Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: Elevating Pharmacy Leadership, Access, and Clinical Impact at Luminis Health

Release Date: January 31, 2026
Guest: Dr. Sahil Sheth (Senior Director of Pharmacy Services, Luminis Health)
Host: Paige Twiner

Episode Overview

This episode explores how Luminis Health is elevating pharmacy leadership, improving access, and expanding clinical impact across its integrated health system. Dr. Sahil Sheth, Senior Director of Pharmacy Services, discusses recent organizational restructuring, the strategic goals for pharmacy in 2026, ongoing and future clinical initiatives, and the increased emphasis on technology, automation, and workforce support as drivers of both sustainability and clinical excellence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to Luminis Health (00:19 – 01:25)

• Dr. Sahil Sheth introduces himself as both the Senior Director of Pharmacy Services and PGY1 Residency Director at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
• Luminis Health, founded in 2019, serves a diverse population across Maryland with three hospitals: Anne Arundel Medical Center (Annapolis), Doctors Community Medical Center (Lanham), and J. Kent McMu Medical Center (behavioral health).
• Key Quote:

  "As a system, we serve a diverse population in Maryland... our focus is really on enhancing the health of the patients and the communities we serve... pharmacy plays a very key role across that space."
  — Sahil Sheth (00:19)

Pharmacy Leadership Restructuring (01:25 – 03:16)

• Pharmacy services operate three inpatient pharmacies, two infusion centers, an expanded ambulatory care service, behavioral health pharmacy, employee pharmacy, and bedside dispense program.
• In 2025, pharmacy leadership was “right-sized” to address retirements (two directors with a combined 80 years of service) and succession planning.
• The new structure includes:
  • Addition of a senior director of pharmacy.
  • Leadership opportunities with retirements, focusing on building a robust next-generation team.
  • Appointment of the system’s first 340B program leader, signaling strategic intent.
• Key Quote:

  "We've had two incredible pharmacy directors who've retired... almost 80 years, combined with the organization, we've had to really have the right team in place to help with that succession planning and continuing to grow our team."
  — Sahil Sheth (01:47)

Strategic Priorities for 2026 (03:30 – 04:58)

• Three main priorities:
  1. Sustainability — including pursuit of 340B program participation.
  2. Clinical Readiness — preparing for changes in care delivery.
  3. Workforce Support — with a focus on development and retention.
• The 340B program is seen as essential for financial sustainability and reinvestment into non-reimbursed pharmacy-led services, particularly to enhance access and affordability for underserved populations.
• Key Quote:

  "...the 340B participation for one of our eligible entities... would allow us to generate some savings that could be reinvested into services that are not often fully reimbursed... from our perspective, it's really about enhancing access."
  — Sahil Sheth (03:33)

• Host notes ongoing national and local legal developments around 340B (including the program’s status before the Supreme Court) affecting planning and strategy (04:58).

Key 2025 Achievements (05:42 – 09:21)

• Stabilizing Operations & Expanding Clinical Impact:
  • Focused on expanding ambulatory care, especially through collaborative drug therapy management (CDTM) agreements.
  • Noted dramatic reductions in A1C among diabetes patients after pharmacists took a more direct role in medication management and patient education.
  • Expanded programs to manage chronic diseases: hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking cessation, heart failure.
• Discharge Dispense Program:
  • Transitioned the “meds to beds” program to a discharge lounge model, doubling prescription volume and improving patient satisfaction, throughput, and safety.
  • Freed up almost 300 hours of inpatient bed time per month.
• Attributing Success to Frontline Staff:
  • Emphasized the importance of leadership, pharmacists, and technicians’ ownership and dedication.
  • Key Quote:

    "It's their ownership, it's their day to day, it's their determination, their commitment to these patients that make these successes sustainable. I really think that's the key."
    — Sahil Sheth (08:40)

Challenges & Opportunities for Growth (09:32 – 12:27)

