In 2022, I graduated from nursing school with dreams of starting my career as a nurse. However, life had other plans. I was diagnosed with gastroparesis, a condition that made it impossible for me to work and pursue my passion. As my condition worsened, I had to put my career on hold to focus on my health.

Initially, my local clinicians recommended jejunal feedings, which I tolerated well at first. However, after my J-tube surgery, my condition began to deteriorate, and eventually I became severely malnourished. I was surviving on a mere 500 calories a day, leaving me too weak to perform even the simplest tasks. My mom had to help me with everything, including bathing. Living in a two-story home became a daily struggle, as I had to crawl up the stairs, feeling my body slowly giving up.

My local registered dietitian recommended Parenteral Nutrition (PN) and sent the order. We were then referred to Option Care Health (OPCH). I was scared to start PN, but my OPCH dietitian reassured me, saying, “Just because you’re on PN doesn’t mean your life is over. The goal is to give you back more of your life than before.” Her words stuck with me, offering hope during a difficult time.

Due to my blood sugar issues, I’m on 23-hour PN feeds and carry a backpack that has become a part of me. Despite these challenges, my OPCH team has been incredible. My registered dietitian and pharmacist have truly been lifesavers. I continue to speak with my OPCH registered dietitian weekly because she genuinely cares about my well-being and supports me through every step of my journey.

Thanks to the unwavering support of my Option Care Health team and my local registered dietitian, I am back to work and feeling so much better. I wholeheartedly recommend Option Care Health to anyone in need. They have played a crucial role in my recovery, and I am forever grateful for their dedication and care.

As a leading healthcare provider, we recognize our role and our responsibility to protect the health and safety of our patients, customers, team members and community. Option Care Health is mandating all leaders be fully vaccinated by September 30, 2021 and all patient and customer-facing team members be fully vaccinated by October 15, 2021.

“Our mission is to transform healthcare while delivering hope to our patients and their families,” said John Rademacher, Chief Executive Officer. “We believe our single largest contribution to eradicating COVID-19 is through vaccination. By receiving the vaccine, we are becoming a part of the solution. Each one of us at Option Care Health plays a critical role in our purpose of providing extraordinary care that changes lives.”

Option Care Health complies with applicable federal, state and local laws and will evaluate exceptions to the vaccine requirement due to a medical condition or strongly held religious beliefs.

输液护理提供者的临床专业知识和全国规模可确保在低风险环境下提供高质量的护理

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., April 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Option Care Health, Inc. (“Option Care Health”) (NASDAQ: OPCH), the nation’s largest independent provider of home and alternate site infusion services, is on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, working in collaboration with our nation’s hospitals and their clinical teams to ensure patients continue to receive vital care. Option Care Health provides essential infusion services that enable patients to transition home from the hospital sooner, freeing up beds for critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Serving patients in all 50 states, Option Care Health is easing the burden on strained health systems in critical markets. Physicians and patients rely on infusion therapies for a wide variety of acute and chronic needs, from nutrition support and immune disorders to infections and neurologic conditions. Option Care Health is a critical part of the pandemic response, developing unique solutions that safely transition patients requiring infusion therapy out of the hospital – flexing capacity by deploying and shifting resources where the need is the greatest and utilizing the more than 125 infusion sites it operates across the country.

“We are fighting this pandemic side by side with our health system partners, fully prepared and able to support the needs of their patients who can transition home to continue their therapy. Whether they are in pre-plan preparation or already at surge capacity in a pandemic hotspot, our team is responding quickly and effectively to meet their needs,” said Harriet Booker, Chief Operating Officer of Option Care Health. “We’re not missing a beat. If our partners need us to accommodate a 10 p.m. bedside discharge for a patient on IV antibiotics medication, transfer a rheumatoid arthritis patient from a hospital-based ambulatory care center or virtually discharge an immunocompromised patient to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, we’re where they need us to be.”

