Why are you passionate about LTC pharmacy?
I started interning in Assisted Living communities back in the late 1990s. One of my jobs was teaching a computer class to seniors, a lot of it was around teaching them the basics of how to send emails to their kids/grandkids. Not only did I enjoy meeting the residents in the communities, but many became good friends. To this day, I still have email correspondence with some of the people that attended my classes in New York – they have advanced to sending me articles and pictures – even venturing onto social media! Our seniors have fascinating stories and life experiences to share. I find it to be an often-neglected part of our healthcare system, and the small things you do can really affect their lives in a positive way. It’s a humbling feeling to have started the pharmacy here in Atlanta which has grown to touch thousands of seniors across Georgia every day.
If you aren’t at work, you are…
Traveling! I love to experience new countries and cultures – and also enjoy seeing new places here in the U.S. I’ve visited 29 countries and hope to get to my 30th before too long. So far my favorites are probably Italy and Fiji.
Your pharmacy’s culture is…
Engaged and dynamic. The culture in the pharmacy is something we’ve put a lot of focus on over the years. It’s easy for a company to fall into the “but we’ve always done it like that” way of thinking when it comes to processes and services. One of our core values is that “all existing processes and procedures are open to change if it benefits the communities, residents, and the pharmacy.” This approach means we need input from all team members, whether you’ve been here for three months or three years! The needs of our customers are constantly changing – and as a result, we have to be flexible to meet the increasing demands of the industry. I feel extremely lucky to have a diverse team that is made up of not just people I’ve known for many years from previous jobs but also more recent hires, some of whom even started their career here as interns and stayed on for full time employment. That shows me that we’re doing the right thing for our employees – who are in turn treating our customers with the care they deserve. Thanks to our team for keeping our culture positive not only for us, but for our customers!
People would be surprised to know…
I’m originally from Upstate New York. People often tell me, “You don’t sound like you’re from New York.” Upstate New York is very different than New York City. My family actually owns an alpaca farm in the Hudson Valley, about two hours north of the city. Anyone who likes hiking, camping, or even rock climbing, should definitely put Upstate New York on their travel list.
What’s the best piece of advice you could give customers?
One of the things I always say to my customers is “If it’s important to you, it’s important to us.” Communication is key. If you need something from us urgently. make sure we understand what we can do to help you. For instance – if someone is in pain and you need a medication sent stat, please call us immediately. If the order is just sent via fax. it may take us some time to see it, and we might not realize it’s needed sooner than your next scheduled delivery. Our staff is passionate about serving our seniors, let us know what we can do to better serve your community!
If you could have dinner with one famous person from any period in history, who would it be?
I only get to choose one? That’s tough because there are so many inspiring people I’ve read about in school and in history. But for some reason, the first person that came to mind was Robin Williams. Sure, it would be great to speak with an inspiring musician, inventor, or explorer – but in this crazy world of pharmacy that I live in, laughter truly is the best medicine for us and for our residents – and nobody could get you to laugh more than Robin Williams. Even when watching old interviews with him that were on a more serious topic, eventually you found yourself laughing. His mind was able to shift topics and characters so quickly. Watching him was always an uplifting and inspiring experience. I can only imagine what it was like to sit with him one on one and have dinner – but I’m sure it would be hard to focus on the food.
