When you work with any supplier, you hope that they will make your job easier, that they will be knowledgeable experts in their field, and they will view your customers or patients the same way you do.
When we asked customers to describe Beekley Medical’s Radiation Oncology team comprised of Queenee Alcedo, Kelly Lucey, Kristie Oren, and Susan Murray (who manages all modalities for military and government accounts), they used these three words: partners, knowledgeable, and efficient.
According to Stacey Wright (Lead Therapist, Comprehensive Cancer Center of Nevada), “Beekley Medical’s Radiation Oncology team has got it going on. They take care of me and make life so easy. They are my number one supplier.”
Chris Osik (Technical Director, Rad America in Maryland) concurred, stating, “The Radiation Oncology team is friendly, professional, and accommodating. They are very focused on patient care. Cancer is important to them.”
A Partnership in Fighting Cancer
And it’s true – fighting cancer is very important to all of us at Beekley.
When asked how the team approaches their role, Queenee told us, “I look at what we do as a partnership. I try to see the big picture when talking to our customers. We seek to understand how they’re doing things and what they are trying to achieve. With that in mind, we discuss what we feel is a good solution. It’s not just selling a product and telling our customers what it’s used for. I’d like to think we consult with them and like to see how they would find the product useful and why.
"For me, it’s my job to know how my customers like to do business so they know they can call me and I already know exactly what they need, whether it be a quote, how their ordering process is internally, and even patterns in ordering. It’s my job to make their experience with Beekley a pleasant one and want them to feel that when they call or email me, it will be taken care of."
Kelly said, "Our products are used to enhance the quality of life for patients and accuracy of radiation treatment. In that way, we are a part of the patient’s care team and that’s what motivates me. I see myself as a third hand or executive assistant for the customer.
“I think what makes us a great partner is the World Class Customer Care mindset we have at Beekley. The customer always comes first and we'll bend over backwards to meet their needs. Whether I am providing quotes, pertinent product details, and new solutions to them to make their day a little bit easier. I always do it with a smile because it is an honor to be a part of their extended continuum of care. Our customers invest in high quality products in every aspect of treating the patient. When you invest in the highest quality, it’s reflective of your view on the treatment. Patients deserve the best and our customers deserve the best customer care and the best partners.”
“Our guiding principle is to make decisions with the customer’s best interest first. It’s got to be about providing the very best tool we have for their specific protocol so that they can be as precise as possible for the most successful outcomes.” Kristie added. “We know if our products help them do their job more accurately and efficiently, we all win.
"Over the years, we’ve gotten to know our customers on a personal level. When that personal connection is made, my job satisfaction is elevated ten-fold. It’s especially satisfying to support people you’ve come to know, like, and respect. This also means that when they experience a crisis, we feel great concern. Many of my customers have been impacted this year by devastating weather events and social tragedies. It’s always important for me to know they, their families, and their patients fared okay.”
Sue has been a partner to the RT community since the mid-90’s. The way she sees it, if you are going to take the therapist away from her cancer patient to come to the phone, you better add value and share applications that work. With a commitment to truly understand her customer’s needs, Sue places top value on listening to the customer identifying what types of cancer they specialize in treating most, asking “what are you currently using, what do you need or wish you had now, how can I partner with you to make your treatments and your therapists more effective?”
A Knowledge Resource
Customers expect more from Beekley Medical as a vendor. They expect their account managers to be near experts in their fields, to understand current obstacles in medical care, and to be up-to-date on new treatments.
Queenee’s customers are familiar with her CEU alert emails and has been titled the “CEU Queen” by more than a few customers. They really appreciate that she keeps them informed and updated on available CE’s.
“At Beekley, it's always been a goal for us to be an educational resource,” said Queenee. “Customers come to us when they are having a problem finding a solution to do something and one way that we can help them is to share what other facilities have done to overcome the same challenge. We do this proactively as well, if we hear of something that’s working well, we’ll share that on our calls to customers as an added value to others who may be experiencing, but not verbalizing, the issues.
Kristie agreed, saying, “We want to be the go-to for our customers. They know that if they’re using Beekley, they’re using the best tools. We also want them to know that they’re getting us. Having one of us as a dedicated Account Manager means we specialize in these products and this modality.
"We know which of our tools will work best for their application and the various ways they can be used. We know collectively what other facilities are doing, and how they are using our products with the most success. Having access to work with so many allows us to be a source of knowledge.”
Sue added, “What makes Beekley different from other companies that just sell items out of a catalog, is that we are really interested in our customers’ work. We have the desire to understand what their day is like and are knowledgeable about what is going on with the patient and the cancer they are trying to treat. If we can help them with a solution that can change the reality of how much time they spend on treatment planning per patient, maybe that therapist can actually grab lunch. We really try to understand the full picture of the individual cancer center we serve.”
Effective and Efficient
““If I could ask for anything, it would be for more time in a day,” Kelly told us. “We really do strive to get everything done for our customers as fast and accurately as possible and still be a bright spot in their day. My favorite part of the day is when I get customer requests. I love it when people are calling and emailing me and I am able to provide them with that support. It is also equally rewarding to me when customers let me know how we are doing, and what we can do to make their lives easier. Whether it be for a new product idea, or a way to enhance our services, we really do listen! ”
““We love to hear from our customers,” said Kristie. “Even if they’re asking for something seemingly small, we’re happy to help. We know when our customers get off the phone with us, they're back to doing something big and important - treating cancer. So even if it's just something like getting a copy of a document, giving them a simple quote, or anything at all, we know that it is impacting their day greatly because we've done it quickly and accurately to allow them to get back to their patients.”
According to Sue, “it’s a big difference selling products that you know have been thoroughly tested, designed to work well. And if something isn’t meeting customer expectations, we act fast to respond and fix it. It all shows our commitment to listening to the customer.”
Outside of work, the ladies who make up the team are just as passionate.
Queenee’s partner in crime is her dog Duke, with whom she shares many adventures and has his own Instagram account - dukeofwallingford. Duke is quite the protector. As Queenee put it, “If you hear barking while we’re on the phone, please excuse me! That’s my fearless dog, Duke, protecting me from the treacherous mailman, the UPS man, or the kids getting off the bus. Some might say that I work hard so my dog can have a better life. They would be right!”
When she’s not at Beekley, Kristie is usually cheering on her sons’ soccer teams or pursuing her passion for holistic health and natural wellness, coaching others to raise the level of their body, mind and spirit. “Everyone gets their share of greens, even my beloved cats, Bouvier & Leo.”
Kelly’s passion for patient care comes from her experience as a volunteer and employee at Hartford Hospital, which influenced her career path greatly. On weekends, you can find her getting her steps in with Lola, her feisty rescued miniature pinscher, who runs her roost. Archery and paddle boarding are two new activities Kelly has recently been enjoying. She is yet to accomplish doing archery while on a paddleboard, however. ?
Sue’s nurturing nature also spills over into the animal kingdom. She and her husband are currently the pet-parents to 4 rescue animals, 1 dog and 4 kittens born to feral parents. The kittens are progressing nicely.
Sue told us “when we first let them out of the have-a-heart traps, they hid. Even when they started to come out in the open we weren’t able to handle them. Eventually they got more used to us where we were able to get them spayed and neutered, and actually pet them, and now they are very affectionate.”
Knowledgeable, efficient, caring, passionate, and your partners in patient care. We hope you enjoyed meeting Beekley’s Radiation Oncology Team.
