Mercy Health’s St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital will host a ribbon cutting at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 8 for its new Sister Margaret Mary Siegfried H.M. Ambulatory Pharmacy. Representatives said the new on-site pharmacy will enable a “Meds to Beds” program at the hospital.
The Sister Margaret Mary Siegfried Ambulatory Pharmacy is expected to officially open in October, upon completion of agreements with insurance providers. The pharmacy will be accessed through the main lobby of the Boardman hospital.
Meds to Beds will be implemented in phases to best manage quality of service. Patients can opt in to the service, which will ultimately be available to both inpatients and outpatients. In addition, the pharmacy will be open to the community from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The Meds-to-Beds concept positions an ambulatory pharmacy within a hospital or outpatient center to provide prescription medications and at-home therapies to patients prior to discharge. Patients also have the opportunity to consult with pharmacy and clinical staff to help fully understand medications and how to take them.
Meds to Beds seeks to enhance convenience and improve outcomes. Data show that failure to fill prescriptions upon discharge, as well as uncertainty about how to take medications, are common challenges. In Meds to Beds, patients leave the hospital with initial medications in hand.
Genie Aubel, president of St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, said the pharmacy is one more way the hospital can serve as a trusted resource for the community.
“St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital is always looking for ways to expand access to the high-quality, compassionate, convenient care that helps improve the health status of our community,” Aubel said. “We know the most important priority for our patients after they leave our facilities is their recovery. Our new pharmacy will help ensure they can focus more fully on that priority during a time when it matters the most.”
The development of the Sister Margaret Mary Siegfried H.M. Ambulatory Pharmacy was funded by the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley. The project offered the opportunity to extend the legacy of one of Mercy Health – Youngstown’s most inspirational leaders, Sister Margaret Mary Siegfried, H.M.
Part of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, the founders of Mercy Health – Youngstown, Sister Margaret Mary served Mercy Health for 69 of its 106 years. Her decades-long career was spent managing pharmacies at both St. Joseph Warren and St. Elizabeth Youngstown hospitals. Now retired, she still serves as a weekly Mercy Health volunteer.
Paul S. Homick Jr., president of the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley and interim vice president of Mission and Values, said the new pharmacy is one way Mercy Health will continue Sister Margaret Mary’s legacy.
“Sister Margaret Mary has given so much to Mercy Health – Youngstown and our communities,” Homick said. “We wanted to ensure her legacy of care and compassion was carried forward for generations to come. Our goal to extend her legacy was a perfect fit for our Meds to Beds program, which will do just what she did for so many years – enhance care for our patients.”
Nearly one-fifth of the funding needed for the pharmacy came from the collective donations of Mercy Health – Youngstown employees, through its employee fund.
Mercy Health – Youngstown’s Meds to Beds services will continue to expand at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital in 2018, and are also expected to be implemented through the existing outpatient pharmacy at St. Joseph Warren Hospital.
© 2017 Metro Monthly. All rights reserved.
