Unlocking Value: From Vendor to Strategic Partner
By Amy Ciampi, PharmD, MBA
As a pharmacist, I spent my career coaching and counseling people on steps they could take to positively impact their health. Every person standing in front of me came in with different tools they’d learned and different levels of trust in their healthcare providers. They almost all feared the unknown. If they were talking to me, they were embarking on a new treatment or asking questions about what the best remedy for them could be.
I loved the opportunity to become one of their trusted healthcare providers. Many people view their physician as their only provider. I like to think my role helped them realize they have a team of healthcare professionals that complement each other, look out for their best interest, and can make a real impact on their health.
I no longer work in a pharmacy. I’m not the person counting by 5’s, counseling on new medications, or calling doctors to talk about their patients’ medication needs. My career has evolved into partnering with clients to strategize on healthcare goals for their organizations and helping them achieve those goals.
It might seem like pharmacy and account management are worlds apart, but the truth is the gap to bridge these professions was not as big as I expected. As a pharmacist, attention to detail, problem-solving, and strong communication were crucial—traits that are equally valuable in account management. The ability to build relationships with patients translated seamlessly into fostering connections with clients.
The Account Management team at Crossover is made up of public health experts, clinical operations gurus, and healthcare advocates. While we all have different backgrounds, we all work with our clients to find the right strategy for them to deliver the best care for their employees.
The Account Management Team partners with the Medical Group’s clinical and operational leaders to form a triad for clinical and strategic support. Crossover’s “products” are the medical services we provide. The connection into the Medical Group via the triad gives the Account Management Team clinical partners who understand the client’s employees. The partnership allows our Account Management Team to consider clinical quality and clinic optimization. This triad exists at the clinic level with the Associate Principal as well as at a national level with the Account Principal.
Crossover Health’s Approach to Strategic Account Management
At Crossover, Strategic Account Management takes a proactive and systematic approach to managing and growing a company's most important customer relationships. The goal is to create mutual value and achieve sustainable growth for both the client and Crossover. We approach Strategic Account Management as a team. That team includes an Account Principal, an Associate Account Principal, a Program Manager, and a Client Success Manager. This team approach allows for consistent, comprehensive coverage of each account:- Account Principal: Leads the client strategy and serves as an escalation point.
- Associate Account Principal: Manages the day-to-day relationship with the client and ensures execution of the strategy.
- Program Manager: Manages integrations and supports process improvements for the Medical Group.
- Client Success Manager: Develops and executes all engagement efforts.
The Account Management Team partners with the Medical Group’s clinical and operational leaders to form a triad for clinical and strategic support. Crossover’s “products” are the medical services we provide. The connection into the Medical Group via the triad gives the Account Management Team clinical partners who understand the client’s employees. The partnership allows our Account Management Team to consider clinical quality and clinic optimization. This triad exists at the clinic level with the Associate Principal as well as at a national level with the Account Principal.