340B professionals are not the only hospital staff who need to know about 340B. That is why it is important that 340B professionals educate their colleagues about the program and what it means for clinical care and patient care operations. For our final episode of the year, 340B professional Ryan Atherton joins us to share the strategies he has deployed to help his colleagues better understand 340B’s role in the patient care mission. Ryan formerly was the 340B program manager at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in Washington State. He improved understanding of 340B among the hospital’s staff, which led to a more efficient program. Before the interview, we share a news update on HRSA’s new proposed rule for 340B administrative dispute resolution (ADR).  

How to Engage With Provider Colleagues 

When Ryan first started at Yakima, he saw that a lack of knowledge about 340B was limiting the program’s ability to operate as effectively as possible. He explains how he worked with his team to identify the best methods to educate providers about 340B, including through newsletters and staff onboarding. 

Overcoming Education Challenges

One challenge of educating non-340B hospital professionals is that it can be overwhelming for them due to the large amount of complex information to learn. Ryan shares best practices in keeping education tailored to each staff member’s role and using different approaches depending on the audience.

Streamlined Communication 

Ryan discusses the benefits of making the time to educate hospital colleagues about 340B. This includes more streamlined communication between the 340B team and providers, better understanding among providers of how their roles affect 340B, and improved knowledge of how 340B advances the patient care mission. 

Check out all of our episodes on the 340B Insight podcast website. You also can stay updated on all 340B Health news and information by visiting our homepage. If you have any questions you would like us to cover in this podcast, email us at [email protected].

Resources 

1. New 340B Dispute Resolution Proposed Rule Addresses Several 340B Health Concerns 
2. Statement on Biogen Restricting 340B Discounts Through Community-based Pharmacies