Option Care Health 全面的网络和业务连续性计划确保了其在全国范围内为患者提供持续可靠的输液药房和护理服务的能力。这种实时敏捷性采用了加班、远程人员轮换和延长药房工作时间的方式来配制和施用重要药物。此外，Option Care Health 能够将临床资源重新部署到最需要的城市。

Option Care Health has implemented rigorous protocols to ensure the safety of patients and staff working directly with its infectious disease experts and following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. These measures include comprehensive training of employees, strict protocols for infection control at home and infusion suites, screening of staff and patients for COVID-19 symptoms, ongoing virus-specific updates and education and the use of personal protection equipment (PPE). Staff members can call an Option Care Health COVID-19 hotline 24/7 to address questions regarding their health or a patient’s health. 

“Infusion at home or an infusion suite is a safe and effective care setting that is even more vital during times of national emergency, such as the current COVID-19 crisis,” said John C. Rademacher, President and Chief Executive Officer of Option Care Health. “Our highly skilled team of healthcare professionals provide infusion services that deliver hope to patients and physicians by easing the burden on hospital inpatient census, while lowering the patient’s risk and ensuring they receive excellent care after they are discharged.”

Option Care Health’s clinical team, consisting of 2,900 nurses, dietitians and pharmacists, annually care for more than 220,000 patients of all ages. The Option Care Health clinical team elevates the infusion therapy experience through customized care plans specific to every patient. Experienced clinicians and nurses are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to answer questions and provide support for patients, families and providers.

For more information on Option Care Health’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit  optioncarehealth.com/coronavirus.

About Option Care Health

Option Care Health is the nation’s largest independent provider of home and alternate site infusion services. With over 5,000 teammates, including 2,900 clinicians, we work compassionately to elevate standards of care for patients with acute and chronic conditions in all 50 states. Through our clinical leadership, expertise and national scale, Option Care Health is re-imagining the infusion care experience for patients, customers and employees. To learn more, please visit our website at OptionCareHealth.com.

How are you updating Option Care Health’s Highly Infectious Disease (HID) policy in light of the COVID-19 outbreak? 

Option Care Health has always had a robust emergency management plan and HID policy in place.  This policy outlines our response to all highly infectious diseases based on information provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  Furthermore, we maintain a task force consisting of multiple clinical and operational leaders, which meets with our infectious disease consultant frequently to review and update our response plans related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As we learn more about this unprecedented pandemic, our HID policy is being referenced, monitored and updated as needed. Components of the policy include:

• Identifies the responsibility for monitoring the CDC website as well as applicable state and federal resources related to the HID
• Describes the collaboration between departments required for an effective response and the necessity for counsel with an infectious disease medical consultant to ensure appropriate actions that protect staff, families, and patients.
• Promptly secures adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies
• Implements screening tools for risk stratification
• Includes up-to-date information regarding vaccines and any other preemptive treatment
• Outlines responsibility for fulfillment of required tasks
• Summarizes tracking for both patient and employee infections and identifies those responsible for reporting
• Defines patient management principles
• Explains management of human resources, including the allowance for flexible attendance and telecommuting
• Specifies required training both upon hire and annually at a minimum
• Addresses patient prioritization, handling new referrals, and implementation of an emergency plan
• Identifies respiratory hygiene, handwashing, standard, and droplet precautions
• Describes PPE use, order of donning and doffing as well as patient education regarding PPE and overall infection control
• Communicates about the central repository for questions and concerns during a HID outbreak (including pandemic) that is monitored by senior members of the clinical services department

Are you experiencing any service issues/shortage of nurses?

At this time, we are not experiencing any major service issues or shortage of nurses. We are constantly monitoring CDC and WHO information and will provide what is needed to promote the health and safety of our team members, while delivering needed care to the community based on CDC guidelines.

What are you doing to keep your nurses safe?

