Michael grew up on the family farm outside of the small town of Anthony, KS, where a considerable work ethic was instilled in him early on. "At the age of 9, my grandfather had me working out in the fields," he explains. "By the time I was 13, I was raising my own herd of cattle." Mike, as he prefers to be called, has always had the entrepreneurial spirit. At age 16, he started his first business distributing fertilizer to feed stores and community gardens. Mike still has several ties to Anthony, such as co-owning Central Electrical Polishing, a manufacturing company located in the town, along with his father and brother.
After graduating from the University of Kansas in 1978, Mike knew he was destined to own his own pharmacy. However, he first began practicing in the chain environment in order to both gain experience and to discover the manner in which chain pharmacies operate. Although he started off as a staff pharmacist, Mike ascended the ranks rapidly, first being promoted to pharmacist-in-charge and then eventually to store manager within a time period of only 2-1/2 years.
By 1982, Mike was ready to purchase his own pharmacy. "I knew I wanted to live in South Central Kansas, and there were actually several pharmacies for sale in the region," Mike recalls. "Although I obviously wanted to find the best available pharmacy, the town in which it was situated was just as important to me. After all, this is where I'd raise my family." When he visited McCartney Rx Shop, he found the perfect mixture of both. "The pharmacy was in terrific condition and was a wonderful value, but what really sold me was the town. With El Dorado Lake and its scenic views of the Flint Hills, El Dorado has so much to offer. Probably its greatest attribute is the same type of friendly people that I grew up around."
That same year, Mike purchased the pharmacy from William McCartney. Initially, William told Mike that he would stick around and help for six months. Those six months ended up turning into 25 years before William's death in 2007. When Mike purchased McCartney Rx Shop, there were seven other pharmacies in El Dorado?six independently owned and one chain. As time progressed, more chain pharmacies moved into town and the other independents slowly went out of business. McCartney Rx Shop, however, only continued to grow. In 1992, Mike bought out Grave's Drug Store, the last of these other independent pharmacies. In 2000, he changed the name of the store to El Dorado TrueCare Pharmacy. As Mike explains, "We were expanding the line of services that we offer, such as specialized compounding and home medical equipment. We felt we needed to change our name to something that reflected this."
Mike attributes his success to following a simple Christian rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Indeed, to this day the store motto still remains to: Treat every patient exactly as you would want to be treated. These philosophies, along with hard work, are what have made El Dorado TrueCare Pharmacy what it is today?one of the premier pharmacies in South Central Kansas. "When patients walk through our doors, we want them to instantly recognize that we offer a totally different pharmacy experience that can't be matched anywhere else," states Mike. "From our pharmacists to our technicians to our clerks to our delivery drivers, every employee at El Dorado TrueCare Pharmacy understands that our patients are our number one priority."
Besides being an active pharmacist and pharmacy owner, Michael serves on numerous boards of directors both in El Dorado and nationwide. His current positions are:
Industry:
El Dorado TrueCare Pharmacy - Owner and CEO
Central Electrical Polishing , Anthony, Ks - co-owner and Vice President
Joyce, Bellesine, and Joyce - Co-Owner of Vine Street Medical Center
PBA Health, Kansas City, Missouri - National Pharmaceutical Services company - Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
Allpharm Benefits, Washington, DC - Benefits company specializing in benefits, continuing education, and nation legislative affairs for pharmacies - Chairman of the Board
El Dorado, Kansas:
El Dorado Main Street - Board of Director
El Dorado Chamber of Commerce - Member and serves on the Business Promotion committee
First United Methodist church - active member and currently serves as Trustee's chairperson, Ushering committee, visioning committee and as a High School and Adult Sunday school teacher.
El Dorado Kiwanis Club - member and past president
Pharmacy Organizations:
Kansas Pharmacist's Association, Topeka, Ks - member for 30 years
National Community Pharmacist's Association - member for 25 years
Michael and his wife, Deborah, are also the proud parents of five children and currently have four grandchildren.
