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Jared is a freelance writer for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), and previously worked as a senior editor for HCPLive® at MJH Life Sciences®.

He has an MA from University of Sioux Falls. You can connect with Jared on 

Articles

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies, along with bispecific antibodies, have changed the treatment paradigm for patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma.

CAR T-Cell Therapies, Bispecific Antibodies Usher in New Era in R/R MCL

A new analysis based on two prospective trials helps clarify the roles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Trial Data Yield Risk-Based NRSTS Treatment Strategies

Chronic kidney disease now affects more than 788 million adults globally, with rising prevalence, increasing mortality, and substantial contributions to cardiovascular deaths

Global CKD Burden Nearly Doubles Since 1990, Reaching 788 Million Adults Worldwide

A study identified 32 dysregulated cytokines and 5 key signaling hubs in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), mapping a complex network of profibrotic pathways that may serve as future therapeutic targets.

New Proteomic Analysis Maps Cytokine Signatures Driving IPF

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 speaks with Julia Lucaci, PharmD, MS, the senior director of global health economics and outcomes research at Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), an international medical technology company.

, "Should Payers Incentivize Pharmacies to Blister-Package Chronic Medications?", argues that payers should consider offering higher reimbursement rates and/or preferred network status to pharmacies that dispense chronic medications in blister packs to enhance medication adherence and patient outcomes.

During the conversation, Lucaci explores the widespread impact of medication nonadherence, the benefits and underutilization of blister packaging in the US, and strategies that could support broader adoption to improve chronic disease management and lower overall health care costs.

Listen above or on one of these podcast services:

Julia Lucaci, PharmD, MS, of Becton, Dickinson and Company, discusses the benefits of blister packaging for chronic medications, advocating for payer incentives to boost medication adherence and improve health outcomes.

Blister Packs May Help Solve Medication Adherence Challenges and Lower Health Care Costs

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we’re talking with the co–editors in chief of 

), Mark Fendrick, MD, and Michael Chernew, PhD. They look back on the research and news that stood out to them from the past year and discuss what they’re looking forward to in 2025 as the journal celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Screening for Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in Health Plans

Privately Negotiated Facility Fees at Ambulatory Surgery Centers and Hospitals

Also, please take a look at our dedicated page featuring our efforts to celebrate AJMC’s 

The editors in chief of The American Journal of Managed Care® discuss the key managed care research and news from 2024 and look forward to the journal’s upcoming 30th anniversary.

AJMC® Editors Reflect on 2024 and Look Forward to a Milestone

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the University of Pennsylvania's Ravi Parikh, MD, MPP, and Aaron Schwartz, MD, PhD, 2 authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of 

"Trends in Low-Value Cancer Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic,"

 discusses how rates of low-value cancer services among adults with newly diagnosed cancer persisted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.


Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

This is the final episode of Oncology Onward for 2023.

Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Penn Medicine's Justin Bekelman, MD

On this final Oncology Onward episode of 2023, cohosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, talk with Penn Medicine’s Justin Bekelman, MD,

director of the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation. Their conversation encapsulates much of what has been discussed in the oncology space in the past year, from the unique perspective of academic medicine: the importance of collaboration between academic medical centers and community oncology practices and testing innovative cancer care delivery in academic and community settings to have the greatest impact on patients.

“If we can only show that a certain innovation works at Penn Medicine or an academic practice, it's very limited—it's useful, but it's very limited,” Bekelman says. “If we want to demonstrate as part of our mandate to generalize knowledge across the country, we have to be able to extend programs into the community, learn from the community, test things that are working in the community in academic environments, create a bidirectional approach that allows for expertise from both systems to create the best possible opportunities for patients with cancer.”

Justin Bekelman, MD, director of the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation, sat with our hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, for our final episode of 2023 to discuss the importance of collaboration between academic medicine and community oncology and testing innovative cancer care delivery in these settings.

Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Penn Medicine's Dr Justin Bekelman

Drs Emeline Aviki and Stephen Schleicher speak with Robin Shah of Thyme Care

Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah

On our fourth episode of Oncology Onward, Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, sit down for a conversation with Robin Shah, MBA, cofounder and CEO of Thyme Care, which he started in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer.

