“Opening a specialty pharmacy that is readily available to the rural communities Bassett serves will be a game changer,” Bassett President/CEO Tommy Ibrahim said in a press release announcing the project. “Right now, Bassett’s three retail pharmacies at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, FoxCare Center in Oneonta, and O’Connor Hospital in Delhi rely on outside […]
“Opening a specialty pharmacy that is readily available to the rural communities Bassett serves will be a game changer,” Bassett President/CEO Tommy Ibrahim said in a press release announcing the project. “Right now, Bassett’s three retail pharmacies at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, FoxCare Center in Oneonta, and O’Connor Hospital in Delhi rely on outside pharmacies to supply the specialty medications we prescribe. Bassett serves a 5,600-square-mile region the size of Connecticut with many patients receiving highly specialized care for cancer, heart diseases, rheumatological diseases (musculoskeletal diseases), kidney disease, spine conditions, and other types of complex diseases. Having a specialty pharmacy on-site within our health system will bring even more efficiency to the way we deliver advanced care to our patients.”
Bassett is working to assess building spaces and amenities for potential location options and whether that will involve expanding an existing retail-pharmacy space or constructing a new standalone facility. The organization expects planning and development to take at least six months to complete.
“By putting plans in place to open a specialty pharmacy, Bassett Healthcare Network is taking a major step towards expanding medication and advanced treatment access to its rural-based populations,” Michael Evans, Geisinger’s chief pharmacy officer, said in the release. “Geisinger is thrilled to partner with Bassett on this important effort. Like Geisinger, Bassett Healthcare Network has grown its organization over the decades with a central mission to bring advanced care to small rural communities.”
Bassett Healthcare Network includes five corporately affiliated hospitals, more than two dozen community-based health centers, 21 school-based health centers, two skilled-nursing facilities, and other health partners in related fields.