Gov. Beshear Congratulates Baptist Health on $40 Million Pharmacy Headquarters That Creates 200 Jobs in La Grange

The facility will be fully operational in 2024

FRANKFORT, KY (Sept. 1, 2022) — Today, Gov. Beshear congratulated Baptist Health leaders after they announced details of the system’s new $40 million Central Pharmacy Service Center in La Grange that will create 200 new jobs.

Baptist Health’s Central Pharmacy will be housed in a 90,000-square-foot facility to be built on the Baptist Health La Grange campus. It will operate as a hub to streamline Baptist Health’s growing pharmacy services across the system’s nine hospitals located throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana—ultimately helping patients access more medications, and receive their medications quickly and efficiently.

“Health care is a basic human right, and that includes affordable, life-saving prescriptions that are easily accessible to all Kentuckians who need them,” Gov. Beshear said. “Thank you to Baptist Health for this investment in our people, which is also going to create 200 jobs as our economy stays on fire.”

Construction on the new facility is expected to begin in November, and completion is anticipated by December 2023. Plans call for the center to be operational by April 2024. 

Baptist Health Chief Operating Officer Patrick Falvey explained that the project is part of Baptist Health’s previously announced expansion of services in Oldham County and the surrounding area.

“Baptist Health has been deeply invested in the wellbeing of this region for more than 30 years through the high-quality care provided by Baptist Health La Grange and our Baptist Health Medical Group facilities,” Falvey said. “Our long-standing commitment is strengthened with the planned construction of our systemwide Central Pharmacy Service Center here in La Grange, in addition to bringing new providers, new services and new facilities to this community.”

La Grange Mayor John Black and Oldham County Judge/Executive David Voegele also spoke at Thursday’s announcement, discussing the economic impact the investment will have on the area. More than 200 new jobs, including pharmacists, pharmacy tech and non-clinical support positions, will be created when the facility opens.

“The development of new pharmacy services in La Grange is a very positive development for both Oldham County and all of Kentucky, as well,” Judge Voegele said. “We look forward to the level of professionalism these additional jobs will bring and take pride in the continued confidence in our community expressed by Baptist Health.”  

Beyond the I-71 corridor, the Central Pharmacy allows Baptist Health to respond to the growing demand for retail and specialty pharmacy services across the system’s service area throughout Kentucky and surrounding states. By shipping medications directly to patients, the Central Pharmacy can accommodate increased volume and provide access to an even broader array of specialty medications through an expanded pharmacy accreditation process.

Currently, each Baptist Health hospital offers a retail pharmacy, which fills prescriptions for patients as they’re being discharged, and those who have not had a hospital stay but like the convenience and expertise offered by the Baptist Health pharmacy team.

The system has also built a successful specialty pharmacy program, which incorporates a multidisciplinary approach to care for patients with complex medical problems. Specialty pharmacy staff work with insurance companies, drug manufacturers and patient assistance programs to secure patient medications at an affordable price along with individualized medical counseling. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.com/LaGrange.

Baptist’s Health’s announcement adds to the incredible economic momentum Kentucky has seen since Gov. Beshear took office.

Specifically in the health care-related manufacturing, service and technology and life sciences sector:

• Kentucky exported $473 million of medical equipment and supplies in 2021;
• Kentucky exported $3.3 billion of pharmaceuticals and medicines in 2021;
• Since the start of the Beshear Administration, health care manufacturing and service and technology companies have announced 46 projects with a combined investment of $440 million and 2,600 new jobs in Kentucky; and
• Since January 2022, health care companies have announced 12 projects with a combined investment of $339 million and 984 new jobs in Kentucky.

In 2021, the commonwealth shattered every economic development record in the books. Private-sector new-location and expansion announcements included a record $11.2 billion in total planned investment and commitments to create a record 18,000-plus full-time jobs across the coming years. Kentucky’s average incentivized hourly wage for projects statewide in 2021 was $24 before benefits, a 9.4% increase over the previous year.

In the past year, the Beshear administration announced the two largest economic development projects in state history. In September 2021, Gov. Beshear and leaders from Ford Motor Co. and SK Innovation celebrated a transformative $5.8 billion investment that will create 5,000 jobs in Hardin County. And in April of this year, the Governor was joined by leadership at Envision AESC to announce a $2 billion investment that will create 2,000 jobs in Warren County. These announcements solidify Kentucky as the EV battery production capital of the United States.

The economic momentum has carried strongly into 2022, with both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings upgrading Kentucky’s financial outlook to positive in recognition of the commonwealth’s surging economy.

And Site Selection magazine placed Kentucky at 6th in its annual Prosperity Cup rankings for 2022, which recognizes state-level economic success based on capital investments.

Kentucky has posted record low unemployment rates for four consecutive months, falling from 3.9% in April to 3.8% in May and 3.7% in both June and July.

In July, the Governor reported the highest annual growth rate in 31 years. And for the second year in a row, Kentucky’s General Fund budget surplus has exceeded $1 billion. Also in July, Gov. Beshear reported that the state’s rainy day fund is up to a record balance of $2.7 billion, significantly higher than the $129 million balance the fund had when the Governor took office.