A biomedical engineer by education, Shah spent the first 5 years of his professional career as practice administrator and business manager at Gettysburg Cancer Center, working with his father, a community oncologist. From there, he moved to Flatiron Health and in July of 2017, helped to found OneOncology. Thyme Care was founded in July of 2020, and in August of this year 

 a successful $60 million Series B round of investment capital.

, this entrepreneur in oncology care innovation has been guided by a patient-first mentality and the principal goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer care system.

Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system. 

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute's (FCS') Nathan Walcker, CEO, discusses some key strategic practices and initiatives in providing high quality community-based oncology care he has implemented at FCS.

®’s Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event held in Tampa, Florida, on August 10, 2023.

Listen above or through one of these podcast services:

Nathan Walcker, CEO at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), highlights some of the recent partnerships and initiatives at FCS to improve community-based oncology care from a value-based perspective. 

Nathan Walcker Discusses Value-Based Oncology Care Initiatives at FCS

Drs Emeline Aviki and Stephne Schleicher speak with Jef Patton, MD, CEO of OncOncology

Oncology Onward: A Conversation With OneONcology's Dr Jeff Patton

Jeff Patton, MD, CEO and board member of 

 and executive chairman of Tennessee Oncology, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MB, MBA, medical director and attending surgeon at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at Tennessee Oncology, for episode 3 of, "Oncology Onward: Conversations With Innovators and Changemakers in Cancer Care."

Patton, also chairman of the Community Oncology Alliance and a board-certified hematologist and 

, highlights of the origins of OneOncology that it was created to protect community oncology, to give other states and communities the opportunity to stay independent in light of large hospital systems, if they wanted to. He also discusses the importance of community clinical trial accrual and of keeping oncological services within the community and not handing them over to large hospital systems, thereby driving up the cost of care. 

“OneOncology was created by physicians for physicians to maintain the autonomy and allow physicians the choice of seeing patients in the community vs in a hospital or academic medical center,” he emphasizes. “I think every patient, every family deserves choice. In many cases, and in most cases, we feel like the community option is the best.”

Jeff Patton, MD, CEO of OneOncology, joins Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, for episode 3 of "Oncology Onward: Conversations With Innovators and Changemakers in Cancer Care."

Oncology Onward: A Conversation With OneOncology’s Dr Jeff Patton 

AJMC.com recently launched a resource center, the 

, dedicated to promoting education, advocacy, and best practices for improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities for all.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we feature several leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advancing health equity in their respective organization’s policy and practice initiatives, including:

Gregory Vidal, MD, PhD, director of Clinical Research at West Cancer Center & Research Institute

Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, MBA, chief, Solid Tumor Medical Oncology; deputy director; and chief scientific officer at Miami Cancer Institute

Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA, oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and incoming medical director at Thyme Care

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we feature several leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion advancing health equity in their respective organization’s policy and practice initiatives.

Health Equity Conversations: Managing Underserved Communities and Value-Based Payment

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we bring you part 1 of an 8-part video conversation with a payer and a primary health care provider about how they adapted to deliver health care in 2020 and 2021. We sat down with Tunde Sotunde, MD, MBA, the president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, the largest insurer in that state covering more than 3.7 million members across all 100 counties, and Alan Story, MD, of Newtown Family Physicians, an independent primary care practice in Catawba County in the western part of the state.

Our conversation, moderated by Allison Inserro, managing editor of AJMC.com, the website of 

delves into value-based care, independent care practices, the health care workforce, health equity, and the role of Medicaid.

Impact of Value-Based Care on Primary Care

Health Care Consolidation and Independent Practices

Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health

SAP Partners

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we bring you part 1 of an 8-part video conversation with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and Newton Family Physicians about how they adapted to deliver health care in 2020 and 2021.

