Discover how Jonathan’s early interest in computers led to groundbreaking advancements in healthcare
In this interview, Jonathan Yantis discusses how QuicksortRx revolutionizes pharmacy supply chains, overcoming industry challenges, the future of healthcare technology, and the importance of collaboration and empowering healthcare professionals.
Jonathan Yantis stands out as a transformative figure in the realm of healthcare technology. As the co-founder and CEO of QuicksortRx, he has dedicated his career to creating a more efficient and equitable healthcare system through innovative technological solutions. From his early days in Charleston, where he developed a passion for computers, Yantis has consistently demonstrated a commitment to harnessing technology to solve complex problems and improve operational efficiency. His journey from a network architect at the Medical University of South Carolina to a leader in healthcare innovation is a testament to his vision and determination.
Yantis’ impact on the healthcare industry is profound. By addressing inefficiencies in pharmacy supply chain management, he has enabled hospitals to achieve significant cost savings and operational improvements. His leadership at QuicksortRx has not only resulted in substantial financial benefits for healthcare systems but has also set a new standard for how technology can drive meaningful change. Yantis’ focus on building strong relationships, empowering users, and simplifying complex processes has distinguished QuicksortRx in the competitive landscape, inspiring others to pursue technological advancements in healthcare. His work exemplifies the potential of technology to transform industries and improve lives.
Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Jonathan Yantis, a pioneering leader in healthcare technology and the co-founder and CEO of QuicksortRx. Jonathan has been instrumental in transforming pharmacy supply chain management, bringing innovative solutions to hospitals across the nation. In our conversation, we’ll explore his journey, the challenges he’s faced in the healthcare industry, and his vision for the future of healthcare technology. Jonathan, thank you for joining us today.
“The idea for QuicksortRx came from a simple question: How can we make the pharmacy supply chain more efficient and transparent for hospitals?”
What inspired you to co-found QuicksortRx?
I worked at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) as a network architect, where I got really good at helping different hospital departments maximize efficiency and master complexity. I wanted to find the biggest problems at MUSC that I could solve with tech. I heard about a pharmacist, Matt Hebbard, who was in a back room managing MUSC’s thousands of pharmaceutical purchases on spreadsheets. He was pulling his hair out trying to reduce pharmacy supply chain costs without any real tools.
Even though I didn’t know much about pharmacy at first, I dove into the data and was fascinated to find how far behind pharmacy analytics technology was compared to other areas of the hospital, and I knew we could do something to fix it.
Matt and I started QuicksortRx as an innovation initiative for MUSC’s supply chain. That project was the culmination of my 12-year journey at MUSC, and led to what is now QuicksortRx. We collaborated daily with pharmacy procurement experts to create software that could solve their shared challenges and unlock greater efficiency. Within months of launching QuicksortRx in 2018, MUSC was saving more than my salary every week. Because of this early success, I just knew we had to offer this solution to other hospitals.
Since then, we’ve helped health systems across the country save millions of dollars. It’s been quite a journey from that back room at MUSC to where we are now. What started as us trying to solve a local problem has grown into something that’s making a real difference in hospital pharmacy procurement nationwide.
“Every challenge in the healthcare industry is an opportunity to innovate. It’s about finding solutions that not only address the problem but also improve patient care.”
What are some of the most significant challenges you’ve encountered in the healthcare industry
The most significant challenge is the short-sighted perception that healthcare can’t change, or that there are so many barriers to change that we shouldn’t even attempt to create technological solutions. Oftentimes new solutions are overlooked by people who just assume the industry could never be different than it is today, and developments are delayed because people perceive that those constraints are too great to get started.
It’s very possible to create solutions that will improve healthcare without impacting patient care or data privacy. We can make an impact, and we already have by believing that.
How does QuicksortRx address industry perceptions that healthcare will never change?
Our company’s three core values — relationships, empowerment, and simplicity — have helped us actively create real change despite the industry’s perceived barriers.
Relationships are everything to us. We’re committed to building trust with health systems. We meet with our customers weekly to get their feedback and make sure they really know how to use our solutions to make their jobs easier. As true partners, we’re committed to optimizing our technology to address their unique challenges.
