Connection - Kinney Drugs

SECOND EDITION 2014
The
Connection
Company Receives Fit-Friendly Worksite Recognition
KPH Healthcare Services, Inc. has been recognized as a Gold Level Recipient of the American Heart Association’s Fit-Friendly
Worksites Recognition program. This distinction is a direct result of our organization’s commitment to providing wellness opportunities
for employees and reinforces the value of our Owning Our Health program.
KPH Healthcare Services was selected for this honor because we are providing support to employees
in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture. Equally important, we were selected because
our employee owners have chosen to actively participate in our wellness program. This recognition
demonstrates the level of impact that Owning Our Health offers to our company and our employees.
We are extremely honored and pleased to be recognized by the American Heart Association as a Gold
Level Fit-Friendly Worksite, and we thank everyone for helping us to achieve this distinction.
2014 Management Conference
Our company’s Management Conference was held at the Saratoga
Hilton in beautiful Saratoga Springs, NY on March 19th and 20th.
Hundreds of employee owners were in attendance, including store
managers, supervising pharmacists, administrative staff and senior
management personnel. With representation from all four divisions of
KPH Healthcare Services, the conference featured breakout sessions
tailored to each group, several industry speakers, and company updates.
The trade show garnered participation from more than 150 of our
vendor partners at the Saratoga Springs City Center. With such a
diverse group of vendors, employees were able to experience a wide
array of the latest retail products as well as innovations in health and
wellness. Additionally, many of our vendor partners were recognized
at the second annual vendor breakfast.
Pictured above: Brian Scott, Dave Warner, Corporate Quest Award For
Excellence winner Mike Duteau, Bridget-ann Hart and Jim Spencer
The conference was a great opportunity to recognize many employee owners on their outstanding achievements. One employee from each
division received recognition in our second annual presentation of the Divisional Leadership awards. Drug stores from each region received
awards for exceptional retail customer service, pharmacy customer service, and store team performance in addition to one Drug Store of
the Year award. We also awarded outstanding category managers for Merchandising Excellence. The most prestigious award given at the
conference is the Corporate Quest for Excellence award, which was given to a single exceptional employee owner.
Continued on page 14.
Inside This Issue…
Service Awards...........................2
President’s Corner......................3
Health Direct ..............................4
Drug Stores................................6
Kinney Drugs Foundation............8
Noble Health Services...............10
ProAct .....................................12
KPH Healthcare Services...........14
Announcements........................16
Service Awards February - August 2014
FEBRUARY 2014
APRIL 2014
JUNE 2014
Sandra Boslet, #50
James M. Bailey, Dist. Ctr.
Michael J. Burgess, Officer
30 YEARS
25 YEARS
Scott A. Richards, #18
20 YEARS
Joyce A. Fleury, #11
10 YEARS
Megan H. Whitney, #15
Stacie M. Dermady, #107
Cindy A. Shelters, #66
5 YEARS
April M. Irwin-Finkle, #7
Dominica E. Butchino, #40
Michaele C. Dorsey-Hosmer, #67
William F. Harfield, #50
Kara M. Pratt, #35
Kayse J. Diamond, ProAct
Penny M. Pike, #5
Heather A. Cummings, #98
Karen A. Barrett, #98
Danielle M. Abare-O’Dell, #98
Ronald L. Newell, #40
Melanie A. Wilber, #22
Allison M. Bratek, #47
Deborah J. Ratta, #94
Charles A. Elliott, #58
Leland L. Ellis, #98
Michael J. O’Hara, #75
25 YEARS
35 YEARS
20 YEARS
30 YEARS
Melissa M. Terpstra, #34
TraceyRossi, #11
15 YEARS
25 YEARS
Mildred S. Walach, #27
Mary E. McNulty, #8
Erin E. Southwick, #10
CarolynGokey, #12
10 YEARS
Lisa M. Seeley, #47
Elaine M. Anna, #20
Judith A. Werlau, #1
Stephanie L. Rusaw, #47
Linda Colburn, #21
Nganha Vo, #52
Mary E. Rabideau, #59
Brian M. Conners, #7
Suzette L. Lentz, #13
15 YEARS
Deanna D. Barbell, #19
10 YEARS
Donna M. Hinkley, #35
Virginia A. Norsen, #66
Ellen C. Barton, #11
Michael C. Ventura, #44
Cheryl A. Seifert, #39
Katelin L. Maki, #16
Russell T. Knobel, #2
5 YEARS
Michelle M. Reff, #15
Douglas C. Czyz, #61
Mark L. Lalonde, #100
Jessica L. Conyea, #10
Annemarie Dudley, #51
James A. Stephenson, #95
Lauren E. Boyer, #19
Donald J. Maloy, #98
Heather L. Sears, #43
Melissa L. Sanchez, #46
Kelly A. Schwalm, #24
Joan E. Hadden, #19
Brittanie C. Downs, Admin.
5 YEARS
Jeffrey J. Kirkby, #30
MAY 2014
Audrey L. Brooks, #93
Laura R. Kroon, #45
Catherine M. Andrews, #16
Faye A. LaForest, #19
Rachel M. Jodway, #28
Tara C. Dery, #28
Christopher J. Bean, #60
John M. Coger, #68
Julia E. Fesko, #84
Mark D. Sainsbury, Admin.
