Women In Wellness: Rite Aid’s Summer Kerley On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Wanda Malhotra

Change is good — You don’t know what you don’t know. While change can be uncomfortable it can provide you with some of your greatest opportunities.

Today, more than ever, wellness is at the forefront of societal discussions. From mental health to physical well-being, women are making significant strides in bringing about change, introducing innovative solutions, and setting new standards. Despite facing unique challenges, they break barriers, inspire communities, and are reshaping the very definition of health and wellness. In this series called women in wellness we are talking to women doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, fitness trainers, researchers, health experts, coaches, and other wellness professionals to share their stories and insights. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Summer Kerley, Dr. of Pharmacy and VP of Clinical Operations and Health Plan Solutions at Rite Aid.

Summer Kerley is a Dr. of Pharmacy with more than 20 years of experience in the pharmacy industry. Currently, at Rite Aid as their VP of Clinical Operations and Health Plan Solutions, Summer works to ensure the drug store delivers the highest level of patient care. She predominately focuses on adherence, immunizations, medication therapy management, pharmacist prescriptive authority, and the development of a pharmacist and technician continuing education programs.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?

I’ve been a pharmacist for 23 years and, of those, worked for Rite Aid for 18 years. I’ve always worked in the retail setting mainly due to the types of relationships pharmacists can build with their customers and the impact it can have on the community. In just normal, everyday conversations, you can find out so much about a person. And most of the time, that information was important in helping to manage their health.

I tell people, pharmacy found me, I didn’t find pharmacy when deciding on a profession. When I started college, I “thought” I wanted to go into a healthcare profession. My roommate my freshman year told me she was going to take classes meeting pharmacy school requirements. So, I thought I’d do the same knowing it met the requirements for other healthcare schools. Long story short, we both applied, I got in and she didn’t. I’ve never regretted my decision to be a pharmacist and even as I’ve progressed in my career my goal has never changed — “take care of the customer.”

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

In 2012, I was asked to work on a pilot program that was “conceptual” at that moment. So, I took a leap of faith and was able to create a program from the ground up. At the time, I didn’t realize it would be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable positions that I’ve had in my career. I was able to work with chronic and poly-chronic patients and help them improve their health outcomes by simple lifestyle and behavioral changes. It goes to show that you have to take chances, or you won’t know what you’ve missed out on.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I wouldn’t say a mistake as much as a misconception. When I came out of pharmacy school and started my career, I expected everything to follow the clinical studies and textbooks that I learned from while receiving my education. Quickly, I found out that information was more of a guide. You have to connect with people to truly offer them the best care possible that is tailored to them. Even a simple medication counseling conversation is unique for that individual.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

The work that my team does at Rite Aid really focuses on pharmacists being able to practice at the top of their license. We work to develop programs in the communities we serve that allow pharmacists to immunize, test and treat, have prescriptive authority, and ensure medication adherence. The work we did during the pandemic, along with other pharmacy teams across the nation, showcased the importance of pharmacists. Pharmacists worked, and are still working tirelessly, to test and immunize individuals for COVID.

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing?

1 . Find “me” time

I love to read and when I don’t have time to just sit down and pick up a book, I turn to Audible. It takes my mind off any current problems/issues I may have at work or in my personal life.

2 . Cook

Cooking has always been an “event” with my family and I’ve always enjoyed it for the fellowship it brings. Now, I see cooking as a way to ensure my well-being and my family’s. It keeps my busy family away from processed foods that usually are a quicker option. Cooking is also “my time” in the evenings to decompress from the day’s events.

3 . Breathe

Regular breathing exercises can be so calming and help center me if the day gets too chaotic. There are so many apps and podcasts that only require a few minutes of your time.

4 . Smile

In this virtual world of meetings, it’s easy now to see how others are viewing you. Too often, I was finding myself scowling. It wasn’t due to being upset as much as just concentrating. But I realized that others may not know that. So, I take the time to make sure I smile on calls or answer the phone smiling — try it, you really will feel better.

5 . Don’t take yourself too seriously

I’ve found it’s okay to laugh at yourself, sing out loud to your favorite song, dance when you feel like it, jump in the leaf pile. Just be you. Most of the time, no one is watching or listening…. And so what if they are.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I’ve found that simple changes in one’s life can have big impacts. One program that I worked on for a few years focused on the impact of behavioral and lifestyle modifications on health outcomes. For many of the participants, simply teaching them how to read nutrition labels and understanding portion sizes lead to weight loss and/or blood sugar control. So, my movement would focus on simple educational tools that could easily be shared and taught in a community pharmacy setting.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

• Mentorship programs will help you become the best you — I was not involved in a mentorship program early in my career. Through the years, I’ve found that involvement (as a mentor or mentee) is of great value in helping you to become the best you.
• Work-life balance is in your control — For years, I never felt as if I could find a work-life balance. While some days are harder than others, I found it’s okay to finish a little early at work to make my child’s game. It may mean starting a little earlier the next day but I can balance both without missing out.
• Change is good — You don’t know what you don’t know. While change can be uncomfortable it can provide you with some of your greatest opportunities.
• Take your vacation! — Taking time for yourself to disconnect will only make you a better employee when you get back.
• You really did learn everything you need to know in kindergarten — It is that simple. Play fair, be kind to others, etc. The basic rules we learned in kindergarten do set you up for success and help you achieve great things through teamwork, networking, and relationship-building.

Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?

Mental Health

Mental health is a broad term that includes over 200 different mental illnesses. This topic is dearest to me because I’ve dealt with anxiety including panic disorder since my early 20’s. Now that I’m in my late forties, I look back at how I managed my anxiety, perceived stigma, and what I could do differently. First, treatment for one person can be completely different for another. Each person has their own story — treatment, coping mechanisms, etc. For me, while I have taken medicine to help prevent panic attacks, I had to figure out what worked best for me when having one. I have certain breathing and counting techniques that work. And, I’ve shared that with others in hopes of not only helping them with the actual anxiety and panic but so they understand that it’s okay to talk about it. But dealing with anxiety and panic disorder is my own journey that requires a very holistic approach.

What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?

Follow Rite Aid on LinkedIn or you can follow me specifically at https://www.linkedin.com/in/summer-kerley-79a404a9.

Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.

About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.