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Shrujal Patel, Managing Partner at Alinea Group, was recently interviewed by 340B Report. He shares about his background, how he became involved in this space, and some advice for young professionals. Shrujal is an expert in implementing and optimizing strategic pharmacy initiatives to mitigate risk and enhance revenue, and he brings immense value to this field. Check out his full interview below.<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
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1. Where did you grow up? <\/strong>Westbury, NY; a small town in Long Island about 20 miles east of New York City.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n 2. Where did you go to college\/graduate school?<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/span>I obtained my degree in Pharmacy and Masters in Drug Regulatory Affairs and Health Policy from The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.\u00a0 I received my MBA from Babson College. [Fun fact: Babson has been ranked #1 in Entrepreneurship for the last 25 years and is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts].<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n 3. Tell us about your favorites:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Food<\/strong>: <\/span>I could probably come up with a delicious eclectic dish that makes me sound more sophisticated than I really am; but the truth is, I am a pizza guy.\u00a0 Breakfast \u2013 Lunch and Dinner.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Movie<\/strong>: <\/span>\u201cFavorite\u201d is tough for me, but I will never change the channel if \u201cMiracle\u201d is on. Every theme of that movie resonates deeply with me.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Musician(s) (limit to three)<\/strong>: <\/span>I am a mood\/music guy; I listen to so many genres and typically use music to shift my mindset to what serves me in the moment.\u00a0 If I had to pick one, it would be U2.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Destination<\/strong>: <\/span>Hawaii. I think most people that know me will agree that I have a tough time \u201cturning off\u201d.\u00a0 I am grateful that I have been able to travel all over this country and to many countries across the globe, but Hawaii is the only place that I have ever been where I have truly been able to relax.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u00a04. What do you like to do outside of work?\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong>This occupation requires pretty long hours which does not leave a lot of time for \u201coutside of work\u201d. That said, time with my wife and two boys (10 and 7) is a \u201cnon-negotiable\u201d. Several years ago, my best friend from childhood turned me on to triathlons; so, when I am not working or with my family, you\u2019ll likely find me running, biking, or swimming (or \u201cgeeking\u201d out over the training metrics). Strategically, I try to include my family in these activities so I can limit the 4:00 AM and 10:00 pm workouts!<\/i><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n 5. What kind of work does your company do in 340B and what makes it stand out? <\/span><\/strong>Alinea offers a full suite of 340B (or 340B related) services such as implementation, audit, optimization, interim management, and large-scale data analytics.\u00a0 I believe our success can be attributed to our approach. We strive to become a business partner, as opposed to a \u201cvendor.\u201d\u00a0 As such, we tend to build deep relationships with the folks that we work with and try to serve entities that are looking for more than a commodity service or \u201ccookie-cutter\u201d delivery. Our team is excellent at evaluating a customer need and applying a bespoke, principled approach to solving or serving the particular need.\u00a0 Equally important to note, we have been extremely selective in building our team; I could not be prouder of the professionalism, depth and breadth of expertise that our team demonstrates day in and day out.\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 6. Why did you choose to work in the 340B space? <\/span><\/strong>On paper, it probably appears that my educational background was deliberate with the goal of having an occupation related to the 340B program. The truth is, there was no \u201cdesign\u201d that automatically led me to 340B. I was given the gift of a career path that exposed me to many aspects of the \u201chealthcare economy.\u201d My early consulting work in clinical cost reduction and non-provider-based acquisition and integration allowed me to recognize patterns and strategies that served me well as the 340B program grew, became more complex, and faced greater regulatory scrutiny. I feel grateful to be able to able to utilize my skills to become a trusted advisor to clients that need help navigating all of this complexity.\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n 7. What do you feel is your most significant contribution to the 340B world or to a 340B customer\/client? <\/span><\/strong>Using a quote from my \u201cfavorite\u201d movie above, \u201cWhen you pull on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates. And the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back!\u201d.\u00a0 That\u2019s my long way of saying that I don\u2019t spend a lot of time thinking about personal successes or specific \u201cwins\u201d with clients. What is most significant to me is that I have the privilege of working with the best people in the business and the most incredible clients I could have ever imagined.\u00a0 If I have to take (partial) credit for anything, it would be the company culture that we have created that allows us to provide value to our clients every day. That culture also dictates that we are students as much as we are teachers; we are not infallible and need to learn every day so that we can grow as professionals and continue to provide value each and every day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n 8. What advice do you have for a young professional who has recently launched a career in the 340B space? <\/span><\/strong>Be curious. Understand the history of 340B, including the events that preceded it, the context and healthcare environment at the time and how it has changed over time. Do not become myopic in your thinking about 340B; if you are serving covered entities, do not just look at things from their point of view. Understand the players and motivations.