Alicia A. Hickey, #113
Jenna M. Rodolico, #72
Stacey R. Senecal, #59
Marilyn S. Daley, #38
Bridget-ann Hart, Officer
JULY 2014
Evelyn C. Young, #12
Robert J. Kline, #48
DavidWarner, Officer
MARCH 2014
30 YEARS
25 YEARS
35 YEARS
20 YEARS
25 YEARS
15 YEARS
Angela S. Grau, #20
Gretchen E. Hoffman, #60
Darlene R. Sixberry, Dist. Ctr.
10 YEARS
Norman E. Robinson, #11
30 YEARS
20 YEARS
Blake A. Smith, Admin.
Donald G. Morse, #60
Cynthia Young, #16
Christopher M. Monacelli, #10
Brandi L. Romano, #5
15 YEARS
Bryan R. Jones, #97
Mariea S. Chase, #68
Melanie D. Clough, #68
Amy L. Barrows, #107
Susan L. Fleming, #51
Tina M. Rumrill, #28
10 YEARS
Anne M. Mahar, #97
Agustin Cirino, #97
Janet A. Grome, #97
Richard W. Patton, Dist. Ctr.
Arleen D. Worley, #22
Daniel J. Hind, Admin.
Katherine S. Frank, #56
Derek A. Gonyea, #6
Renee L. Gramling, #18
Nathan W. Kelley ProAct
Morgan L. McGrann, #15
5 YEARS
5 YEARS
35 YEARS
25 YEARS
20 YEARS
Beth A. Sweet, #13
Amy E. Cole, #60
Nicole M. Azzarello, #37
Katie M. Latremore, #30
Monica E. Novello, #7
Darcy L. Rugar, #40
Karen M. Carter, #9
15 YEARS
Jennifer L. Warren, #5
Sue E. Morrison, #34
Michelle L. Peabody, #16
Matthew T. Yancey, #6
10 YEARS
Anita J. Sokal-Davidson, #38
Nicole M. Longo, #36
Matthew R. Flo, #23
Angela E. Gleason, #80
Rita M. Gray, #79
Eva R. Rosenthal, #36
Brian J. Chapin, #104
Matthew L. Huber, #90
Stephen J. Pavente, #31
Kathleen A. Hurd, #24
Paul J. Nolan, #60
Jessica L. Taylor, #9
Paul E. Stagg, #100
Meaghan E. LaValley, #40
Christie M. Barr, #28
Allison L. Villiere, #20
Francine I. Maclure, #58
Christine M. Graves-Boice, #68
Craig A. Randall, #15
Michael W. Reddick, #34
Jeanna L. King, #52
Melanie E. Martin, #60
-2-
5 YEARS
RobertWoodruff, Dist. Ctr.
Samantha R. Nicholas, #85
Scott A. Stevens, Admin.
Jessica L. Wood, #95
Linda M. Bullis, #11
Kelly L. Berry, #80
Nicole J. Page,#37
Nicole L. Winters, #48
Daniel J. Maguire, #91
Serra G. Guimond, #9
AUGUST 2014
40 YEARS
Otis M. Woods, Dist. Ctr.
30 YEARS
Julie A. Richards, #17
25 YEARS
Sylvia A. Bell, #10
Nancy Bickford, #9
Stacie L. Berry, #15
20 YEARS
Jennifer Jones, Admin.
Linda M. Sherman, ProAct
15 YEARS
Mark E. Scanio, #2
10 YEARS
Elizabeth A. Crivelli,#37
Tammy A. Soluri, #15
Patricia A. Barnes, Admin.
Patricia A. Bigelow, #54
Susan D. Ricardo, #82
Danielle L. Bennett, #18
Marcie L. Gauthier, #91
Amanda J. Newvine, #5
Daniel R. Boshart, #46
5 YEARS
Marcy E. Noble, #65
Laurie C. Ballantine, #38
Lillian E. Hutti, #50
Joshua W. Shepardson, #63
Pamela J. Fisher, #46
Marianne A. Collins, #31
Katelynn E. Blunden, #13
Erison Rodriguez, ProAct
Nicole M. Greaney, #60
Brandon J. Hammond, #43
Eileen M. Bradish, #60
Mary A. Fifield, #9
Miranda S. Ostrander, #37
Daniela M. Pirraglia, #51
President’s Corner
With all the buzz and activity of summer winding down, this is a perfect time to pause and
reflect upon all that’s been happening within the Owning Our Health wellness program over
the last few months.
Since the program launched at the beginning of the year, employee owners have truly begun
to embrace the changes in our company’s culture of wellness. Nearly 200 participants
completed the company-wide Step Up program, which was the first “wellness challenge”
from Owning Our Health. At many of our business locations, employees have participated
in healthy potlucks, walking days, and even a “bring your salad to work day”! With all of this
health-focused activity, it’s becoming increasingly common to see a coworker lace up their
sneakers to take a walk on their lunch break, bring healthier meals to work, or park their car
further from the building entrance.
While this high level of participation in Owning Our Health initiatives is
impressive, we’re even more thrilled to see the company wellness program
serve as a catalyst for personal lifestyle changes as well. This shows us how
we are achieving our goal of empowering employees to make healthy choices
outside the workplace. Many employees are even teaming up outside of work to
participate in walking & running events across our footprint. You’ve told us that
these events are not only a great opportunity to get active, but they also build
camaraderie among employee owners and benefit worthwhile charities which
care for our friends and neighbors.
Bridget-ann Hart, R.Ph.
