The Million Dollar Question that Led to THCQ Consulting

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was signed into law in March of 2010 and has become the fabric of the healthcare system over the past decade. A year earlier, during the debates in congress about this health care reform bill, I had the thought, “if this is enacted into law, then healthcare in the U.S. will fundamentally change,” followed by a question, “what role should pharmaceutical companies play in the positive disruption and evolution of healthcare in conjunction with providers, health systems, payers, policy makers, patients, and others…many of whom are our customers?”

These critical questions eventually shaped the mission and vision of Turner Healthcare Quality (THCQ) Consulting, Inc.

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It was the first time I thought about fully devoting my professional talents, passion, and experience to help pharmaceutical companies better ‘stand in the shoes’ of their customers and, by doing so, deliver higher value to customers, better outcomes to patients, and stronger results back to their businesses.

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When the ACA was signed, I was a Director of Extramural Research in Medical Affairs, Neuroscience at Janssen Pharmaceuticals. With value-based health care as a central tenet in the new law, I began to ponder how this new direction in healthcare would intersect with our roles at Janssen and the broader pharma industry.  At this same point in time, Janssen smartly recognized how critically important it would be to avail their employees of educational opportunities to grow their competencies around the external health care environment.  The company partnered with Thomas Jefferson University School of Population Health to offer a 2-year health policy certificate program to its employees.  Along with twenty others at Janssen that year, I raised my hand! Upon reflection, it became evident that this was a gigantic career catalyst for me! I came to learn during the 6-course, health policy certificate program that several of my colleagues and a smattering of others in select big pharma companies across the industry were in the preliminary stages of helping their companies navigate the why, what, and how of pharma’s role in quality and value-based care.  

At this point in my career, I had worked 15 years in clinical development across three different pharmaceutical companies. While it was the beginning of a new career direction for me, my past professional experience served as the foundation for my emerging vision – life science companies could have a significant and long-lasting impact on improving health care quality and those life science companies’ businesses could benefit.

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For four years in a health care quality director position, I was part of a small (but mighty) group in the larger Strategic Customer Group at Janssen. In early 2018, following 12 incredibly special years at Janssen, I decided to pursue an outside venture. And then after two years as an executive at the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, a quality measure development organization in the Washington D.C. area, the need, the opportunity, and the vision for the role of health care quality and value-based care in the pharma industry was realized and began to take root for me.

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In short, the million-dollar question I asked that became the kernel of an idea leading to THCQ Consulting, Inc. was: How do health care quality, quality measurement, and the value-based care paradigm fit when it comes to biopharmaceutical companies?

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I decided to take the root of that question, plant it, and water it. Thus grew, Turner Healthcare Quality Consulting, Inc.

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Thanks for reading,

Norris Turner, PharmD, PhD

President & CEO, THCQ Consulting, Inc.

nturner@thcqconsulting.com

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Summary  

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The big idea leading to THCQ Consulting, Inc. first came from the desire to fully devote my professional talents, passion, and experience in building my own company to help pharmaceutical companies better ‘stand in the shoes’ of their customers and, by doing so, deliver higher value to customers, better outcomes to patients, and stronger results back to their businesses.  

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A Couple of Questions for You

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We would love to hear your thoughts.  

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1. How do you think the shift to value-based care has challenged life science companies to conduct their businesses in 2022?
2. How will present trends in value-based care shape the future of life science companies and the biopharmaceutical industry broadly?

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