Empowerment is about elevating both our customers and our people. Our tools are designed to give our customers the authority to make impactful decisions quickly and efficiently. Internally, we prioritize constant collaboration between our engineers and pharmacists to create new solutions that will be immediately useful to our users. This partnership is what enables us to quickly create solutions with immediate value.
And simplicity – because in healthcare, there’s already enough complexity. We prioritize tech that zeroes in on what truly matters and makes our customers’ daily challenges easier.
“We’ve seen hospitals reduce their pharmacy costs by up to 20% using our platform, which translates to more resources for patient care.”
What sets QuicksortRx apart from competitors?
Every customer has weekly meetings and ongoing hands-on support from a QuicksortRx pharmacy expert, which is unique in the pharmacy analytics space. We decided early on that our customer support had to come from pharmacists who had worked in our customers’ positions previously, so that they could provide insights with perfect context for the role and entire hospital operation.
Our pharmacists also have a tight communication structure with our engineering team, which is what allows us to always build and pressure test new solutions internally with our pharmacy team before bringing new solutions to market.
Can you elaborate on the importance of user-centered design in health tech, and how QuicksortRx ensures its solutions are tailored to meet the needs of its users?
We bring a true consumer mindset to design by making our end users a part of our team. The QuicksortRx team is made up of engineers and pharmacists who collaborate daily to create critical solutions in the most practical ways for hospital pharmacy teams.
Now that we’ve built such a quality, useful product, the newest chapter of our company story is about customizing for the specific needs of unique users, hospitals, and regions of the country. In our weekly meetings with customers, our pharmacists identify how every hospital’s needs are changing, what they need most, and how we could customize our product for that end user. We are building processes that help us scale these needed customizations but also enable us to avoid being stuck indefinitely in customization mode — that is an important balance to strike.
Could you share some examples or case studies where QuicksortRx has made a measurable impact on healthcare systems or patient outcomes?
QuicksortRx was founded because of the measurable impact it made at MUSC — within months of launching QuicksortRx, MUSC was saving more than an engineer’s salary every week. Today, we manage over $13B in drug spend at 37 hospital systems across the United States, which has led to more than $150M in all time savings. But our impact is about more than the dollars saved — our real influence comes from how we transform the way customers feel about the way they operate and own their supply chain. We go above and beyond in helping our customers overcome barriers and achieve new levels of success for their supply chain management.
You can see a number of success stories / case studies on our website.
How do you envision the future of healthcare technology, and what role do you see QuicksortRx playing in shaping that future?
It’s hard to look even five years out — things are changing so rapidly, the landscape could be entirely different in just a few years. Delivering solutions will get much easier with the power of AI, but designing the right solutions will remain difficult. QuicksortRx will continue to stay nimble, adaptable, and above all make sure that we listen to customers so we are never caught off guard and we always stay ahead of what the industry and our customers need. We will continue to deliver the right solutions to meet needs as they arise.
“Collaboration is key. By working closely with healthcare providers, we ensure that our solutions truly meet their needs and make a real difference.”
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to innovate in the health tech space, based on your experiences and lessons learned?
Always find a way to get close to what goes on inside of these operations – take a career rotation or consult at a hospital. Hospitals don’t operate like you would expect them to and if you don’t have someone with the inside perspective leading product decisions, it will be impossible to bring a solution to market.
I also encourage entrepreneurs to keep believing that it’s certainly possible to eliminate waste and inefficiencies in healthcare with the right technological solutions. Our company has had a massive impact and I hope our continued success will inspire other companies to make healthcare work better for everyone.
What emerging trends in pharmacy management and healthcare technology do you believe will significantly impact the industry in the next few years?
Since the entire health system has shifted to EMRs, we are now producing all the data we could need to take the next step for healthcare, which is to capitalize on that data to drive real outcomes. We’re just starting to see the value companies like us can provide by synthesizing all of this data and using it to improve healthcare. There is so much opportunity in this era of data aggregation, and I have no doubt that it will continue to turn into even greater value for patients.
