Michael McKendall, Chief Pharmacy Officer at InclusivCare

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode: Michael McKendall, Chief Pharmacy Officer at InclusivCare
Host: Scott King, Becker's Healthcare
Date: October 30, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features an interview with Michael McKendall, the newly appointed Chief Pharmacy Officer at InclusivCare in Louisiana. The conversation centers on Michael's career journey, his vision and organizational goals in his new role, strategies for improving patient access and care transitions, forthcoming industry challenges such as changes to the 340B program, and insights on effective healthcare leadership. The discussion provides valuable perspectives relevant to healthcare professionals focused on patient access, operational efficiency, and adapting to regulatory shifts.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Michael’s New Role and Background

• Introduction to InclusivCare:
  • Michael recently joined InclusivCare, overseeing their pharmacies and clinical pharmacy programs in Marrero and Avondale, LA.
  • The organization is a 20+ year-old federally qualified healthcare center focused on serving vulnerable patient populations.
• Career Journey:
  • Previous roles included VP of Operations at Sentara Health and East Jefferson General Hospital.
  • Michael is trained as a pharmacist, highlighting a “full circle” return to his professional passion.

"It's always funny how you wind up going right back home to where your heart is. So I'm back with the pharmacy team and being able to serve our patients in a different manner."
— Michael McKendall [01:20]

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Notable Accomplishments at Sentara

• Focus on Patient Access:
  • Key achievements included improving access across radiology (expedited MRIs), reducing emergency department (ED) length of stay, and enhancing operational efficiency in ancillary departments.
  • Michael emphasizes that improving access leads to better quality metrics for healthcare organizations.

“At Sentara, one of our biggest focuses was making sure that we gave patients quick access to healthcare, which at the end of the day helps with your quality metrics.”
— Michael McKendall [03:27]

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Organizational Goals at InclusivCare

1. Transitions of Care Program:

   • Enhancing clinical pharmacy involvement with patients during care transitions.
   • Proactively addressing polypharmacy, ensuring appointment adherence, and integrating nutritional support (with pharmacists educated in diabetic nutrition due to lack of registered dietitians).
   • Increased patient outreach for medication reviews rather than waiting for pharmacy visits.

2. Preparing for Regulatory Changes:

   • Readiness for new MFP (Medicare Fair Price) program regulations impacting the 340B drug pricing program and rebate models.

“So when I say, you know, transition to care, it’s more of just clinical pharmacy being more in tune with the patients and talking to them about their meds and not waiting until they come to the pharmacy... we're going to be doing a lot more outreach for our patients.”
— Michael McKendall [05:02]

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Anticipated Headwinds and Industry Challenges

• 340B Program and Regulatory Changes:

  • Adjustments in reimbursement and rebate models caused by new legislation.
  • The challenge of “doing more with less” as organizations must adapt while maintaining patient care standards.

• Balancing Costs and Access:

  • The rising cost of healthcare squeezes both patients and organizations, requiring adaptability and technological innovation.

"All of these changes [regulations] allow patients to be able to afford healthcare more because the cost of healthcare has astronomically gone up over the years and has made it really challenging for the average everyday family."
— Michael McKendall [06:45]

"As healthcare leaders... This is another phase of being able to be adaptable to some of the new regulations."
— Michael McKendall [07:14]

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Leadership Reflections

• Leadership Evolution:
  • Emphasizes the importance of teamwork and selecting the right team members for effective collaboration and problem-solving.
  • Shares a guiding principle learned from a mentor: always keep the patient at the center of decision-making.

