Hi, there. My name is Robert (Bob) Owens. I am a strategic thinker and problem solver with education in pharmacy, business, computer science, data science, and intelligent systems. With extensive experience in pharmacy administration and leadership at a top non-profit health system, I leverage my analytical skills to drive change and develop innovative solutions in healthcare. My passion lies in utilizing technology, analytics, and process improvement to enhance operational efficiency and improve patient outcomes, making me a valuable asset in both clinical and administrative settings. As a veteran of US military, I also bring discipline, leadership, and perseverance to the challenges I face.
Mission Statement
"To leverage my diverse skill set in healthcare, technology, and leadership to drive innovative solutions that enhance patient care and operational efficiency in healthcare systems."
Areas of Expertise
- Applying existing and emerging technologies to health system problems
- Applying data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) to health system problems
- Finding and evaluating organizational changes to improve health system financial standing
- Drug discount programs, supply chain optimization, and optimizing health system drug costs
- Evaluating, creating, and implementing health system data infrastructures
- Creating and growing specialized enterprise teams in health systems
- Turning novel ideas and home grown solutions into data tools and/or technology products
Biography
With a robust background in health system pharmacy and technology, I have dedicated my career to improving healthcare systems through leadership, process improvement, data analytics, and machine learning. Applying my formal education in healthcare, business, and computer science has afforded me a unique perspective on health care problems. I have been involved in a myriad of projects requiring complex data analysis in areas with high degree of regulatory and financial implications for the health system. My experience in pharmacy administration has allowed me to lead transformative projects that integrate emerging technologies and innovative approaches into pharmacy operations.
Education
Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Computer Science (MSCS)
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB)
Projects
Technology Implementations
- Single hospital, multi-site/multi-facility, and health system Electronic Health Record (EHR) implementations
- Multiple vendor pharmacy automation Implementations
- Single hospital, multi-site/multi-facility, and health system 340B Third-party Administrator (TPA) implementations with multiple vendors
- Home grown technology combined with processes to supplement or be used as stop gaps measures pending technology implementations
Data Governance
- Connecting pharmacy departments with health system data governance and master data management (MDM)
- Establishing data governance processes and oversight teams
- Instituting standard operating procedures to reinforce governance and master data management within analytics teams
- Aligning workteams across business units and corporate information technology (IT) to foster collaboration
Application Development
- Web development: examples 340BDrugInfo.com, this portfolio site.
- CrabChat (Rust based secure chat application)
- Application programming interface (API) development, full stack development, and websocket programming
- Agile development and project management
- Cloud services stack: Azure and AWS
Data Science
- Financial, clinical, and transactional based analysis of health system data using multiple statistical techniques
- Finding and exploiting patterns in data to drive operational efficiency and improve patient outcomes
- Analysis of data collected via web scraping with Python packages (httpx and beautifulsoup4)
- Social network analysis
- Sentiment analysis of health system data using natural language processing (NLP) techniques to help define topics and trends
- Latent space cluster analysis of the clinical documentation as opposed to large language models (LLM) interpretation of the same data
Machine Learning
- Forecasting drug costs using classical machine learning and time series techniques
- Melanoma detection with OpenCV library and traditional diagnostic markers of skin lesions
- Detecting ambulation types by collected sound data
- Detecting Autism with eye gaze paths
- Predicting Titanic Survivors Kaggle
Professional Presentations
Pharmacy Data Governance Journey
Prominence Data Governance Round Table - Aug 19, 2024
Describing the journey of a pharmacy department to establish data governance in collaboration with enterprise data governance efforts.
Making IT Work With 340B
340B Health - Feb 21, 2023
Presentation LinkChatting with Myles Goldman about the intersection of IT and 340B.
340B Challenges with Information Technology: Potential Solutions
340B Coalition Summer Conference - Aug 2, 2022
Discussion on 340B implementation, operationalization, and continuous compliance relying on data from various healthcare IT systems.
Managing 340B Drug Shortages
340B Coalition Summer Conference - Aug 2, 2022
Presentation LinkAddressing strategies for purchasing drugs, achieving access and the 340B price for covered outpatient drugs, and managing drug inventory during shortages.
Maximizing Return on Investment in a 340B Environment
Premier Breakthroughs Conference 2020 - Aug 5, 2020
Focusing on 340B auditing processes, ROI justification, and strategies for pharmacy purchasing environment.
Justifying Monitoring Activities in a 340B Program
340B Coalition Winter Conference 2020 - Feb 12, 2020
Borrow and Lend/Buy and Sell Techniques
Apexus Advanced 340B Operations Certificate Webinar Series - Oct 12, 2019
Techniques to achieve operational efficiency while supporting compliance in 340B operations.
Management and Documentation of 340B Drug Waste
340B Coalition Summer Conference - Jul 11, 2018
Inventory Management: Strategies for Compliance and Efficiency
Management and Documentation of 340B Drug Waste
340B Health Member Webinars - May 28, 2018
Presentation LinkThe Road to Transforming the Patient Experience
Premier Breakthroughs Conference 2014 - Jul 12, 2014
Focusing on organizational infrastructure for patient-centered care, key performance indicators, and the role of patient-focused multidisciplinary rounds.
About Me
Personal Facts
- Native of East Tennessee
- Father of three active boys
- Avid college football fan
- Served in the Army National Guard and in active duty following September 11th, 2001
- Passionate about ML/AI and data science advancements
Activities
- Attending my children's sporting events
- Reading about the latest ML/AI research
- Exploring new developments in data science
- Traveling
As a native of East Tennessee, a husband, and father of three active boys, I balance my professional pursuits with family life. When I'm not cheering at my children's sporting events, you'll find me deeply engrossed in the latest advancements and research in ML/AI and data science. My passion for technology and innovation is matched only by my enthusiasm for college football and traveling.
Connect with...
- Further project details
- View my Github profile
- Connect on LinkedIn
- Download my resume