What's Good for the Country

Thirty-one years ago last month, we lost the Space Shuttle Challenger and its 7 crewmembers. An associate of mine remembers Mission Specialist Col. Ellison Onizuka speaking at his high school months before the Challenger mission. To that gymnasium full of teens in serious need of motivation, Onizuka spoke of dreaming big in his home state of Hawaii, and how that, along with perseverance, led to a distinguished career in the military and the honor of being selected for a shuttle mission.

Tragic events can break our collective heart, unite us, strengthen our resolve, and, ultimately, drive us onward. Strength and persistence are key American attributes, but collaborative effort is critical to success.

I think most Americans would agree that we have experienced an especially politically divisive time for too long, and it has impeded progress. Many at home and around the world are wondering whether Americans will be able to come together to move forward. Do we still have the right stuff? The answer is yes if we can realize our common ground and focus on unifying tasks like the one Abraham Lincoln proposed to a deeply divided nation in his Gettysburg Address:

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us ... that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. —Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address

I also think most Americans would agree that the following are pillars of our country: freedom, entrepreneurship, and limited government, as designed by our nation’s founders. These principles happen to be good for business, as well.

This year, Pharmacy Times^® is celebrating its entrepreneurial spirit by launching a stand-alone immunization supplement series that will be mailed with your regular issue. We recognize the great need for more information on immunization, and we are eager to present this supplement to you. We are also introducing new issue themes, such as last month’s Oncology issue and this month’s first Infectious Diseases issue. As multidrug-resistant organisms become an increasingly important public health threat and CMS begins to require antimicrobial stewardship as an accreditation standard, expert knowledge on infectious diseases is essential for pharmacists. Mainstream media coverage of this topic may not be accurate or up-to-date. Therefore, it is imperative that information such as updates on guidelines and new threats be interpreted properly by experts.

What actions are you taking to promote unity—and to reap its rewards—in your community and your organization? We will be asking for your teambuilding ideas on social media. The stories of American pioneers such as astronaut Ellison Onizuka remind us of what’s possible when we are personally motivated and corporately united.

Thank you for reading.

Mike Hennessy, Sr

Chairman and CEO