Grand Mental Health, a Tulsa, Okla.-based behavioral health organization, has officially entered the pharmacy space — a move its leadership says is both a financial strategy and a direct extension of its mission to serve some of Oklahoma’s most underserved populations.
Carl Hoopes, COO and executive vice president of Grand Mental Health, said the organization purchased a pharmacy, Axis, within the past 30 days and is already processing prescriptions, with plans to be fully operational by July.
“We are hyper-focused on serving the populations in Oklahoma with the highest need,” Mr. Hoopes said. “We believe we can continue to scale that and can expand even perhaps beyond Oklahoma at some point to provide high-level care across the country.”
A key driver behind the pharmacy acquisition is Grand Mental Health’s relationship with a client population that includes many unhoused and transient individuals — people with whom it is often difficult to connect through traditional healthcare channels.
“We really know these individuals, and we know where they’re at, and we know how to get to them,” Mr. Hoopes said. For clients who have a stable address, prescriptions can be mailed directly. For others, Grand Mental Health’s infrastructure allows staff to deliver medications in the field.
Beyond its client population, Grand Mental Health also intends to extend pharmacy services to its own employees, offering on-site delivery to work locations as well as home delivery and mail-order options.
Mr. Hoopes was candid about the financial pressures prompting the expansion. Like many behavioral health organizations, Grand Mental Health has faced growing instability in federal and state funding streams, and the pharmacy venture is part of a broader strategy to build sustainable, mission-aligned revenue.
“Funding at the federal and state level continues to be unstable, ever changing, and it’s very difficult to provide high-cost services with little or no reimbursement,” he said. “We’ve decided we need to move beyond those funding sources to be able to continue to provide these services.”
At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.