The health and safety of all employees is our top priority. Our infectious disease prevention plan calls for PPE and education of our team members and patients on the following:

• Preventive actions that have been suggested to help prevent the spread of the virus:
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer)
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick
  • Stay home when you are sick
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
  • Steer clear of crowds whenever possible
• Necessary PPE for our clinicians (including goggles, mask, and gowns if needed) in our cleanrooms as well as employees in contact with patients who have a HID
• Proper donning and doffing is vital to protect patients and employees
• Consider having the coughing/sneezing patient or caregiver wear a mask
• If an employee is sick, our HR policies are designed for additional PTO or remote work as needed
• Screening every patient in advance of a face to face encounter to identify patients with a potential risk and to ensure proper PPE is on hand for the visit

What are you doing to protect your patients?

The screening we do is intended to protect patients as well.

Prior to an infusion suite visit, patients additionally must complete an intake questionnaire before any appointment with an Option Care Health team member. Nurses and other care staff are using PPE in accordance with the CDC guidelines.

Above all, we want to assure you that we are taking active measures to help protect patients, our healthcare workers and employees from COVID-19.  Our infusion suite network across the United States can help protect healthier or immunocompromised patients from the impacted COVID-19 population.

How are you maintaining the safety of your infusion suites? 

Option Care Health follows HID and pandemic protocols for maintaining cleanliness of our infusion suites. On top of our infection prevention plans, we are also ensuring:

• Infusion suites will be re-stocked and cleaned on a frequent basis and will be maintained in a clean, patient-ready condition, at all times
• Manage patient flow into infusion suites by limiting points of entry to reduce foot traffic and maximize spacing
• Pre-screen patients by phone before their scheduled appointment and upon facility entry to minimize the chance for exposure
• Counter tops and work surfaces will remain clear of clutter and disinfected between each use, including prior to preparation of any medications or sterile supplies for patient use
• Patient and visitors’ chairs, diagnostic equipment, infusion room tables and non-disposable equipment used for patient care as well as all equipment used by a patient while in the treatment room, will be disinfected with an approved sanitizer (i.e. Sani wipes) between patients or when visibly soiled
• Waiting room chairs and floors in the infusion suite will be cleaned daily and after each patient visit
• Patient and guest restrooms shall be cleaned and disinfected weekly and after each use, if the individual has a known infection
• Additional cleaning precautions and procedures:
  • Differentiated disinfecting protocols implemented based on levels of facility exposure
  • CDC-approved cleaners for disinfection containing alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol
  • Staff wears disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and discards gloves after
  • Scheduling patients at alternating times when possible and ensuring a minimum of 6 feet of space between chairs during concurrent appointments

How do you plan to service patients in the event a pharmacy branch closes?

At Option Care Health, providing extraordinary care for our patients is at the center of everything we do – and this has never been more important than right now. As the nation’s largest infusion provider, Option Care Health is uniquely positioned to treat patients in all 50 states, due to our nationwide pharmacy network.

Each of our pharmacies has updated an emergency dispensing and compounding plan, which includes back up plans based on adequate staffing and appropriate licensure.  At least one back up compounding pharmacy has been identified for each existing site.  Our technology platforms and multi-state licenses will allow us to transfer prescriptions as needed in the event of a partial or complete shutdown of a particular pharmacy.

尊敬的 Option Care Health 患者和客户：

为我们的患者提供出色的护理是我们工作的核心，这从来没有像现在这样重要。随着新冠肺炎 (COVID-19) 局势的发展，请知悉，我们正积极监控美国疾病控制与预防中心的指导方针，并与传染病专家合作，以便我们继续提供护理，并确保患者和团队成员的安全。

保护患者和团队成员是我们的首要任务

作为全美最大的输液提供者，我们一直都有传染病预防计划，要求配备个人防护装备 (PPE)，并对团队成员和患者进行教育。这就是我们的工作。鉴于新冠疫情，我们扩大了计划，并调集了一个应急响应小组，每天开会审查美国疾病控制与预防中心以及全美各州和地方卫生部门报告的最新情况。由于形势瞬息万变，我们正在积极采取措施，让我们的团队成员和患者随时了解情况，并保护他们免受任何疾病传播的影响。

