BERWYN, Pa., July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AscellaHealth, a full-spectrum pharmacy solutions provider rooted in specialty pharmacy expertise, today announces the appointment of Johanna van Nijkerk as vice president of business development. Van Nijkerk brings more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare benefits space and will support the continued expansion of AscellaOne, a modern pharmacy benefits enablement platform for employers, health plans and PBMs looking for a modular way to deliver affordable and accessible pharmacy benefits to their members.
“Johanna’s reputation in this industry speaks for itself,” says Dea Belazi, chief executive officer, AscellaHealth. “She has spent her career building long-standing, trusted relationships with key industry stakeholders, making her an ideal fit as we continue to expand the reach and power of AscellaOne. Her deep national accounts expertise and consultative approach are exactly what our clients and prospects need as they navigate a changing regulatory environment and a push to more open, unbundled and transparent options.”
Van Nijkerk joins AscellaHealth from SlateRx, where she served as AVP, Business Development, and was instrumental in building and expanding strategic channel partnerships with leading national brokerage organizations as well as CoreTrust, the company’s Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) partner. Prior to SlateRx, she spent nearly two decades with Cigna Healthcare and Express Scripts, serving in roles of increasing responsibility, including Vice President of Sales, Strategy & Business Development for National Accounts, Senior Account Executive, and Coalition Lead. Throughout her tenure, she managed a portfolio of large and complex employer clients representing more than 2.5 million annual claims while maintaining an outstanding 100% client retention rate.
Throughout her career, van Nijkerk has been recognized for her consultative leadership style and ability to translate complex solutions into clear strategies that help organizations address business challenges and drive meaningful outcomes. She has also been active in industry leadership, serving on the Dallas American Heart Association’s Executive Leadership Team and as a Steering Committee member for Worldwide Employee Benefits’ Dallas chapter. Van Nijkerk holds an International Business degree from Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands and is multi-lingual, speaking Dutch, English, German and Spanish.
“I’m excited to join AscellaHealth at such a pivotal moment of growth and expansion,” says van Nijkerk. “Decades in this industry have taught me that behind every contract is a plan sponsor or payer trying to do right by their members, sometimes with poor visibility or one high-cost specialty claim standing between them and keeping the lights on. As more personalized, individualized therapies become the norm, financial and operational models need to evolve with them. AscellaHealth has a track record combining expertise, customization and innovation to improve access and affordability, even in the most complex categories of medication. That’s a rare and meaningful starting point for AscellaOne as it brings pharmacy payers and vendor partners together within its modular ecosystem.”
Johanna van Nijkerk will be attending RosettaFest 2026 in Nashville, TN this week where she looks forward to connecting with plan sponsors, payers and industry partners to discuss AscellaOne and the future of pharmacy benefits.
About AscellaHealth LLC
AscellaHealth is a global partner that delivers proven end-to-end solutions to both life sciences and healthcare companies to enhance the quality of life for patients with complex, chronic conditions. A dedicated team gets critical healthcare products from manufacturers to patients, while ensuring an efficient flow of funds between payers and pharma. For more information on our services and solutions, visit www.AscellaHealth.com.
Media:
Esther Jin
CPR Strategic Marketing Communications
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201.645.4896 x 10
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