Meet Our Preceptors
Christopher Hatwig, MS, RPh, FASHP
President
Residency Program Director
Education
BS Pharmacy – University of Arkansas College of Pharmacy
MS Hospital Pharmacy Administration – University of Wisconsin
Training
Pharmacy Practice Residency – University of Wisconsin
Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency – University of Wisconsin
Background
Chris A. Hatwig, MS, RPh, is President of Apexus, the organization responsible for managing the Human Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) 340B Prime Vendor Program (PVP). Chris works closely with HRSA’s Office of Pharmacy Affairs in Washington, D.C., to educate all stakeholders and to improve the integrity and value of the 340B Drug Pricing Program for the nation’s safety-net providers. Participants in the program include more than 15,500 HRSA grantees and disproportionate share hospitals serving the nation’s low-income and uninsured populations. The PVP provides added value by collectively representing the 340B covered entities’ purchases to secure federal sub-ceiling discounts on pharmaceuticals and discounts on other outpatient pharmacy related products and services.
Chris is consulted frequently about maximizing the benefits of the 340B Program. He routinely makes national and regional presentations related to the 340B Drug Pricing Program, innovative ambulatory pharmacy services and drug cost containment strategies.
Chris received his Bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the University of Arkansas. He completed residencies in hospital pharmacy and hospital pharmacy administration at the University of Wisconsin, culminating in a Master’s degree in hospital pharmacy.
Before joining Apexus, he was the Director of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services and Value Analysis Programs at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, where he practiced for 13 years, managing one of the nation’s largest and more progressive ambulatory pharmacy programs serving low-income and uninsured patients. He was responsible for managing Parkland’s network of ambulatory pharmacies, which processed more than two million prescriptions annually and operated with a drug expense budget of $65 million.
Mike Benedict, MS, RPh
Vice President - Sourcing Operations
Residency Co-Coordinator
Education
BS Pharmacy – The Ohio State University
MS Hospital Pharmacy Administration - The Ohio State University
Training
Pharmacy Practice Residency – Mount Carmel Medical Center
Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency – Mount Carmel Medical Center
Background
Mike Benedict is Vice President of Pharmacy Operations at Apexus, the organization responsible for managing the HRSA 340B Prime Vendor Program. Mike is responsible for managing relationships with suppliers, distributors and entities, and provides educational support for internal and external stakeholders to the 340B program.
Before joining Apexus, Mike was the Vice President of Health Enterprises Pharmacy Services where he developed services for member hospitals including: onsite and remote staffing services, 340B services, medication safety and revenue cycle consulting services. Additionally he has provided over 25 years of pharmacy leadership in areas as diverse as Disproportionate Share Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Community Health Centers, School Based Clinics, Jails, Colleges of Pharmacy, Ambulatory Pharmacy and Clinical Services Management.
Mike received his Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from The Ohio State University. He completed residencies in Hospital Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy Administration at Mount Carmel Medical Center and completed in a Master’s degree in Hospital Pharmacy Administration at The Ohio State University.
Sarah Lee, PharmD, MS
Director, 340B Education and Compliance Support
Residency Co-Coordinator
Education
PharmD – the University of Iowa
MS Hospital Pharmacy Administration – University of Kansas
Training
Pharmacy Practice Residency – University of Kansas Hospitals
Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency – University of Kansas Hospitals
Background
Sarah Lee, PharmD, MS, is Director of 340B Education and Compliance support at Apexus. Her primary role is to work with 340B stakeholders to better understand the 340B Program and implement compliant solutions. Dr. Lee’s primary focuses include the development of tools to assist in tackling 340B operational challenges and the fostering of partnerships with covered entities that can identify best practices to be shared with others in the 340B community. Her areas of expertise include centralized program oversight, consolidated services centers, and program maintenance.
Before joining Apexus, Sarah served as the Clinical Manager for Pharmacy Supply Chain at the University of North Carolina Hospitals, where she was responsible for procurement and centralized supply chain operations including distribution and compounding, contracting, and the 340B Program.
Sarah earned her PharmD at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and her MS at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, and completed a two-year health system pharmacy administration residency at the University of Kansas Hospitals.
John Barnes
Associate Vice President, Sourcing Services
Education
BBA – Northwood University
MBA – Richard DeVos Graduate School of Management
Background
John Barnes, MBA, is Associate Vice President of Sourcing for Apexus. He has 30 years of health care procurement and supply chain expertise in pharmaceutical, medical, surgical, and capital equipment. In his current role, he leads a diverse team that develops market-competitive contracts for branded and generic pharmaceuticals for more than 40,000 hospitals and clinics enrolled in the federal 340B Prime Vendor Program. Mr. Barnes has extensive experience in the US pharmaceutical industry in understanding drug pricing strategy for government and commercial markets.
Mr. Barnes began his career at a Kaiser hospital in northern California; upon relocating to Texas in 1989, he worked at Baylor Hospital, and then at Dallas County Hospital (Parkland) for 15 years, where he held several positions in supply chain ranging from inventory management to purchasing and value analysis. During his tenure at Parkland, he served as chairman for the product review and standardization committee and facilitated the medical capital technology assessment committee.
Mr. Barnes holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northwood University and an MBA from Richard DeVos Graduate School of Management in Midland, MI. He is a Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) through the Institute for Supply Management, and became a 340B Apexus Certified Expert in 2017.
Steve Campanini
Vice President, Communications and Programming
Education
BS Journalism – University of Kansas
Background
Steve Campanini is Vice President of Communications and Programming at Apexus, the nation’s leader in developing innovative ambulatory pharmacy solutions and supporting compliant 340B programs. He is responsible for the company’s communications strategy and public affairs activities with trade associations, supply partners, customers, and other stakeholders.
Mr. Campanini has more than 20 years of communications expertise leading integrated communications strategies in pharmaceuticals, hospitals, medical devices, and global public relations. Most recently, he was a senior partner and led health care communications strategy for health provider system clients at a digital marketing agency in Dallas. Previously, he was the vice president of communications at Tenet Healthcare, supporting the corporate center and all its hospitals. He also held senior corporate communications positions at Boston Scientific, Merck & Co., and CVS Caremark. Mr. Campanini began his public relations career at public affairs agencies, working with clients in managed care, academic medical centers, biotechnology, and life sciences, and on global HIV product campaigns for pharmaceutical clients.
Mr. Campanini has a BS degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, completed MIT-Harvard’s Public Disputes Conflict Resolutions workshop, and is certified in FEMA’s Hospital Incident Command System (HICS).
BJ Centers
Associate Vice President, Distribution Services
Education
Montana State University-Bozeman
University of Montana
Background
BJ Centers is Associate Vice President of Distributor Services at Apexus, where he oversees relationships with authorized distributors to ensure that covered entities have access to 340B drugs. In this role, he supports wholesalers and distributors in 340B compliance issues and challenges as it relates to the supply chain. BJ also oversees the analytics and audit group as well as the Apexus Manufacturer Refund Service, facilitating manufacturer refunds of 340B pricing overcharges to covered entities in the form of credits through covered entity distributor pharmacy ordering accounts.
Throughout his 40-year career, working with group purchasing organizations in the healthcare industry, BJ has served in sales, operations and management roles at pharmaceutical wholesalers. He has held various management positions at both large and small pharmaceutical manufacturers, where he was responsible for national and managed accounts. His specialties include: controlled distribution service development; real-time unit-dosing strategies; acute and non-acute care class of trade program/service development; web-based contract compliance and procurement modeling; government contracting; and securing national contracts for brand and generic pharmaceuticals.