President & CEO of KPH
Healthcare Services
With all of these great examples of employee owners embracing the
Owning Our Health wellness program, we hope to inspire you to join in
and keep this impressive momentum going. After all, improving the health
of our employees directly impacts the health of our company – because a
healthier workforce allows us to trim the costs to our self-funded health
insurance plan.
So if you haven’t started on a healthier path yet, it’s not too late! You
can find motivation in your network of fellow employees who are here
to support you. Remember: you have the power to make smart choices
for your health!
Bridget-ann Hart, R.Ph.,
President & CEO of KPH Healthcare Services
-3-
Health Direct
Institutional Update
At Health Direct Institutional Pharmacy Services (HDIPS), we have been thrilled
with the continued growth of our business as we provide quality specialized
pharmaceutical services to skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities
and correctional facilities in the geographical areas that we serve.
Each of our locations in Gouverneur and Syracuse, New York; Williston,
Vermont; Rochester, Minnesota; Concord, New Hampshire and La Crosse,
Wisconsin continue to experience increases in the number of prescriptions
they process and the number of beds that they service. As the team in
La Crosse, WI has settled into the new location and brought on new clients,
we have seen promising growth in this newest HDIPS facility.
Brian Scott, R.Ph.
President of Health Direct
Institutional Pharmacy
Services
Of course, we are proud to report that our customer retention rate has held
at 99 percent – a feat that would not be possible without the dedication of
our hardworking employee owners. We look forward to all that’s in store for
Health Direct in the rest of 2014!
From left to right: Steve Jansen, Facility Manager in La Crosse, WI; Mike Panasci, HDIPS Operations Manager; Brad Potter, Facility
Manager in Rochester, NY; Adam Eldredge, Customer Relations Coordinator; Sarah Kelsey, Facility Manager in Syracuse, NY; Tim O’Connor,
Supervising Pharmacist & Facility Manager in Gouverneur, NY; Stacey Kruth, HDIPS Manager of Financial Services; David Simpson, Dual
Facility Manager in Williston, VT & Concord, NH.
-4-
Health Direct
“Our People Make The Difference: Health Direct’s 99 percent retention rate”
One of our proudest accomplishments is keeping our rate of customer retention at an impressive
99 percent. People often ask how we maintain this high standard, and the simplest explanation is
our core belief, “our people make the difference.” There are a large number of employee owners
working hard every day to make that difference.
It all starts with really knowing our customer. Many people would immediately think the customer
is the patient whose name is on the prescription we fill; however, this is where Health Direct differs
from retail pharmacy. Our more immediate customer is the nurse that has submitted the prescription
on their behalf. We are providing the prescription service so the nurse can provide the care needed.
In this way, the institutional pharmacy business involves many layers of customer service.
One critical touch point for customer care lies in our Customer Service Technicians. These employees
are responsible for processing the data entry of all prescriptions, which often involves a call to a
nurse at the facility to clarify orders. Since all of our prescriptions are delivered to the facility, we have
very little actual face-to-face interaction with our customer. This makes the relationship between the
Customer Service Technicians and each facility especially important, as the Technicians are the greatest
point of contact we have with our customer.
Our Filling Technicians also play an important role in the customer service we provide. Health Direct
offers customizable packaging solutions to meet the needs of our diverse customer groups, which
include skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers and group homes. Each facility has different
needs for its medication packaging formats, such as a “bingo card,” strip pack, multi-med bingo
card, and even the traditional vial. For each of these, the Filling Technicians are tasked with ensuring
the right medication in the right quantity is placed into the right packaging.
Of course, Health Direct’s pharmacists are an integral part of the entire process. Pharmacists
are responsible in making sure the proper drug and quantity are being dispensed in the correct
packaging to the right patient at the right facility.
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the insurance company or the patient paying privately.
Our Delivery Drivers then take up the torch as they bring the prescriptions directly to the nursing staff at
each facility. Upon delivery, the drivers become the main face-to-face contact with the facility, making
them an important piece of the customer service puzzle.
At each facility, the nurses dispense medications to their patients based on printed medical
records which show the dates and times a specific medication is being given to each resident.
Our Medical Records Technicians work hard to maintain and print these records, which gives
them a great deal of responsibility in ensuring accuracy.
One more point of customer service lies in Health Direct’s sales and account management teams. Our
Sales team works hard out in the field, attending trade shows and knocking on the doors of potential
new business. Equally important, our Account Executives work with existing customers to make sure
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With all of these different employees holding responsibility for providing outstanding customer service
throughout each step of the process, you can see how “our people make the difference.” Our people are what set us apart from our competition,
because we provide our services with the best people in the business. The Health Direct employee owners understand the value of our
customers, as they provide us with the opportunity to serve them. Our retention rate tells me we are doing something right!
Thank you to all of our Health Direct employee owners - you truly make the difference. Just read what our customers have to say about us!
-5-
Drug Stores
In the ever-changing and competitive retail pharmacy industry, we work hard to differentiate
our drug stores from the competition. Since the founding of Kinney Drugs more than 110
years ago, the distinguishing characteristic of our drug stores over our competitors has always
been our customer service. As we move into the future, our unique, personalized service will
continue to be the most important factor in getting customers to come through our doors for
their pharmacy and retail needs.
Jim Spencer
President of
Kinney Drugs Stores
Through the Kinney Kares “Voice of the Customer” program, our customers recently provided
us with a score of 5 out of 5, 84.6% of the time. This number is a combined score reflecting
customers’ satisfaction in several areas of their shopping experience – and it is one of the
highest overall scores to date. It’s clear that our employee owners are embracing the Power of
Wow in guiding how they deliver exceptional customer service. We must continue to challenge
ourselves to find ways to deliver an exceptional and personalized customer experience, one
customer at a time.
