This pharmacy tech gives back in her township, church and pharmacy.
Have you ever met one of those really motivating people? The kind who seems to dance through life with a positive attitude, all while making the world a better place?
We found one in the pharmacy of Sam’s Club 6251 in Washington, Pennsylvania. Her name is Linda Woods. She’s a pharmacy technician who has been making members smile for 18 years.
Linda started with Sam’s Club in 2005 as an Advantage Membership Coordinator, transferred to Outside Business Representative, and then moved to the pharmacy.
Her Path to the Pharmacy
The pharmacy was a natural fit with Linda’s background. She served for 17 years as a U.S. Navy corpsman. In that role, she helped healthcare professionals provide medical care.
“I studied health service occupations in technical school, so I knew anatomy, physiology and medical terminology,” Linda explains. “My plan was to join the Air Force. But at the recruiting station, the Air Force line was out the door, but there was no line for the Navy! So I became a corpsman in the Navy.”
Her Navy career took her to Italy in 1985, where she met and married her husband. She also had her first of two sons in Italy.
Now Linda is a certified pharmacy tech. When patients drop off a prescription, she reads it, tags it and drops it into the system for verification. She works closely with the pharmacist to keep the pharmacy running smoothly.
“I’m also certified to administer vaccines,” says Linda. She has given over 100 vaccines in the past two years. (Her secret for a pain-free vaccine? “Let the alcohol dry on the patient’s arm completely, or the vaccine will sting.”)
Faith in Community
Helping people in Sam’s Club pharmacy is one way Linda serves her community. She also serves as Minority Inspector of her township’s election board.
“Twenty years ago, when I started, they were so desperate for help that they hired me on the spot,” she recalls. “About eight years ago, it became an elected position. So I ran for it. Now I hold an elected position.”
Her husband serves as the township’s Judge of Elections.
Linda is also very active in her church, where she has taught preschool and Sunday School “for a good 40 years.”
How did she become so community-minded? Linda credits her strong faith in God.
“Others have helped me, so I want to help others,” she shares. “When God comes into your life, he changes your way of thinking, and how you live your life. I am committed to serving others.”
Through her church, Linda has volunteered to counsel women at the Washington Correctional Facility and organized a group that provides holiday gifts to local nursing home patients.
“The community is like my family,” she says. “I’m not from Pennsylvania—my husband is. So I see the patients who come to our pharmacy as family. It makes me feel like I’m giving back a piece of what I’ve been given.”
Here’s just one example of how Linda operates for the good of others: “A man came into the pharmacy, and while verifying his information, I noticed it was his birthday. So, I sang happy birthday to him,” Linda recalls with a laugh. “He said, ‘You don’t know how much that meant. Nobody has sung happy birthday to me in years!’”
“There are a lot of lonely people. I look for people who need a prayer, a hug or a kind word,” Linda says. “People come to the pharmacy because they know we care about them. I’m grateful for the opportunity to let people know they are loved and valued.”
Sam’s Club and Walmart pharmacists play an important role in helping our communities stay healthy. We’re celebrating each and every one of them for Pharmacy Appreciation Month 2022. Check out more stories from the pharmacy on WalmartWorld.com.