• Opportunities Identified:

  • Broadening pharmacy’s scope from cost containment to clinical quality and operational efficiency.
  • Growth in ambulatory care and chronic disease management.
  • Leveraging automation and advanced analytics (including AI like Epic “Sidekick” and Slicer Dicer tools) to reduce administrative workload and optimize decision-making.
  • Piloting IV robotics to address drug shortages and reallocate technician time to more patient-centered roles. -Key Quote:

  "I think automation in this space would really create some opportunities for our pharmacy technicians to spend less time in the IV room and more time in patient centered kind of high value roles... which can help both support delivery as well as staff engagement."
  — Sahil Sheth (11:40)

• Foundational Focus:

  • Emphasized that the most important growth element is bringing together expertise, technology, and engaged personnel:

    "...the incredible people that we get to work with every day... our executive leadership team is so encouraging... That's the work, that's what makes this work possible as well as meaningful fronts." (12:15)

Thematic Takeaways: Elevating Pharmacists' Roles (12:27 – 13:40)

• Both host and guest highlight a critical “through-line”—the goal of empowering pharmacy staff to do what they do best: focus on patient care, not manual or administrative work.
• Recognizes looming threats from pharmacy tech and pharmacist shortages, making talent optimization and retention critical.
• Key Quote:

  "Workforce shortages, burnout, drug shortages, supply chain instability, expanding expectations of pharmacy—all of this becomes really important in leveraging technology and our staff the best we can."
  — Sahil Sheth (13:18)

Final Thoughts / Advice for Leaders (13:51 – 14:16)

• Advice for pharmacy leaders: focus on people, invest in teams, stay patient-centered, and be thoughtful about change.
• Expressed optimism about the pharmacy profession’s ability to lead in healthcare transformation over the next decade.
• Key Quote:

  "The challenges are real... but there is a tremendous opportunity for pharmacy to lead over the next five to ten years. So I'm really excited for that."
  — Sahil Sheth (14:10)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "We've had two incredible pharmacy directors who've retired... almost 80 years, combined with the organization, we've had to really have the right team in place..." (01:47)
• "The 340B participation... would allow us to generate some savings that could be reinvested into services that are not often fully reimbursed..." (03:33)
• "Through this pharmacy and pharmacist led management, we've just seen dramatic reductions in A1C levels for our patients." (05:52)
• "We've actually rebranded the traditional quote unquote meds to beds program to discharge dispense program, really reflecting... a more streamlined discharge experience for our patients." (07:53)
• "I think automation in this space would really create some opportunities for our pharmacy technicians to spend less time in the IV room and more time in patient centered kind of high value roles..." (11:40)
• "Focusing on our people first, investing in our teams and staying grounded on patient needs and being thoughtful about change." (13:51)
• "There is a tremendous opportunity for pharmacy to lead over the next five to ten years." (14:10)

Important Timestamps

• 00:19 — Dr. Sheth’s introduction & organizational overview
• 01:47 — Pharmacy leadership restructuring & succession planning
• 03:33 — 2026 strategic priorities (including 340B program)
• 05:52 — Major 2025 initiatives & expanded ambulatory care
• 07:53 — Discharge dispense program and operational impacts
• 09:42 — Opportunities for growth: Ambulatory, automation, workforce
• 13:18 — Workforce challenges and the importance of talent optimization
• 13:51 — Final advice & vision for pharmacy leadership

Summary

This episode is a comprehensive look at the broad transformation of Luminis Health’s pharmacy operations—rooted in both visionary leadership and frontline engagement. Dr. Sheth details how the system is strategically aligning leadership and programs to both adapt to financial pressures and unlock clinical value, especially through technology, proactive chronic disease management, and empowering staff to work at the top of their license. The conversation is rich with practical initiatives, candid about workforce and regulatory headwinds, yet optimistic about the future impact of pharmacy as a driving force in integrated healthcare.