When Connextions, a technology-enabled contact center, needed employees to work with their pharmaceutical management clients, Human Resources Manager Christy Frederick was pleased to find that graduates of American National University’s pharmacy technician programs were a perfect fit.
Ms. Fredericks said that she has found students from National to be “better grounded in the fundamentals, the knowledge, and the language” that is necessary to work in the field. She also noted that National graduates are proud of their school.
Ricquita Perkins and Heather Weatherspoon are two graduates from the Louisville Campus that were recently hired by Connextions. In their new jobs they answer questions about pharmaceutical benefits, drug interactions, and more.
Heather said her classes at National gave her a “head start” in her new job because she learned so much from her courses. Ricquita said her training at National helped her “tremendously” in her new career. She said she wouldn’t have known about the positions at Connextions if it hadn’t been for the campus’s career center director, Karen Cunningham, who encouraged her to apply. Now her future looks bright and she sees an opportunity to grow in the company.
In addition to hiring in the pharmaceutical field, Ms. Frederick has also hired National graduates to work in administrative and customer service positions. Ms. Frederick said that she is excited about the company’s new relationship with National because it offers a good draw for potential employees.
Dion Raymond, Vice President of Operations for Connextions, noted that National graduates seem to be a “higher quality” than some of the applicants that they’ve had in the past.
“We know that they are serious candidates when they come through the door and say they are from National,” he said. With the recent acquisitions of Connextions by Optum Health, Mr. Raymond says he feels that there will be more of a need for graduates as the company continues to grow and serve some of the largest healthcare providers and pharmaceutical management companies in the country.
PHOTO: Human Resources Manager Christy Frederick, graduates Heather Weatherspoon and Ricquita Perkins, and Dion Raymond, Vice President of Operations.
