An Interview With Jake Frankel
Address health inequities in rural and underserved communities. Underserved areas often lack access to specialists, clinical pharmacists, and high-quality facilities. Expanding telehealth services and incentivizing healthcare providers to work in these areas could bridge the gap. Tele pharmacy initiatives that bring expert medication management to rural nursing homes can improve care for residents who would otherwise have limited access to specialized services.
As a part of our interview series called “5 Things We Must Do To Improve the US Healthcare System”, I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Jillian Thompson.
Dr. Jillian Thompson is a clinical pharmacist committed to improving the quality of long-term care in America. Holding a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Florida, Dr. Thompson brings extensive experience from hospital and nursing home settings. She focuses on some of the nation’s most critical healthcare issues, including medication overuse, gaps in nursing home policies, and the prevention of elder abuse and neglect.
In the U.S., over 1.5 million seniors live in nursing homes, with nearly 40% potentially receiving inappropriate medications. Dr. Thompson is determined to change these trends by developing stringent protocols that enhance medication safety, reduce unnecessary prescriptions, and strengthen oversight in long-term care. Her initiatives aim to reduce adverse drug events (ADEs) and improve life quality for vulnerable seniors, particularly in underserved rural areas. Additionally, Dr. Thompson is a dedicated educator, mentoring future pharmacists to uphold safety and ethics in their practice.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into our interview, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was exploring career options, I met a few pharmacists who were genuinely passionate about their work and the impact they had on patients. What stood out to me was the evolving role of pharmacists — from merely dispensing medications to now actively ensuring that treatments are appropriate and even writing prescriptions. This has had a significant impact on my decision to pursue pharmacy.
I had great experience as a student in a long-term care facility during my fourth year of pharmacy school. Unlike acute care, where patients come and go through a revolving door, or community pharmacy, where time with patients is often limited; long-term care gave me the chance to build deeper, more impactful relationships with residents. I could see firsthand how my assessments and recommendations could make a profound difference in their quality of life. This experience inspired me to focus my career on improving care for the elderly and influenced my decision to precept pharmacy students.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I’ve had many interesting stories over the years, but the one that stood out to me was a resident in hospital early in my career who was assessed to be palliative at the time. Her family, the staff, and physician thought she only had a few weeks left. She wasn’t eating or drinking much. To keep her comfortable, the team decided to stop all her medications. To everyone’s surprise, she recovered soon after and was doing very well. So much so that she could be sent home instead of to a nursing home.
The important lesson I learned that day was medications can save lives, but they can also have a negative impact if used inappropriately.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller
This quote resonates with me as I work to improve medication, safety and care within the healthcare system. In order to make positive changes, it is imperative that cooperative action be taken. In working with administrators, caregivers, and other health professionals, together we make more meaningful changes to the processes. We all have the common goal to improve patient outcomes and positive teamwork makes it happen.
How would you define an “excellent healthcare provider”?
An excellent healthcare provider is not solely defined by knowledge or credentials but by their ability to connect in a compassionate manner. What truly sets them apart is their ability and willingness to listen. In my experience, those providers with the most impact are those who combine their skills with empathy, openness and respect. No amount of knowledge can replace the importance of treating patients with kindness. An excellent provider also collaborates effectively and acknowledges the strengths of others in delivering the best outcomes. It’s this balance of competence and compassion that defines truly exceptional care.
What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a better healthcare leader? Can you explain why you like them?
One of my favorite books is “The Dirt on Clean. It’s a fascinating and often humorous exploration of how hygiene practices have evolved over time. I love how it connects science, culture, and health to provide a unique perspective on the progress of medicine and public health. Beyond books, I also enjoy the BS Medicine podcast, which provides evidence-based insights on medical topics with a touch of humor, making it both informative and engaging. These resources not only expand my knowledge but also help me relax and maintain a lighthearted perspective on life.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Right now, I’m working on initiatives aimed at improving medication safety in long-term care facilities, with a focus on developing deprescribing protocols. These protocols help healthcare teams identify medications that may no longer be necessary or beneficial for elderly patients. By simplifying medication regimens, we can reduce the risk of adverse drug events and improve the overall quality of life for residents in long-term care.
Additionally, I’m exploring ways to expand access to clinical pharmacy services in underserved rural and economically depressed areas, including through tele-pharmacy. By providing remote medication reviews and consultations, we can support healthcare providers and ensure that patients in these communities receive the same level of care as those in urban areas. These projects are exciting because they have the potential to make a meaningful impact on patient safety, well-being, and societal welfare.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. According to this study cited by Newsweek, the US healthcare system is ranked as the worst among high-income nations. This seems shocking. Can you share with us a few reasons why you think the US is ranked so poorly?
The U.S. healthcare system’s low ranking among high-income nations is often attributed to several key factors. One factor is the lack of universal access to care. Unlike other high-income countries, the U.S. doesn’t have a system ensuring healthcare coverage for all citizens, which leaves many people without adequate access to necessary treatments or preventive care. People may be forced to wait for treatment out of necessity/lack of affordability. By the time they do receive care, their condition may be too progressed for treatment. This contributes to poorer health outcomes overall, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women.
Another challenge is the high cost of healthcare in the U.S., which often doesn’t correlate with better outcomes. Administrative inefficiencies, high pharmaceutical prices, and varying quality of care across regions contribute to a system that’s expensive but not necessarily effective.
Finally, the U.S. healthcare system faces inequities that disproportionately affect underserved populations, including seniors in rural areas. These disparities reflect deeper systemic issues that need to be addressed to ensure equitable access to quality care for all Americans.
As a “healthcare insider”, if you had the power to make a change, can you share 5 changes that need to be made to improve the overall US healthcare system? Please share a story or example for each.
