We are delighted to announce that Denise Giambalvo is joining the Washington Health Alliance (Alliance) as our new Director of Purchaser Strategies. Denise brings with her extensive experience working with purchaser coalitions that will be helpful in her responsibilities at the Alliance, including:

• supporting, activating, and expanding the work of the Alliance’s Purchaser Affinity Group;
• managing the Alliance’s Low-Back Pain Implementation Collaborative (Low-Back PIC) to help diverse stakeholders improve the quality of health care delivered to people with low-back pain; and
• playing the lead role in engaging employers, union trusts, and multi-employer plans to advance benefit and health care purchasing decisions that ensure high quality, affordable care for their plan participants and all Washingtonians, based on strong clinical evidence.

Previously, as Vice President at Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), Denise managed the coordination and marketing of monthly educational programs, social media, newsletters and employer benchmarking surveys. In addition, Denise led various sponsor and grant-funded projects including the National Employer Initiative on Specialty Drugs.

Prior to MBGH, Denise served as Executive Director for the Employers’ Health Coalition (EHC) in Fort Smith, AR, where she was directly involved in contract negotiations for the PBM, Employers’ Choice Rx. Committed to carrying out the Coalition’s mission to “enhance the general health of the community,” Denise oversaw EHC’s launch of the National Diabetes Prevention Program and negotiated a discounted group rate for employer-sponsored financial well-being programs.

Denise has led team collaborations with stakeholders on research and pilot programs including limited-fill, site-of-service, mental and behavioral health, and data analysis.  Educational activities she has organized have focused on population health management, value-based benefit design, pain management, and analytics.

Denise received her Master’s degree in Human Resource Management in 2012.

Please join us in welcoming Denise to the Alliance team!