The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Health official ‘steps aside’
Joel Lucia served 40 years; will remain as the board chair, president of Prescription Assistance Program
Joel Lucia has been completely candid about his recent retirement.
“Hell, I’m 81,” he said, laughing. “It’s time to go someplace else.”
The Concord Township resident and pharmacist, who previously was Lake County Health District’s health commissioner for decades, now is stepping aside from the district’s Home Care program.
The health district established the first Medicare Certified home health agency in 1965. Under the district, the Medicare home care services were primarily provided to those living in Lake County.
“I recommended expanding
the services to surrounding counties and transferred the home care operation to two non-profit corporations,” he added. “Home Care of Lake County and Around the Clock Home Care have served those in Cuyahoga, Lake, Ashtabula and Geauga counties since 1989.”
The agencies made a profit the first year without public support, Lucia noted, adding that he has served
as chairman of the board of trustees and president of both nonprofits since they were established.
According to Lucia, the boards of Home Care of Lake County and Around the Clock Home Care have now voted unanimously to turn operational control of operations to a new board of trustees.
Charles Slone, Christopher Sterben and Pam Sprosty will provide future leadership. All three of the newly appointed trustees have a background in operating home health agencies.
“The (home care) agencies
will be doing business as First Choice Home Health Care,” Lucia said. “This is a good thing. The type of service and area served will be expanded. The same quality of service as provided to those served previously will be maintained. There will be no sacrifice of quality whatsoever. The organization is in the good hands of some great people.”
First Choice will also provide financial support to the Prescription Assistance Program of Ohio, a non-for-profit pharmacy of which Lucia remains board
chair and president.
“This will assure those who are unable to afford their prescription medicine will have an opportunity to use the assistance program,” he said. “Through the program, which is funded by the Lake and Geauga United Ways, over 700 people have saved $770,000.
“First Choice has agreed, too, to fund us for three years, committing in October of 2020, and Visiting Nursing Association of Ohio is committing $50,000 for three years. For 10 years, Omni Care donated to PAP
of Ohio, but CVS (Pharmacy) bought them and the donations stopped. A lot of nursing homes, too, mostly, began destroying prescription drug (packages), throwing out roughly $30,000 in meds.
“We’re offering 30-, 60-, or 90-day supplies, where the average value of every prescription is $450, for free for people unable to afford them,” Lucia said. “We’re also trying to partner with Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), trying to get him to help us adopt what Iowa has done with SafeNetRx, a nonprofit established
in 2001 created to provide affordable medication access. It’s all about saving costs.”
Officially, the Prescription Assistance Program helps anyone whose household income falls within 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, but Lucia noted he’s willing to help anyone.
“We’re on a mission, my last,” he said. “We’ve got a list of drugs on the site, a lot of it maintenance medicine, but I encourage everyone with financial difficulty to check it out. My god, just call.”