Lisa Bowen: Leading with Communication
How do you view PharMerica’s role?
We provide world-class pharmacy services to our partners in a broad array of healthcare markets, including long-term care, senior living, hospice, IDD/behavioral health, home infusion, specialty, and hospital management. But we really provide value beyond medications. In each sector and in the heart of every community, we offer something no one else does – bringing the best of local and national together.
PharMerica is leading the industry by being both a trusted neighborhood pharmacy and a large partner essential to helping organizations scale, adapt, and remain competitive. At each touch point, our team provides complete peace of mind so facilities can focus on what they do best – helping residents live their best lives.
How would you describe PharMerica today? How has it changed over the years?
PharMerica today is a very different organization than it was even just a couple years ago. As part of BrightSpring, we no longer just provide medications in nursing homes. Now we are a diversified healthcare provider serving medically complex patients in a variety of settings, including in their homes with the launch of Continue Care.
But as we’ve continued to evolve and grow, we haven’t lost sight of what drives us, and that’s the residents and patients we serve – and our clients who take care of them. And we’re proud to say that our net promoter score, which is used to gauge client satisfaction, is a 51, which is double the industry average. That’s a testament to how sincerely we care about the customer experience and how we continue to raise the bar.
How do you would you describe the company culture?
Our culture is inspired by the passion of our people. Our caring team is driven by the same goal – helping people live their best lives – and they own that. They take personal responsibility for the quality of care in our facilities and are committed to better clinical outcomes. And our team members know they are empowered to act in the best interests of our clients and their residents.
What sets PharMerica apart from its competitors?
Number one is our people-focused mindset that drives our focus on quality and outcomes. Number two involves the operational efficiencies we create through our systems and workflows to make life easier for staff and for customers to do business with us. Number three is a proactive approach that enables us to help our partners stay ahead even amid constant change in the industry. Our Illuminate platform is an example of how we help inform professionals and key decision makers about the most important issues facing the industry today. With staffing challenges and shortages, reimbursement and regulatory changes, and the COVID-19 pandemic, this platform is even more crucial now to keep our colleagues and clients connected, informed, and armed with actionable tactics for staying ahead in our evolving industry.
These are the top three, but there are many more.
What is the goal of the Illuminate Platform, your educational portal?
Illuminate is an opportunity for communities to come together with each other and PharMerica to facilitate the conversation and provide solutions to shared challenges. Illuminate’s exclusive tools and resources provide a broad array of opportunities that feature unmatched insights from strategic partners, industry thought leaders, trail blazers, clients, and clinical experts. Pointed interviews are showcased in articles, videos, and PharMerica’s website for real-world insights into community best practices. The platform also offers in-person and on-demand resources, including a speaker’s bureau, community one-day continuing education programs, webinars, eBooks, white papers, and PMC University.
We are always engaging our audience to learn what is top of mind or keeping them up at night so we can respond with the type of content that will further their understanding of current issues and better enable them to respond.
Can you describe PharMerica’s Customer Service Excellence?
This is based on three things.
Number one is our proactive approach. We stay abreast of everything that’s happening, and we have experts and thought leaders guiding us on trends and how to develop the best solutions to improve the customer experience as things continue to evolve. By keeping ahead of issues, we are truly a trusted partner.
Number two is the team’s responsiveness. Everyone understands that when a customer need arises, it needs to be prioritized. If someone asks for something in an hour, then we need to get it to them in 30 minutes. It’s a level of responsiveness that is unparalleled in the industry.
Number three is how we make it easy as possible to do business with us. We know our customers are overwhelmed with staffing issues, regulations, quality concerns and so on, and we strive to provide solutions that will ease their burdens, whether that’s leading packaging options or billing accuracy.
How does PharMerica bring its local expertise to the heart of every community?
We’re a very unique company because we have the vast resources of a national company, but we’re arming our local clinicians with the authority to act and deliver them locally in the way that makes the most sense for each customer.
What do you hope that clients say about PharMerica?
The one thing I would want clients to say about PharMerica is that we have the best people in the industry. Across the board in every department, our employees are inspired by the residents and people we serve, and they recognize the impact we have on their lives. And that’s something you can’t teach. It’s ingrained in who our employees are.