维持延续性护理

我们的供应链团队正在与全国各地的供应商合作，以确保我们为团队成员提供充足的患者护理和个人防护用品，以便我们维持延续性护理。这种情况可能会让我们的患者倍感压力，不知所措，其中很多患者患有急性和慢性病症。我们很庆幸能在患者家中和我们的备选输液室 (AIS) 的安全环境中治疗患者，从而减少在更多公共场所中面临的进一步风险。

我们希望您知道，在这一艰难的时期，我们在此为您服务。目前，我们仍继续接受和服务转诊患者，为患者提供护理。请继续查看我们的网站以及美国疾病控制与预防中心网站，以获取最新信息。

保重！
John Rademacher
总裁兼首席执行官

• As the nation’s largest infusion provider, we are uniquely positioned to treat patients in the safe environment of their own homes and our alternate infusion suites (AIS), which reduces their exposure to further risk in more public settings.
• We’ve always had an Infectious Disease Prevention Plan, which calls for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and education of our staff and patients. In light of the coronavirus outbreak, we are actively monitoring CDC guidelines and working with Infectious Disease experts and updating our plans, policies and guidelines as appropriate. We continue to accept and service referrals to care for patients.
• In the event of an employee exposure, including travel to countries that are determined by the CDC to be “Widespread Sustained (ongoing) Transmission,” we have asked employees to please alert Human Resources so that we can determine a go forward plan that may include staying home or working from home for at least 14 days upon their exposure or return from travel.
• Option Care Health 与我们的传染病专家合作，根据美国疾病控制与预防中心的指导方针，目前正在对所有新患者和现有患者进行面诊前的筛查。对于认定为处于风险中的患者（由于旅行或已知接触），注册护士将与患者和处方医生一起跟进后续的工作。
• We are providing updated education and information to our teams on an almost daily basis.
• Our Supply Chain team is working with our vendors to make sure that Option Care Health has adequate supplies available for both patient care and PPE for our employees to maintain continuity of care.

Largest Independent Home and Alternate Site Infusion Provider Establishes the Standard of Care Across the United States Through Its Clinical Leadership and Technology-Enabled 以患者为中心的模式

伊利诺伊州班诺克本和丹佛，2019 年 8 月 7 日讯 —  Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (“Option Care”) 和 BioScrip, Inc. (“BioScrip”) 今天宣布成功完成合并，此前交易的完成条件已得到满足，包括 BioScrip 股东的批准和获得所有必要的监管批准。

The newly combined company, Option Care Health, Inc. (“Option Care Health” or the “Company”), emerges as the largest independent home and alternate site infusion services provider in the United States. Option Care Health’s common stock will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol BIOS.

Option Care Health 首席执行官 John Rademacher表示：“今天标志着令人振奋的新篇章的开始，因为我们将两个实力雄厚的组织、有着悠久历史的市场领导者联合起来。此次合并使我们能够重新构想输液护理体验，在全国范围内以较低的成本充分释放出高品质护理的潜力。我们现在是唯一一家专注于为全国患者提供全方位输液治疗的独立提供者。我们深厚的临床专业知识、广泛的疗法组合以及增强的财务状况使我们有能力提供卓越的疗效，并为患者护理树立标准。”

Option Care Health 将继续专注于：

• Patient-Centered Care Model, providing deeply personalized care to patients in all 50 states, supported by the broadest commercial and clinical coverage with our unique product offering.
• Clinical and Market Leadership, leveraging our best-in-class clinical team to consistently raise quality standards and patient outcomes while collaborating with health systems, payers and manufacturers to broaden our therapy portfolio and clinical reach.
• 在制定输液服务行业标准的同时，投资于人力、技术和运营以推动盈利增长。

Daniel E. Greenleaf, former Chief Executive Officer of BioScrip, commented, “I’m proud of the BioScrip team and the care that we delivered every day to patients who trusted us to provide extraordinary care. This new enterprise combines two independent market leaders and enables the organization to truly redefine infusion therapy in the alternate site setting. With a significantly improved capital structure and financial profile, I’m confident Option Care Health will continue to build upon the momentum of BioScrip and Option Care.”

