Building a work culture of empowerment and support
Karl Frank talks about empowering leaders in the workforce, maintaining community in a digital culture, and the value of continuing education (1,290 words, 6 minutes)
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Karl Frank, Managing Director at Bayshore HealthCare, says building a solid culture is crucial for the organization. To him, Bayshore is a healthcare company, first and foremost, and their emphasis on culture Is evident in how they manage patients. “We believe a combination of really passionate, empowered healthcare workers and leaders in caring combined with enhancement of digital technology will lead to exceptional patient health outcomes for patients and their families.”
Frank [pictured below] noted that technology became their greatest ally during the Covid-19 pandemic. “We’d always been operating with a heavy remote workforce, so the technology was actually quite seamless for us in the transition,” he said. “I think our pharmacies and distribution facilities, as well as our clinics, had to remain open, so that was really important to understand and make sure our infection prevention and control policies and procedures were up to speed.”
He also mentioned Bayshore had to make some changes to continue delivering the best patient care possible. “We split our pharmacy and distribution teams into two teams. One team would work from home, and the other would be on site, so if we had a breakout, then we could actually mobilize the other team to come in. Fortunately, we didn’t have to swap the teams, but we had that capability,” he said. “I think as an industry, when I look at all of the infusion providers, this is something we’re quite proud of.”
Frank said the pandemic also allowed the company to create a robust digital culture. He says that getting used to remote working was an adjustment process. Still, it was a very positive experience, and most employees continued to work remotely once Covid restrictions were lifted. “People love working from home, and many have moved away from the cities or to rural areas. So, getting back to the office is more challenging for them. They love embracing technology to work [remotely].” he said. “They love the fact they don’t have to commute. So, all of these things using technology and having the flexibility of work is empowering for them, and they feel much better overall.”
Frank is a pharmacist and believes education has had a significant impact on his career. He says he loves to keep up with the exciting new pharmaceutical opportunities and innovations that are taking place. He also says attending conferences and continuing his education have been valuable resources. “It’s important to be able to speak clinically with our pharmacy nursing teams, whether you’re talking to specialists or with the medical teams in the pharmaceutical partners. So, it’s been very interesting and rewarding as a pharmacist.”
Frank also said that effective leadership involves listening to the people in their workforce. “What is really important in leadership is empowering your people, because nobody wants to be told what to do. People want to have the ability to make decisions that are right for their business.”
THIS WEEK 03/07/23
Biogen Canada announced that PrByooviz (ranibizumab), a biosimilar of PrLucentis, is now available in Canada to treat severe eye disorders such as wet age-related macular degeneration.
The U.S. FDA has approved Altuviiio [Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), Fc-VWF-XTEN Fusion Protein-ehtl], a first-in-class, high-sustained factor VIII replacement therapy indicated for routine prophylaxis and to control bleeding episodes in patients with hemophilia A.
Reata Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. FDA approved Skyclarys (omaveloxolone) for treating Friedreich’s ataxia in patients 16 years or older.
Last week, the CeraVe brand of L’Oreal hosted what was described as an “immersive experience” for the public at Stackt Market, an event space in Toronto. The occasion allowed the public to visit the “Skin Barrier Wall,” which explained how ceramides work and why dermatologists recommend CeraVe. Dermatologists Drs. Geeta Yadav of Toronto and Muneeb Shah of North Carolina (photos below) provided insights about the skin barrier, discussed the role of ceramides in skin care, debunked myths surrounding certain products and answered visitors’ questions. Consumers visiting the interactive facilities during the three-day event took home some product samples.
LISTEN NOW
In season nine of the NPC Podcast, Tamer Yacoub Hanna, Multi-Channel Engagement Manager at AbbVie, talks about utilizing your unique experiences to develop your career, ensuring the ethical use of new technologies, and extending patient support beyond finances. Hear him in conversation with podcast hosts Mitch Shannon, Jim Shea and Mark McElwain.
CANADIAN HEALTHCARE MARKETING HALL OF FAME
The Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame awards were established in 2002 to honour healthcare marketers who have contributed to our vocation and inspired others.
More than 100 honourees have been selected during the past 18 years. In the selection committee’s view, they represent a cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge one past Hall of Fame Honoree each week.
2022 Inductee
Dr. Leandra Wells
Mississauga, Ont.
To Dr. Leandra Wells, Vice President and Business Unit Head of General Medicines at GSK, pursuing a career in pharma was a natural way to combine two of her biggest passions. “Upon completing my Ph.D. and MBA, I realized that I wanted to do something that married my deep scientific background with my newly acquired business training. So pharma to me was a no-brainer, and I’ve never looked back,” she says while talking about the early stages of her career, which started almost 20 years ago.
While she was determined to enter the pharmaceutical industry, getting her first job wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. Dr. Wells was ready and eager to get involved in the industry as a sales rep, but interviewers were confused by her academic background. They thought she would be better suited for a different position, but she knew she wanted to work in sales. “It was Innomar that first hired me as a Director of New Business Development, which involved selling our services to clients and also executing the consulting projects. There were only six employees at the time I joined the company.” She proved herself as someone who could sell very effectively. She remained with Innomar until 2007. In those four years, she was instrumental in growing the company’s business.
Dr. Wells’ most significant motivation is to improve the lives of patients in a meaningful way. To her, the foundation of the industry is to mitigate or eliminate disease and symptoms and to make patients feel better. She also finds motivation in the people she works with. “My favourite part is being able to work with some awesome, super interesting, energetic, fun, brilliant people. I genuinely love all the people I have the privilege of working with.”
Dr. Wells believes the pharmaceutical industry offers the opportunity to be highly creative. While regulations may impose some limits, she also believes these regulations push pharma members to explore their creativity. “I think when you find people who think differently and can work within these regulations or work to change and expand existing policies, then for me, that’s where creativity drives value and benefit for patients.”
She thinks the industry’s biggest challenge is keeping pace with how they communicate and engage with customers, both clinicians and patients. “Our healthcare environment is still mired in some paternalistic regulations, and it is slow to adapt or integrate new technologies. We have a lot of room to improve on modernizing how we engage with our customer base so that they can make the most up-to-date and best decisions for their patients.”
To Dr. Wells, her induction into the Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame means that people believe that she has had an impact on the lives of patients and her colleagues in a meaningful way. She is very grateful to be recognized as someone who has contributed significantly to our industry. “It’s a huge honour to hear that people think that I’ve done some really good work, especially knowing it comes from my peers in the industry.”
NEXT WEEK
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