It all boils down to empowerment – giving our employees the tools, knowledge and confidence
to provide an unmatched level of care. When every employee is empowered to make each
shopping experience truly exceptional and memorable for each customer, the result is a loyal
customer and a thriving business.
Healthy Outcomes
Colon Cancer Screenings
In partnership with the American Cancer Society and Upstate Cancer Center, we launched
a month-long colon cancer screening initiative in all 77 Kinney locations in New York.
Customers and employees were educated about the dangers of colon cancer, which is the
third leading cause of cancer death. With more than 1,850 colon cancer screening kits
distributed, dozens tested positive. Because colon cancer is preventable, treatable and
beatable when detected early, there is no doubt that this program helped to guard the
health of our friends and neighbors.
EZSync
Our newest pharmacy program is EZSync, offering patients synchronized prescription
refills. EZSync is targeted to patients who take multiple maintenance medications
and are juggling several refill dates. This program synchronizes refills so that they are
automatically processed on the same day, each month. After rolling EZSync out to each
of our pharmacies, we have exceeded our initial enrollment goals and look to continue
promoting the program to patients who would benefit.
Times Argus
Best Pharmacy Award
Congratulations to the team at Store #11 in
Barre, VT for being recognized as Best Pharmacy
three years in a row as part of the
Times Argus Readers’ Choice Awards!
Pictured from left to right: Tracey Rossi, R.Ph.; John Marchelewicz, R.Ph.; Stephanie
Ibey, Pharm.D.; Steve Simpson, R.Ph.; Ellen Barton, R.Ph.; Norm Robinson.
-6-
Drug Stores
Community Spirit
Over the last several months, our stores have been busy hosting fun and charitable programs designed to benefit the
communities we serve. Here are a few of the recent initiatives:
Book Drive
American Heart Association Award
In the spring, our stores hosted a book
drive in celebration of National Read
Across America Day. The program
was designed to promote reading and
learning in children and teens, and is
held annually on March 3rd in honor of
Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Customers and
employees showed their support for
youth literacy by donating more than 4,200 books during the
two-week book drive! This was quite a successful event in
support of the children in our communities.
Back in February,
each of our drug
stores hosted a
Heart Health Month
campaign which
included a fundraiser
for the American
Heart Association’s
“Go Red for Women”
movement. We collectively raised more than $17,000 for the
AHA, making us the top corporate fundraiser in the region and
8th in the nation! Kinney Drugs was recently recognized by the
AHA with an award for this achievement – but the true reward is
in knowing the effect these funds will have in the fight against
heart disease. All participants in February’s fundraiser and Wear
Red Day should be extremely proud of what we accomplished!
Ovid Fire
Recovery
When a devastating
fire struck Ovid, NY
and left several
families homeless,
we were eager
to lend a helping
hand. Store #111 in
Ovid was joined by our locations in Seneca Falls, Ithaca and
Trumansburg in hosting a fundraiser to benefit the fire victims.
The money raised by our stores was matched by the Kinney
Drugs Foundation, resulting in a $2,500 donation for those
affected by the fire. Our generous vendor partners also jumped
on board and procured more than $3,000 worth of products
for the families, such as toiletry kits, toaster ovens, bedding
and nonperishable food.
Heart Walks
In continued support
of the American Heart
Association’s mission
to end heart attacks
and strokes, several
employees joined
together to form
teams in the Syracuse and Watertown heart walks. At these
events, Kinney orange was proudly worn as employees walked
to raise money for the cause, create awareness about heart
disease and show our support for both victims and survivors of
the disease. We were proud to participate in these worthwhile
events – while getting in some heart-healthy exercise!
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our ValueCard loyalty program to the Milk Club in New York locations, and
everything in between. These programs are designed to provide savings to our
customers and generate excitement and foot traffic into our stores.
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This year, we launched our new Price Busters program. This quarterly program
consists of hundreds of items with super-low pricing that is locked in for the
full three-month span. The offers are very competitive, making them highly
attractive to customers who are looking for savings. So far, we have doubled
our initial sales projections, and we look forward to the continued success of
Price Busters!
-7-
Kinney Drugs Foundation
Children’s Miracle Network Fundraiser
The 2014 Children’s Miracle Network fundraiser was a spectacular success. Our very dedicated employee owners
were able to raise more than $162,000 to help support children at Fletcher Allen Children’s Hospital, Samaritan
Medical Center, Golisano Children’s Hospital and Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare. Not only was this a healthy increase
over last year’s campaign, it was also the largest amount raised ever by Kinney Drugs for CMN!
Tracey Stoffel organized kickoff meetings at each of the CMN hospitals to give the key people from each store a keen
understanding of where the money goes, how it is spent and how critically important the support of these hospitals is
for the children in our areas. The stores shared their ideas and set up competitions between the stores for the coveted
barbecues cooked by the Foundation members.
Over the eight-week fundraising period, many creative ideas outside of the traditional “donation ask” at the cash
register were leveraged. Our top three stores, listed below, made a tremendous effort in their fundraising campaigns:
First Place: Store #53 in Oswego, NY. Store Manager Jack Palmer and
his team collected $9,371.14!
Second Place: Store #73 in Moravia, NY. Daryl Schermerhorn and
his team collected $8,939.32!
