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Our BlogCrista Parsons Spotlight
Welcome Crista L. Parsons, CPhT, MBA
We are excited to announce that Crista L. Parsons, CPhT, MBA has joined our team as a Consultant and Subject Matter Expert. Crista comes to Alinea Group with a strong healthcare background, including over 20 years of experience in hospital pharmacy operations, finance, and business analysis. She brings her passions for healthcare and data analysis to assist clients in developing the best solutions to complex concerns. She is an expert in 340B-related operations, and we are excited for the impact she will make at Alinea Group. Get to know more about Crista below!
How long have you been a part of the Alinea-Group?
I joined Alinea in October, 2021.
What brought you to the company?
I relocated to Asheville, NC to be closer to family, and I needed to look for a new position to support my move. I worked with Alinea in my former role at a children’s hospital, and I was always impressed with the team and their quality of work. We relied on Alinea to be our primary support for all 340B issues and audit readiness, and had an amazing relationship over many years. I knew I wanted a position where I’d be able to utilize my pharmacy and analytics background, and work with a creative and fun team. Alinea was the perfect match!
How do you best describe your role?
I’m still new to the team, but I am quickly learning that everyone does a little bit of everything at Alinea! While our primary focus is 340B implementation, compliance, and audit readiness, we provide all kinds of pharmacy operation assistance. One day I’m assisting a lead auditor on a 340B compliance audit, the next I’m talking to a client about medication purchasing optimization. It’s a dynamic environment that lets me explore a lot of different projects, and I’m looking forward to learning even more.
What do you enjoy about your work with Alinea?
The people! Both the team at Alinea and the clients we serve. My coworkers are some of the most dedicated, creative, and supportive people I’ve ever worked with. It’s a wonderful environment where we all jump in to share expertise and assist in getting the work done well, while also having a good time. And it is so great to work with clients from all over the country! No hospital or clinic is identical, so I get to see new roles with unique situations at each location, and everyone is passionate about their jobs. It has been a lot of fun meeting all these people and learning so much from them, and I’m genuinely excited to keep making new connections.
Where did you grow up? As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and have lived here all my life, so it’s a big change to relocate to North Carolina. As a kid, I never knew what to say when I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I had no idea. My standard answer was, “Maybe something with computers?”
What hobbies or passions keep you grounded?
I love spending time with my nieces and nephews. I don’t have any children of my own, so I try to see them as much as I can (yet it’s never enough.) Spending time with those kids, seeing how they experience things for the first time or how they interpret the world around them, makes me stop and reflect on just how much excitement there is in our everyday activities.
Favorite books or music?
I am a voracious reader, so picking a favorite book would be impossible. However, one of the earliest “real” books I checked out from the elementary school library was Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations.” I enjoyed it immensely even though I didn’t understand all of it at that age. It’s still a story that I read every few years, and one of my most prized possessions is my uncle’s copy of the book.
Connect with Crista Parsons on Linkedin, and follow the Alinea Group on Twitter.