Genice Mines, Maryview Foundation Healthcare Center

In two years as a medication assistance caseworker, Genice and her co-worker helped over 1,200 uninsured patients fill more than 16,000 prescriptions valued at $9.9 million. Described as “having a big heart and a mind like a vise,” Genice also streamlined the patient eligibility system to expedite the collection of information, and redesigned the MAP brochure and information packet to better meet patients’ needs. 

Sanofi-aventis was recognized for its commitment to providing free medications for chronically ill, uninsured Virginians through Rx Partnership.  Of particular importance was the company's breakthrough decision to include insulin, one of the most coveted and costly medicines. In addition, sanofi-aventis is continuing to make its individual PAP programs available to Virginians.  In 2008 alone, these PAP programs provided prescription medications worth more than $5.7 million to more than 6,300 uninsured Virginians.

Cathi Biggs, Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital

Cathi Biggs, a medication assistance caseworker for Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital, is dedicated to obtaining free medicines for local patients in need. To increase the number of people helped, Cathi has worked through the years to tirelessly market the program, distributing flyers and brochures, writing newspaper articles and setting up booths at festivals and grocery stores.   Since the program started in 2000, more than 25,000 prescriptions have been filled for a total of over $5 million in free medication.

Abbott Pharmaceuticals Corporation has made its products available at community health centers and free clinics in Virginia and is an important member of the Rx Partnership, adding crucial medications to the program’s inventory.  In addition, in a single year alone, Abbot’s Patient Assistance Programs provided more than $4 million worth of prescriptions to over 4,000 eligible Virginians.

Tammy Moore, Southside MedAssist

Tammy Moore, Manager of the Southside MedAssist Program at Piedmont Access to Health Services, helped establish Southside MedAssist and has dedicated herself to obtaining free medicines from the various PAPs for hundreds of local patients ever since.  As a result of her many superlative efforts, Tammy and Southside MedAssist have helped thousands of uninsured patients fill tens of thousands of prescriptions with free PAP medicines valued at well over $13 million.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation’s commitment to the Rx Partnership added 13 essential medicines to the Rx Partnership’s inventory, including treatments for hypertension, high cholesterol, Type II diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.  In its first year of participating alone, Novartis provided more than $1 million worth of these important medications to uninsured Virginians served by the Rx Partnership's affiliate clinics.  In addition, Novartis’ Patient Assistance Programs provides millions worth of prescriptions to eligible Virginians each year.

Arleigh Johnson, Gloucester-Mathews Free Clinic

Arleigh Johnson, the Indigent Drug Program Coordinator for the Gloucester-Mathews Free Clinic, has helped hundreds apply for free PAP medicines and seeks alternatives for those who aren’t eligible.

Known as a person who never takes “no” for an answer, Arleigh, in a single year, obtained nearly $1 million in free medicines for more than 450 patients.

Merck is widely known for its leadership and generosity toward Virginia’s uninsured.  Merck was one of the first companies to commit product to the RxPartnership and also makes its products available to Virginia’s Community Health Centers and Free Clinics.  In addition to providing millions of dollars worth of medication to the Rx Partnership each year, Merck’s Patient Assistance Programs fill hundreds of thousands of prescriptions for eligible Virginians each year – more than $20 million dollars worth per year. 

Mary Jo Doig, Rockbridge Area Free Clinic

Mary Jo Doig from the Rockbridge Area Free Clinic was given the You "Rx"Ceptional Award for the quality and quantity of her efforts to help the area’s uninsured receive essential medications that they otherwise could not afford.  At the time of the award, Mary Jo was working with 15 doctors and a team of six volunteers to help over 1,000 patients per year.  Mary Jo also was an active volunteer for the clinic’s dental program, providing assistance one or more nights every week.

GlaxoSmithKline received the You "Rx"Ceptional Award in recognition of its longstanding support and leadership, particularly its decision to become the first pharmaceutical company to donate product to Virginia’s Rx Partnership. The Rx Partnership  is a public/private initiative that solicits free prescription medications in bulk from various pharmaceutical companies and arranges for their distribution to nonprofit “safety net” pharmacies, which it credentials and monitors.  GlaxoSmithKline also provides uninsured Virginians with millions of dollars in free prescription medications each year.

Nancy Carter, Clinch River Health Services

Nancy Carter, Pharmacy Advocate at Clinch River Health Services, excelled at using VHCF's The Pharmacy Connection to obtain free medications for her uninsured patients.  These accomplishments are all the more remarkable because, when she began as a Pharmacy Advocate, she freely admitted that she wasn’t all that great with a computer.  In addition to her mastery of The Pharmacy Connection, Nancy demonstrated exceptional physician relations skills, working with more than 100 physicians to ensure that as many patients as possible were able to receive the medication they needed.

Pfizer was the first company to be awarded the You "Rx"Ceptional Award, receiving the recognition in thanks for its commitment to partnering with the Virginia Health Care Foundation and helping uninsured Virginians.  Pfizer was instrumental to the establishment of the Rx Partnership, providing guidance and financial support, in addition to making tens of millions of dollars worth of free prescription medications available to uninsured Virginians every year.