Career Journey

From Pharmacy Operations to Population Health Strategy: The Career Journey of Dr. Jonathan Szkotak

5/21/2025

In today’s healthcare environment, where clinical insight must intersect with data-driven strategy and patient advocacy, few professionals bridge these worlds as effectively as Dr. Jonathan Szkotak, PharmD. With over a decade of experience in managed care, pharmacy operations, population health, and data analytics, Dr. Szkotak has built a career around making healthcare smarter, more equitable, and more human.

Starting From the Ground Up

Dr. Szkotak began his healthcare journey in the most hands-on way possible—working as a pharmacy technician and intern while putting himself through school. After earning his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of New Mexico in 2011, he completed a PGY1 Managed Care Residency at Health Plan of San Joaquin, where he would quickly rise from clinical pharmacist to Director of Pharmacy.

Leadership Across Managed Care

Jonathan’s leadership roles have included serving as Director of Pharmacy at three distinct organizations—Health Plan of San Joaquin, UNM Health, and Alameda Alliance for Health. In these roles, he didn’t just manage departments—he rebuilt them. At Alameda, he grew a team from 1 to 9, developed standard operating procedures aligned with NCQA and DHCS, and launched a clinical opioid program that reduced inappropriate prescribing by 7% in six months.

At UNM Health, Jonathan’s work as Director of Pharmacy helped unify benefit structures across multiple university systems, identifying a potential $40 million in savings through integrated formulary management. He also served as Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, teaching managed care and health financing.

Expertise in Data and Strategy

Jonathan’s background is deeply rooted in clinical analytics. He’s developed risk stratification algorithms for asthma, diabetes, and heart failure using claims data, and built internal decision-support tools in Microsoft Access to improve inter-rater reliability and workflow efficiency. His ability to convert raw data into actionable strategy has shaped not only pharmacy policy, but broader population health programs.

A Passion for Patient Access

Now serving as a Consultant with Formulary Intelligence Research, Dr. Szkotak works directly with patients, physicians, and pharmacies to navigate the complex world of drug coverage and prior authorization. Whether it’s gaining approval for high-cost therapies like Keytruda or guiding patients into clinical trials, his work brings clinical knowledge to the front lines of patient advocacy.

Educator, Innovator, Problem Solver

Throughout his career, Jonathan has maintained a strong commitment to education—both as a clinical adjunct professor and as a preceptor for pharmacy students. He’s presented at professional conferences, contributed to peer-reviewed publications, and designed training programs for pharmacists, residents, and interdisciplinary teams.

The Big Picture

What ties all of this together is Jonathan’s unwavering belief that healthcare systems should work for people, not the other way around. Whether leading a P&T Committee, developing a pharmacy benefit model, or helping a patient access life-saving treatment,

Dr. Jonathan Szkotak brings clinical rigor, strategic thinking, and genuine compassion to every role he takes on.

Connect with Jonathan to learn more about how he’s helping to reshape healthcare—one program, one policy, and one patient at a time.