Third Place: Store #50 in Plattsburgh, NY.
George Gleason and his team collected
$6,785.12!
Part of the grand total was raised outside of the drug
stores, with our administrative offices in Gouverneur
and Syracuse contributing an additional $640 and the
Distribution Center team raising a whopping $2,600
for the cause!
We are all very
proud to see such
huge fundraising
campaigns at the
stores, warehouse
and administration
to raise this money.
And remember…
it is all for the
children!
-8-
Kinney Drugs Foundation
Children’s Charity Event
The 23rd Annual June Children’s Charity Event was well-attended and featured the very
talented Josh Sundquist as a guest speaker. Josh is a best-selling author, a motivational
speaker, and a Paralympic ski racer. Josh’s journey began at age 9, when he was diagnosed
with a rare form of bone cancer and given a 50 percent chance to live. He spent a year
on chemotherapy treatments and eventually his left leg was amputated. Doctors declared
Josh cured of the disease at age 13 and he was able to take up ski racing three years later.
He trained for the next six years and in 2006 he was named to the US Ski Team for the
Paralympic Games in Turin, Italy.
Josh’s discussion of his childhood illness and subsequent triumphs captivated the entire
audience. Every attendee left the event with a copy of Josh’s memoir, “Just Don’t Fall,” and
many of the attendees were able to have Josh personally sign their copy. Several different
fundraisers were held throughout the evening, and together with the tremendous effort by the
stores to collect $162,000 from their Children’s Miracle Network campaign, the cumulative
total raised for children’s charities was more than $478,000.
Those participating in the golf and fishing outings were blessed with temperatures in the 80s,
sunny skies and plenty of cold beverages. Many individuals were rewarded for catching large
fish and scoring low golf scores.
Thank you to all who made this event such a success!
Recent Foundation Grantees
In our mission to “help people live healthier lives,” the Kinney Drugs Foundation supports many large projects. However, there are
also many very important Foundation grantees that are smaller, more localized groups. Here are 3 of the organizations which we
have recently supported:
Northwestern Medical Center Run/Walk for Jim – In St. Albans, VT the Kinney Drugs Foundation supported the Northwestern
Medical Center Run/Walk for Jim. Funds raised at the event are donate to the Jim Bashaw Cancer & Catastrophic Illness Fund. This
organization’s goal is to support residents of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties in Vermont who are in financial need as a result of a
diagnosis of cancer or another catastrophic (long-term and resource intensive) health problem. Beneficiaries are supported with medical
equipment and supplies, medications, nutritional support, transportation for the ill, and more.
Francis House – For many years the Kinney Drugs Foundation has supported Francis House in Syracuse, NY. Francis House provides
a home for people with terminal illnesses who have a prognosis of six months or less to live so they can die with dignity. The values
of Francis House are to accept each resident unconditionally and ensure they are treated with dignity, respect and
compassion. Staff and volunteers function as an extended family, offering physical, emotional and spiritual support
with services such as 24-hour medical care, home-cooked meals, and pet and music therapy. Over the past
22 years, Francis House has cared for more than 2,000 residents in its two locations in Syracuse.
WHALE Program – Sponsored by the Kinney Drugs Foundation and the Samaritan Auxiliary, WHALE (“We Have A Little Emergency”) is
a project that was developed to help children involved in car accidents. Car accidents sometimes result in injury or trauma for the driver
and passengers, making it difficult for rescue personnel to identify children riding in car safety seats. In some situations, the adults may
not be related to the child passenger, and conventional means of obtaining information will not be effective or timely. In these cases
WHALE can make a significant difference.
This program will allow packets to be picked up at Kinney Drugs stores in the Watertown, NY area. The packets provide individuals with
stickers to place on vehicle windows and the sides of the car seat – which will immediately advise emergency personnel that there is a
zipped packet of information behind the car seat containing the child’s name, photo, medical history and allergies, along with names and
phone numbers of the parents. We expect this program to be a very successful program in protecting children.
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Noble Health Services
A Visual Tour of Noble Health Services
Since opening the doors of our brand-new facility more than a year ago, Noble Health Services has experienced a lot of growth.
As the newest division of our organization, we’d like to give you a tour of Noble’s facility, located in Syracuse, NY.
Reception Area
Noble Health Services offers a spacious, comfortable
reception area for our customers who choose to attend
meetings or pick up their prescriptions at our facility. Our
guests are greeted by bright signage behind the reception
desk that showcases our logo. Our URAC Accreditation
certificate is proudly displayed alongside other items that
highlight our past sponsorships and ongoing initiatives to
support the customers and communities that we serve.
Patient Consultation Room
Our facility includes a private patient consultation room
to allow our patients to meet with our clinical team,
discuss their therapy, and learn more about the support
and service that is available to them through Noble Health
Services. This room is used frequently to benefit patients
who are starting new therapies and may have questions
about the dosing or administration of their medication. Our
highly trained clinical staff is here to assist our patients
and support our ongoing mission to provide the highest
level of specialty pharmacy services.
Large Conference Room (Videoconferencing Suite)
Noble Health Services is currently licensed in 44
states, and our goal is to have nationwide pharmacy
licensure by the end of the summer. It was an important
consideration to us during the design of our facility that
we have industry-leading videoconferencing capabilities
to facilitate face-to-face interactions with customers and
business partners throughout the country. To that end,
our videoconferencing suite comfortably seats around 20
people and allows them to have meetings in high definition
with people across the country and, potentially, around the
world. We are also developing a program that will allow
our patients to have videoconference consultations with
our clinical team. This is one of the many innovations that
we are preparing to launch over the next year to provide a
higher level of care to our patients.
