Cempa Community Care cut the ribbon on its brand new community pharmacy on Wednesday. Located at 1000 E. 3rd St. in Chattanooga, the Cempa Pharmacy is open to the general public and will be easily accessible to Cempa’s existing client base.
“Over the past few years, the team at Cempa has continuously sought out ways to broaden our service offerings so we can be a healthcare provider that meets as many needs as we possibly can for our patients. The new Cempa Pharmacy is a testament to this proactive, patient-centered, spirit,” said Cempa CEO Shannon Stephenson.
“I am honored to lead such an incredible organization and am continuously inspired by the selfless efforts this team makes to be a champion for the historically underserved and marginalized communities across our region. I know this pharmacy will lead to healthier outcomes for Chattanoogans.”
Heading the new Cempa Pharmacy is Patrick Durham. Mr. Durham brings with him more than 12 years of chain pharmacy experience. He is a native of South Pittsburg, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee of Chattanooga. Mr. Durham received his PharmD from Mercer University.
“Historically, most of our patients’ prescriptions have been sent to a mail-order pharmacy and then delivered to them. They may have talked to a pharmacist on the phone but they’ve never met in person,” said Mr. Durham. “So I’m really excited about developing relationships with all the new patients here. It’s really rewarding to help a patient have a better outcome, and I’m confident our new pharmacy will enable Cempa to continue building on those positive outcomes.”
While the pharmacy is primarily aimed at clients of Cempa, it is a full-service pharmacy open to anyone in the community. Cempa accepts nearly all major insurances (Medicare, TennCare and most commercial plans) and is able to transfer a patient’s prescriptions from their existing pharmacy.