Nancy Hoffman: Leading with Inspiration
How do you manage your local teams?
One of the ways I manage local teams is by metrics. PharMerica has an incredibly detailed operational dashboard that highlights key areas of performance and quality. But numbers on a paper have no value unless you do something with them. It is essential to understand what is driving them and what we can do to improve them. That is my focus when I work with individual pharmacies.
Another priority is reinforcing our corporate culture and values – ensuring our LEGACY culture, which embraces leadership, integrity, recognition and excellence, is alive in our pharmacies and that each one understands they are a local provider but also part of something bigger on a national level. With this mindset, I work with the leadership in every pharmacy to ensure we are meeting the needs of their specific market.
Describe PharMerica’s flexibility to adapt to local markets.
Markets are different based on a variety of factors such as the acuity of residents, packaging expectations, and state regulatory requirements as well as the comfort level of the nursing staff with technology. For example, northern California is a very high acuity area with rehab, IVs and tech-savvy prescribers who want all the latest bells and whistles, but other pharmacies may service primarily senior living communities where residents are not as acute and demands are different. PharMerica understands the differences among the diverse facilities and staffing, which allows us to meet their unique needs on a local level.
How does PharMerica demonstrate operational excellence?
PharMerica achieves operational excellence daily, starting with reliability and dependability. Our customers know they can count on us to handle the routine and the unexpected. We then follow through by communicating our metrics to quantify where we are and target opportunities to raise the bar. Combined with PharMerica’s values of integrity, transparency and communication, I like to say that we are data-driven but value-based.
How does passion drive you in your role?
I believe my passion drives me to always be learning, growing, and sharing with my team. When you’re excited about something and enjoy it, it’s palatable and alive, and it becomes a part of your daily living. When you’re passionate, that positive energy is noticed by your employees and inspires them as well.
How do you inspire your workforce?
I think I inspire my workforce in several ways. For one, I model optimism. I am also solution-driven and always looking for ways to make things work. I also have a very strong work ethic and tremendous integrity; and that’s important both internally and externally. You must be a person of your word for your customers if they are to trust you and count on you to be partner. Additionally, I’m always closing the loop with customers. That means going back and reviewing what we did and what the results were. Then we look at whether we need to pivot or change direction. That is how you continue to grow, evolve and deliver value to your customers.
How does PharMerica deliver local expertise to every community?
Our local expertise is one of our distinctions, and the way we accomplish and sustain it is two-fold.
First, our long-term care pharmacy staff can relate to the communities because they are a part of them. They connect both by visiting in person as well as connecting by phone to develop relationships and take the time to understand customer needs. Since our pharmacy staff live in the local area, they know firsthand some of the issues the facilities may be facing and can offer solutions that specifically meet their needs.
Second, we are transparent. We pull back the curtain with Quarterly Business Reviews, shared metrics, and listening to what our customers are saying. We don’t offer empty promises. We show and share the data that demonstrates the results of our actions and that we are consistently delivering on our promises.
What would you like people to know about your team?
The one thing I’d like people to know about my team is that they care. They work tirelessly for our customers. They know that each patient we take care of is someone’s grandma or grandpa. It’s not an 8-5 job and simply picking up a paycheck. Our employees go above and beyond to make a difference. I feel their caring and passion every time I’m in a pharmacy.
What do you want clients to say about PharMerica?
I’d want them to say that we’re solution-driven, transparent, accountable and responsive.
What sets PharMerica apart from the competition?
First is our focus on quality. For PharMerica, this means continuous quality care. We live and breathe it, and it goes into every one of our processes. Everyone in the pharmacy owns quality to ensure that what gets orders gets delivered.
Second, it’s our employees. Our community focus drives the personal relationships within a given facility or assisted living community. Our staff go to the same grocery stores as our customers, attend children’s soccer games together, and live in each other’s neighborhoods. They care and demonstrate that in their everyday actions, and that makes our employees one of our best assets.
Finally, it’s about our mission. Our employees live our mission every day and truly want to make a positive impact on the lives of our long-term care patients. That is the core of what we do.