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Noble Health Services
Pharmacy
The pharmacy at Noble Health Services occupies a large portion of the 18,000 square feet
of our facility footprint. Conveyor belts run down the middle of the fulfillment area, allowing
for greater efficiency as our prescription volumes continue to grow at a rapid rate.
There are separate workstations set up in the workflow
devoted to payment processing, pulling the prescription
from our inventory, pharmacist review, and shipment.
These stations and the overall design of the pharmacy were
carefully developed and aligned to reduce the potential for
errors while allowing for prompt prescription processing.
The pharmacy contains two separate cages for the secure storage of controlled substances and the segregation and quarantine
of any prescriptions that are returned to our facility due to temperature concerns. Noble Health Services also features a USP
797-compliant clean room for the processing of compounded and IV medications.
Training/Advocacy Room
Specialty pharmacies are unique in how they engage the
community and the patient populations that they serve.
Since we opened our facility in June 2013, Noble Health
Services has hosted over 30 meetings in our Training/
Advocacy Room. We offer the room completely free of
charge to health care organizations, pharmaceutical
manufacturers, physicians, charitable organizations,
and advocacy groups. The room comfortably sits around
60 people. We provide free coffee and water for those
meetings, along with a high-tech audio-visual setup that
includes a 12-foot projection screen, a high-definition
projector, ceiling-mounted speakers, and wired/wireless
microphones. In providing the Training/Advocacy Room
for free for these organizations, Noble Health Services
continues the KPH Healthcare Services tradition in giving
back to the communities that we serve.
Disease State Highlight: Infertility
After a few weeks of filling prescriptions in January 2013, Noble Health Services was contacted by several local physicians who operate
practices that are focused on infertility. There was great excitement throughout Central New York that a specialty pharmacy was opening
its doors in Syracuse, and these physicians had long hoped for the type of local, specialized support that we provide to patients. Since
our opening, we have partnered with more than 40 infertility practices throughout the region to support their patients. These great
partnerships were developed quickly, thanks to the positive feedback and word-of-mouth referrals to patients and providers alike. Our
inventory was expanded to include all of the major infertility products in the market.
The timing of administration for many infertility products is of the utmost importance. Noble Health Services is capable of processing
and filling these prescriptions quickly, often allowing for same-day pickup and delivery when a patient needs to start therapy right away.
We are proud to allow patients to pick up their prescriptions at our facility during regular business hours and also provide them with
expert clinical support over the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
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ProAct
ProAct is having an outstanding 2014. All new clients signed on earlier this year are up and
running smoothly, and we expect the same for those recently added. We are having a great sales
year with 9 new PBM clients since March 1, 2014, and we’re not done yet! These new clients,
including Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY and O’Brien & Gere with offices across the country,
increase our total lives by over 11,000 members.
Part of the reason for this success is the addition of sales team members in Houston, Chicago,
and most recently, Orlando, Florida, all the while continuing sales success right here in the
northeast. The additions to the sales team further expand our national presence and introduce
ProAct in regions where we were previously unknown. Now more than ever, we’re competing
with larger companies in the PBM sector of the health care industry and doing a great job.
Dave Warner, R.Ph.
President of ProAct, Inc.
Our nation-wide sales force is getting the word out about ProAct, getting us noticed, and
ultimately having more and more groups send us Requests for Proposals, (RFPs). So far this year
the proposal team has responded to more than 170 new RFPs. This is already more than the
proposal requests in all of 2013. At this pace, ProAct will respond to nearly 250 RFPs in 2014,
representing a 200% increase in completed RFPs compared with just two years ago.
ProAct’s continued growth is thanks to our strong and successful sales team. But equally
important as making the sale is keeping our clients happy. Our customer service team’s
outstanding reputation has been paramount to our success in transitioning new groups to ProAct,
as well as retaining those groups we’ve taken care of for years. The hard work that our Account
Managers, our Help Desk Representatives, and the ProAct Pharmacy Services mail order team
put in on a daily basis provides the highest level of customer service in the industry.
Discount Prescription Card
We have several updates regarding our Discount Prescription Card! We recently added our first county in Ohio – Geauga County. Geauga
County has a population of nearly 100,000 residents, and is a significant milestone for us because it extends the discount card presence
into a new market.
The Discount Prescription Card program recently achieved recognition in West Virginia, where the program was endorsed by the West
Virginia Association of Counties and named as the exclusive discount card program for the association. We expect this to create a domino
effect for us with many new municipalities lining up to sign on. The implications of this endorsement are also significant with regard to
the PBM business, as we may eventually leverage the discount card relationships in West Virginia to gain some new PBM clients.
Our Discount Card team has been hard at work growing the list of towns, counties and businesses participating in the program. The
following entities are the most recent to sign up, amounting to more than 400,000 additional lives covered, with 26,000 prescriptions
processed and more than $1.4 million in savings!