\u00a0 You can only solve problems if you recognize the downstream impacts of the levers you pull today.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For questions, please contact <\/span><\/i>Shrujal.Patel@alinea-group.com<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/i> Connect with Shrujal<\/i><\/b><\/a> on LinkedIn, and follow the <\/i><\/b>Alinea Group on Twitter<\/i><\/b><\/a> and <\/i><\/b>LinkedIn<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Shrujal Patel, Managing Partner at Alinea Group, was recently interviewed by 340B Report. He shares about his background, how he became involved in this space, and some advice for young […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2626,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"[et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" fullwidth=\"on\" admin_label=\"Header\" _builder_version=\"4.15\" _dynamic_attributes=\"background_image\" background_enable_color=\"off\" background_image=\"@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9mZWF0dXJlZF9pbWFnZSIsInNldHRpbmdzIjp7fX0=@\" custom_padding=\"0px|0|0px|0px|false|false\" animation_style=\"slide\" animation_direction=\"top\" animation_duration=\"1700ms\" animation_intensity_slide=\"20%\" animation_starting_opacity=\"60%\" da_disable_devices=\"off|off|off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\" da_is_popup=\"off\" da_exit_intent=\"off\" da_has_close=\"on\" da_alt_close=\"off\" da_dark_close=\"off\" da_not_modal=\"on\" 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show_bottom_space=\"off\" align=\"center\" _builder_version=\"4.15.1\" _dynamic_attributes=\"src\" _module_preset=\"default\" min_height=\"710px\" height=\"799px\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.15.1\" _module_preset=\"default\" min_height=\"26.2px\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]\n Curtis and his family on a recent trip to Walt Disney World.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.15\" text_font_size=\"16px\" text_line_height=\"2em\" header_2_font=\"Merriweather||||||||\" header_2_text_align=\"left\" header_2_font_size=\"40px\" header_3_font=\"Merriweather||||||||\" header_3_font_size=\"40px\" header_3_line_height=\"1.4em\" text_orientation=\"center\" max_width_tablet=\"600px\" max_width_phone=\"400px\" max_width_last_edited=\"off|desktop\" module_alignment=\"center\" custom_margin=\"||0px|||\" animation_style=\"flip\" scroll_scaling_enable=\"on\" header_3_font_size_tablet=\"36px\" header_3_font_size_phone=\"24px\" header_3_font_size_last_edited=\"on|desktop\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]\n<\/h2>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.15\" text_font_size=\"16px\" text_line_height=\"2em\" header_3_font=\"Merriweather||||||||\" header_3_font_size=\"40px\" header_3_line_height=\"1.4em\" max_width_tablet=\"600px\" max_width_phone=\"400px\" max_width_last_edited=\"off|desktop\" module_alignment=\"center\" custom_padding=\"||0px|||\" header_3_font_size_tablet=\"36px\" header_3_font_size_phone=\"24px\" header_3_font_size_last_edited=\"on|desktop\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]\n\nGet to know more about Curtis Frazier, 340B Subject Matter Expert, in this spotlight interview. He has a passion for technology and specializes in all things 340B, from implementation to compliance to optimization.<\/strong><\/span>\n\n<\/strong>\n\nHow long have you been a part of the Alinea-Group?<\/strong>\n\nAbout 4 \u00bd years now. I joined in January of 2018.\n<\/span><\/em>\n
What brought you to the company?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nI was looking for something new to do in the 340B space. After talking with other members of the group, I knew this is where I wanted to be\u2026. with other 340B nerds!\n<\/span><\/em>\n
How do you best describe your role? <\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nThat\u2019s a great question! My title is 340B Subject Matter Expert so I\u2019m involved in any of our clients' needs that touch 340B. I mainly focus on 340B implementations, optimizations and compliance audits, but my experience also lends to helping improve pharmacy operations in areas such as specialty pharmacy.\n<\/em><\/span>\n
What do you enjoy about your work with Alinea?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nI enjoy working with our clients and our team members. I love all of the challenges our clients bring to us. It\u2019s rewarding to discuss those challenges in great detail with our team to develop a work plan. It\u2019s not every day you get to work with such talented and high-performing co-workers and clients.<\/em>\n
Where did you grow up? As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nI grew up in an area known as the Quad Cities. It\u2019s located on the Illinois\/Iowa border. Looking back, I was obsessed with technology and how it could help you do so many things. Now I can really appreciate all the technology tools we use to help us create value for our clients every day.<\/em>\n
What hobbies or passions keep you grounded?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\nI have a passion for new technology and how technology can improve your life. At the moment, I\u2019m really into home automation and the many opportunities it creates to help you in your daily life. I\u2019m also into investing and this volatile stock market keeps me entertained.<\/em>\n
Favorite books or music?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nPodcasts are really my favorite. They are a great way to stay caught up on what\u2019s going on in the world and also learn new information. If I had to rank my top 5:<\/em>\n
\n \t