James Napoli, MD

Dr. James Napoli serves as the chief pharmacy officer (CPO) and Vice President of Clinical Therapeutics for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ). In addition to providing clinical leadership for his division, he oversees the pharmacy strategy and operations. Dr. Napoli is responsible for healthcare innovations in the pharmaceutical arena, including formulating clinical pharmacy policy, maintaining the national pharmacy network, and managing relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers and claims processing vendors. He also develops comprehensive prescription benefit design and utilization programs for managed segments.

Dr. Napoli is passionate about creating innovations and programs designed to foster and enhance relations between BCBSAZ, its subsidiaries and affiliates, hospitals, and providers. His team is directly responsible for creation of outcome-driven initiatives designed to improve the quality of healthcare services while bringing efficiencies to the delivery of care.

Dr. Napoli plays a vital role in creating outcome-driven quality initiatives and programs designed to improve healthcare services to BCBSAZ members and maximize system efficiencies. He is also the current chairman for BCBS Association National Council of Physician and Pharmacist Executives (NCPE).

Dr. Napoli is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and is a Certified Physician Executive in medical management with more than a decade of clinical experience in hospital medicine and physician leadership roles, including Credentials Chair, Quality Assurance Chair, Medicine Chair, and Vice Chief of Staff at Arrowhead Hospital in Glendale, Arizona.

Dr. Napoli also served as a medical director for OptumHealth in the medical management and quality improvement areas for Medicare Advantage membership. He directed multiple projects that supported care management innovation that led to shared savings models for primary care physicians.

Dr. Napoli holds a Master of Medical Management degree from University of Southern California, a Doctor of Allopathic Medicine degree from Medical College of Ohio, and a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University.