Publix Honors Pharmacy Associates

To celebrate its employees' hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccination efforts, Publix Pharmacy has presented 15 pharmacy associates with the Rxcellence Award for excelling at customer service, performance, ownership and teamwork. The award was given to one pharmacist and one technician from each of the company’s five divisions, one pharmacy supervisor, and four pharmacy support associates.

“Last year, our pharmacy associates continued to exceed customer expectations in the face of changing processes and conditions,” said Publix VP of Publix Pharmacy Dain Rusk. “This award is just one way to thank those associates who went above and beyond, even while facing the challenges of a pandemic. We are grateful for and proud of their dedication to providing premier service to our customers and associates.”

2020 store recipients:

• Pharmacy Manager Jeanine LaRocca, #600, Boca Raton, Florida, supports and cares for all of her patients and peers. LaRocca stands out because of her passion for helping others.
• Lead Pharmacy Technician Marianna Rhodes, #385, Vero Beach, Florida, uses her calm demeanor to connect with customers and is recognized for her ability to provide kindness and care to all she meets.
• Pharmacy Manager Kim Barnard, #1500, DeLand, Florida, exemplifies what leadership looks like on a daily basis. Not only does she bring operational excellence, but she also demonstrates a core principle of investing in others.
• Lead Pharmacy Technician Lexi Beverly, #336, Saint Augustine, Florida, comes to work every day ready to serve and care for her community. She is the backbone of her team and leads through example.
• Pharmacy Manager Burt Wrenn, #617, Watkinsville, Georgia, serves his community and executes with a servant’s heart. He carries out his daily tasks with a mindset toward excellence.
• Lead Pharmacy Technician Jessica Parkman, #616, Alpharetta, Georgia, always has a smile on her face and a can-do attitude to ensure the success of many new initiatives with her team. Parkman is part of the initial wave of immunizing pharmacy technicians.
• Pharmacy Manager Flora Blumin, #1342, Palmetto, Florida, stands out among her peers for her leadership and competitive spirit. She works to help others and Publix achieve success in their efforts.
• Lead Pharmacy Technician Debbie McCormack, #877, Land O’ Lakes, Florida, is committed to providing premier service at all times and passing on her knowledge to fellow associates and new hires. McCormack shows a passion for training and ensuring that others are successful in their roles.
• Pharmacy Manager Randy Leandro, #1590, Henrico, Virginia, understands that the foundation of the company is its associates. Leandro places emphasis on training and developing as well as instilling the Publix culture in new associates. He has helped build a strong team in the Virginia market, dedicated to growing Publix.
• Pharmacy Technician Emily Scott, #587, Columbia, South Carolina, always provides customers with solutions while constantly going above and beyond for them. She leads by example by recognizing customers and building relationships with them. Her enthusiasm has been infectious throughout the pharmacy department.

2020 support recipients:

• Manager of Central Processing Debbie Carney, Central Pharmacy, Orlando, Florida, leads by example with exceptional work quality. She inspires and motivates her team daily by demonstrating hard work, engagement and direct involvement.
• Central Pharmacy Lead Technician Jacquelyn Raver, Central Pharmacy, Orlando, Florida, is a team player who takes pride in her work and is always ready to jump in to help whenever her skills are needed. She works with a positive attitude and mindset and consistently looks to make improvements to work processes to become more efficient.
• Pharmacy Supervisor Lindsay Burckhalter, Atlanta Division, was selected based on the tremendous results within her territory and her unyielding commitment to her team. She maintains an “all-in” mentality when faced with new challenges and strives to continually improve as a leader for the company.
• Technical Specialist Leon Holzer, Lakeland, Florida, comes to work every day smiling, energized and determined to leave Publix a better place than it was when he arrived. He is diligent, articulate and collaborates well with all pharmacy sub-teams as well as departments across the company.
• Manager of Pharmacy Contracting Nicole Kolbasiuk-Beetum, Lakeland, Florida, single-handedly drove third-party contract negotiations for the majority of 2020, including all 2021 Medicare Part D contracts, and she is recognized for her tireless efforts.

Publix Pharmacy now administers both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. In much of its operating regions, individuals as young as 16 years old are able to get vaccinated.

Recently, Publix Pharmacy set a milestone by administering its 1 millionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida.

Privately owned and operated by its more than 225,000 employees, Lakeland, Florida-based Publix has 1,269 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The company is No. 12 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.