Shields Health Solutions Brings Integrated Specialty Pharmacy Services to Baptist Health in Jacksonville

STOUGHTON, Mass. & JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shields Health Solutions (Shields), the premier specialty pharmacy accelerator in the country, is collaborating with Baptist Health, Northeast Florida’s largest and most preferred health system, to streamline access to specialty medications for patients managing chronic and complex health conditions. The program will initially focus on rheumatology, with oncology to follow soon after, before expanding into additional specialties to meet the evolving needs of patients.

The new Baptist Specialty Pharmacy, located at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jacksonville, is designed to support patients who depend on specialty medications to treat complex medical conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune diseases. This collaboration, which leverages Shields’ integrated care model and proven approach to specialty pharmacy, optimizes specialty medication coordination across Baptist Health’s provider network. Patients can receive their prescribed therapies more quickly and easily through the retail pharmacy or by using the direct-to-patient prescription delivery service.

Through the Baptist Specialty Pharmacy program, patients have access to several personalized support services, such as insurance navigation and financial assistance, which are designed to lower out-of-pocket costs, improve medication adherence, and accelerate access to life-changing therapies. It also helps ease administrative demands on providers and clinical teams, enabling them to focus on delivering care at the highest level of their expertise.

“Baptist Health in Jacksonville has a strong reputation for delivering high-quality, patient-centered care,” said Michael Ham, CEO of Shields Health Solutions. “Working together with Baptist Health, we are broadening access to specialty medications and making it easier for patients to navigate challenging diagnoses and complex therapies – helping them achieve better outcomes and a healthier wellbeing.”

The specialty pharmacy model is proven to be highly effective. According to Shields’ 2025 Outcomes Report, 92% of rheumatology patients reported no missed days of planned activities, school, or work; the industry benchmark is 50%.

“Patients should be focused on their health and recovery — not worrying about how to access the medications they need,” said Keith Schissler, PharmD, MBA, RPh, vice president of system pharmacy at Baptist Health. “If we can make that process easier and less stressful, that is an important step we are proud to take.”

For more information, visit www.shieldshealthsolutions.com and Baptist Specialty Pharmacy.

About Shields Health Solutions

Shields Health Solutions (Shields) is the premier specialty pharmacy accelerator in the country. The Shields Performance Platform--an integrated set of solutions, services, and technology--is intentionally designed to elevate payer and drug access for specialty pharmacies, elevate health outcomes for complex patients, and elevate growth throughout the entire health system. As the foremost experts in the health system specialty pharmacy industry, Shields has a proven track record of success including access to over 90% of all limited distribution drugs (LDDs) and most payers in the nation, and clinical model proven to lower total cost of care by 13%. In partnership with nearly 75 health systems across the country, Shields is committed to delivering measurable clinical and financial results. For more, follow us on social media via LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

About Baptist Health

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Baptist Health is a community-based health system focused on making health care easier to access while working to improve health and well-being. As the area’s only locally governed, faith-based, not-for-profit health system, Baptist Health delivers a full spectrum of preventive and specialty care through its 200+ ambulatory locations, six acute care hospitals, home health and virtual care offerings. Through its comprehensive approach to whole-person health for children and adults, Baptist Health provides the area’s largest network of primary care, urgent care and behavioral health care, as well as many specialty services and several wellness centers. Destination centers of excellence include Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baptist Heart Hospital, Baptist Neurological Institute, and Wolfson Children’s Hospital, the only full-service children’s hospital serving the region. To help people get the care they need when and where they need it, the health system leverages digital technology to enhance the delivery of its high-quality, seamless, patient-centered care. Baptist Health is vital to the community, caring for more patients in Northeast Florida than any other provider. The health system has been consistently ranked as “most preferred” for more than 30 years and has been named one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces in Health Care” by Newsweek magazine. To learn more, visit BaptistJax.com.