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Dr. Eric Scott

Podcast 201: How the VA Proved The Pharma Model Wrong w/ Dr. Eric Scott, U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs

Mar 6, 2026

Episode Summary

The VA is one of the largest integrated health systems in the country, but it operates unlike anything in the private sector. What can pharmacy leaders and health system executives learn from an organization that has embedded pharmacists into clinical care for decades, given them prescriptive privileges, and built virtual urgent care teams from the ground up? Dr. Eric Scott, Former Chief of Pharmacy, US Department of Veterans Affairs, joins Health Care Rounds to discuss what makes the VA uniquely positioned to innovate, how the evolving role of pharmacists challenges private sector norms, and what a mission-driven health system looks like from the inside.

Episode Notes

The VA is one of the largest integrated health systems in the country, but it operates unlike anything in the private sector. What can pharmacy leaders and health system executives learn from an organization that has embedded pharmacists into clinical care for decades, given them prescriptive privileges, and built virtual urgent care teams from the ground up?

Dr. Eric Scott, Former Chief of Pharmacy, US Department of Veterans Affairs, joins Health Care Rounds to discuss what makes the VA uniquely positioned to innovate, how the evolving role of pharmacists challenges private sector norms, and what a mission-driven health system looks like from the inside.

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🎙 ABOUT DR. ERIC G. SCOTT
Eric G. Scott, PharmD, is an innovative health care leader and recently retired from VA as the founding Chief of Pharmacy at VHA VISN 2 VA Health Connect, a virtual health care center serving the Veterans of New York and New Jersey. Throughout a distinguished 28-year career in VA, Dr. Scott has specialized in bridging the gap between complex clinical services and large-scale contact center technology. As a champion of "upstream" health care, he developed the first-of-its-kind virtual urgent care Clinical Pharmacist Provider (CPP) model and has overseen clinical operations handling millions of annual contacts. His work focuses on pharmacist-led disease management, clinical quality, and the strategic modernization of federal health care infrastructure.

🎙 ABOUT HEALTH CARE ROUNDS
Health Care Rounds is a weekly podcast developed for health care leaders who are at the forefront of health care delivery and payment reform. Join Darwin Research Group founder and CEO John Marchica as he discusses the latest advancements in health care business news and policy developments.

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⚙️ Health Care Rounds is produced by Grippi Media

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Podcast 208: The Affordability Crisis Behind Value-Based Care w/ Dr. Michael Chernew, Harvard
Podcast 207: What’s Holding Back Value-Based Care? w/ Don Calcagno, Founder, ValuesEdge
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