Option Care Health 的总部将设在伊利诺伊州班诺克本，由 Rademacher 担任首席执行官，Mike Shapiro 担任首席财务官。Baxter International Inc. 前董事长兼首席执行官 Harry Kraemer 将担任 Option Care Health 董事会主席。

Advisors

In connection with the transaction, Jefferies LLC and Moelis & Company LLC acted as joint financial advisors to BioScrip, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP served as legal advisor. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and BofA Merrill Lynch acted as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisor to Option Care.

前瞻性声明

This communication contains “forward-looking statements ” (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) regarding, among other things, future events or the future financial performance of Option Care Health. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. In addition, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these words, and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future plans, actions or events identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements relating to Option Care Health include, but are not limited to: statements about the benefits of the combined company, including future financial and operating results; expected synergies; Option Care Health’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; and other statements relating to the merger that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to BioScrip and Option Care and involve estimates, expectations and projections.

敬请投资者注意，所有此类前瞻性声明均会受到风险和不确定性（已知和未知）的影响，并且许多因素可能导致实际事件或结果与此类前瞻性声明所表明的内容发生重大差异。关于 BioScrip 和 Option Care 的合并，这些因素可能包括但不限于：(i) 与合并相关的大量债务可能对 Option Care Health 运营合并后业务的能力产生影响，(ii) 与 BioScrip 和 Option Care 的业务、解决方案和员工整合到合并后的公司有关的风险，以及预期的协同效应和合并后的其他利益（包括成本节约）无法实现或无法在预期时间内实现的可能性，(iii) Option Care Health 作为纳斯达克意义上的“受控公司”的地位，包括 Option Care Health 对某些公司治理标准的豁免的依赖，以及合并前持有人现在对 Option Care Health 的影响力大大降低； (iv) 与合并后的业务以及合并后的公司所在行业相关的风险。

这些风险和不确定性以及其他风险和不确定性在 BioScrip 于 2019 年 6 月 26 日向 SEC 提交的最终委托书声明和 Option Care Health 随后向 SEC 提交的文件中进行了更充分的讨论。虽然此处和 Option Care Health 公开文件中列出的风险因素列表具有代表性，但此类列表不应被视为所有潜在风险和不确定性的完整陈述。其中许多风险、不确定性和假设超出了 BioScrip 和 Option Care 的控制或预测能力。由于存在这些风险、不确定性和假设，因此您不应过度依赖这些前瞻性声明。此外，前瞻性声明仅以作出声明之日各方目前可获得的信息为依据，BioScrip 和 Option Care 均不承担公开更新或修改任何前瞻性声明以反映本通讯日期后可能出现的事件或情况的义务。

关于 Option Care Health

Option Care Health, Inc. (Option Care Health)（纳斯达克：BIOS）是美国最大的独立家庭和备选站点输液服务提供商。我们拥有 6,000 多名团队成员，其中包括 2,900 名临床医生，我们体恤工作，致力于提高所有 50 个州的急性和慢性病症患者的护理标准。通过我们的临床领导能力、专业知识和全国规模，Option Care Health 正在为患者、客户和员工重新构想输液护理体验。要了解更多信息，请访问我们的网站 OptionCareHealth.com。

For Media Inquiries:

Rachel Bowen, PCI

312.558.1770

RBowen@pcipr.com

For Investor Inquiries:

Mike Shapiro，首席财务官

Option Care Health

312.940.2538

Investor.relations@optioncare.com

全美领先的家庭和备选治疗站点输液服务提供者 Option Care Enterprises, Inc. 今天庆祝其位于亚特兰大市的全新先进的护理管理中心 (CMC) 开业。剪彩活动和开放日的参与者有机会参观新中心，该中心拥有最先进的输液技术和设备，环境温馨舒适。

CMC 为依赖复杂输液治疗的患者提供抗感染、临床营养支持、免疫球蛋白治疗以及慢性炎症和出血性疾病等方面的服务，将为约 1,000 名患者提供居家或门诊输液室 (AIS) 的护理。新中心不仅扩大了 Option Care 为亚特兰大地区的更多患者提供重要护理服务的能力，其全方位服务的药房和无菌配药室达到并超出了现行法规标准。

CMC 通过以下方式提供便捷的护理服务和卓越的临床支持：

• 患者的全方位服务输液药房和临床管理，包括药物的配制和分配，以确保每位患者在适当的监测下获得正确剂量的正确药物，以及临床医生全天候的电话支持，以解答患者/照料者和提供者的问题。
• 门诊输液室配备三张输液椅，提供私人房间，由经过输液治疗专门培训、技艺精湛的护士向患者施行治疗。
• 协助病人登记，服务时间灵活（包括晚上和周末），现场免费停车，交通便利。

“这家位于佐治亚州桃树角市的新 Option Care CMC 为患者提供了另一种治疗选择，无论是患者希望在全新先进的设施中接受输液服务，还是在自己舒适的家中接受输液服务。该设计不仅美观，而且是按照无菌配药设施的黄金标准建造而成。”亚特兰大市医师医学博士 Anson Kwame Wurapa 最近访问 CMC 时表示。

许多患者更愿意在 Option Care 临床护理团队的支持下在自己舒适的家中接受输液。然而，由于各种因素，家庭输液可能并不适合所有人，这些因素包括个人倾向于离家接受治疗、缺乏合适的家庭治疗环境、合并症需要全科护理团队的近距离服务，以及医疗保险承保范围的限制。Option Care 亚特兰大市 CMC 的设备可帮助该地区的所有输液患者在家中或在门诊输液室接受治疗。

“这家新的 CMC 是 Option Care 为患者提供的一流服务。我们知道这些关键疗法使患者能够享受活力和生活质量，我们很高兴能够为亚特兰大地区的更多患者提供这种治疗。” Option Care 首席执行官 John Rademacher 说道。“这家新的 CMC 代表了我们的承诺，即通过最好的临床医生和设施提供卓越的临床护理。”

路易斯安那州护理管理中心将会配备 Option Care 先进的技术辅助式数据驱动服务和项目，以提供优质的疗效。

关于 Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (Option Care) is the nation’s largest and most trusted provider of home and alternate treatment site infusion services. Holding accreditations from industry quality organizations ACHC, PCAB, ASHP and URAC,[*]Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and URAC the company draws on over 40 years of clinical care experience to offer patient-centered therapy management.

Option Care 的标志性输液疗法+服务包括输液药物的临床管理、护理支持和护理协调。Option Care 由 1,700 多名临床从业人员（包括药剂师、护士和营养师）组成的多学科团队能够为美国各地需要接受复杂和慢性病治疗的几乎所有患者提供家庭输液服务覆盖。有关详情请访问 www.OptionCareHealth.com。

For the past 40 years, Option Care has been dedicated to providing quality infusion therapy that makes a positive difference in each patient’s life. Prior to this, patients requiring nutrition support could only receive their infusions at a hospital. When two pharmacists in Chico, California heard about a 19-year-old man enduring 10 hours of nutrition therapy daily, they proposed delivering his treatment in the home, enabling him to lead a more normal life.

As we celebrate our 40^th anniversary, we sat down with Michael Prime, one of Option Care’s founding pharmacists to discuss our history and how serving a single car accident patient, along with his partner, Mitchell Hoggard, launched one of the nation’s leading infusion companies.

OC: Tell me, in your own words, how you discovered the need for home infusion.

MP: There was a young man involved in an automobile accident and through the course of multiple surgeries, he lost most of his bowel, leaving him unable to absorb food orally. My partner was a pharmacist at a hospital in Red Bluff, just north of Chico. This young man was receiving TPN solution there; he required four liters a day, every day — it was a 10-hour infusion. This was just one of those things that (Hoggard) came to me saying that there was this man, sitting in our hospital, getting infusions daily and I think we can provide this in the home.

