Latest / Becker’s Healthcare Podcast / Joseph Pinto, Vice President of Pharmacy Operations at Mount Sinai Health System

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Joseph Pinto, Vice President of Pharmacy Operations at Mount Sinai Health System · Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

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  and click on the events tab in the
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  upper right.
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  Welcome to the Becker's pharmacy leadership podcast. I'm
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  Ella Jeffries, pharmacy reporter with Becker's healthcare.
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  Today, I'm joined by Joseph Pinto, vice president
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  of pharmacy operations at Mount Sinai Health System.
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  In this episode, we'll be talking about key
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  pharmacy initiatives from the past year, the priorities
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  and headwinds leaders are navigating as they plan
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  for 2026,
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  and where opportunities for organizational growth are emerging.
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  Joseph, thank you so much for joining me
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  today. To start us off, can you please
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  introduce yourself and share a bit more about
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  your role at Mount Sinai Pharmacy Organization?
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  Sure. Yeah. Thank you, Ella. So, yes, as
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  Ella mentioned, my name is Joe Pinto. I'm
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  the, vice president of pharmacy operations,
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  here at the Mount Sinai Health System in
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  in New York City.
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  So Mount Sinai is a large academic
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  integrated health system with, eight hospitals,
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  with approximately a 150,000
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  inpatient discharges
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  and more than 400 outpatient practice locations with
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  approximately 5,700,000
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  outpatient visits.
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  We do have a growing
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  ambulatory and specialty pharmacy footprint
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  and one of the nation's,
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  most active research enterprises.
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  My my role here is really enterprise focused,
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  responsible for overseeing pharmacy operations, automation,
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  informatics,
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  workforce strategy
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  and medication across the system. And, you know,
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  what's exciting right now is that pharmacy sits
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  at the intersection
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  of clinical care,
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  digital innovation
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  and financial stewardship.
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  And we're increasingly
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  expected,
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  to lead across,
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  all three.
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  Definitely. Thank you so much for sharing that
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  context.
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  Now looking back over the past year, what
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  was the most important initiative that you led?
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  What did you focus on, and what results
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  did you see?
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  Sure. Yeah. So
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  I'd say one of the most important initiatives,
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  I led this past year was a system
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  wide
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  modernization
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  of,
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  our pharmacy operating model. So
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  that entailed combining supply chain,
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  transformation, automation,
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  and
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  digital workflow,
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  redesign.
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  So that the probably the major part of
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  that was,
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  our wholesaler transition.
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  So we expand and expanded use of automation
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  such as IV robotics
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  and dispensing technology,
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  and tighter integration with EPIC to reduce manual
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  work and variability.
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  So and, you know, when we when I
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  look at at those initiatives,
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  this past year, the goal
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  wasn't just, you know, in in savings. Right?
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  It was
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  reliability.
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  You know, we focused on improving resiliency,
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  medication availability,
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  and
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  predictability
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  for our frontline teams. So I I think
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  that's, you know, important that we
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  were able to support our our frontline teams,
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  in making sure that we are anchored
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  in everything I just went through. And the
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  results were measurable. Right? We experienced significant cost
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  savings with our transition.
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  We had improved turnaround times,
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  new operational disruptions,
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  and probably a more scalable pharmacy platform
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  that really positions us for future growth in
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  specialty and advanced therapies.
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  And I think those were the major
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  initiatives that that we,
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  encountered last year that I was leading.
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  Great. Thank you for sharing, and it's great
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  to hear those positive results you guys are
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  seeing already.
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  I'm curious. When you were undergoing
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  that, you know, major transition, what lessons did
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  you take away from that experience?
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  I I think I'd invest
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  even earlier in the change management
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  and and data transparency.
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  I think people will
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  adopt faster when they can see the why
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  in real time.
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  Just for example, our our wholesale transition,
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  I think we probably did in in record
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  time.
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  You know, we had an RFP that went
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  out.
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  We made our decision
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  sometime
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  in mid February to to make the change,
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  and we were alive within three months of
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  that of that decision.
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  A change like that generally will take
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  six to nine months given, the complexity of
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  our system
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  and and the dollar volumes that really, you
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  know, we put through our our wholesaler. So
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  I think, you know,
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  like I like I mentioned earlier, just invest
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  in a little early in that change management
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  process.
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  Definitely. That's a great lesson I think other
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  leaders will would like to hear.
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  Now looking ahead, what are the big priorities
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  and headwinds that you're focused on as you
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  plan for 2026?
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  It's a good question.
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  And, you know, there's there's always
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  competing priorities. Right? So I think looking ahead
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  in '26,
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  priorities that I'm looking at fall into really
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  three buckets,
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  digital
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  enablement, right, specialty you know, especially pharmacy growth,
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  and
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  readiness for advanced therapies.
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  On the digital side,
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  I said we're I think we're we're focused
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  on leveraging AI
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  and advanced analytics,
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  as I think most health systems are, right,
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  as AI is growing.
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  And that's to to support
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  our order verification,
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  inventory optimization,
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  and, you know, clinical decision making.
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  And and this opportunity is not replacing clinicians.
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  Right? But removing
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  the low value cognitive work so that they
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  can focus on our patients. That that's the
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  goal of what we're looking to do when
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  when we look to implement
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  technologies and and and AI. So that that's
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  really the goal of that piece. I think
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  specialty pharmacy
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  and infusion continue to be major growth areas
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  for us, both clinically and financially,
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  and that requires
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  tighter integration between pharmacy,
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  you know, providers, payers, and our revenue cycle
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  team. So, you know, it's a big coordination
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  between the different
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  departments and and disciplines
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  within our health system.
