Human Stories Hall

Summary:

Operations supervisor Kevin Womack explains how a storm’s aftermath could not dampen his team’s patient-centered spirit, and they were able to help customers and their patients get the supplies they needed.

Transcript

This part of Texas has had its share of big storms, but I’ll never forget the one that left so many without power and water for days. Including some on my team. But the work we do in distribution is critical – no matter any external factors.

I knew patients were depending on us for shipments important to their care, and I wasn’t going to let the storm stop us from helping get those orders out.

I’ve been with McKesson for over 10 years. As an operations supervisor, I’m usually the first one at the warehouse and the last one to leave – making sure my team is completing orders safely and accurately. But with the storm, it meant all hands on deck for those of us who could get to the warehouse. Working together and chipping in wherever we could.

With our backup generators, we were able to keep our distribution center open so people with diabetes could get insulin, emergency rooms could get essentials, And hospitals could get surgical equipment.

I’m telling you it wasn’t easy, ut we worked together to get orders out so patients could get what they needed.

That’s what I’m always telling my team – Our I2CARE values and ILEAD behaviors aren’t just cute acronyms we use at work. I remind them to always give it their all, because you never know who is receiving those supplies.

Who knows? One day it could be you or someone you love. I’m blessed to be a part of McKesson, because our team always weathers the storm.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about the job. It’s about people and the impact we can have on patients’ lives.

I’m Kevin Womack, and I’m helping to advance health outcomes for all.

Summary:

Employee Nikita Patton shares how she’s helped to remove the barriers between patients and specialty medications, enabling more chances to experience life’s best moments.

Transcript

I once had a patient suffering from Rheumatoid arthritis. It hurt her just to walk. She couldn’t get the medication she needed to manage her pain due to complications in processing her prescription from the doctor. She had all but resigned herself to missing her own son’s graduation. I couldn’t let that happen . . . Not on my watch.

I’m proud to be a specialty pharmacist with CoverMyMeds. We support patients across the country, dispensing and delivering more than 2 million specialty prescriptions every year. But these medications can often have high costs or copays. So, we help connect our patients to assistance programs, enabling them to afford and access the life-changing medications they’ve been prescribed. We’re often their last line of hope. Their last option. So, when I received the call from that mom who was in so much pain, I didn’t hesitate. I connected with her doctor to clarify the information needed to process her prescription, then expedited the medication directly to her home. I can still remember her tearing up on the phone when I told her the medication was on its way. She was so grateful to receive what she needed to relieve her pain. And to be able to walk up to her son and give him a huge hug after he received his diploma.

Honestly, that’s my favorite part of the job – knowing my work is helping patients live their best lives. When I can bring joy to someone by saying, “We’ve got you. You don’t have to worry anymore.” It’s a remarkable feeling.

I’m Nikita Patton, and I’m helping to advance health outcomes for all.

Nikita Patton is a specialty pharmacist in Louisville, Kentucky, but she is helping patients across the country receive specialty prescriptions for rare conditions. She began her career as a retail pharmacist, but her zeal for assisting patients paved her path to McKesson in 2017. She enjoys traveling the world with her fiancé and having fun pretending to be a Disney princess.

Summary:

Health Mart pharmacist Buddy Bunch shares how a strong sense of community helps him focus on the health and wellbeing of his customers in Guntersville, Alabama.

Transcript

When you run a community pharmacy like mine, you know everyone by name, not just a prescription number. These folks are my neighbors. My friends. Since we live in a more rural area, I’m often the first person they come to for care. . . . And sometimes, that means I need to go to them.

It means a lot to support and care for people in my community. One family I think of often, an older customer, whose wife passed away, became the sole caregiver for his adult paraplegic son. He didn’t have any family nearby to help him. The son was bedridden and needed constant care – couldn’t be left alone. We took it upon ourselves to not just be a good pharmacy, but to deliver care to them directly.

It was challenging for them to come to town, so we made a lot of house visits to help them out. We delivered the son’s prescription medications and administered his flu shots. And thankfully, as part of McKesson’s Health Mart pharmacy network during the height of COVID-19, we also had access to vaccines and boosters. So, we were able to bring those out to the house and administer those as well. Whatever the family needed – even if that meant bringing groceries from time to time – we tried to be there for them. It’s just what you do for your neighbors. To me, that’s the kind of impact we have as a community pharmacy.

Our customers always tell us they don’t know what they’d do without us. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without them. Taking care of people is what I love to do. Always have. Always will.

