Meet Hope: The Robot With a Heart

Advent Health Donation Provides Important Gift to POG 

Shawnee, KS – When Pharmacy of Grace opened its Kansas City, Kansas location in 2022, we saw how quickly the demand was growing and knew we needed extra help. We went from filling three prescriptions on day one to an average of 140 per day, and a big reason we were able to keep up with that demand is Gracie.

Gracie is our ScriptPro automated prescription-filling robot at the KCK location. She handles the counting, the measuring, the dispensing, all the tasks that are precise and essential but don’t require a pharmacist’s clinical expertise. That means our pharmacists have more time to do what no robot can: sit with a patient, answer questions, catch a dangerous drug interaction, explain a new diagnosis, and make sure someone leaves truly understanding their medication. 

As we opened our Shawnee location and prepared for the same kind of growth, we knew Gracie needed a sister.

The Gift and the Name 

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission has been a long-time supporter of Pharmacy of Grace since we first opened in KCK, and when we spoke to them about expanding in Shawnee, they were all in. They stepped up with not just a donation – but actually buying us the entire robot. The gift from AdventHealth marks one of the most significant gifts we’ve received. 

But then AdventHealth Shawnee Mission decided to make it a little more personal. They invited their entire team to participate in naming the robot through a hospital-wide campaign. The winning name? Hope. So you could say that AdventHealth literally gave us the gift of Hope. 

As our patient volume grows in Shawnee, Hope gives us the capacity to serve more neighbors without ever sacrificing the quality of care that defines Pharmacy of Grace. High tech and high touch – that’s the model.

A Warm Welcome for Hope

On August 6th, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission presented a certificate to our Shawnee staff. Hope’s naming ceremony was attended by AdventHealth Shawnee Mission leaders, Pharmacy of Grace founders and staff, and U.S. Representative Sharice Davids, who was at the pharmacy that day for a tour.

Hope received an honorary AdventHealth “Heart Badge.” This is the same symbol worn by all AdventHealth staff. The badges read “I care for you like my_____.” Hope’s reads “I care for you like my sister Gracie.”

It’s a small detail that says a lot about the spirit of this partnership.

Thank You, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission told us when we opened that they believe caring for a community extends far beyond the walls of their hospital, and this gift is proof of that commitment. It’s an investment in every Johnson County patient who needs affordable medications and the time and attention of a pharmacist who truly knows them.

We are deeply grateful to AdventHealth Shawnee Mission for this extraordinary investment in our mission and in the patients of Johnson County. Their generosity made our Shawnee expansion possible in ways that will be felt for years to come.

To read AdventHealth’s own account of Hope’s story, visit their website here.

If you’d like to see hope in person, she is on the job at 11644 W. 75th St., Shawnee, Kansas. We’re open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Her sister Gracie is so proud.)