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  And then there's
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  a very common topic, you know, when when
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  you when I speak with, you know, colleagues
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  from around the country and, you know, and
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  then there's this cell and gene therapy. Right?
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  That's these therapies are
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  transformational
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  in treating patients,
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  but operationally,
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  they're very comp complex.
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  So I I think, you know, we need
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  infrastructure
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  that
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  includes clinical, financial, digital, right, to to safely
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  and sustainably support
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  support these these, you know, these the,
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  these advanced gene therapies.
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  So and then, you know, when I when
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  I think about headwind,
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  that's the pace. Right? So technology
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  and therapeutics are
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  are moving faster than traditional operating models. Right?
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  So where we think and how pharmacy scales
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  responsibly, that's that's the major headwind for us.
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  Like, the these technologies and therapeutics
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  are are coming at us
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  fast and furious. So I think
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  we need to we need to figure out
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  how we scale that responsibly in the pharmacy
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  department.
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  Definitely.
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  Now along with those priorities
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  and headwinds do come some tough decisions. What's
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  the hardest thing that you're gonna have to
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  tackle in the coming year as a pharmacy
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  leader?
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  So many.
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  But so I I think as leaders, we
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  have to be
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  disciplined
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  about sequencing. Right?
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  So
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  for for me, it's strengthening
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  our core inpatient operations first,
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  including medication safety,
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  our workforce stability,
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  As I mentioned earlier, digital infrastructure,
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  so, you know, growth elsewhere
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  is sustainable,
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  right, rather than being reactive. I I think
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  we need to build that core first, that
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  that strong foundation.
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  And then, you know, for inpatient pharmacy in
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  particular, that means,
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  as I mentioned, you know, and that you'll
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  you'll hear me say this probably a few
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  times if you haven't already is using AI
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  and automation as
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  as force, multipliers,
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  reducing the cognitive and operational burden,
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  hardwiring safety, and freeing pharmacists and technicians to
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  focus on,
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  clinical decision making and direct patient care.
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  And all of this, right, is happening
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  in an environment of real financial uncertainty,
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  especially with the pending changes to the three
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  forty b rebate program
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  and the downstream effects of the Inflation Reduction
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  Act.
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  So so those shifts are changing
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  how and when
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  value flows back to the health system.
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  And so it's not just impact in especially
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  pharmacy margin, but also how we fund
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  all their services, technology investments,
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  and and our and our staffing models. So
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  it it it has a very
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  big, you know, big impact, influential impact on
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  how we do do business. So the challenge
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  becomes
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  balancing financial stewardship,
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  regulatory
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  compliance,
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  and and patient access
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  across the entire continuum. And often this happens,
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  without incomplete information,
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  alright, and evolving rules. So
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  upcoming years is going to be interesting.
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  I think that's why we're we're being very
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  intentional,
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  invested in better
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  data and analytics,
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  aligning inpatient and outpatient strategies,
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  working closely with finance, compliance, nursing, and and
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  medical leadership.
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  And and you know what? Sometimes that means
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  saying not yet instead of no. Right? So
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  making sure technology
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  adoption,
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  AI enablement,
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  and program and program growth are
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  purposeful,
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  they're aligned, they're resilient,
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  rather than just being driven
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  by urgency
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  or reactive at at that time.
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  For sure. And speaking of resiliency, how are
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  you preparing your team for these challenges ahead?
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  So, you know, we have to be
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  transparent and consistent. Right?
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  So I mentioned earlier, like, getting ahead of
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  it, and I think, you know, we explained
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  the why. Like, show how ideas fit into
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  a broader road map
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  and
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  reinforce the prioritizations
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  is about sequencing and not shutting things down.
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  So, you know, when when teams see that
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  decisions are thoughtful and aligned
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  to patient care
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  and sustainability,
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  I I think our our engagement stays high.
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  So I, again, I think that's the the
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  key
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  is being very transparent and being and planning
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  ahead,
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  and not rushing in and being reactive to
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  what's happening around us.
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  Yeah. That's great advice. Thank you for sharing.
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  Now even with those challenges, there are still
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  areas for growth. Where do you see the
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  best opportunities for organizational growth moving forward for
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  Mount Sinai?
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  So I you know,
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  the the the strongest growth opportunities, I I
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  think, are
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  where
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  pharmacy
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  expands its clinical and strategic influence.
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  So, you know, specialty pharmacy infusion and advanced
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  therapies, as I mentioned earlier, are
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  are probably obvious areas. Right?
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  But
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  growth,
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  to me, anyway, comes from
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  be being better integrated
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  across the continuum of care, from inpatient
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  to ambulatory
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  to home. So digital capabilities,
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  as I mentioned, are a force multiplier.
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  So when you combine a
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  a a clinic, a strong clinical program
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  with the right technology, pharmacy becomes
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  a driver of access, right, quality and financial
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  performance.
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  So I think, ultimately, growth isn't just about
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  the about volume. Right? It's about building a
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  a strong pharmacy enterprise
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  that I mentioned earlier, right, that's resilient, data
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  driven, and prepared
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  for what's next. And I I think that's
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  where the our growth lies, like, being prepared
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  for what's next. So it's not always about
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  the volume.
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  I I think it's just building a a
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  strong resilient team.
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  Mhmm. Definitely.
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  Well, Joseph, this has been such a great
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  conversation. Thank you so much for sharing your
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  perspectives and insights with us. That's all for
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  today's episode of the Becker's Pharmacy Leadership Podcast.
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  A big thank you to Joseph Pinto for
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  joining us to discuss pharmacy priorities, challenges, and
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  opportunities at Mount Sinai Health System. Thanks for
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  listening, and we'll see you next time.