I’m Buddy Bunch, and I’m helping McKesson advance health outcomes for all.

Buddy Bunch is a pharmacist and owns Bunch Pharmacy in Guntersville, Alabama. After working for local and chain pharmacies, Buddy had the opportunity to open an independent pharmacy, which became a McKesson Health Mart in 2010. Buddy was awarded Health Mart's 2020 Pharmacy of the Year for his outstanding patient care and community engagement.

Summary:

Health Services Specialist Ariel Marrero shares how his sons and his passion to serve others have inspired him to go above and beyond to help patients access life-changing medications.

Transcript

I'll never forget this one patient. She was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, which made it hard to do simple daily tasks. Taking a walk – even standing – became a struggle. She was ALWAYS in pain and she was denied coverage for the treatment she needed.

She was a teacher, and without that medication, she couldn’t work. She missed it. Teaching was her life’s passion. My heart broke for her.

As a Health Services Specialist, I work with patients to get them assistance to afford life-changing medications. Our team helps find ways to relieve some of the financial burden.

I’m also an adoptive father of three boys, and I want them to be as passionate about helping others as I am. To take action and have empathy for people. It’s one of the reasons I love what I do at McKesson.

When I heard about this patient, I was determined to help. There’s a typical process for appealing coverage denials, and in my role, I could be her advocate.

I spoke to as many people as I could to appeal her case. I refused to stop. It was going to take some time, but I just knew… One more call. One more connection. One day it would all come together.

And one day, it did.

I can proudly say that I was FINALLY able to get her coverage through a patient assistance program. What would have cost her thousands of dollars per injection, she now gets at no cost!

Once she started the treatment, she could live life and be active again. Months later, she even ran a marathon! How incredible is that?!

And she’s back to teaching — her passion. It felt like a miracle.

That’s what I mean when I say, “I don’t give up, and I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” It can be challenging, but serving others is ALWAYS worth it.

I’m Ariel Marrero, and I’m helping to advance health outcomes for all.

Summary:

Instructional Designer Laura Longwell talks about thriving in a workplace full of diverse perspectives and how she helped established McKesson’s first employee resource group (ERG) dedicated to supporting employees of Native American and indigenous backgrounds.

Transcript

[Says “Hello, my name is Laura Longwell” in Choctaw.]

Hello, my name’s Laura Longwell. I’m a member of the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma. I go by any and all pronouns. And I love being an advocate for our diverse team and culture here at McKesson.

At work – really at any time – people want to feel a sense of belonging. For those of us with diverse or non-traditional backgrounds and perspectives, it’s not always easy. But that’s what inspires me about being at McKesson. This is a place that encourages you to bring your true, authentic self to work every single day.

For me as an instructional designer, that means using my graphic design talents to help educate our teams on the latest therapies and medications for patients. It also means investing time and energy into helping people find support and encouragement from their peers. I helped found Unity, our company’s first employee resource group dedicated to supporting employees of native and indigenous backgrounds. It was during my research in starting up the Unity employee resource group, that I finally discovered who I was at heart. Two-Spirit. It’s a unifying term across hundreds of different indigenous languages describing an indigenous person who has both masculine and feminine spirits. That’s me. Through it all, I’ve helped others find their place – their sense of acceptance and connection. And I’ve found mine too.

My name is Laura Longwell, and I’m helping to advance health outcomes for all.

Laura Longwell joined McKesson in 2015 as a graphic designer and currently supports branding U.S. Pharmaceutical sales e-curriculum and materials as a Senior Instructional/Graphic Designer. As the UNITY ERG leader, Laura represents McKesson at many conferences, driving awareness around the importance of belonging in the workplace and serves on the national board of the PRIDE ERG. As an active member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Laura enjoys learning about their heritage and engaging in tribal culture.

Summary:

As a cancer survivor, employee Brandy Hulsey shares how family, coworkers and the personalized care she received from Texas Onocology, part of The US Oncology Network, have helped to support her road to recovery.

Transcript

I was actually in a work meeting at McKesson when I got the call from my doctor. Stage 3 breast cancer. It was a moment that changed my life.

Based on a routine mammogram, I learned that I had a 7.5-centimeter malignant tumor in my left breast. Thankfully, I was sent to Texas Oncology, part of The US Oncology Network, which is supported by McKesson. The doctors began aggressive treatment to prevent the tumor from further metastasizing.

