In this Voices interview, SVP of Patient Care Operations, Erin Harris, PharmD, sits down with Hospice News to talk about how Enclara’s contact center supports hospice nurses in delivering exceptional care. She discusses the impact of pharmacist clinical support and customer service, including how Enclara’s quality assurance program is continuing to help hospices work more efficiently.
Hospice News: Share a bit about your background and the path that led you to your current role.
Erin Harris: My journey in this field began with retail pharmacy, but my passion for hospice care led me to Enclara Pharmacia. Witnessing the compassionate, collaborative efforts of hospice teams during my great-grandmother’s end-of-life care inspired me to transition into this field. I joined a predecessor to Enclara Pharmacia more than 20 years ago, and I have since advanced from a clinical pharmacist to leadership roles overseeing various teams and initiatives and helping to build what is today the market leader in hospice pharmacy services. While I have worn many hats over the years, the common thread throughout my career has been a focus on leveraging technology to enhance patient care and streamline processes.
You must have seen a lot of changes over two decades with the same organization. What stands out the most to you?
I oversee Patient Care Operations, which is the nerve center for Enclara. Our contact center encompasses customer service and pharmacist clinical support for a range of products and services including our mail order pharmacy, which ships over a million prescriptions directly to patients each year. Over the years, our business has evolved significantly. Previously, we primarily operated as an inbound call center, but today, we handle a considerable amount of outbound outreach to assist clients efficiently.
While we still spend a lot of time on the phone, clients can now reach us through various channels, allowing us to support them proactively in multiple ways. Our pharmacists, for example, receive prescription orders through our E3 Pro™ mobile and web-based medication management hub. Nurses transmit dispense requests digitally, allowing pharmacists to review them and follow up if needed. So, for example, if we see an order that may be contraindicated due to allergy or drug interactions, we will reach out to discuss that.
While our processes and workflows have changed, our commitment to empowering hospice clinicians to deliver exceptional care has only deepened over time. We strive to infuse all of our digital interactions with the same level of empathy and respect nurses expect when they reach us by phone.
