March 2, 2021
PRESS STATEMENT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Peggy.Tighe@PowersLaw.com
CV340B Names Advisory Council – Prominent 340B Leaders Join National Efforts to Educate, Enable, and Inspire Support for the 340B Drug Pricing Program
Today, Community Voices for 340B (CV340B) announced the appointment of seven leaders who have long served safety net providers participating in the 340B drug discount program to the organization’s inaugural Advisory Council.
CV340B named Nate Awrich, Naseema Shafi, Sima Shah, John Shaski, Derek Robertson, Sue Veer, & Zach Zwieg as its first Advisory Council members. CV340B seeks to raise awareness of the important role that the 340B program plays in protecting and improving health care access and the quality of care for communities nationwide.
“Collectively, these illustrious leaders have served hospitals and health systems, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), hemophilia treatment centers, and Ryan White clinics across our country, at the highest levels, and for many years,” said George Puckett, president of CV340B an CEO of Verity Solutions.
“We are proud that some of the ‘brightest lights’ in the 340B safety net community have aligned with us to educate the public about both the benefits of the 340B program and the threats the program faces,” Puckett added.
CV340B Advisory Council Members
Nate Awrich, Director of Pharmacy Supply Chain at the University of Vermont Health Network in Burlington, Vermont.
- Awrich is a health system leader in pharmacy business operations and services. An expert on the pharmacy supply chain and passionate advocate for the 340B program, Awrich has a keen knowledge of the important patient health and safety benefits provided by the 340B program.
Naseema Shafi, the Chief Executive Officer at Whitman-Walker Health in Washington, DC.
- Shafi has a wealth of experience in community engagement through her work at Whitman-Walker Health, a prominent Federally Qualified Health Center. Whitman-Walker Health was one of the first responders to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s in D.C. and is a leader in HIV care, prevention, and education.
Sima Shah Pharm.D, MPH, 340B Program Director at Howard Brown Health in Chicago, Illinois.
- With a Doctorate in Pharmacy and a Masters in Public Health, Shah brings both an academic and practical vision of the power of 340B for community health as well as creative engagement strategies for supporting the 340B program in communities. She has experience working on the ground in different health care settings and advocating for vulnerable patient populations.
John Shaski, Government Relations Officer at Sparrow Health System in Lansing, Michigan.
- A self-professed “Swiss Army Knife” government relations professional, John is an active voice for 340B at the federal, state, and local levels for his hospital system and for the 340B program. A passionate speaker and dedicated community leader and advocate, Shaski has been featured in several CV340B events including one hosted at Sparrow Health System in Lansing, MI, and in CV340B webinars.
Derek Robertson, MBA, JD, CHC is managing director at Apogenics, Inc., and a founder and former Executive Director of the Hemophilia Alliance.
- A healthcare attorney/consultant specializing in 340B, Robertson is well known as a tireless advocate for the 340B program. Robertson’s leadership in 340B is time-tested and widely recognized. His past leadership of the Hemophilia Alliance is often lauded as measured, strong, and instrumental in enabling the hemophilia community to best utilize the 340B program.
Sue Veer is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Carolina Health Centers, Inc.
- A veteran 340B advocate, Veer leads Carolina Health Centers, an FQHC with twelve primary care sites that serve as the medical home for more than 27,000 patients in South Carolina. Veer has testified on 340B before the U.S. Congress and is an active member of the National Association for Community Health Centers, serving on its Legislative, Health Policy, and Rural Health committees and 340B Work Group.
Zach Zwieg, MBA, MS, 340B Apexus Certified Expert at Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center in Sioux Falls, SD
- Zwieg is the Lead Pharmacy Regulatory Analyst who assists in overseeing all 340B program operations for 26 Avera Health system facilities. With a focus on compliance and program integrity, Zwieg has dedicated nearly a decade to ensuring quality patient care for the system through the 340B program.
CV340B aims to educate, enable, and inspire support for the 340B program at the local level by helping individuals and community leaders tell their side of the story: why 340B is vital to them and why a sustained and vibrant 340B program is an essential tool for protecting and improving public health, especially for medically underserved populations. It is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to 340B grassroots education to raise community awareness of and support for the 340B program.
CV340B is a 510(c)(3) grassroots organization that seeks to raise awareness of the important role that the 340B program plays in protecting and improving health care access and the quality of care for communities nationwide.
