At Providence Swedish, we strive to create a place where everyone feels heard, supported and valued for their unique experiences. Bobby Hollowell, a pharmacy buyer at Swedish First Hill in Seattle and active member of the LGBTQ+ Caregiver Resource Group, says he found that here. According to Bobby, “Coming to Swedish was one of the best decisions I’ve made.” Read on to learn about Bobby’s journey and the support he finds at Providence Swedish—as well as what it’s like to work in his specialized role.

“Accepted fully for who I am and what I bring to the table.”

Bobby began his career as a pharmacy technician on the East Coast. One year later, he moved to Seattle and immediately felt welcomed. “I came here from Virginia Beach in 2009 and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else right now.”

He joined Providence Swedish and never looked back, being a part of the LGBTQ+ Caregiver Resource Group almost since its inception. “We started out as a small group, and it was Swedish only. Now it has grown to incorporate Providence caregivers from all over Puget Sound. It’s been rewarding to see Providence Swedish just dive into that, from having the Pride flag flying at all the campuses during the month of June to being part of the annual Pride parade for at least the last seven years.”

Bobby says that at previous workplaces, he hasn’t felt that he could be who he is. “I’ve been at organizations where I’ve had to hide myself. Here, I’m accepted fully for who I am and what I bring to the table. I have to say that coming to Swedish was one of the best decisions I’ve made.”

“I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with.”

One of the main reasons Bobby loves working at Providence Swedish is the collaboration he sees throughout the family of organizations. “One difference you will find if you are a Providence Swedish caregiver is how much we are one system, one organization,” Bobby says. His role as pharmacy buyer takes him around the entire Puget Sound region. “All the different campuses collaborate and work together towards a mutual goal of patient care. It’s quite rewarding, and also very different from almost every other facility I’ve worked at. Yes, I work at the Swedish First Hill Campus, but we all support each other. Pharmacy is a small world, and so is Providence Swedish.”

At a campus level, the collaboration continues. Says Bobby, “My coworkers are amazing. They’re all content experts in their own right, but then we all get to work together to solve problems. When one of us is having a bad day, we talk about it and provide support in any way we can. When someone calls out sick, we rally together to make sure they have the coverage they need. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with.”

In addition, Bobby feels seen and respected by the leadership at Providence Swedish. “One thing I like about the leadership here is they don’t live in the clouds. They actually live on the ground with the rest of us. We have operations leads, both technicians and pharmacists. We’ve got clinical pharmacist leads, and managers and supervisors, and each of them understands that they don’t know everything and they need to rely on people like me to know what they don’t know. So even though I am not a supervisor or a manager, I am still considered a leader here because of my knowledge and I feel valued for that.”

“Providence Swedish is a place where anything is possible.”

Bobby has been at Providence Swedish for longer than any of his previous jobs. “I’ve always been in positions where I have to move to another company to move up. And this place keeps giving me opportunities to excel and to thrive and be creative in different ways.”

Bobby says there are learning opportunities at Providence Swedish, no matter where you are in your journey. “One great thing is that this place fosters learning in your own way. Sometimes it’s working one-on-one with someone that has done it, sometimes it’s taking classes, and sometimes it’s just learning on your own. Swedish is a place where anything is possible.”

He adds, “I’ve learned that if you apply yourself and speak up and let people know you have ideas, they are very open to it. If it is more efficient and better for the patients, then there’s nothing that they’re not willing to try. Being innovative is very useful around here.”

He’s especially excited about innovation in the pharmacy department at Providence Swedish. “We’re about to roll out a massive procurement automation project at the end of this year, so I will be traveling all over Puget Sound bringing these systems online and making sure they are working. I have been looking forward to this project for years, and it’s so nice that it’s finally happening. It will help pave the way for the future for technicians, which is something incredible.”

But also, just being someone that wants to help patients and wants to make a difference in this world. If you bring those two, you can learn the rest as you go.”

Bobby says healthcare is a great industry for anyone to try. “I encourage anyone: even if you don’t think you could be in medicine, look into it anyways. I came into the pharmacy field not knowing if it was for me, and fifteen years later, I could not imagine any other field. There are so many opportunities no matter what your skill set is or what you think you can or can’t do. Trust me, there’s a place for you here.”

Want to learn more and find out if Providence Swedish is right for you? Search open roles.