Elephants and Tea - December 2022 - 28

Conversation PATIENTS FIRST
" I think for us, we recognize the challenges of
manufacturing these types of drugs ... the public
may not be as attuned as to what is going on and the
difficulties behind the scenes, and up until now, we
have been able to avert the shortage hitting at the
patient level. When possible, transitioning to products
with a longer shelf life will help to overcome a lot of
the inherent challenges previously encountered. "
- Eric Chow, Senior Medical Science Liaison
patient experience from beginning to end.
Eric Chow shared, " the biggest thing I have
noticed is how patient focused the organization
is. " He went on to explain that, " a
lot of companies will say they are 'patient
centric,' but when you look at their structure,
it's embedded in some other functional
area like commercial or some other
work group. " Eric mentioned that Servier's
Patient Office division sits equal to every
other section of the organization. " We
really elevate the patient's voice throughout
the company ... it's not just a sub function
of a group, it sits equal to the other groups, "
he said. He feels that this really sets Servier
apart because they take words and change
them into action. The Patient Office is a
functional group that interacts directly
with patients and helps them navigate
through their cancer journey. Eric said that
the Patient Office division is composed of
incredible people who help to make Servier
special. " It is the strong emphasis on the
patient voice, and the patient-centricity as
a whole that is felt throughout the organization
that makes me proud to work for
Servier, " Eric continued, " ...it really helps
us connect to what we are doing. "
Servier truly values each and
every individual that they employ,
regardless of the department or
level they are. Positive and talented
leadership at Servier set the stage
for all employees, creating a
working atmosphere that inspires
all to do better every single day.
It is clear that everyone who works at
Servier plays an important role. Jessica
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DECEMBER 2022
Bartley said, " positive and talented leadership
exists at our site, and it helps to
inspire all of us. " She explained that the
leadership helps them feel like they are a
part of something big, and that they are
vital parts of the organization. She shared
that it was that 'small company feel' with
an opportunity to have a big impact that
stood out to her about Servier. " You know
what you are doing, and you know who
you are doing it for, " she said. From working
deep in the trenches trying to avert a
disaster, to celebrating the amazing things
and being involved in unique opportunities,
it's not just the top tier or select people
who are involved. Everyone is there, everyone
is helping, everyone is supporting one
another and is a part of it, regardless of
which department you work in.
Eric Chow told a touching story about
an opportunity that was given to one of
his colleagues who happens to also be a
previous survivor of ALL. She was able to
share her story to the entire company. He
was blown away at the fact that Servier
allowed her the forum to do something
so impactful as to share her personal
story with her colleagues. He went on to
share how powerful it was to hear how her
career has come so full circle. " It really
brings the meaning home, to see the firsthand
impact of what we do, " Eric said. He
explained that on the medical side, you
can read about clinical trials in a paper,
and that sometimes you lose track because
these people, these individuals are simply
numbers on a page. He went on to explain
that " whenever we hear these stories of
actual patients going through these trials,
it hits a little bit harder and brings it
into perspective... you realize that these
individuals are not just a number, they're
not just part of that survival curve, they
are real people who are standing right
in front of us. "
Being a Senior Medical Science Liaison
at Servier, Eric shared that he is a clinical
pharmacist by trade, and that the role he
is in right now fulfills both his medical
career goals as well as the connection
piece. He always wanted to be part of the
oncology community because of a family
experience. His mother was diagnosed
with stage three lung cancer during the
summer after his first year of pharmacy
school. " Unfortunately, it is becoming a
time where everyone you know has been
touched by cancer in some way, " he said.
He went on to explain that his mother's
diagnosis was challenging for him, both in
his role as a student, but also as a caregiver.
" Seeing my mom going through something
as I'm learning about the medicine
piece in school...it was very difficult, " Eric
said. He shared that the life event of her
diagnosis really turned everything upside
down for him and his family. He ended
up having to interpret a lot of hard decisions
for his family including navigating
chemotherapy and two major surgeries.
" It's hard enough to sit there with your
mom as she is going through something
so difficult, but to have to be the one to
interpret the medical piece for her...that
was really a defining point for me to want
to be a part of that for others as well, " Eric
shared. Every single day, Servier strives to
bring that level of understanding to their
patients. Eric went on to say that, " we can
lose track of the patient sometimes as clinicians...
but I always think back to that
situation with my mother and how we felt.
It is always a good grounding point when
I feel too in the weeds, or if I've lost what
our ultimate goal is. " It appears every
employee at Servier has a similar type of
connection with what they are doing, and
it truly makes a difference in their work.
One of the most important things to
Servier is the meaning behind the
work they do.
Ruth Hoffman, CEO of American Childhood
Cancer Organization, shared that
Servier has been very receptive and
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Elephants and Tea - December 2022

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