Louisville Company Touts UofL Grads


LOUISVILLE COMPANY TOUTS UOFL GRADS

 By Stuart Esrock, Ph.D.

UofL graduates are highly responsible and have great communication skills.  At least that’s what the HR Manager for a Louisville company thinks. Staci McArter heads up human resource functions for PharmaCord, which connects pharmaceutical manufacturers, patients, and physicians.  In the last six months alone, the 3-year old company has hired 17 UofL graduates.   

McArter says UofL graduates have excelled in a couple of areas. “It is necessary for our team members in Patient Services to have strong critical thinking skills needed to offer solutions to complex issues faced by our patients and technology skills to navigate our case management system, both of which we feel our UofL grads bring with them. Generally they do seem prepared for entry level employment and do well retaining information.”

A couple of UofL grads who now work for PharmaCord speak highly of the company.  Marshall Kellner received a Master’s in Social Work from UofL in 2014 and since he was hired three months ago, he has quickly embraced his new employer.  “From leaderships’ transparent vision to a wonderful work culture centered around helping others, it is truly a great place to be. One thing that makes them very unique is by being a newer company, it allows for new ideas and PharmaCord embraces these as potential for growth.”

Josh Bowling received his MS in Social Work from UofL in 2018 and he, too, has been at the company for three months.  “This is my first employment opportunity outside of the non-profit realm as a social worker, and I am impressed with the diversity found among my team members, leadership who is authentic in their support of their employees, and the dedication and commitment to assisting our patients in receiving their medications promptly and with ease.”

So what advice do these PharmaCord employees have for UofL students preparing for the job market?  McArter said students should get used to job interviewing via video/remote technology. “We expect the same level of professionalism and preparation in a video interview than any other style of interview as this is a representation of how you will present yourself when you are representing PharmaCord as an employee.”

Kellner said, “My biggest advice for anyone is to ‘CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE.’ Embrace challenges with a solution focus, take initiative and enjoy the journey.”

Bowling advised, “Be persistent, utilize your resources, and network! To be blunt, the job market in Louisville is very competitive, and it will take time to find a job. Also, don’t be discouraged, because you have the added factor of COVID-19. You WILL find a job!”

According to McArter, people come first at PharmaCord, and that includes both patients and employees like Kellner and Bowling. “We are excited to have provided promotional opportunities for 25+ team members in the past year to those who have excelled and demonstrated a passion for the growth of our business, success of the programs and ultimately the success of our patients getting access to their medication. While we are growing quickly, our focus is to maintain our culture of teamwork, family, and passion for what we do.”

And McArter says PharmaCord is looking to do more hiring. “We are looking to fill Benefit Specialist and Case Manager positions within our company to support our upcoming client programs. While those with healthcare backgrounds seem to make a nice transition into our business, we find that students of all major categories can be very successful at PharmaCord if they have a passion for helping people navigate a complex healthcare process.”

PharmaCord has open positions currently listed on the University Career Center’s Handshake system.  For more information, click on each: