The Suit Magazine

If this year’s complicated healthcare system overhaul was any indication, medicine is a complex industry. The United States is in need of greater transparency, simpler guidelines and cleaner lines of communication. But the government cannot be the only catalyst; it’s also up to major players in the private sector to help cut costs and deliver patient care more efficiently.

Meniscus Limited may be part of the solution. Founded in 1982 by Lois Trench-Hines, the company helps establish effective communication between its scientists, clinicians and front-line nurses and doctors. Trench-Hines chose the name 'Meniscus,' the Greek word for ‘interface,’ to reflect her company’s role in facilitating communication between its clients and their customers in the health care community. These efforts help keep the clinical educational process moving forward.

In many cases, communication with—and within—big pharmaceutical companies is limited by legal and compliance issues. The rules are intricate and, according to Trench-Hines, often confounding. “In marketing an agent, for instance, you cannot say anything that is not in the package insert—that’s the thin piece of paper in the box, which reads like a legal document,” she said. “In this situation, practitioners cannot provide the best information to treat the patient. If it is ‘not in the package insert,’ then the pharmaceutical lawyers insist, ‘No, you cannot say that.’”

The company’s reach has grown over the years to address just these sorts of problems; today Meniscus Limited owns two subsidiary companies. The Meniscus Educational Institute provides accredited education for physicians, nurses and pharmacists. “I found out a year or two ago that we were the very first for-profit company that was triple-accredited,” reports Trench-Hines. The second subsidiary, SciStrategy Communications, prepares white papers on oncology-related topics. And Meniscus Limited itself helps market and commercialize approved agents. “Meniscus Limited’s core competency is oncology. This means is that our primary clients are pharmaceutical firms: large ones, small ones, biotech firms,” Trench-Hines said.

Part of the reason for her company’s success is Trench-Hines’ personal familiarity with the medical world. She realized long ago that many plans and educational programs left out a very important piece of the puzzle: nurses.

When pharmaceutical companies conduct clinical trials for new drugs, it’s the nurses’ job to educate patients and help them manage any side effects. If nurses don’t get the information they need, they won’t be able to work effectively with their patients to help them stay on therapy.

In an earlier position as a clinical research associate for ICI America (now AstraZeneca), Trench-Hines saw first-hand the important role that nurses play in clinical trials. “Physicians must make the therapeutic decisions, but it’s the nurses who spend most of the time with the patients,” she said. “Originally, I did a lot of clinical newsletters for nurses rather than physicians—and I have no regrets about that. The nurses themselves have recognized Meniscus Limited’s contributions over the decades. In fact, last year I was named a lifetime member of the Oncology Nursing Society. That’s a big deal!”

Trench-Hines originally started Meniscus Limited with the help of two partners, but within six weeks of founding the company she was on her own. “I continued with just one other person after my two initial partners decided we didn’t share the same goals,” she said. But she hit the ground running, learning lessons as she went along. “You need to partner with your clients; you have to respond flexibly and instinctively. More importantly you have to anticipate, to be prepared to fulfill whatever needs your clients present.”

The part of her job she enjoys the most is presenting her company’s service capabilities to prospective clients. “I don’t like to call it selling, but that’s my favorite part,” she said. “I look at a potential client, look at the product and see what they’re up against. Then I think: if I were in that position as a product manager, what would I do? And that’s where the conversation starts.” Trench-Hines said that she gets the best results when she keeps her presentation focused on the client. “People think that you should go in and tell them all about your company,” she said. “But they don’t care about you! What they care about is how you can help them achieve their goals. They want you to cut to the chase.”

Meniscus Limited recently launched a new product – a website called www.oncuview.tv – developed with the help of a partner and former competitor, NorthStar Communications. “I asked myself, is there a one-stop resource for oncology healthcare professionals? There wasn’t, so we made one.” Trench-Hines added, “This format delivers the information more succinctly and more quickly, and it sifts out what is important. This website is excellent; it’s growing by leaps and bounds.”

If things are looking up for Meniscus Limited, things must be looking up for the U.S. healthcare system in general. The Suit asked Trench-Hines about the secret to success in the industry. “I think it’s passion,” she said. “It’s believing in what you do and actually feeling good about it. Is every day a good day? Absolutely not. But overall? Yes. We’re constantly developing new education and communications. We’re doing something important.”

www.meniscus.com/MEI/

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