Excelera - The Leading National Network of Health Systems Operating Specialty Pharmacies [Video]

Company Background 

Excelera started in 2013 when several health systems came together to create the network concept. As this group traveled the country recruiting members, it quickly concluded that few health systems operated specialty pharmacies. For this reason, Excelera created a consulting offering to help health systems get into the business, become accredited, and truly maximize the opportunity. As the early adopters came on board, it didn’t take long for manufacturers to take notice. Pfizer was an early subscriber to the Excelera network model, and agreed to provide access to its oral oncology medications to participating network members with the expectation that Excelera would satisfy the data reporting requirements. This relationship shaped Excelera’s offering moving forward. Excelera learned the importance of data to manufacturers and invested significant resources into a proprietary platform to meet the needs of nearly all manufacturers. This platform is a key differentiator for Excelera members because it enables a manufacturer to reach a multitude of health systems under a single agreement and a single data feed. 

Product Overview 

Excelera membership offers health systems a comprehensive specialty pharmacy solution. Regardless of a given health system’s stage, Excelera helps to drive specialty pharmacy performance to the next level. 

Not in the business yet? Excelera helps health systems understand the financial opportunity and build a business plan. 

Starting a specialty pharmacy? Excelera consultants have helped existing members build some of the most robust and high performing specialty pharmacies across the industry. Excelera also provides consulting services for accreditation. 

Growing a specialty pharmacy? From capturing prescriptions to payer access to drug access, Excelera consultants have engaged with members across the country to grow specialty pharmacy revenues. By bringing together shared learnings and experiences, Excelera partners with health systems to grow their programs. 

Drug Access Strategy: The drug pipeline is filled with specialty products, many of which are moving toward ultra-orphan status. By participating in the Excelera network, members become part of a cohesive group that offers manufacturers access to a significant number of patients under a single agreement with guaranteed data reporting. 

 IT Platform: As more and more stakeholders require data reporting from specialty pharmacies (manufacturers, payers, URAC), health system IT teams become burdened with projects. By sending a single data set to Excelera, Excelera’s IT team can satisfy its members’ reporting responsibilities. Excelera’s data platform is source system agnostic. Members across the country run on a wide array of dispensing systems, clinical management systems, and EMRs. In addition, Excelera’s IT team has developed proficiency at helping members find and report on required data. 

Features & Options 

In addition to consulting, drug access, and data reporting, Excelera produces benchmarking reports to help members understand where they rank relative to other IDNs on key performance indicators. Many manufacturers and payers score specialty pharmacies participating in their limited networks and often remove low performers. The founding members of Excelera firmly believed a key Excelera differentiator is high performing network pharmacies. For this reason, Excelera provides benchmarking reports to members and actively works with members to improve performance. 

Testimonials 

“With the help of Excelera, we were able to open a robust specialty pharmacy in less than nine months.” 

“By joining Excelera, my program was able to get access to a number of limited distribution drugs.” 

“Excelera was able to help me sell the idea of a specialty pharmacy to my C-Suite and presented what turned out to be a very accurate portrayal of our financial opportunity.” 

Key Customers 

Current members include: Fairview (MN), Intermountain (UT), Banner (AZ), Catholic Health Initiatives (CO), Yale-New Haven (CT), Partners Healthcare (MA), OHSU (OR), Billings Clinic (MT), Avera Health (SD), Regional Health (SD), Henry Ford (MI), Ochsner (LA), Novant (NC), Sentara (VA), Keck Medicine of USC (CA), Loma Linda (CA), St. John Providence of Ascension (MI), Unity Point (IA), and Northwestern (IL), and over 300 hospitals nationwide.