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Transforming Part D Changes into Opportunities for Member Value

Transforming Part D Changes into Opportunities for Member Value

Melissa Skelton Duke, PharmD, MS, BCPS, FAPhA

Executive Director,
Medicare Quality and Stars
Strategy, Banner Health

Missy Skelton Duke is the Executive Director of Medicare Quality and Stars Strategy at Banner Health. In this role, she builds the strategic vision and strategies that optimize Banner Health Plans’ Medicare Advantage Star Rating. In this role, she drives alignment across complex provider networks, provider aggregators, population health services organizations, and health plan departments to provide the highest quality health care and service to their Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and Dual-Eligible members. Prior to this role, Missy served as the Executive Director of Population Health Pharmacy Solutions and Ambulatory Pharmacy Services and Senior Director of Specialty and Home Delivery Pharmacy Services at Banner Health. She has also served as the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager for Intermountain Healthcare, where she was responsible for the growth and development of clinical services, collaborative pharmacy practice agreements, and professional development and competency assessment.

Missy has been active in pharmacy advocacy issues throughout her entire pharmacy career. She has served in numerous pharmacy leadership and advocacy roles at the state and national level, most recently serving as APhA Speaker of the House of Delegates.

She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University Of New Mexico College Of Pharmacy in 2008, and a Master of Science degree in Health Policy and Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research from the University of Utah. She completed a 24-month residency program in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from Intermountain Healthcare in June of 2010.

Bita Farrokhroo, PharmD

Founder and CEO,
MedWatchers

Bita is a resilient and purpose-driven immigrant whose life and career reflect an unwavering commitment to growth, service, and patient-centered care. A prodigy in her youth, Bita graduated high school at just 15 and went on to attend one of Iran’s top universities. As a national swimming champion, she represented Iran with pride while mastering five languages and dreaming of a future beyond borders—one where she could make a greater impact. That vision began to take shape when she was awarded a prestigious presidential scholarship to attend Samford University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program in the United States. Despite the uncertainty and challenges of being an international student in a post-9/11 world, Bita graduated at the top of her class with Rho Chi honors, driven by the same perseverance that had fueled her journey from the start. Following graduation, limited visa options led her to retail pharmacy, and later to a consultant pharmacist role with Omnicare. After relocating to California and facing a lack of consulting opportunities, she discovered her true calling in Medication Therapy Management (MTM). The work allowed her to connect directly with patients—and her ability to speak five languages created deeper, more meaningful interactions. When patients could speak in their preferred language, calls often became longer, more personal, and uncovered issues that might otherwise go unspoken.

Living and working in Southern California, Bita quickly realized that Spanish was a major language among the communities she served—yet it was not one of the languages she initially spoke. Recognizing that third-party interpretation tools like Language Line often failed to build the trust and fluidity needed for real connection, she took it upon herself to learn Spanish. She persisted until she was proficient enough to confidently and compassionately communicate with her Spanish-speaking patients, further strengthening the quality of care she provided.

As her MTM work expanded, Bita created and led a team that built a new platform from the ground up—integrating software development, IT infrastructure, and data analytics into MTM operations. What started as collaborations with a few retail pharmacies and local health plans has grown into a national operation. Her team now serves six of the top national health plans and PBMs, staying focused on delivering high-quality, patient-centered care at scale. Bita’s journey is one of transformation—from a young girl in Iran with big dreams, to a pharmacist, innovator, and healthcare entrepreneur in the U.S. Her passion lies in building systems that prioritize patient voices, improve outcomes, and push healthcare forward with empathy, equity, and intelligence.

Deanna Homer, PharmD, RPh

Chief Operations Officer,
HealthTeam Advantage

Dr. Deanna Homer is a mission-driven senior executive and licensed pharmacist with two decades of experience in pharmacy benefits, clinical operations, and managed care. She currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer at Care N Care Insurance Company of North Carolina, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cone Health. In this role, she oversees company operations, including pharmacy management, Medicare Stars programs, and quality initiatives. She works closely with the CEO to develop and execute strategic goals, financial planning, and regulatory policies while fostering strong vendor relationships to enhance company performance and member outcomes.

With a background in Medicare Advantage and Part D programs, value-based care, regulatory compliance, and operational strategy, Deanna has a proven track record of leading operational oversight, quality initiatives, and strategic planning to drive cost efficiencies and improved patient care. She is highly skilled in pharmacy benefit management, Medicare bid development, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation, ensuring adherence to CMS guidelines and optimizing healthcare operations.

Prior to her current role, Deanna held several executive positions, including Chief Pharmacy Officer, Vice President of Pharmacy & Quality Programs, and Director of Pharmacy, where she was instrumental in developing and implementing strategic pharmacy benefit plans, optimizing formulary utilization, and driving quality and operational improvements.

Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at EnvisionRx Options (now Elixir) and Mercy Health Plans Inc., where she played a pivotal role in developing PBM oversight programs, enhancing compliance frameworks, and driving strategic cost-containment initiatives. Her expertise extends to vendor management, medication therapy management, and fostering relationships across healthcare partners.

Beyond her professional roles, Deanna is actively engaged in healthcare leadership, serving on the Board of Directors for BREAKTHROUGH T1D and maintaining professional memberships in AMCP and the Health Plan Alliance. She is a licensed pharmacist in North Carolina, Florida, and Missouri, holding both a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Saint Louis College of Pharmacy.

Transforming Part D Changes into Opportunities for Member Value

CMS’s Contract Year 2026 Final Rule is prompting health plans to rethink their approach to Medication Therapy Management (MTM). With CMR completion still a display measure and incentives in flux, the focus is shifting from checking boxes to delivering measurable value. Forward-looking plans are seizing this moment to redesign MTM strategies that boost quality performance, elevate member experience, and drive stronger ROI.

Join us to discover how your organization can:

  • Navigate CMS changes and align MTM strategies with new regulatory expectations
  • Go beyond CMR completion to demonstrate true value and ROI
  • Leverage pharmacist-led outreach to improve adherence and member outcomes
  • Advance health equity through tech-enabled, multilingual engagement
  • Incorporate AI to support RN case managers and pharmacists, reduce operational headwinds, and enhance quality assurance through data-driven insights
  • Incorporate AI to reduce operational headwinds, and improve quality assurance

Whether you’re pursuing 5-Star performance or guiding strategy in growing Medicaid markets, join us to turn regulatory change into meaningful opportunity.

Melissa Skelton Duke, PharmD, MS, BCPS, FAPhA

Executive Director,
Medicare Quality and Stars
Strategy, Banner Health

Bita Farrokhroo, PharmD

Founder and CEO,
MedWatchers

Deanna Homer, PharmD, RPh

Chief Operations Officer,
HealthTeam Advantage

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