We’ve heard it countless times: Healthcare is broken in the US. It costs too much; it is overly complex; and we are no healthier and we live no longer than people who live in other countries where it costs a lot less.
At Abarca, our team is composed of people with diverse experiences across healthcare and other industries. We understand this frustration. We see all of the challenges and inefficiencies. However, instead of wasting our energy complaining, we are imagining what it can be — the possibilities — and then building a company that delivers real solutions.
If you have ever spoken to one of our team members, you’ve heard them talk about “our commitment to finding a better way.” This simple idea animates us. It drives nearly everything we do. It is the cornerstone of our culture, and it’s what our people love about our company.
Here’s how it plays out daily:
- We studied home delivery in Puerto Rico and the challenges people were having in obtaining their medications. Our team then reimagined a system — an app, really — that has helped thousands of people remain adherent, particularly during a healthcare crisis. Although mail order and home delivery are nearly ubiquitous in the mainland US, for the Island, we found a better way.
- We saw how most health plans and self-insured employers struggled with clunky legacy PBM technology, and created a new, fully integrated platform from scratch.
- While consumer groups, policymakers, and others were concluding that prior authorizations were inconvenient and frequently a barrier to care, we designed a program that empowered pharmacists and reduced delays from days to minutes.
Our team is not only committed to this “better way” thinking; they are motivated by it. You can feel the energy and passion in our offices and, lately, on our Zoom calls. And this has now been validated.
Recently, Abarca participated in an employee engagement survey from Kincentric, a global HR and talent strategy firm. The results indicated that our team appreciates many things about our organization, ranging from the sense of diversity and inclusion to the opportunities for growth.
But here’s one that stood out to me: 95% of Abarcans would recommend Abarca as a great place to work.
While Abarca has achieved many important successes over the years, I consider this to be one of the most important. Having our culture celebrated by our employees not only validates what we stand for as an organization but will continue to propel us as we find a better way.
It turns out, our people really do love finding solutions; helping people live better, healthier lives; and improving our healthcare system, not by increasing costs and rationing services, but by rethinking the entire approach.
Simon Sinek once said, “Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” We say, “amen.”
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This blog was written by Jason Borschow, president & CEO at Abarca.