Written by: Robert Kurtz
Photography by: Rob Wetzler / Wetzler Studios
The executive director and staff of Canton’s Beacon Charitable Pharmacy distribute medications and caring to an underserved clientele – shining a bright light in their community.
The executive director of a healthcare nonprofit is, above all, a person on a mission. They’re a wearer of multiple hats — chief fundraiser, staff director, relationship builder, strategic planner. The most effective have once been on the receiving end of the services the organization provides. So, when you encounter Dr. LaTrice Snodgrass of Canton’s Beacon Charitable Pharmacy, you are immediately struck by her drive, passion, and caring nature.
“For me, it’s personal. I grew up in a housing project. Into early adulthood, my son and I were on assistance,” Dr. Snodgrass states. “So, it’s critical to me that everyone has what they need to thrive. And if everyone in my community doesn't have what they need and they're not healthy, then my community isn't healthy.”
Safety Net
“We are the only charitable pharmacy in Northeast Ohio,” Dr. Snodgrass explains. “Our patients are uninsured or underinsured. Underinsured means they have the insurance but cannot access it. They may have a $2,000 deductible, so the insurance is there but they can’t access it. That’s where Beacon comes in. We exist to serve our most vulnerable community members. We are a safety net.”
At Beacon Charitable Pharmacy, if you are a patient without insurance, one medication costs $2, two medications are $4, three or more is $5. If you’re underinsured, it’s $5 for one medication, $10 for two, and so on – but there’s a cap.
“Once you get to the $25 mark it doesn't matter if you get five medications or 100, you will not pay more than $25,” Dr. Snodgrass states. “No one is denied service because of an inability to pay.”
And the medications Beacon provides are vital to patients’ health.
“We primarily provide maintenance medications for conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and epilepsy. We also supply over the counter meds like aspirin,” Dr. Snodgrass says.
What don’t they do? “We do not carry narcotics,” Dr. Snodgrass states.
A Staff-Centric Operation
Founded in 2002 as Prescription Assistance Network, Beacon meets the critical pharmacological needs of uninsured and underinsured individuals, mostly in Stark and Carroll Counties, though their reach also extends into Lorain and Summit Counties.
Two separate functions demarcate the small but extremely efficient Beacon team. “A patient comes in and our intake staff verifies their eligibility information, gets all of their demographics, and enters them into our system,” Dr. Snodgrass states. The process then moves across the main hallway to the pharmacy. “We have a registered pharmacist and a PharmD, a doctor-level pharmacist. And two pharmacy techs,” Dr. Snodgrass adds.
An average day finds them filling as many as 115 prescriptions with an Average Wholesale Price of over $4.5 million in 2023. As testimony to their place in the community, a small army of more than 350 volunteers helps keep the place running smoothly.
Farmers Dispenses Support
Beacon’s account with Farmers National Bank is overseen by Chris Willoughby, Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager, Private Client Services. “It is great to work with such a determined group of people,” Willoughby states. “I know they are making a significant difference in our community.”
Apart from their depository and banking relationship, Farmers is an active donor to the Beacon annual Gala, contributing $1,000 this year through the Farmers Charitable Foundation and another $500 sponsorship to this important cause. Dr. Snodgrass concurs with Willoughby. “I am thankful for this very central relationship,” she states. “I know that if I have any banking questions, Chris and his team of experts are just a phone call away. And their generosity to our Gala and mission is so very appreciated.”
From Obstacle to Opportunity
There may be no greater test of a management’s fortitude than dealing with and learning from obstacles. Which goes double for nonprofits, reliant solely upon the kindness of strangers. Dr. Snodgrass is no stranger to roadblocks, and major ones at that: “Last year, we suddenly lost our largest source of donated medications – a regional nursing home that went out of business.” This sudden and sizable hole in their procurement flow required a rapid and innovative solution. In emergency mode, Dr. Snodgrass huddled with RX Institutional Services (RXIS), a Boardman-based pharmaceutical center. RXIS generously agreed to fill Beacon’s product gap, but as part of the plan, Beacon began accepting, and accumulating, various larger and more frequent donations which included many medications that were not in high demand with their population base.
This begat another problem – storage, manpower, and destruction cost. “So I met with SIRUM, a nonprofit connecting people with surplus medications on a nationwide basis,” Dr. Snodgrass states. A happy solution ensued. “Now, we keep the medications we need and send the remainder to SIRUM, who get these meds to others in need. Additionally, with the nonessential meds off our plate, we don’t spend time and money destroying them. Win-win.”
Was there a lesson learned? “Absolutely,” Dr. Snodgrass says. “Two, actually. First, relationships are critical for a nonprofit – we all benefit from these connections. Second, I have to make time to think strategically. So at this point in my career, I actually put blocks on my calendar that just say ‘Strategic Thinking.’ And we are the better for it.”
Crucial Work
Beacon Charitable Pharmacy has earned its place in and the respect of the community it serves. Long-serving Massillon Municipal Court Judge Edward J. Elum, a member of the West-Stark Homeless Task Force and a regular server at St. Joseph’s Church soup kitchen, has had a close-up view of Beacon’s work. “Beacon Pharmacy is a valued partner of our Western Stark Homeless Task Force. They come to our food pantry every other week and they've had a great reception from the people who use our resources,” Judge Elum states. “The people they serve would have no other way for their needs to be met if we did not have Beacon in our community. Dr. Snodgrass and her staff do crucial work.”
Hats Off…and On
Beacon Charitable Pharmacy is a success, based on team effort and dedicated leadership.
As our interview concluded, Dr. Snodgrass wasted no time picking up both the phone and another hat — there’s always a partner to sustain, Board member to consult, donor to thank. “Our funders have been very generous to us,” she states. “But in the world of healthcare nonprofits, innovation comes with a cost. For the sake of our patients, we have to keep moving forward.”