Meet Our Preceptors
Christopher Hatwig, MS, RPh, FASHP
President
Residency Co-Coordinator
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, 340B ACE
Senior Director, 340B Purchasing Compliance and Optimization
Residency Program Director
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 Senior Director of 340B Purchasing Compliance and Optimization at Apexus. Her primary role is to work with 340B stakeholders to better understand the 340B Program and implement purchasing practices that support program compliance. Sarah’s primary focuses include the development of tools to assist in tackling 340B operational challenges and the fostering of partnerships with stakeholders that can identify best practices to be shared with others in the 340B community. Her areas of expertise include the use of analytics in evaluating purchasing practices to identify additional savings opportunities and developing operational dashboards.
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.
She 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.