Salard named to Alaska Medicaid Pharmacy board

The Alaska State Department of Social and Health Services has named Alaska Island Community Services physician Greg Salard to the Alaska Medicaid Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.

He is also a member of the Alaska Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Committee, beginning his three-year term late last year.

Salard, who is currently on vacation in the Lower-48, could not be reached for comment. However, in a 2012 interview, he said he volunteered for the spot on the committees in order to assist his community – and to help move Medicaid policy forward from within a state organization.

“I have always wanted to help my community and my state, and at this point I can do that,” Salard said. “I know there are some problems in the Medicaid drug program and even though they have to save money, there are still certain things that have to be done to best serve the patient.”

The goal of Medicaid Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committees across the nation is to develop and implement voluntary Medicaid preferred prescribed drug designation programs in the states where they are based.

Salard was also recently named as Chief of Staff at Wrangell Medical Center, taking over the position on July 8.

“Dr. Greg Salard agreed to assume these duties effective immediately,” WMC CEO Marla Sanger said, wishing former chief Dr. Lynn Prysunka well. “WMC greatly appreciates all of our physicians and wishes to acknowledge in particular the highly professional and skillful leadership that Dr. Prysunka has provided to WMC in her long tenure as Chief of Staff.”