Month: June 2019

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. – Ernst & Young (EY) honored Nephron Pharmaceuticals President and CEO Lou Kennedy as Health Care Entrepreneur of the Year for the Southeast on Thursday during a gala at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta. Kennedy, who is Chairman of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and a nationwide leader in health care, will now compete for the EY national entrepreneur of the year award in November.

“I am grateful that EY recognizes the hard work our team does every day to deliver safe, effective and affordable drugs to patients, focusing on opiod-free pain treatment” said Kennedy. “As president of a global leader in life-saving drug manufacturing, I hope this award serves as a reminder that women are leading the fight to improve lives across the country and world, and at Nephron, like so many women-owned businesses, we are just getting started.”

Business leaders consider the EY entrepreneur of the year award to be one of the highest professional honors a business owner can earn. The award identifies leaders of fast-growth companies who are making a difference for their communities and beyond through innovation. 

Nephron is a certified woman-owned business, as recognized by the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC), the first certifier of Women Business Enterprises. The certification gives Nephron enhanced visibility and a competitive edge.

The Nephron workforce is forty-four percent women, holding the majority of all advanced degrees at the company. Additionally, women hold key management roles in various departments throughout Nephron, such as Quality Assurance, Chemistry and Microbiology, Regulatory Compliance, Human Resources, Training, R&D Engineering, and Product Development.

About Nephron

Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation develops and manufactures safe, affordable generic inhalation solution and suspension products specializing in Blow-Fill-Seal technology. In addition, the company operates an industry-leading 503B Outsourcing Facility division which produces pre-filled sterile syringes and IV bags for hospitals across America, in an effort to alleviate their drug shortage needs. In accordance with the DQSA draft guidance, the company follows cGMP, GDP and all quality expectations. The company has been licensed by the Food and Drug Administration. Nephron received a 2017 ISPE/FOYA innovation award for the high level of automation present throughout the facility. For more information, please visit www.nephronpharm.com.

Washington- Kit Check, the leader in automated medication management solutions for hospitals, today announced the acceptance of their pilot program that includes partnerships with leading pharmaceutical organizations and health systems to the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The focused pilot will enhance requirements for package-level tracing and verification and explore RFID as an alternative data carrier to the 2D barcode. The program, which includes efforts from Hackensack University Medical Center, Coral Gables Hospital, Nephron Pharmaceuticals and Sandoz, a Novartis division.

“There are powerful technologies operating today, such as RFID, that can significantly improve our industry operations further. We are confident our pilot will shine light on the impact RFID can have on the drug supply chain for years to come and become a standard practice amongst all stakeholders.”

The goal of this pilot is to demonstrate how an RFID data carrier for electronic data exchanges can bring interoperability and tracking improvements while lowering the costs associated with DSCSA compliance. With RFID technologies in place, all parties involved will be able to exchange product tracing information across the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain, while identifying, managing, and preventing the distribution of suspect and illegitimate products.

“Since the implementation of DSCSA in 2015, the FDA has made impressive strides to improve the safety and security of the drug supply chain,” said Lou Kennedy, chief executive officer, Nephron. “There are powerful technologies operating today, such as RFID, that can significantly improve our industry operations further. We are confident our pilot will shine light on the impact RFID can have on the drug supply chain for years to come and become a standard practice amongst all stakeholders.”

The pilot will leverage existing 2D barcode monitoring technology and RFID so both methods can be evaluated and analyzed. This will allow participants to show the areas for growth from the existing technologies, while expanding the use cases and supporting data for RFID. The labels and markers will be included on a range of injectable drugs in vials and pre-filled syringes that meet the definitions laid out by the FDA – following their journey from manufacturing through the hospital.

“The DSCSA’s pilot program is intended to assist drug supply chain stakeholders, including the FDA, to find innovative technologies that can help track drugs that are distributed throughout the county. This is of the utmost importance given the opioid epidemic and growing impact of drug diversion in hospitals,” said Kevin MacDonald, CEO and co-founder of Kit Check. “We are thrilled to partner with these forward-thinking organizations that understand investing in next-generation technology solutions will make an impact on the way drugs are distributed across the U.S.”

The program is scheduled to last six months. Upon conclusion, the FDA will make the final reports public alongside other DSCSA 2023 participants’ findings, with the hope that all supply chain stakeholders can benefit from the data. To learn more about the DSCSA please visit the FDA website at www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-supply-chain-integrity/drug-supply-chain-security-act-dscsa. Additionally, a full list of FDA accepted pilot programs can be found here: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-supply-chain-security-act-dscsa/dscsa-pilot-project-program.

About Kit Check™
Kit Check is the leading provider of automated medication management solutions for hospital pharmacies. Our solutions blend powerful machine learning and advanced tracking technology to streamline medication inventory, workflow, and auditing processes and help hospital pharmacies cut costs, reduce risk, and get more done. To date, our more than 500 U.S. and Canadian hospital partners have tracked over 50 million medications using the Kit Check and Bluesight™ for Controlled Substances software. More information about Kit Check and our software solutions can be found at kitcheck.com.

Three South Carolina business people have made the list of finalists in EY’s annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, Southeast: EY, part of the Ernst and Young family, has named Shannon Hudson of 9Round, Richard Hagins of US&S, and Lou Kennedy of Nephron Pharmaceuticals to the list of finalists in the prestigious annual contest honoring the region’s top entrepreneurs. 