City of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Town of Cheshire, Connecticut
Town of Enfield, Connecticut
Town of Farmington, Connecticut
Town of Middlebury, Connecticut
Town of New Hartford, Connecticut
Town of West Hartford, Connecticut
Lincoln County, Minnesota
Geauga County, Ohio
United Way of Northern New York
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ProAct
ProAct Help Desk
The ProAct Help Desk, located in Gouverneur, operates Monday through Friday
from 7:00am to 10:00pm, and Saturdays from 8:30am to 5:00pm. The call
center is staffed by 14 customer service representatives who are responsible
for the resolution of approximately 3,200 incoming calls each week. Incoming
calls come from a variety of sources including ProAct members, pharmacies,
and doctor’s offices. These incoming calls are answered by a live representative
within seven seconds or less on average, a statistic unprecedented within the
industry. Representatives are trained to utilize both ProAct’s Rx claims system
to resolve insurance concerns at retail pharmacies, and EnterpriseRx to service
mail order business.
Beyond responding to the needs of incoming callers, ProAct Help Desk
representatives are involved in a variety of other tasks. ProAct manages eligibility
for their over 100 separate employer groups. In addition to updating eligibility daily,
ProAct is responsible for the production and distribution of ID cards. Help Desk
representatives also work closely with ProAct’s clinical department to manage
prior authorizations. On average, over 450 prior authorizations are processed
each month. Representatives have also been highly involved in the development
of an outbound call program to raise awareness of the cost effectiveness and
convenience that are provided through the use of ProAct’s mail order pharmacy,
ProAct Pharmacy Services.
As ProAct continues to grow, representatives are increasingly involved in the
implementation of new clients. ProAct places an emphasis on customer service
and continues to foster this through the continued development of the help desk.
Recently, the Help Desk representatives participated in “Telephone Doctor,” a
customer service training program. It is this excellence in customer service that
sets ProAct apart from its competitors, and ultimately leads to the continued
success of the company as a whole.
John Walker preparing to fax over a prior authorization
to a provider’s office.
Jessica Blackburn keying eligibility into our system.
Sales Training
Kristin Stewart, Dave Warner,
Erison Rodriguez, Dave Schryver,
Vince Lupori, Liz Austin and David Steigerwalt
gathered for the ProAct sales training.
Representatives Vicky Prashaw, Eva Weekes, Caitlin Farr,
Jessica Blackburn, Trudy Lennox and Mackenzie Martin
ProAct is committed to strategic
growth in new markets, and
instrumental to that is having a
great sales team. To support our
sales team, ProAct contracted with
a national executive sales training
firm to give our team a solid
knowledge base of sales strategies.
Our team enjoyed the learning
experience and the opportunity to
spend time together!
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ProAct helpdesk group picture. Front row (from left to
right): Vicky Prashaw, Shelley Haskins, Jennifer Bouyea,
Eva Weekes, Caitlin Farr & Kristi Casey. Back row: Mallory
Graves, Linda Sherman, Mark McConnell, Trudy Lennox,
Mackenzie Martin, Jessica Blackburn, & Nick D’Agostino.
KPH Healthcare Services
Management Conference, cont.
We congratulate the following employee owners on their
awards, and thank all for the hard work and dedication
that led us to achieve last year’s phenomenal performance.
Merchandising Excellence
Award winners Dan Bracy
(left) and Mike Hatch (right)
with Cheri Taylor
Corporate Quest for Excellence Award: Mike Duteau,
VP Business Development & Strategic Relations
Merchandising Excellence Awards: Dan Bracy,
Category Manager, Mike Hatch, Category Manager
Drug Store Divisional Leadership Excellence Award Pharmacy: Ben Love, Supervising Pharmacist, #106
Central Fill
Drug Store Divisional Leadership Excellence Award Front End: Sarah Gendreau, Store Manager #21 Essex
Junction, VT & #101 Waterbury, VT
Administrative Leadership Excellence Award:
Trina Latta, Accounts Receivable Manager
ProAct Divisional Leadership Excellence Award:
Jeff Broedel, IT Manager
Drug Store Divisional
Leadership Excellence Award
- Pharmacy winner, Ben Love
Drug Store Divisional Leadership
Excellence Award - Front End
winner, Sarah Gendreau
ProAct Divisional Leadership
Excellence Award winner,
Jeff Broedel
Health Direct Divisional Leadership Excellence
Award: David Simpson, Facility Manager in Williston, VT
and Concord, NY
Drug Store of the Year Award: Store #11 in Barre, VT
Outstanding Customer Service Awards – Pharmacy
Northern Region: Store #112 in Waitsfield, VT –
Nathaniel Heysler, Pharmacy Store Manager
Central Region: Store #28 in Dolgeville, NY–
Marty LaCourse, Supervising Pharmacist
Southern Region: Store #51 in Liverpool, NY –
Steve Berkowitz, Supervising Pharmacist
Outstanding Customer Service Awards – Front End
Northern Region: Store #95 in Lake Placid, NY –
Russ Knobel, Store Manager
Central Region: Store #3 in Camden, NY –
Todd Crump, Store Manager
Southern Region: Store #37 Bridgeport, NY –
Joanie Benedetto, Store Manager
Store Team Awards
Northern Region: Store #19 in Plattsburgh, NY –
Ian Fleury, Store Manager & Shann Taylor, SP
Central Region: Store #57 in Old Forge, NY –
Julie Case, Store Manager & Deb Brosemer, SP
Southern Region: Store #61 in Cicero, NY –
Beau Stenson, Store Manager & Carla Burgess, SP
Health Direct Divisional
Leadership Excellence Award
winner, David Simpson
Drug Store of the Year Award, Store #11 in Barre, VT
Pictured above: Jim Spencer, Russ Knobel,
winner Outstanding Customer Service
Award - Front End, and Dale Myatt
Pictured above: Jim Spencer, Todd Crump,
winner Outstanding Customer Service
Award - Front End, and Brian Dykeman
Pictured above: Dale Myatt, Becky Bubel,
Shann Taylor, Ian Fleury, Store Team Award
winner, and Jim Spencer
Pictured above: Neil Tierson, Brian
Dykeman, Deb Brosemer, Julie Case, Store
Team Award winner, and Jim Spencer
- 14 -
KPH Healthcare Services
Healthy You Wellness Center
Kinney Drugs has partnered with Pulmonary Health Physicians to provide specialty services within our Lafayette Road drug store
location. The primary objective of this practice, called “Healthy You Wellness Center,” will be to identify high-risk, high-maintenance
pulmonary patients who are not compliant with medications or routine office visits. There is a need to support these patients
because the lack of medical compliance often results in unnecessary and costly Emergency Room visits, and a large percentage of
these patients are routinely readmitted into the hospital, incurring tremendous expenses.
