A’nnise Hampton, CPhT

A’nnise Hampton says her path into healthcare was unexpected:

“Honestly, I fell into healthcare. I started working at Publix when I was 16, and at 18, while pursuing a degree in Chemistry at Lander University, I transitioned into pharmacy.”

Eventually, she wanted a challenge beyond retail pharmacy. Infusion provided it.

A’nnise learned compounding, medication preparation and the many moving pieces required to coordinate complex therapies successfully. Over time, her career expanded beyond pharmacy operations into Trade Relations, where she now supports more than 60 sites and works across contracts, pricing, purchasing and industry relationships.

One of A’nnise’s most formative professional experiences came when she moved to Duluth, Georgia, to help open a new pharmacy. As the person with the necessary experience, she recognized that the staff needed additional training and found herself in the position of having to advocate for it. The experience taught her an important lesson about speaking up and trusting her expertise:

“I’ve learned to trust my knowledge, stand behind my recommendations, and understand that my voice has value. The more I stepped into those moments, the more confident I became.”

Confidence and learning to use that voice have been important parts of A’nnise’s journey as a woman in healthcare. Her advice to other women is equally clear: know that you belong in the room, ask questions, speak up and become knowledgeable enough that your contribution is difficult to overlook.

She also points to her mother—a former Chief of Human Resources for the Department of Mental Health and an adjunct professor—as an example of how leadership can influence the people around you.

Moving away from direct patient interaction gave A’nnise another important realization: patient impact doesn’t require patient contact.

A medication sent to the wrong clinic once put a next-day treatment at risk. A’nnise packed the shipment herself and spent hours at UPS working through the approval necessary to get it moving.

The patient never knew what had happened behind the scenes.

That is precisely why the experience stayed with her. Countless operational decisions can determine whether care proceeds smoothly, even when the patient never sees the people solving the problem.

The more A’nnise has learned about the business behind infusion, the more confident she has become in contributing her perspective. Her advice is to stay curious, keep learning and make yourself knowledgeable enough to add value wherever you sit:

“Don’t be afraid to use your voice, ask questions, and advocate for yourself and others. Love what you do and always be willing to learn something new.”

Most importantly, she believes knowledge is what allows you to keep growing.

Using her voice, taking ownership and solving problems so patients receive the care they need—even from behind the scenes.