100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2021

Group purchasing organization Premier and 11 health systems this year acquired a stake in Exela Holdings, a specialty pharmaceutical company to ensure steady supplies of key drugs. Charlotte, North Carolina-based Premier said the deal ensures its member health systems an uninterrupted supply of 19 pharmaceutical products, including several generic injectables that frequently appear on the Food and Drug Administration’s drug shortage list.

Alkire, who took over as CEO in 2020, previously served as president and chief operating officer at Premier. He’s a past board member of GHX and the Healthcare Supply Chain Association with more than 20 years of experience in business operations and development. Before joining Premier in 2003, he worked with Deloitte & Touche and Cap Gemini in supply chain and tech manufacturing. He received his MBA from Indiana University.

Alkire speaks: “I think we can expect our lives continue to be far more tech-enabled in the post-COVID economy. We will continue to see a greater investment in ensuring that our healthcare ecosystem is using all the tools at its disposal to ensure that clinicians are practicing at the top of their license and providing the best possible patient care.”