"I've learned never to believe that I can come in single handedly and change a whole organization... I had a former CNO who worked with me at East Jefferson... tell me, in her Mississippi accent, 'always keep the patient at the center and you will always do the right thing.'"
— Michael McKendall [08:00]

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Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• "It's always funny how you wind up going right back home to where your heart is." — Michael McKendall [01:20]
• “At Sentara, one of our biggest focuses was making sure that we gave patients quick access to healthcare, which at the end of the day helps with your quality metrics.” — Michael McKendall [03:27]
• “We're going to be doing a lot more outreach for our patients.” — Michael McKendall [05:02]
• "All of these changes [regulations] allow patients to be able to afford healthcare more... it's really challenging for the average everyday family." — Michael McKendall [06:45]
• "Always keep the patient at the center and you will always do the right thing." — Michael McKendall [08:22]

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Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–01:50: Michael's introduction and career background
• 02:07–03:45: Major accomplishments at Sentara and focus on patient access
• 04:19–05:55: New goals at InclusivCare: transitions of care program and regulatory readiness
• 06:13–07:35: Anticipated challenges and adapting to 340B changes
• 07:47–08:53: Michael’s leadership evolution and guiding principles

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Tone and Language

Throughout the episode, Michael is optimistic, pragmatic, and focused on practical solutions. He emphasizes teamwork, adaptability, and a patient-centered philosophy that underpins every operational and leadership decision. The host’s questions are empathetic and relatable, adding a conversational and approachable feel to the discussion.

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Summary

This episode offers actionable insights into the operational challenges and leadership strategies facing pharmacy services and healthcare organizations today. Michael McKendall’s perspectives on patient access, regulatory adaptation, and patient-centered leadership make this a highly valuable listen for healthcare professionals navigating industry transformation.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, everyone. This is Scott King with the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. Thrilled today to be joined by very Special guest Michael McKendall, Chief Pharmacy Officer with Inclusive Care. Michael, how you doing today?

[B]

Doing awesome, doing awesome. Happy to be here.

[A]

Thanks so much for joining us. And we're going to get into, you know, some big kind of topics and talking points, things going on in health care and certainly with your role and I understand you're, you just kind of stepped into a new role, so could you please just tell us a little bit about that, your responsibilities and maybe your background in your previous work?

[B]

Yeah. So I just recently enjoyed inclusive care in Marrero and Avondale, Louisiana. I am the chief Pharmacy Officer here. I'm overseeing the pharmacy, the pharmacies here, our retail pharmacies, and our pharmacy clinical programs. And so really excited about some of the opportunities to help, you know, our most vulnerable patient population. Inclusive care, it's been in existence for about 20, a little over 20 years now, 22, 23 years. And they're a federally qualified healthcare center. So we really, our main mission and vision and values are all tied around taking care of our most vulnerable patient population. I previously in my past, I previously served as vice president of operations with Sentara Health. I was the vice president of operations at center careplex in Sentara, Williamsburg. Before that, I was also VP of Ops in the at East Jefferson General Hospital. And my background, I'm actually a pharmacist by training. And so that's where I started off at and that's where my passion is. And it's always funny how you wind up going right back home to where your heart is. So I'm back with the pharmacy team and being able to serve our patients in a different manner.

[A]

I appreciate you sharing that kind of full circle journey with us, Michael. That just sounds great. What a great career trajectory you've had. And I just wonder if you could please share what you kind of view as your biggest accomplishment from last year when you were still with Centaura.

[B]

We had a number of initiatives that we had going on, but one of the things I think we did a great job as a team is dealing with access for our patients. And when I think about access, our radiology, the team did an awesome job on making sure that they were able to get patients in and out and being able to get an appointment and getting their MRI scheduled. We had our ed length of stay was beyond it actually was some of the lowest length of stay metrics in the system for Sentara. And actually based upon Outpatient volume was some of the lowest length of stays I've seen probably across the country. And so, you know, our big focus was about access. We also did a lot of things with some of the other ancillary departments on improving access. And I think that's one of the big things that healthcare organizations should be focusing on with patients. Because, you know, nowadays with limited resources and, you know, organizations unfortunately having to either close services or, you know, tamper down services, patients are waiting extended amounts of time, whether it be, you know, for an MRI or a CT scan or to be able to get in to see their physician. Or even nowadays, if you're big chain pharmacies, they're having to wait a day or two before a refill gets filled. And so at Sentara, one of our biggest focuses was making sure that we gave patients quick access to healthcare, which at the end of the day helps with your quality metrics.