Primary Care During COVID-19: Looking at Payer, Provider Cooperation

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we’re talking with the co-editors-in-chief of 

®, Mark Fendrick, MD, and Michael Chernew, PhD, and the editor-in-chief of 

®, Dennis Scanlon, PhD. They look back on the past year and discuss the themes and topics they expect to see in the pages of the journals and in the world of health care in 2022.

The editors of The American Journal of Managed Care® and The American Journal of Accountable Care® reflect on the past year and discuss the themes and topics they expect to see in 2022.

Looking Ahead to 2022 With the Editors of AJMC®

Survivors of SJS/TEN face severe long-term physical and psychological effects, with major gaps in post-discharge care, support, and physician guidance.

Long-Term Burdens for SJS/TEN Survivors Highlight Critical Care Gaps

Immune-boosting herbs were linked to lower autoantibody rates in patients before dermatomyositis onset, suggesting activation of alternative immune pathways.

Herbal Use Linked to Lower Autoantibodies in Dermatomyositis

A study links seborrheic dermatitis to multiple epithelial barrier diseases, supporting broader assessment for inflammation and barrier dysfunction.

Seborrheic Dermatitis Linked to Higher Risk of Epithelial Barrier Diseases

Lower-income countries rarely gain timely access to FDA-approved drugs tested in their populations, highlighting major global and ethical disparities.

Global Gaps in Drug Access After FDA Approval: Insights From New Study and Ethics Guidelines

AI and digital tools are reshaping breast cancer care—from screening and trials to remote monitoring and lifestyle support. 

5 AI and Digital Health Advances Transforming Breast Cancer Care and Research

Phase 3 ADORING data show VTAMA cream delivers early, consistent skin, itch, and sleep improvements in children with atopic dermatitis, with low adverse event rates.

Pediatric AD Data Show Strong Safety and Efficacy for VTAMA Cream, Including Comorbidities

New data supporting the safety and efficacy of tapinarof cream 1% (Vtama; Organon) for pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) were presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, based on positive outcomes from the phase 3 ADORING (NCT 05014568) clinical trial.

 consistent skin clearance in pediatric patients aged 2 to 17 years with AD and with or without atopic comorbidities. The ADORING trial was divided into 3 compounding trials. ADORING 1 and ADORING 2 were 8-week-long pivotal trials, and ADORING 3 was a 48-week, open-label, long-term extension trial. Safety and efficacy were consistent across 

 with minimal incidence of adverse events. Patients experienced a significant decrease in disease severity and appearance measured by the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and the Validated Investigator Global Assessment scale for Atopic Dermatitis (vIGA-AD). The clinical trials also reported consistent improvements in patients' Patient-Oriented Eczema Measures (POEM) and POEM sleep scores.

“When we're seeing itch control, disease state control with our vIGAs, remaining low,” said Druhan Howell, MD, a pediatric allergist and immunologist specialist at Coastal Allergy & Asthma, in an interview with 

. “That is important to be talking about with our patients and families, because that is quite frankly different than a lot of the 

 we've had in the past for atopic dermatitis.”

Improvements in patients' vIGA-AD were observed as early as week 1 and were stable through week 8 in children with and without comorbidities when compared with the vehicle (with comorbidities: 42.3% with tapinarof cream vs 11.8% with vehicle; 

< .0001; without comorbidities: 49.5% vs 14.8%, respectively; 

< .0001). Similarly, researchers also observed patient EASI scores improve as early as week 1 and remain consistent through week 8.

POEM and mean POEM sleep scores also improved as early as week 1 and remained consistent through week 8. Improvement in scores, Howell said, is also associated with improved performance for school and work for both patients and parents, as pediatric patients are less likely to spend the night scratching and in pain from their condition.

“When little kids don’t sleep, nobody sleeps, right?” Howell said. “And for older children, you have to think that poor quality of sleep is affecting their academic performance…. [But] when we're getting good-quality sleep again, everything else kind of improves as a consequence of that.”

Safety, Howell said, is always a significant factor when discussing starting 

Phase 3 ADORING data show tapinarof cream delivers early, consistent skin, itch, and sleep improvements in children with atopic dermatitis, with low adverse event rates.

Value-Based Care

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