Initially, our focus is on the improvement of health outcomes for this high-risk pulmonary patient population. Access to pulmonary
care at our Lafayette Road location is an important alternative for patients who lack a primary care provider. The screenings and
services that we offer to patients throughout the Syracuse market are designed to help patients with special pulmonary care needs,
which is consistent with our overall commitment to identify and resolve issues that negatively impact patient health.
In addition to scheduled appointments, our practitioners will offer immediate care to walk-in patients on a limited basis. These
services include treatment of upper respiratory ailments as well as minor injuries not requiring emergency or specialized care.
Patients requiring additional follow-up or treatment will be referred to their primary care physician or offered access to a practitioner
if they are without one.
Patients of the Pulmonary Health Physicians practice will also have access to all Kinney products and professional services,
including immunizations and free prescription delivery, if they desire. This relationship provides the opportunity for us to offer
additional products and services, including durable medical equipment (DME) and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
supplies. Ultimately, the Healthy You Wellness Center at our Lafayette Road location will become the cornerstone of our joint health
care initiatives in the Syracuse market, and beyond.
Basketball Tournament
On Sunday, June 1st, several Syracuse-area employees from Health Direct, Kinney Drugs and ProAct gathered at the Pastime Athletic
Club in Syracuse for a 3-on-3 basketball tournament to raise money for the Kinney Drugs Foundation. It was great to have three
divisions of our company represented at this event! At the end of the day, the winning team was Joseph Vieau (Kinney Drugs store, #64),
Kevin Vieau (store, #64), Dan Boshart (store, #46), and Maggie Tadlock (store, #64).
After collecting entrance fees, spectator donations, and raising funds with a bake sale at the event, a total of $384 was raised for the
Foundation. This is a great example of what can happen when a group of employee owners gets together, has an idea, and makes it
come to life. Even more important, this was a great opportunity for our people to get active with their health. A great time was had by all,
and talks are already starting for the 2nd Annual Tournament – so start getting your team together now!
- 15 -
Weddings
Chris and Mara Mowers were married on
March 15, 2014. Chris is a Network Administrator
in Syracuse, NY.
Ashley Pilkenton and Bret Acchione were married
on July 11, 2014. Ashley is Assistant Proposal
Administrator at ProAct.
Dolores Hubbard and Patrick Spellicy were married
on May 15, 2014. Dolores is a Pharmacy Clerk at
Store #3 in Camden, NY.
Douglas and Aleesha Czyz were married on August 16,
2014. Douglas is a PTCB Certified Technician at
Store #61 in Cicero, NY.
Ashley Ahmadipour and Michael Masucci were
married on June 21, 2014. Ashley is an Account
Manager at ProAct.
Katie Dolan and Chris Borey were married on August 30,
2014. Katie is a Marketing Coordinator in the
Syracuse Regional Offices.
Births
Krista – Daughter of Chris Scott, born on February 2,
2014. Chris is a Distribution Center Clerk.
Dylan – Son of David and Holly Simpson, born on
February 10, 2014. Holly is a Merchandise Manager
at Kinney Drugs #101 in Waterbury, VT, and David is
Dual Site Manager of Health Direct in Williston, VT
and Concord, NH.
Will – Daughter of Mark Scanio, born on March 18,
2014. Mark is the Supervising Pharmacist at store #2
in Saranac Lake, NY.
Amelia – Daughter of Jeff Broedel, born on April 8,
2014. Jeff is the IT Manager for ProAct.
Lila – Daughter of Kari Davis, born on May 13, 2014.
Kari is a Staff Pharmacist at store #37 in Bridgeport, NY.
Keira – Daughter of Katherine Frank, born May 19,
2014. Katherine is a Staff Pharmacist at store #56 in
Bradford, VT.
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Grayson – Son of Erison Rodriguez, born on May 29,
2014. Erison is the Regional Sales & Marketing
Director for ProAct.
Veronika & Vasilisa – Twin daughters of Konstantin
Burenin, born June 23, 2014. Konstantin is a Staff
Pharmacist at store #45 in Richfield Springs, NY.
Liam – Son of Cori Mills, born on July 7, 2014.
Cori is the Supervising Pharmacist at store #65 in
Seneca Falls, NY.
Bryce – Son of John Benedict, born on July 15,
2014. John is a Staff Pharmacist at store #71 in
Trumansburg, NY
Gage – Son of David Schryver, born on August 5, 2014.
David is Vice President of Client Relations for ProAct.