FQHCs – Embracing Telehealth and Preparing for Potential Changes to the 340B Program with Jangus Whitner

In this episode, Dr. Jangus Whitner is a primary care clinical pharmacist and the 340B Program Manager for PrimaryOne Health in Columbus, Ohio. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Center for Farmworker Health and locally on the Clinician Advisory Board for La Clínica Latina Free Medical Clinic in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Whitner received his PharmD degree from The University of Toledo and completed two years of postgraduate residency training: PGY1 in pharmacy practice and PGY2 in ambulatory care pharmacy. He became a 340B Apexus Certified Expert in 2019 and is the Founder and Chair of the Ohio FQHC 340B Consortium.
Here are some of the main topics discussed:
1) Description of my health center: PrimaryOne Health
2nd largest federally qualified health center in Ohio
Serve >48,000 unique patients
etc.
2) A brief description of the not-so-clear and not-so-smooth timeline for COVID19 Response for healthcare and telehealth in particular
State & national considerations, insurers/billing, 340B
3) How we kept up my health center:
Telehealth Task Force (multidisciplinary team – we made sure clinical pharmacy/340B was represented)
4) What telehealth means for 340B
Telehealth = a “mechanism” or “mode of delivery” of a service, NOT a service itself
340B Policy and Procedures
Definition of telehealth
How do you handle the physical locations of providers/patients
Timeline of new language (post-pandemic planning)
5) Expanding Telehealth to include Clinical Pharmacy
Assess the telehealth feasibility of each service
Operational?
Sustainable?
Safe?
Efficient?