an on-going basis. Conducts conversations with staff on their development and MDP.

• Maintains active involvement in professional organizations to stay abreast of current trends and to contribute to the growth of the pharmacy profession. Promotes and participates in education and research programs, including preceptorship with accredited residencies and undergraduate pharmacy programs.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Graduate of education program approved by the credentialing body for the required credential(s) indicated below in the Certifications, Licenses and Registrations section

• An advanced degree (i.e., master's degree or Pharm.D) strongly preferred

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Five years of people management experience; for internal employees, four years of experience in pharmacy services with HM performance that demonstrates leadership responsibility

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• PHRM - Pharmacist - State Licensure -- or eligible for Texas Pharmacist License within 90 days AND
• IV Certification - Intravenous certification (ACPE) -- If applicable to primary work assignment within 60 days

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially about activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Demonstrates the ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one's intentions and those of the organization

• Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one's own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved

• Demonstrates leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction initiative and effective interpersonal skills and oral/written communication skills

• Ability to identify and understand issues, problems and opportunities, comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences

• Extensive knowledge of regulatory and accreditation agency requirements that impact department; stays abreast of industry changes

• Demonstrates highly effective communication skills-strong written communications and platform presentation abilities

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment

• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in the workplace

• Capable of leading teams/facilitating groups, building consensus and garnering highest confidence in professionalism and work product by senior leadership

• Ability to work under pressure and balance many competing priorities; highly responsive and solution/action oriented

• Proficiency in spreadsheet, word processing, and presentation software

• Maintains a positive and supportive attitude and demeanor

• Professional handling of exposure to confidential/sensitive information

• Must be familiar with clinical, administrative, educational, and research activities in contemporary hospital pharmacy practice

• Working knowledge of sterilization and aseptic techniques

• Ability and willingness to contribute to the pharmaceutical literature

• Understanding of the basic principles of rational drug therapy and ability to train others in providing rational drug therapy

• Knowledge and ability to fiscally manage a hospital pharmacy division

• Basic background knowledge of biostatistical techniques and research methodology in drug evaluation techniques

• Professional knowledge, database, and judgment to accurately dispense medications and appropriately intervene in monitoring drug therapy for patient age groups, neonate to geriatric

• Professional and technical competence in the critical selection, evaluation, and utilization of the pharmaceutical, medical, and scientific literature

• Ability to integrate distributive, supportive, and clinical activities within the respective areas of responsibility

• Ability to monitor compliance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations pertaining to drugs and drug delivery devices in the respective work areas

• Knowledge and ability to apply continuous quality improvement (CQI) principles to the provision of pharmacy services (i.e., PDSA, Six-Sigma, Lean, FMEA, etc.)

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs No
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes

Houston Methodist (HM) is one of the nation’s leading health systems and academic medical centers.  HM consists of eight hospitals: Houston Methodist Hospital, its flagship academic hospital in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, and seven community hospitals throughout the greater Houston metropolitan area.  HM also includes an academic institute, a comprehensive residency program, a global business division, numerous physician practices and several free-standing emergency rooms and outpatient facilities.  Overall, HM employs over 25,000 employees.   Houston Methodist is supported by a wide variety of business functions that operate at the system level to help enable clinical departments to provide the best patient care and service in a spiritual environment.

In 2019 Houston Methodist and its physicians treat more than 6,333 international patients from more than 76 countries. Houston Methodist Global Health Care Services’ consulting and education divisions also provide advisory services and training and development to health care organizations around the world.