1. Ensure all citizens have access to some form of affordable basic healthcare, regardless of their income or employment status.
Many people delay seeking care because of costs, leading to worsened health outcomes and higher overall costs for the nation at large. For example, children of pregnant patients who receive consistent prenatal care are less likely to have congenital diseases that have lasting impacts on both the child, their families, and society. The U.S. consistently spends more per capita on healthcare than any other developed nations yet have the worst health outcome. Spending more does not necessarily mean better care. Improving efficiencies with existing funding while eliminating waste goes farther than simply throwing money at the problem.
2. Invest and improve preventive care and public health
Shifting the focus from reactive to preventive care could reduce the burden of chronic diseases and hospitalizations. For instance, robust vaccination programs, early screenings, and education about healthy lifestyles can significantly lower healthcare costs while improving outcomes. Long-term care facilities that implement regular exercise/wellness programs can reduce illness and hospitalizations.
3. Standardize medication management and safety practices
Medication-related errors are a leading cause of preventable harm in healthcare. Standardizing protocols for medication reviews, deprescribing, and reconciliation could significantly improve safety. For example, I’ve seen how implementing pharmacist-led reviews in a nursing home reduced adverse drug events and improved residents’ quality of life. Scaling such initiatives across the U.S. would save lives and reduce costs.
4. Reduce administrative burdens
Excessive paperwork and inefficient systems contribute to high costs and burnout among healthcare providers. Streamlining administrative tasks with better technology and reducing redundancies would allow providers to focus more on patient care. For example, implementing integrated electronic health records across all care settings could improve communication and coordination, preventing errors like duplicate treatments or missed follow-ups.
5. Address health inequities in rural and underserved communities
Underserved areas often lack access to specialists, clinical pharmacists, and high-quality facilities. Expanding telehealth services and incentivizing healthcare providers to work in these areas could bridge the gap. Tele pharmacy initiatives that bring expert medication management to rural nursing homes can improve care for residents who would otherwise have limited access to specialized services.
What concrete steps would have to be done to actually manifest these changes? What can a) individuals, b) corporations, c) communities and d) leaders do to help?
a) Individuals: advocate for policies that support universal healthcare and preventive care. Participate in wellness programs and prioritize regular check-ups to reduce preventable conditions.
b) Corporations: invest in employee wellness programs and support healthcare initiatives in underserved communities. Leverage technology to improve care access and reduce administrative burdens.
c) Communities: Organize health education campaigns, wellness events, and volunteer efforts to support vulnerable populations. Partner with local providers to expand access.
d) Leaders: Champion policies for inexpensive universal basic coverage, fund preventive care programs, and allocate resources to underserved areas. Implement nationwide standards for medication safety and streamline administrative systems through better technology. Advocate for better use of the money spent on healthcare to deliver care instead of fund administrative costs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put intense pressure on the American healthcare system, leaving some hospital systems at a complete loss as to how to handle this crisis. Can you share with us examples of where we’ve seen the U.S. healthcare system struggle? How do you think we can correct these issues moving forward?
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in the U.S. healthcare system, particularly in areas like resource allocation, workforce shortages, and lack of infrastructure. One of the most visible struggles was hospitals overflowing with patients during surges. Facilities in hard-hit areas lacked adequate ICU capacity, ventilators, and personal protective equipment (PPE), leaving healthcare workers stretched beyond their limits. Some hospitals had to convert non-traditional spaces like parking lots into treatment areas to accommodate the influx of patients. Hospitals also faced a lack of specialists, trained staff and advanced equipment, making it harder to manage severe cases.
Public health messaging and vaccine rollout also highlighted gaps in coordination. Misinformation and inconsistent communication undermined efforts to control the virus and foster vaccine confidence. The decentralized nature of the U.S. healthcare system made it difficult to implement cohesive strategies, creating disparities in access to testing, treatment, and vaccines.
Moving forward, strengthening public health infrastructure and emergency preparedness must be priorities. This includes stockpiling essential supplies, improving healthcare worker training, and creating surge capacity plans for most hospitals. Greater investment in community-based healthcare, telemedicine, and addressing health inequities will also be key. While the U.S. struggled, it’s important to recognize that the pandemic challenged healthcare systems worldwide. Learning from successes and failures internationally can guide improvements to make the system more resilient for future crises.
How do you think we can address the issue of physician and nurse burnout?
Burnout affects all frontline health professionals, including physicians and nurses. Reducing administrative burdens, such as excessive paperwork and inefficient documentation systems, is crucial to allow more time for patient care. Streamlining processes and integrating better technology can help alleviate stress and improve workflow efficiency.
Equally important is fostering a supportive workplace culture where well-being is prioritized. Access to mental health resources, fair workloads, and appropriate staffing levels can help prevent chronic overwork. Recognizing the contributions of healthcare professionals and addressing structural inefficiencies can create a better work environment. It won’t create more nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers overnight. But it can improve staff retention and minimize health professionals quitting healthcare altogether.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could inspire a movement, it would be one where we collectively take a moment every day to thank healthcare staff for their hard work and dedication. Whether it’s a simple thank-you or a more organized effort to show appreciation, these gestures could go a long way in uplifting morale. Healthcare professionals often work tirelessly, especially in challenging times, and acknowledging their efforts can make them feel seen and valued. Most of the time people seek out healthcare professionals when there’s something wrong rather than when something is done right.
This movement would not only boost the spirits of those on the frontlines but also strengthen the bond between healthcare providers and the communities they serve. A culture of gratitude and recognition can inspire a more compassionate and supportive healthcare environment for everyone.
Thank you so much for these insights! This was very inspirational and we wish you continued success in your great work.
Dr Jillian Thompson On 5 Things We Must Do To Improve the US Healthcare System was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.