In 2019 Hagins was named one of Greenville’s 50 Most Influential by Greenville Business Magazine, while Kennedy was named one of Columbia’s 50 Most Influential by Columbia Business Magazine. Hudson’s 9Round, a firm he runs with his wife Heather, was also named one of 2018’s 25 Fastest Growing Companies. 

9Round is a specialized fitness center that brings boxing and kickboxing fitness training to the average person in a convenient, affordable, 30-minute, full-body circuit format. The program is developed around a proprietary and copyrighted system of nine challenging workout stations developed by Shannon himself.

Today, there are more than 750 9Round clubs open and operating throughout 42 states and 12 foreign countries, with many more in various stages of development. The company continues to open an average of 12 locations per week. 

Kennedy is president, chief executive officer, and owner of Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Kennedy joined Nephron Pharmaceuticals in 2001, and accepted the position of president and chief executive officer in September 2007. 

Along with her husband, Bill, Kennedy helped establish the Kennedy Pharmacy Innovation Center in conjunction with the University of South Carolina School of Pharmacy. 

After serving his country for 23 years as a U.S. Naval Officer and retiring with the rank of commander, Richard Hagins followed his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for service when founding US&S, Inc., previously Universal Supplies & Services, Inc., in 2003. US&S is a facility maintenance and support service provider specializing in operations and maintenance, repairs, renovation, janitorial, grounds maintenance, and professional services. US&S, Inc. was accepted into the Savannah River Nuclear Site Mentor-Protégé Program in 2018.

Hagins was recently named a participant in the St. Francis Forum, and elected the 2020 chairman of the board for the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.

Previously, Hagins was appointed by the governor as a state commissioner of minority affairs. In 2007, he served on the board of the S.C. State Port Authorities (SCSPA). Mr. Hagins was heavily involved in developing the board’s five-year strategic plan. Subsequently, he was elected treasurer of the SCSPA Board and became a member of the executive committee until 2011.

Additionally, he has served as programs committee chair of the Greenville Metro YMCA Board, board of trustees for the Blood Connection, chairman of the board for the Blood Connection, and chairman of the Hillcrest Hospital Advisory Board. He has served as a board member of the Mauldin and Simpsonville Area Chambers and chairman of the American and Red Cross Armed Forces Committee. Mr. Hagins is a Charter Member of 100 Black Men of the Upstate and a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is also a member of the Medical University of South Carolina Foundation Board.
Winners of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year contest will be announced in a ceremony June 27 in Atlanta.

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One of these three people will be the City of Greenville’s new city manager: When John Castille announced he was leaving his post as Greenville city manager last May, the news came as something of a shock to many. And with good reason.

During Castille’s eight years as city manager, Greenville’s reputation reached a point where it was being recognized on the national stage as a day-trip tourist destination and one of the country’s best small cities. 
While Castille handled the transition to the post-city administration life with ease — months later he landed a new job as the executive director of the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority — the City of Greenville didn’t fare as well. After the initial search for Castille’s replacement didn’t pan out as plan, the city had to launch another effort to corral a new administrative leader … at a cost of nearly $60,000.

Yesterday, the city announced it had whittled its second search for a new manager down to three candidates after looking at a pool of 357: John McDonough, current city manager of Sandy Springs, Ga.; Jeff Jones, deputy city manager and COO of Mesquite, Texas; and Dan Hoffman, assistant city manager of Gainesville, Fla.

The city hopes to have one of these men in place as the new Greenville city manager by August. 

The following bios are provided by the City of Greenville:

John McDonough

Currently serving as the City Manager of Sandy Springs, GA, McDonough is responsible for oversight of the City’s 500 staff members and additional outside contractors, as well as its $463M operating, capital and special fund budgets. Prior to serving as Sandy Springs’ City Manager for the last 13 years, McDonough served as the City Manager of Beaufort, SC. With over 27 years of municipal government leadership, McDonough has significant experience managing large, complex capital projects, building public-private partnerships and addressing challenges caused by exceptional growth. McDonough earned a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University at South Bend and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Citadel.

Jeff Jones

Jones is currently serving as the Deputy City Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Mesquite, TX. Jones oversees 1,000 employees and a $90M operating budget and is primarily responsible for nine service areas, including Economic Development, Planning, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Public Safety, Human Resources, the Arts Center and the Mesquite Metro Airport. Prior to his role with the City of Mesquite, Jones served as the Assistant City Manager of Hurst, TX. Jones has 25 years of municipal government experience and holds a Master of Public Administration in City Management from Texas Tech University, a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Sociology from Black Hills State University and a Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County Management Association.

Dan Hoffman

Currently serving as the Assistant City Manager of Gainesville, FL, Hoffman oversees 700 employees and manages $126M of the City’s operating budget. Hoffman has an extensive background leading smart city initiatives and addressing complex issues such as mobility and traffic abatement. Prior to joining the leadership team in Gainesville, Hoffman served as the first Chief Innovation Officer for Montgomery County, MD, where he managed innovation programs that included smart city initiatives, Internet of Things (IoT) projects, a business incubator and more. Hoffman holds a Master of Science in Organizational and Strategic Human Resources from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from George Washington University.

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