[A]

Yeah, no, it certainly sounds like you have a patient first mentality and that's how you operate, especially in terms of access. And I can relate as a patient. I actually just, you know, on the Walgreens app, I just tried to get my refill for my advertiscus inhaler. So hopefully with the seasonal allergies and everything, hopefully I'm able to get that soon. So, yeah, quick access is very appreciated by patients. I'm also wondering what are the big organizational goals you've set in your new role for this year and how do you see yourself kind of working towards those goals?

[B]

Well, there's a couple of things that we're working towards right now. I'm learning the team, the team is learning me, and that's always a process, but it goes back to access. I would kind of more steer towards our transitions of care kind of program. And when I say transitions of care, this is more geared towards touching base with the patients from a clinical pharmacy aspect and making sure that there's no polypharmacy going on, making sure that they're getting to their appointments and doing the appropriate follow ups. We're actually going to be involving nutrition. You know, we don't have a registered dietitian, so our pharmacists were educated on appropriate diabetic. Diabetic nutrition is going to help with that as well. So when I say, you know, transition to care, it's more of just a clinical pharmacy, being more in tune with the patients and talking to them about their meds and not waiting until they come to the pharmacy to get their refills or their prescriptions. So we're going to be doing a lot more outreach for our patients. So that's one of the big things that we're focusing on. The other thing, and I know a lot of folks are dealing with this from the pharmacy aspect. We're prepared for the new regulations revolve around the MFP program that's going to impact 340B and the rebate model. So two big things that are really going to change the 340B world. But those are our two main focuses for the year.

[A]

I'm sure patients will appreciate that outreach and just kind of keeping posted on what's going on and what's available to them. What headwinds do you anticipate for the next year or two, either when you're working towards those goals or just other challenges or headwinds in the industry?

[B]

I'm sorry, I didn't hear that. What was that question again?

[A]

What challenges or headwinds do you anticipate for the industry over the next year or two?

[B]

Well, I think I just mentioned about the 340B program. There are a lot of changes that organizations are going to have to definitely adapt to and utilize technology and, you know, adapt to the new rules. I think the new legislation that was passed earlier this year, there's some changes that we're going to have to adapt to as far as, you know, reimbursement and how we're being reimbursed. So I think more so for healthcare, it's kind of. It's almost the same adage of doing more with less. And so we kind of have to, you know, just be able to adapt. And, you know, these changes, although they might for us, those of us in the industry feel like they're a big dramatic impact and it's going to hurt us negatively at the end of the day. All of these changes to allow patients to be able to afford healthcare more because the cost of healthcare has astronomically gone up over the years and has made it really challenging for the average everyday family. So I think, if anything, as healthcare leaders, we're just. This is another phase of being able to be adaptable to some of the new regulations that are coming down on. On how we're going to be able to kind of keep the lights on.

[A]

Absolutely. And the last question I have for you, Michael somebody, we like to ask leaders on the podcast, how have you evolved as a leader, you think, throughout your career?

[B]

Wow. Yeah, I've had a number of different great mentors and colleagues that have definitely kind of educated me along the way on how to be an effective leader or colleague in healthcare. I think at the end of the day, it's about teams work. I've learned never to believe that I can come in single handedly and change a whole organization. What I have learned is to find the right people, make sure you have the right team with you, and work with that team to help accomplish the goals. And at the end of the day, it has always been about the patient. I had a former CNO who worked with me at East Jefferson and used to tell me in her Mississippi accent, it's always keep the patient at the center and you will always do the right thing. And so I think as a leader, the main thing is just working at the team and making sure you have the right people at the table with you to help solve any issues. Because at the end of the day, if you have the right people at the table with you, you can basically solve almost anything.

[A]

Michael, thanks so much for sharing your insights and for joining us on the podcast. I think it was a great conversation. I look forward to working with you again soon.

[B]

All right, thank you very much. Appreciate it.