Alexandria, VA (February 15, 2023)—The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) is proud to announce that Penny Allen, RD, CNSC, FASPEN, FNHIA is the recipient of the 2023 Gene Graves Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Gene Graves Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor that NHIA bestows on a member of the home and alternate site infusion profession who has dedicated significant time, energy, and resources to advocating on behalf of patients and the industry. The award was established in 2006, and is named after Gene Graves, a home infusion pioneer who was instrumental to the founding of NHIA in 1991. Allen will receive the award during NHIA’s 2023 Annual Conference, at the General Session on Monday, March 27 at 10:45 am Eastern.
As vice president of nutrition support for Optum Infusion Pharmacy, Penny Allen leads clinical programs focused on achieving better health outcomes for patients with malnutrition. With more than 30 years’ experience in the industry, her clinical expertise and unwavering commitment to patient care has put her in the forefront of clinical excellence, patient advocacy and earned her a reputation as a trusted and respected leader.
Most notably, Allen’s work with NHIA and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) was instrumental in changing Medicare’s coverage policy for home parenteral nutrition (HPN) to reflect current clinical practices, an advocacy effort spanning 20 plus years and multiple reconsideration requests. The revised Local Coverage Determination (LCD) was the first change to the HPN policy since it was created in 1984 and has resulted in significantly improved access to HPN therapy for beneficiaries. In the wake of Medicare’s decision, Allen leveraged her knowledge to promote the new coverage policies through publications, including NHIA’s INFUSION magazine, Practical Gastroenterology, and various webinars podcasts and conference sessions to ensure that all home infusion providers were informed and able to act on behalf of their patients.
Allen is a nationally recognized expert on nutrition practice and policy. She is also a teacher, mentor, and leader with the gift of clear, concise, and warm communication. She has influenced and advanced the clinical practice and home infusion careers of hundreds of practitioners—dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and business leaders, inspiring them with her vision. Her team has the greatest respect for her knowledge, energy, and willingness to go the extra mile in supporting them and patient care.
In her seven years at Optum, Allen has established and grown the nutrition business unit by collaborating with teams to develop, manage, and improve standards of practice, clinical assessment and patient education tools; created continuing education for internal and external customers; and authored parenteral nutrition sales and marketing collateral as well as developed sales training programs.
Prior, she was the first national sales manager hired for the U.S. launch of Fresenius Kabi’s parenteral nutrition division. Earlier in her career, as National Director for Nutrition Support with a national home infusion company, she worked closely with Boston Children’s Hospital to safely provide the Fresenius Kabi product Omegaven® to critically ill pediatric patients in the home setting.
She has been an active supporter of the Oley Foundation and serves on their Industry Advisory Council. Allen is an active member of ASPEN and NHIA and was awarded Fellow status in both organizations in 2021 and 2022 respectively. She is the Past Chair of ASPEN’s Public Policy and Advocacy Committee and current Chair of NHIA’s Medicare Contractor Advisory Committee. Allen has contributed to more than 40 publications and abstracts and delivered over 100 presentations related to Medicare, drug shortages, HPN safety and clinical management and her expertise is consistently sought after in the industry.
“To have the opportunity to witness the impact of home infusion, specifically nutrition related therapies in patient lives, is what has kept me in this incredibly complex business for almost 35 years,” says Allen. “My career in home infusion has honestly been such a blessing in my life. I have worked with some of the greatest people on the planet, many of whom are my best friends in life. Receiving the NHIA Lifetime Achievement Award is beyond humbling and I’m incredibly honored.”
“We are excited to recognize Penny with NHIA’s 2023 Gene Graves Lifetime Achievement Award. Her clinical knowledge and determination have made her an unparalleled partner in the long process of advocating for updated Medicare parenteral nutrition coverage,” said Connie Sullivan, BSPharm, NHIA’s President and CEO. “It’s clear to anyone who knows Penny that her laser focus on patients drove that effort forward and NHIA is truly honored to have worked with her on that and many other projects.”
“Penny is a key contributor to her field, a caring leader and mentor, and a fierce advocate for patients,” said Tim Affeldt, PharmD, NHIA Board Chair. “Her pursuit of excellence and willingness to share knowledge with colleagues elevates our practice and our industry.”
###
NHIA is a trade association that represents companies that provide infusion therapy to patients in their homes, as well as companies that manufacture and supply infusion and specialty pharmacy products. Infusion therapy involves patient-specific compounded medications, supplies, and a range of pharmacy, nursing, and other clinical services for delivering care to patients in the home setting.
The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) applaudes the introduction of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate that will ensure Medicare patients can receive the intravenous (IV) medications they need while at home.
The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) is pleased to hold its second annual one-day Payor Summit. The event, designed to bring together representatives from commercial health insurance plans with home and specialty infusion leaders, will take place August 23, 2023 in Dallas, TX.
The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) applauds the introduction of the “Expanding Care in the Home Act,” (H.R.2853) which would expand coverage for home-based services, such as home infusion, dialysis, diagnostic imaging, and personal care services for Medicare beneficiaries.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
NHIA WEBSITE DISCLAIMER
The information on this website is intended for general information purposes only. While we make every effort to update information, readers should rely upon the primary sources of information on the websites of CMS, the FDA, the DME MACs and other government agencies for current and comprehensive information on issues relating to Medicare, FDA guidelines and other governmental guidelines. The information on this website is not intended to be legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and we recommend that you consult your attorney for legal advice.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.