Leveraging Payer Intelligence in Patient Support Programs

Rick Ford, Vice President, Market Access Solutions, TrialCard

Rick Ford, who joined TrialCard in 2017, advises pharmaceutical and biotech drug manufacturers on market access and patient advocacy matters. He has managed patient service functions for drug manufacturers and has held positions as high as Vice President for the nation’s largest specialty pharmacies. Ford has extensive experience in oncology, having worked at US Oncology.  He has also advised medical and pharmacy benefit administrators on the development of specialty drug programs designed to serve health plan members. Ford has over 30 years of experience in the health care industry.

Ford holds a BA in Economics from San Diego State University and an MBA in Business Management from Houston Baptist University. He is a Fellow of the Life Office Management Association and a Self-insurance Certified Specialist.

Eric Willis, Vice President, Product Management, TrialCard

Eric Willis is a talented and accomplished management professional with wide ranging experience in Project Management, Client Relations, Operations, and Departmental Direction.  Eric joined the TrialCard team in 2012 and immediately made an impact as a Program Manager with the hub services organization, overseeing one of the company’s longest-running programs in support of a subcutaneous injectable drug.  During his time in this role, Eric helped guide the brand marketing team to develop new and innovative solutions to improve the patient experience and ensure more people had access to therapy.

Eric’s skill at understanding his clients’ problems and offering timely and actionable recommendations led to his promotion to the role of Executive Program Manager in support of TrialCard’s largest client.  In this role, Eric managed a team of five Program Managers and served as an advisor on all areas of program design, implementation, operations, reporting, and marketing.  In his current role, Eric provides consultative advice to clients on best practices for designing programs that drive both access and long-term adherence.  Prior to TrialCard, Eric held a variety of project and program management roles for Connexion Technologies, OnePath Systems, and LLC/MDU Systems.

Eric holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Valdosta State University.

Drew Gutschmidt, President, Policy Reporter

Drew Gutschmidt founded Policy Reporter having recognized a need for real-time data in the market access space. He has a range of experience in software development, consulting and veterinary practice management. Drew has worked for multiple software companies in Vancouver, British Columbia including companies with solutions in compliance and database management. He owned and operated a web development company before moving into consulting.

In the consulting field, Drew worked with some of the largest, Fortune 500 Medical Device and Pharmaceutical companies as well as smaller manufactures launching new therapeutics or devices. He helped support brand launches and helped to provide vital market research to bring therapies to patients.

Since founding Policy Reporter in 2012, Drew has grown the company to almost 100 staff and has helped the company become the leader in real-time payer intelligence for manufacturers, payers and providers. Policy Reporter was acquired by TrialCard in November of 2019 and since then, Drew continues to lead Policy Reporter as President.

Drew and his spouse own 17 animal hospitals across Canada under the VetCare brand.

Drew holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, cum laude in Business Management from The University of British Columbia. He has training and education in human-computer interface design, web development and programming.