Boardman Pharmacy

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO (September 6, 2017) – Complying with the care plan after a visit to the hospital is about to get a lot easier for patients at Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital. The healthcare leader will cut the ribbon to its new Sr. Margaret Mary Siegfried H.M. Ambulatory Pharmacy, which will enable a “Meds to Beds” program at the hospital, on Friday, Sept. 8, at 9:30 a.m.

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. According to a 2016 survey by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, only about one-third of U.S. hospitals offer discharge prescriptions. In late 2016, Mercy Health introduced initial phases of a Meds to Beds program at its St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, which continues to expand to additional hospital units.

For patients, Meds to Beds not only enhances convenience, it also improves outcomes. When they leave the hospital with initial medications in hand, patients have one less thing to worry about while healing. They’re also more compliant with care plans, a key element in successful recovery, patient safety and the reduction of hospital readmissions. Data show that failure to fill prescriptions upon discharge, as well as uncertainty about how to take medications, are common challenges.

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 Sr. Margaret Mary Siegfried H.M. Ambulatory Pharmacy was funded by the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley. The project was especially meaningful, as it 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, Sr. Margaret Mary served Mercy Health for 69 of its 106 years. The namesake of the new ambulatory pharmacy, 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 Sr. Margaret Mary’s legacy.

“Sr. 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, the Foundation gives the region’s largest workforce the opportunity to make an even bigger impact in their communities.

The Sr. Margaret Mary Siegfried Ambulatory Pharmacy is expected to officially open in October, upon completion of agreements with insurance providers. 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 to its role in equipping hospital patients with discharge medications, the pharmacy will also be accessible to the community and will be open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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.

About Mercy Health - Youngstown and the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley

Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley is the philanthropic arm of Mercy Health - Youngstown, an integrated health system in the Mahoning Valley encompassing the Youngstown/Warren metropolitan area – Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in Ohio. It’s part of Mercy Health, which is headquartered in Cincinnati and is the largest health system in Ohio and one of the largest Catholic health systems in the United States. Mercy Health - Youngstown provides a full spectrum of healthcare services – acute inpatient and trauma, outpatient and ambulatory, rehabilitation, behavioral, emergency and urgent care, primary care physicians in patient-centered medical homes, specialist physician care, home health, home medical equipment, long-term care and hospice care, as well as Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley. The Foundation exists to support a myriad of inpatient, outpatient and preventive services while ensuring barriers to care are eliminated. Learn more at www.mercy.com/youngstown or www.foundation.mercy.com/youngstown.

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