Meet the Clinicians: Bill King

We are privileged to have the opportunity to work with many people who have firsthand experience as clinicians. These experienced individuals work hand-in-hand with our technology teams and clients to make sure we’re delivering solutions that work in real-life … not just the testing lab. They also possess a wealth of knowledge and experience that helps keep our efforts aligned with the needs and goals of our clients.

In this series, we spotlight individuals who have worked in the field and now contribute their skills and experience to our daily efforts at Netsmart.

Bill King – Solutions Strategist, RXConnect

1. Tell us about yourself.

When I graduated from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy with a hospital pharmacy administration residency, I did not realize that I enjoyed automation and software. Apple had just invented the personal computer and I started writing software for it immediately. Software and automation have become my life and what I enjoy doing. I enjoy interacting with people and having an impact on their environment by optimizing workflows to make their job more fun and easier. Improving the customer experience and making their job more enjoyable and easier is my primary goal for RxConnect.

2. Give us some highlights of your career in healthcare.

After graduation, I was the assistant director of pharmacy in Michigan and then transferred to Texas, where I was the director of pharmacy for an inpatient acute-care hospital. The computerization of the pharmacy department began with an IBM PC that was funded by my friends in the anesthesia department. I expanded the number of hospitals that used the software until the company was acquired by Netsmart.

I am now the product manager for RxConnect and responsible for integration with the entire EHR for pharmacy, as well as improving the software for the pharmacists that use it.

3. Why did you make the change from clinical work to working at Netsmart?

I really enjoy hospital pharmacy and being a director of pharmacy, but not everyone can develop software. Being able to see and know what the pharmacy staff needs and being able to see the software side is a combination of abilities that I really enjoy. Every morning I get to get up and make pharmacists’ lives better by improving their software.

4. What makes you passionate about serving the clients/organizations who use Netsmart’s solutions?

I’ve always been passionate about hospital pharmacy. Pairing that with my interest in software and automation, this really gives me an opportunity to work with both, and to be able to provide the right solutions for our clients to make their jobs easier. Nothing makes me more pleased than when someone says, “Do you know how much effort/time you just saved me?” or, “Clinically, that is a big improvement.”

5. What does your perfect weekend look like?

I like to program my house. It is automated, so I can talk to it and it can talk to me. Things turn on and off when I enter the room or leave the room, or on voice command. Temperatures, pictures displayed, music – all are custom tailored to who is in the room. I also like to parasail, Segway and travel.