Tiffany Phung and Tim Cutler on research partnerships with industry | HSES 2026

Health systems can partner with industry on research without giving up scientific independence, as long as the ideas start with their own staff, according to two pharmacy leaders at UC Davis Health. Tim Cutler, Pharm.D., BCGP, associate chief pharmacy officer for ambulatory and outpatient services, and Tiffany Phung, Pharm.D., CSP, director of specialty pharmacy, value, trade relations and market access, spoke with Managed Healthcare Executive at the 2026 Health System Executive Summit.

At UC Davis Health, Cutler said, research ideas come from staff and go into “a big bucket of ideas” that are scored and checked with a leadership group against the health system’s goals and strategies for the coming year or two. The team then draws on the industry partnerships Phung has developed to spot other areas worth studying. Because the work stems from frontline staff, he said, “there’s a lot of independence just in that nature itself,” though the team still needs to understand what its industry partners need. “There’s a balance there for sure,” he said.

Phung said experienced team members support one another, which matters because research can be intimidating for frontline staff who “have not even touched research in 20 to 30 years.” That support has encouraged more staff to bring ideas forward and lead projects.

Looking three to five years ahead, Cutler said health systems should start with culture and then build partnerships with industry, with groups such as a school of medicine that can offer biostatisticians or grant support, and with peer organizations through multisite research. Not every medical center has a school of pharmacy, he noted, so leaders should look for academic support wherever it exists. Phung pointed to a dedicated research advisor who works with staff and residents on endpoints and whether a question can actually be measured, which she said makes the work credible and draws manufacturers in. Cutler also highlighted data and AI as ways to shorten the time from research question to publication.

The takeaway, Cutler said, is that research doesn’t belong in an ivory tower. It produces “meaningful, measurable outcomes that can drive expansions, new services that show the value of existing services,” and should tie back to the organization’s five-year strategic plan. Phung’s message for manufacturers and payers is that UC Davis Health captures de-identified data in its everyday work. “We are credible partners in this area, and we have demonstrated value,” she said.

In this video, Phung and Cutler discuss how to build credible research partnerships and what health systems should invest in now.