I’m not going to lie, there were a lot of tough days. I remember one treatment – the Red Devil, a brutal drug that comes in these big red syringes. It definitely challenged my resolve.

But I’m an eternal optimist. And I had so much support. The team of care providers was so compassionate. My husband and daughter were always by my side. My coworkers cheered me on with flowers, cards and meals.

Everyone was really amazing.

Now that I’m cancer-free, I want to pay it forward. I’ve become a mentor through the McKesson Cause Network, a group dedicated to employees and their families who are affected by cancer.

I’m just so humbled by the support that I received in my own personal journey. I want to be there for others too.

I’m Brandy Hulsey, and I’m helping to advance health outcomes for all.

Brandy Hulsey is the Vice President of Returns and Accounts Payable Solutions at McKesson. She has spent her entire career at McKesson, growing in various roles in the financial services and solutions department. As a cancer survivor, Brandy enjoys encouraging others through her blog, Brandy’s Battle, and soaking up special moments with her family.

Summary:

Michelle Hendricks explains how the Biologics team helped the family of one young patient, who was facing a rare disease, get the support they needed to continue an all-new therapy at home after clinical trials had ended.

Transcript

I have two sons of my own. So, I can only imagine how hard it is to find out your child has a rare genetic disorder for which there is no cure.

That’s what Wyllow McHugh and her family were facing. Wyllow was diagnosed with Molybdenum cofactor deficiency Type A at just a few weeks old. This rare disease causes permanent neurological damage and can lead to severe problems eating, swallowing – or just breathing. Only a handful of children in the U.S. have it. And little Wyllow was one of them. After receiving an all-new therapy in the hospital, the question for Wyllow’s family became, how do we continue treatment at home? There was no blueprint. No roadmap. The therapy was brand new.

At Biologics, we help connect patients to life-changing medications for rare diseases. Wyllow’s situation was so unique, because we had to secure the equipment for her family to safely and effectively administer her medications. Working with the McKesson network and manufacturer, we helped locate and deliver a special medical freezer to keep her medication at exactly the right temperature. We also secured a medical-grade syringe pump to administer correct dosages. All for her home.

With Wyllow, every treatment counts. Missing just one can cause more irreversible neurological damage. So, we really leveraged everything we had to help her get what she needed, and her family has been so thankful.

Helping special patients like Wyllow. That’s why I show up every day.

My name is Michelle Hendricks, and I’m helping to advance health outcomes for all.

Michelle Hendricks is a registered nurse, and her passion for patient education and empowerment led her to McKesson in 2020. As a program manager with Biologics, she helps patients with rare diseases receive adequate care and access to life-changing medicine. When she’s not advocating for patients, she enjoys baking, playing sports and spending time outdoors with her sons.

Summary:

Marketing Director Chirine Apple shares her inspiring story of advancing representation of MENA heritage through the creation of an ERG.

Transcript

My childhood was anything but ordinary. Living in civil war-torn Lebanon. Witnessing my dad being kidnapped from our home. Seeking political asylum abroad with my parents and brother.

All of that, and I was only 10 years old. Fortunately, we were granted a fresh start in the United States. But that didn’t mean we wanted to leave our culture behind.

Though we learned English, became U.S. citizens, and embraced new lives in a new country, it was always important to our family to honor and celebrate our Lebanese heritage.

That’s why it was an easy decision for me to help form the Middle East North Africa Employee Resource Group (or MENA) at McKesson.

It all started in 2021 when I connected with a fellow coworker who also shared MENA ties. Knowing that McKesson is an inclusive organization, we saw an opportunity to elevate the visibility of our heritage with a new ERG.

Our mission is to promote awareness and celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of the MENA culture. With so much unrest and tension in the news about the Middle East, many people often think only of the negative aspects of the region. But it’s so much more than that.

The MENA region is this uniquely beautiful area with this magnificent culture. That’s why it was so critical for us to help educate and provide clarity, promote allyship, and bring people together. One way we do this is through our Travel Series – where we share insightful stories from recent visits to these countries by McKesson employees.

In our first year alone, we proudly gathered more than 500 members – guiding them through professional development and connecting them across McKesson and their communities.

McKesson is one of the best places I’ve ever worked to be completely honest. And it’s because of opportunities like this. You can participate in initiatives that you care about. You're able to make an impact. Truly make a difference.

I'm Chirine Apple, and I'm helping to advance health outcomes for all.