PRESS RELEASE

Melissa Castora-Binkley Joins PQA as Senior Director of Research

Alexandria, Va. (September 2, 2021) – Melissa Castora-Binkley, PhD, has joined the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) team as Senior Director of Research. She will lead PQA’s research to support better medication use and high-quality care.

PQA research advances medication use quality by developing evidence to support meaningful quality measures, demonstrating the value of medications and pharmacist-provided care, and fostering collaboration within the healthcare system to address social determinants of health and improve medication access. Castora-Binkley, as a member of PQA’s senior leadership team, will shape the strategic growth of PQA’s research. 

“We are excited to welcome Melissa to the PQA team! She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as a shared passion for improving patient outcomes through medication use quality.” Micah Cost, PharmD, MS, PQA Chief Executive Officer, said. “Melissa’s strong track record of developing a high-performing team, history of collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and work to inform health policy related to medication use will be instrumental in leading PQA’s research team and strategy.”

Prior to PQA, Castora-Binkley served as a researcher and then as Associate Director at Health Services Advisory Group. She has experience working with CMS to develop quality measures for the Quality Rating System for Qualified Health Plans that operate in the Health Insurance Marketplace. She ensured that new quality measures are patient-centered and aligned with the goals of the National Quality Strategy, the National Quality Forum, and CMS. Previously, she served as a Policy & Research Analyst with the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging.

“I am excited to join PQA and play an integral role in optimizing health by advancing the quality of medication use,” Castora-Binkley said. “I look forward to working with the team and our members to demonstrate through research the value of medication use quality for health policy, closing gaps in care, addressing health equity, team-based care, and overall quality improvement.”

Castora-Binkley received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in sociology from the University of Central Florida and her doctorate in gerontology from the University of South Florida.

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