Meeting Patients' Needs
Family-owned Holland Health Services Grows into Another Century
Back in 1968, when Jerry Willins first bought into the historic Holland Drug in Sedro-Woolley, the world of pharmaceuticals and health care was far simpler. Health-management organizations (HMOs) did not exist and insurance companies covered medical needs without much comment. Most prescriptions were filled through neighborhood pharmacies and patients trusted their local pharmacists for information and advice.
Today, more than 30 years later, guiding a pharmacy business to success is increasingly complex.
"Health care as an industry is going through an enormous transition," explains Willins, a pharmacist by trade. "There have been huge shifts in how and how much we're paid - it's affected everybody."
Because of Willins' hard work and vision, however, what is now Holland Health Services, Inc. is doing far more than surviving - it's thriving. In spite of the health-care economy, his business's annual growth has been a steady 10 percent over the last 10 years, with gross sales in 2000 at $10 million. He's added new locations, services and employees.
Willins credits the quality of his employees for much of the corporation's success. "Our success is based almost solely on the fact that we've managed to hire and retain some really good people," he insists. Benefits are good and many employees have stayed 10-20 years. "My criteria for hiring is that they have to have the 'three I's,'" he explains, "intelligence, integrity and the 'I' that stands for self-worth."
Adapting to change
There are many other reasons for the business successes of this soft-spoken manager, including personal energy and a willingness, even eagerness, to adapt to a constantly changing business environment. Diversification is necessary, not only because of market needs, but also because of changes in billing requirements and decreasing profit margins. "You just have to be inventive - not only in doing old things new ways, but also in finding new services to provide," he states with quiet enthusiasm.
Following his own advice has meant constantly adding new organizations to serve emerging needs. In addition to the original Holland Drug (founded by Albert Edward Holland and a partner in 1889), Holland Health Services, Inc. includes, in Mount Vernon, Hilltop Pharmacy, which also has a compounding laboratory for making custom prescriptions; Holland Homecare, with specialized, in-home medical-care products; and Holland Long-Term Care Pharmacy, a new druggist that does only prescriptions for long-term-care facilities.