I didn’t know much about it at the time but thought to myself, why couldn’t we? I was ready to take on the challenge. Shortly afterwards, we spoke with the prescribing physician, getting him to agree that we could provide therapy to the patient once we had the proper license. So we began that long process — (Hoggard) stayed working at the hospital and I happened to own a retail store in downtown Chico — we contacted the insurance agency, found a space for a clean room with a hood to prepare the solution and began taking the work out of the hands of the hospital.

Once that was set up, the patient was released from the hospital and we began delivering solution to his home. Although he was already trained on how to self-infuse, we realized the importance of hiring registered nurses to help support the influx of patients that were being referred to us following this young man’s successful transition to home infusion.

OC: When you and Mr. Hoggard launched the company 40 years ago, did you have any idea that it would become what it is today?

MP: Well, it really was just us doing it; there was no marketing involved. Our infusion treatment in the home started to spread by word of mouth. In fact, the first physician referred another patient of his to our care as well. Eventually, other doctor’s in town began sending us IV antibiotic patients and I had to sell my half of the retail store so I could focus on Option Care full-time.

My partner was the visionary for Option Care. He was the type of person that envisioned what things should look like in the future, whereas I was the one responsible for taking care of the patients. So while I truly never envisioned it growing into what it is today, I believe he operated under the assumption that we could eventually service patients across the country.

OC: It seems like that happened rather quickly because the need for this type of service was so large. When did you finally realize you needed to begin expanding the number of employees at Option Care?

MP: At the beginning, I was not only mixing the therapies in our clean room, but I was traveling to each patient’s home to teach them how to infuse and use their equipment. We started by hiring two nurses who helped support patient care outside of what I could do myself. I was spending about half my time on the road to patient’s homes and delivering their therapy. Often times, staying the night with patients because we were training them or their caregivers on how to infuse the drug, use the pump or change a dressing, which they were nervous to be doing on their own in the beginning, was normal for us.

I loved being able to truly care for our patients. I was able to provide comfort in their ability to safely administer the drug and training on how to keep themselves or their loved one safe. I never wanted to see that change.

Of course, as you continue to grow, some things do need to change. We started being approached by other pharmacists in northern California who had heard about us through word of mouth or listened to us speak at pharmacy conventions. We developed a licensing agreement with them to begin doing business with us. We’d prepare the solution, assist with billing and licensing as well as train them on how to care for the patients like we do. It was at this time that our attorney advised us to begin franchising in order to protect ourselves. This began our nationwide expansion.

OC: Once you began franchising and you took on a more corporate role, how were you able to continue to focus on the quality of patient care?

MP: I became the Corporate Franchise Relations-guy, flying around the country to visit each pharmacy and ensuring they were doing things our way. Through those travels, I was able to serve as a founding member of the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA), helping to set the standards for the infusion industry. I eventually served as the president of the organization giving me the ability to update and progress industry standards into the future.

It took me quite a while to get used to serving in a corporate role, to be honest. I feel like I’m a small guy from Chico, a pharmacist and then all of a sudden I was serving in this corporate, franchise public relations role, which was a big shift for me.

OC: Can you tell me how Option Care got its name?

MP: When we started in 1979, we were operating as CliniCare until we began expanding and tried to license our name. That’s when we discovered the name had already been registered by another organization and we couldn’t use it. One of our marketing people came up with the idea of Outpatient Parental Therapy Intravenous On-going Nutrition with Care on the end – O.P.T.I.O.N. Care — as a way to explain exactly what we were as a company.

We eventually changed the name to lose the acronym and just became Option Care in the early 1990’s. With these changes, our logo transformed throughout the years as well.

OC: Since we started with nutrition therapy, I think it’s an interesting fact that we recently became a Gold sponsor of the Oley Foundation. Did you have any involvement with them?

MP: Oh wow, I remember when Oley first started! We had some patients who were actively involved with Oley in the past. I’m glad to hear that Option Care is still staying with its roots after all these years. We were never involved with them during my time at the company so I’m really glad to hear of your commitment to the Oley Foundation and their mission.

Learn more about our nutrition support services and our partnership with the Oley Foundation.