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Leah Carden – Chief Financial Officer

Leah Carden, Chief Financial Officer, Aspen RxHealth

Which famous quote would you pick to describe your personal business philosophy?
People are your most valuable asset. Only people can be made to appreciate in value.

What three words best describe your leadership style?
Engaged. Committed. Honest.

What is a typical workday like for you?
My typical workday, whether it’s working for a small or large company, revolves around supporting and growing the business. I believe leaders are responsible for culture. I’m a very hands-on leader and like to add value by understanding all aspects of the business, not just the financials. I save the reporting and less interactive items for later in the day and try to maximize my time with the people in the organization.

What was your favorite subject in high school and why?
Any math class… I love that you can solve a problem and have an answer that is right or wrong.

 

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Kim Russo – Senior Vice President, Pharmacy Services

Kim Russo, Senior Vice President, Pharmacy Services, Aspen RxHealth

Briefly describe the professional journey that led you to Aspen RxHealth.
After I graduated, I was fortunate to land a position at a large community hospital pharmacy that had a close-knit team of pharmacists, each with their own strengths and skill sets. I’m grateful for all they taught me and for their support in helping me reach my final position there as a board-certified clinical pharmacy manager. After 13 years, I transitioned to join my current colleagues at VUCA Health and now at Aspen RxHealth, where I strive to apply my clinical knowledge and patient care beliefs into my work.

Which famous quote would you pick to describe your personal business philosophy?
I don’t know how famous it is, but for start-ups in particular, I believe in Katia Beauchamp’s, “There is no one right answer, there is strategy, execution and iteration.” Starting a company can be scary if you leave your comfort zone as an expert and enter a new role as a beginner. In fact, sometimes the hardest part is just getting started! You can gain a lot of confidence by choosing to focus on objective steps instead of irrational fears of failure. And those steps are to make the best choices you can at the time, implement them and then make changes as needed to reach your ultimate vision. Continuous quality improvement all the way!

 

Who is the most interesting person you have had the opportunity to work with and why?
I’ve worked with many interesting people, but the most interesting to me is Wuhong Li. I’ve worked with him now for seven years, and I’m convinced he can do anything and with a smile too! He has such an admirable balance of so many areas of his life — from Western and Eastern cultures, art and astrophysics and computer programming to spoken languages. I’m proud to call him a colleague and friend, and I always enjoy learning from him.

How will your unique set of skills, knowledge and professional experience help propel Aspen in the right direction?
My experience as a clinical hospital pharmacist taught me that I could always trust my decisions if they included putting the needs of patients first, and I carry that with me at Aspen.

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David Medvedeff – Founder & President

David Medvedeff, Chief Executive Officer, Aspen RxHealth

Briefly describe the professional journey that led you to Aspen RxHealth.
I feel like I should be sitting on a park bench in Savannah eating a box of chocolates as I tell my story. (Forrest Gump reference in case you missed it.) Seriously, I started my career with the Eckerd Corporation managing a team of pharmacists focused exclusively on delivering medication therapy management services in a retail pharmacy setting (this was long before Medicare adopted a similar model). I had my first exposure in working with a technology team when I joined Gold Standard (now Elsevier) and quickly became fascinated by the combination of healthcare (specifically decision support) and technology. Fast forward 15 years from that first exposure and I find myself working with the same team of brilliant people iteratively solving problems related to patient experience and health literacy.

Which famous quote would you pick to describe your personal business philosophy?
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Peter Drucker.

Reflecting on your greatest accomplishment and your greatest setback, which do you think you learned more from and why?
Without a doubt my greatest setback. I am a firm believer that accomplishments validate something you already know while setbacks teach the hard
lessons.

Have you received any notable awards or honors and/or had any of your work published?
It has been my privilege to work with and for some remarkable people. As a result of these amazing teams and mentors, I have been fortunate enough to be recognized by my peers on several occasions. Specifically, I have received the Prescott Leadership Award, a two-time recipient of the APhA Foundation Pinnacle Award, Next Generation Pharmacist Technology Innovator, the University of Florida College of Pharmacy Outstanding Alumnus Award and the Service Excellence Award.

Based on your experience in the pharmacy industry, why do you believe Aspen can make a big difference in this industry?
Quite simply because it is the right solution at the right time. There has been little to no real innovation in supporting the pharmacist-patient relationship and the industry is ripe for disruption.