Ruth E. Cassidy, B.S., PharmD, MBA, FACHE, FASHP, has been named the inaugural chief pharmacy officer at Montefiore Health System. Dr. Cassidy assumed her new position today.

Montefiore Einstein names Dr. Ruth Cassidy as its inaugural Chief Pharmacy Officer

Dr. Cassidy brings to Montefiore decades of pharmacy practice excellence, with an eye towards medication safety, regulatory oversight and delivery of exceptional patient care. She will oversee pharmacy services across Montefiore’s acute and ambulatory locations as well as Montefiore’s Specialty Pharmacy, one of the most advanced specialty pharmacies in the region, providing home delivery of medications throughout the Bronx and Westchester.

“There is no better person than Dr. Cassidy to be our inaugural chief pharmacy officer and member of our leadership team dedicated to enhancing patient and caregiver care and support,” said Peter P. Semczuk, DDS, MPH, Regional Senior Vice President for New York City and Executive Director, Moses Campus & Faculty Practice Group, Montefiore. “Her role will be central as we continue to invest in new technologies and quality assurance strategies that streamline medication processes, reduce burden on providers and most importantly, optimize patient outcomes.”

The Rx for Addressing Care Complexity

Chronic disease exacts a significant toll on the health and well-being of New Yorkers. More than 40 percent of New York adults suffer from at least one chronic disease, making medication management vital. Dr. Cassidy will be responsible for managing pharmacy operations, spanning novel cancer breakthroughs that genetically modify a person’s own immune cells to attack cancer cells, to building on successful communications strategies that support care coordination and mitigate potential drug side effects following hospital stays.

“I’ve been privileged to spend most of my career serving Bronx patients and families,” said Dr. Cassidy. “By joining Montefiore and leading pharmacy operations, an area that touches every service, I have the opportunity to leverage existing relationships with community partners, bring forth new collaborations across the system and ensure a consistent experience across our campuses that will benefit every provider and their patients, I can’t wait to dive in.”

Prior to joining Montefiore, Dr. Cassidy, served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Support Services and Chief Pharmacy Officer at SBH Health System, where she designed and oversaw the system’s first Outpatient Pharmacy, first Specialty Pharmacy and launched an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists-accredited pharmacy resident program.

Cassidy earned her Master of Business Administration from West Texas A&M University, her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine and her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy at St. John’s University.