Hospitals have historically measured pharmacy by the medications it dispenses, the inventory it manages, and the costs it controls. Steven Allison, Vice President of Pharmacy at AdventHealth, sees it operating in a new way. “Pharmacy has historically operated behind the scenes. Most people in the hospital know we’re there, but they may not know exactly where we operate or what we do. Today, pharmacy is much more present at the bedside than it used to be.”
Steven has spent the past few years bringing pharmacists into decisions that manage patients’ care once they leave the hospital. He leads pharmacy operations, strategy, and performance across Central Florida while helping shape clinical initiatives across AdventHealth’s network of over 50 hospitals.
Much of that work centers on a question every health system faces: what happens after a patient goes home? For Steven, the answer starts with medication. “Medications are part of the care of nearly every hospitalized patient, and care keeps getting more complex, with many patients on multiple medications as part of intricate treatment plans. I concentrate on optimizing the care we provide, especially during care transitions. We work to get patients admitted, care for them with excellence, discharge them effectively, and connect them with the resources they need once they leave.”
Financial stewardship and operational efficiency still matter. But at AdventHealth, a faith-based health care organization focused on whole-person care; pharmacy is about understanding what may stand between a patient and a successful recovery. That can mean making sure a person understands their medications, can afford them, knows what to expect after discharge, and has the support needed to continue care at home.
Closer to patients
Continuity of care often starts to fray the moment patients leave the hospital, even though it’s a crucial part of treatment.
Hospitals invest heavily in treatment, care planning, and recovery. Steven has watched it happen. “We provide excellent care. We save lives, improve outcomes, and follow evidence-based guidelines. But once patients return home, that same level of intensity can fall away. Patients may realize they don’t fully understand information about new medications or those prescribed medications they can’t afford.” The consequences follow quickly. Prescriptions go unfilled. Follow-up care fragments. Problems that could have been solved before discharge turn into readmissions.
AdventHealth responded by embedding pharmacists deeper into key handoffs. “We continue to expand our Meds to Beds program, have begun offering prescription medications to emergency department discharges and strengthened pharmacist involvement in discharge medication reviews. We’re focused on making sure patients understand their treatment plans, have access to needed medications, can afford them, and leave the hospital with any barriers already addressed.”
The role now extends well beyond medication management. Pharmacists are increasingly involved in shaping patient care from admission through discharge and into the recovery period that follows. “We constantly ask ourselves where pharmacists can make the greatest difference for patients. Our priority is on services that create clear, measurable value and improve the patient experience.”
The stakes become even higher in specialty pharmacy, where treatment plans often leave little room for disruption. “These medications are often very expensive, and a patient may not be able to miss a dose.” By bringing those services in-house, pharmacists can use a single patient record and keep a clear view of treatment plans, medications, lab results, and recent hospitalizations. “We review medication regimens with patients, answer their questions, and help connect them with the right provider when issues arise.”
Connected care
Discharge may mark the end of a hospital stay, but Steven is increasingly focused on what happens next. AdventHealth is introducing a new medication-management platform to help patients manage therapies at home. The platform will give pharmacists and care teams greater visibility into medication adherence while allowing family caregivers to remain connected to a patient’s treatment plan. “When we roll this out, pharmacists and care teams will be able to log into a portal and see whether patients are taking their medications. That allows us to identify patients who may need added help or answers.”
The goal is to identify problems before they become clinical events. “If we see that a patient isn’t taking their heart failure medication, we can step in before it becomes a bigger issue. We can contact them and figure out what’s getting in the way, whether it’s cost, symptoms, access to follow-up care, or just remembering to take the medication.”
Patients will track medications, receive reminders, and share information with family caregivers. “I think medication adherence will improve simply because a patient is monitoring themself with the app.”
AdventHealth is also rolling out Smart Room technology, which lets pharmacy teams consult with patients remotely and reach those who are hard to engage early in their stay. “The Smart Room technology lets us have secure conversations with patients through their TV in the room. There are high-definition cameras, and we can actually talk about the medications you take at home.”
Another benefit is that the technology takes some weight off nurses. “Hospital admission is labor-intensive for nurses. Our pharmacy team can help keep nurses focused on other tasks and keep the physician and care team informed.”
The future of pharmacy
As AdventHealth has grown, so have Steven’s responsibilities. In recent years, much of the organization’s focus centered on implementing Epic across its hospitals. With that work complete, pharmacy teams have shifted from implementation to optimization, using a shared medical record to strengthen clinical workflows, support systemwide standards, and improve patient care.
Steven splits his time across two spheres. In Central Florida, he directly oversees pharmacy operations in ten hospitals. Beyond the region, he guides clinical initiatives and pharmacy governance throughout AdventHealth’s broader network.
The structure depends on collaboration. Executive leaders each own a specialty, including clinical excellence, operations, supply chain, compliance, retail pharmacy, finance, and post-acute care. Across the broader system, governance relies on regional representation and influence rather than direct authority. That collaborative model further shapes how AdventHealth approaches innovation.
AdventHealth partners with both established technology providers and emerging healthcare companies. “When a technology addresses a specific problem and offers a clear solution, that’s when we’re most interested in investing and building a partnership. In many cases, we’re not receiving a finished product. We’re working with a strong idea that’s ready for market and helping shape it into something that better meets the needs of healthcare providers and patients.”
When the conversation turns to AI, Steven is less interested in hype than in day-to-day clinical value. “I don’t see AI replacing clinical judgment. I see it helping pharmacists focus their expertise where it matters most. It can surface patterns and clinical signals more quickly, helping us identify which patients may need our attention and giving pharmacists more time to focus on their care.”
Alongside the digital investments, AdventHealth is preparing to open a new distribution center that will bring more automation, better inventory management, and logistics support to the region.
For all the automation, data, and digital tools, Steven always comes back to people. “To me, excellence means automating consistent operational processes and letting pharmacists and technicians focus on the work that needs their expertise.”
For Steven, the future starts with a pair of questions. “How do we keep caring for you, even after you’ve left the facility? How can we support you at home when you have questions that we’re able to answer or help with?”
EveryDose works alongside leading health systems like AdventHealth to make medication regimens easier for patients to understand and manage. Through EveryDose MedGuides, care teams can create personalized medication schedules supporting complex dosing instructions, 19 languages, and print and digital delivery. EHR integration brings medication information directly into the clinician workflow, while the EveryDose mobile app extends that experience to patients with medication reminders, ongoing medication management, and tools to stay on track. Together, AdventHealth and EveryDose are connecting medication information across the EHR, care team, and patient experience to support clearer, more actionable medication management.
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