- California/Texas: Kaiser Permanente on Tuesday announced it would donate $1 million to assist with Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts in the Houston area, with half of the donation going to mental health resources. Kaiser will donate $500,000 to Mental Health America of Greater Houston to provide mental health and emotional support for affected residents, including survivors and first responders. The other $500,000 will go to the American Red Cross for immediate relief, such as medical care, food, shelter, and clothing (Ross Johnson, Modern Healthcare, 9/6).
- Ohio: Health officials on Thursday announced that they plan to significantly expand the availability of opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone in Hamilton County. Officials plan to distribute 30,000 units of naloxone—a more than fourfold increase—and study the effects of the effort. According to the Ohio Health Department, 318 people died in Hamilton County from a drug overdose last year (Sewell, AP/Sacramento Bee, 9/6).
- Tennessee: After Johnny Sawyer Dyer, age 7, completed chemotherapy last month, his community welcomed him home with a parade. Ali James reports for USA Today that "hundreds" of people turned out along Tazewell Pike in Corryton on Aug. 22, for the parade. Sawyer was diagnosed with leukemia about nine months ago, and was admitted the hospital on May 14 for chemotherapy, full body radiation, and a bone marrow transplant. Ron Dyer, Sawyer's father, said, "We've been overwhelmed by the support of our community and church" (James, USA Today, 9/6).
Get your pharmacy organization in tune
Health system pharmacy leaders are increasingly being asked to drive value by integrating pharmacy services into a unified enterprise. The potential benefits of coordination are great—reduced costs, higher quality of care, and revenue growth.
Download the infographic to learn five actions leaders should take to establish a foundation for pharmacies to successfully work together across the health care system.