NACDS names Roszak to lead health-and-wellness strategy, policy

Roszak joined NACDS in 2014 and most recently served as NACDS’ vice president of pharmacy care and health strategy, as well as the NACDS Foundation’s vice president of research programs.

At the organization, Roszak spearheaded the multiyear NACDS Literature Program to align research with policy objectives. She oversaw the execution of NACDS’ Optimizing Care Program to allow pharmacists to further focus their efforts on patient care by enhancing the role of pharmacy technicians. She also fostered NACDS’ relationship with agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on topics related to preventive care.

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“Sara’s past, present and future at NACDS can be summarized by member focus, bold vision and meticulous and aggressive execution,” said NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson. “In the years leading up to the pandemic, Sara was a prime mover of NACDS’ proactive approach to expanding access to pharmacy patient care and advancing innovative care models. When the pandemic struck, her leadership flowed naturally into NACDS’ work to remove needless barriers to pharmacy care and to reduce friction for NACDS members to serve the American people with COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. At every step of the way, Sara has demonstrated effectiveness in building and leveraging partnerships. We look forward to her continued resolve to achieve results on behalf of this amazing industry.”

Speaking in his capacity as chair of the NACDS Foundation, Anderson also noted, “In recent years, we have hailed the transformation of the NACDS Foundation into a vigorous and authoritative incubator of research that benefits patient health, and Sara served as an agent of that transformative change. As we look to build upon the foundation’s extremely strong position, Sara is poised to work with the foundation’s board of directors to lead the organization to new heights.”

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In her new role, Roszak will lead the public policy team responsible for translating positions adopted by the association's board into actionable legislative and regulatory proposals at the federal and state levels. She will lead the continued execution of NACDS’ health-and-wellness strategy and policy to drive toward better access to care.

NACDS said Roszak will play a major role in the direction of federal and state policies related to patients’ access to pharmacist-provided services, innovative care-delivery models, substance abuse prevention and public health issues, including COVID-19 response and recovery. As part of NACDS’ “One Team” vision, Roszak will collaborate with other members of senior management with primary responsibility for reimbursement issues, state and federal advocacy, grassroots and political engagement, and communications.

Prior to joining NACDS and the NACDS Foundation, Roszak built partnerships across pharmacies and health departments at the National Association of County and City Health Officials. She also worked for U.S. Senator Bob Graham while he co-chaired a congressional commission focused on preventing biological terrorism and a presidential commission focused on the BP oil spill. In addition, she worked in positions at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Florida Division of Emergency Management.