AMCP and AMCP Foundation Announce 2020 Award Winners in Managed Care Pharmacy

Alexandria, Va., May 12, 2020 – AMCP and the AMCP Foundation are pleased to announce winners of this year’s awards that recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the organizations and managed care pharmacy. The awards are presented annually in the spring.

“I offer my deepest congratulations to the outstanding AMCP and AMCP Foundation awardees,” says AMCP CEO Susan A. Cantrell, RPh, CAE. “Each one personifies the enduring commitment of our profession to serve millions of Americans, while setting an example for their peers and the next generation of managed care pharmacy leaders.”

AMCP and the Foundation present eight awards, with the highest honor conferred to the Foundation’s Steve G. Avey Award. The 2020 award recipients are:

Steven G. Avey Award: Recipient David Calabrese, RPh, MHP, is senior vice president and chief pharmacy officer at OptumRx. Calabrese is a sought out thought leader who is widely published and speaks at numerous health care forums and conferences. A long-time AMCP member, David is an active volunteer who has served on numerous committees, mentored students, and participated in AMCP’s Legislative Days. From 2012 to 2014, he served on the AMCP Board of Directors where he was instrumental in the creation of the Biologics and Biosimilars Collective Intelligence Consortium (BBCIC).

Distinguished Service Award: Recipient Richard A. Zabinski, PharmD, FAMCP, is vice president of product development and clinical operations of ActiveRadar Inc. Zabinski has advanced AMCP’s mission over the past 20 years, including by serving on boards of both AMCP and the Foundation, and numerous AMCP committees.

Individual Contribution Award: Recipient Judy Stein, is a national account director at UCB. Stein serves as president of the AMCP Midwest Affiliate. Her contributions have been a driving force in ensuring the Midwest Affiliate has remained a highly successful chapter.

Spirit of Volunteerism Award: Recipient Iris Tam, PharmD, FAMCP, is senior director and head of Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Patient Access, and Value at Coeus Consulting Group. A long-time member of the AMCP Format Executive Committee, Dr. Tam’s tireless efforts contributed to the successful release this year of the AMCP Format for Formulary Submissions, Version 4.1.

Grassroots Advocacy Award: Recipient Elizabeth Sampsel, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, is senior director of Formulary Decisions Payer and Provider Relations at Xcenda. Dr. Sampsel has been an effective advocate for AMCP, especially around the importance of Pharmaceutical Information Exchange (PIE), which she can easily explain to legislators.

Experiential Education Preceptor Award: Recipient Stephen Lott, PharmD, MS, is a clinical pharmacist specialist with the University of Michigan Prescription Drug Plan and serves as director of the plan’s postgraduate year one (PGY 1) pharmacy residency program. Dr. Lott serves as a role model for pharmacy students in addition to his other numerous professional responsibilities.

Managed Care Pharmacy Residency Director/Preceptor Award: Recipient Lisa Haw, PharmD, is principal of Clinical Account Management at MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc., where she founded MedImpact’s PGY 1 managed care residency program. Dr. Haw’s supportive approach and thoughtful strategizing to develop her resident helps to explain the positive culture that surrounds the resident.

Diplomat of the Year: Recipient Tasmina Hydery, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, is clinical consultant pharmacist for Clinical Pharmacy Services, University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Hydery served as the first official guest speaker to a newly established AMCP student chapter on the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Worcester campus.

Journal of Managed Care & specialty Pharmacy (JMCP) Award of Excellence (Article from 2019): Winner: “Actionable Real-World Evidence to Improve Health Outcomes and Reduce Medical Spending Among Risk-Stratified Patients with Diabetes” by Elizabeth Garry et al. Honorable Mention: “Evaluation of a Pharmacist-Managed Antidiabetic Deprescribing Program in an Integrated Health Care System” by Rita Hui et al.

AMCP Fellows:

Elizabeth Brusig, PharmD, MBA, is a clinical pharmacy specialist at Optima Health Plan in Virginia Beach, Va. Dr. Brusig has chaired several AMCP committees and currently serves on the Professional Practice Committee.

Jessica Daw, PharmD, MBA, is vice president of Pharmacy at Optima Health. Her experience includes medication therapy management, care management programs, formulary and utilization management, value-based contracting, physician risk sharing arrangements, compliance, and PBM oversight.

Michael Pazirandeh, PharmD, is director with the health economics outcomes research team at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he’s responsible for conducting health economics and outcomes research.

Tracy McDowd, PharmD, is clinical pharmacist with the Medicare Part D Formulary Operations at OptumRx. Her experience includes working as senior regulatory consultant within a large health system for federal payers, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare.