by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
Sartell resident Mark Boe, in partnership with Guardian Pharmacy LLC, has opened Guardian Pharmacy of Minnesota in St. Cloud.
The pharmacy will serve residents of group homes, as well as assisted-living and skilled-nursing facilities in St. Cloud and surrounding areas in the central Minnesota area.
Boe is owner and president of Guardian Pharmacy of Minnesota.
“After evaluating the central Minnesota market, it was apparent there was a need for a customer service-focused pharmacy that is 100 percent dedicated to serve the growing long-term-care industry,” Boe said. “I was impressed with Guardian’s reputation and unique business model. The partnership enables us to focus on customer service to meet the specialized needs of long-term-care residents, while Guardian’s corporate team assists with the time-consuming day-to-day business operations like payroll, human relations, as well as the intensely complex revenue cycle.”
It is the only pharmacy that is 100-percent dedicated to serve the growing long-term-care industry in the region and will serve clients in surrounding areas including Brainerd, Alexandria, Hutchinson and the northwestern area of Minneapolis.
The 4,100 square-foot pharmacy, located at 3601 18th St. S. in St. Cloud, opened with 12 employees, and Boe expects that number to double by end of this year.
“When building our team, we looked for experienced professionals who have a passion for the long-term-care industry and a demonstrated dedication to customer service,” Boe said.
In Minnesota, there are currently well over 1,000 long-term-care facilities serving more than 70,000 residents.
Within the long-term-care industry, Guardian’s goal is to provide superior customer attention, rapid response to client needs and continuous 24/7 service. The company just completed a record-breaking 2011, adding five new pharmacies and boosting revenue 35 percent during 2010. The combined Guardian entity serves more than 42,000 long-term-care patients nationally through 17 pharmacies across 11 states.
“We are excited to partner with Mark in opening Guardian Pharmacy of Minnesota expanding our footprint to the Midwest, said Fred Burke, CEO and co-founder of Guardian Pharmacy. “Mark’s extensive business expertise and past experience in the institutional-pharmacy market will be a tremendous asset. His passion for the long-term-care industry and emphasis on superior customer service mirrors the commitment of our company.”