Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Recipient of MichBio Good to Great Award; Also Featured in Pure Michigan Video Exemplifying Flint's Resurgence and Michigan's Future

FLINT, Mich., Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, the nation's largest, privately owned specialty pharmacy, announced today that they are the recipient of MichBio's Good to Great Award.

"The award is made in recognition of Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy as a company whose business concept, entrepreneurialism, leadership, work ethic and products have melded in just the right way to produce a leap forward in the past year," said Stephen Rapundalo, Ph.D., President and CEO of MichBio.  "MichBio views Diplomat as a strong and visible indicator that our industry is thriving here in Michigan and that the outlook for the state's biosciences sector seems positive.  Success breeds success, and Diplomat's tremendous strides in commercialization will serve as a beacon for others," Rapundalo continued in a released statement.

"This is another great recognition for our entire team for our consistent hard work and effort," said Diplomat's President and CEO, Phil Hagerman. "Despite our unprecedented growth over the years, we've continued to stay dedicated to our patient focused model and achieved a 99% customer satisfaction response from our 2011 patient satisfaction survey. We could not achieve this without a tremendous staff committed to finding solutions for both patients and our healthcare partners."

Pure Michigan Video

Diplomat was also featured in a recent Pure Michigan video, along with General Motors, The Michigan Economic Development Center and the City of Flint to illustrate how Flint is transforming itself into a leading center of commerce and provide a glimpse of the future Michigan. The video highlights the strides and development in Flint brought on, in part, by Diplomat Pharmacy and the resurgence of a once thriving General Motors facility.

"This video tells a very accurate and positive story about present day Flint and we're proud to be a part of that success," said Phil Hagerman President and CEO of Diplomat. "We're very thankful to the MEDC and the City of Flint for giving us this opportunity to present Diplomat to the rest of the state and country."

"The success of Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy is a leading indicator of the diversification and revitalization of Flint and Michigan," said Flint Mayor Dayne Walling. "Businesses are taking advantage of the low-cost yet high-quality environment that we have to offer and the City of Flint will continue to provide support in every way possible."

"Diplomat is an important part of the region's diversification strategy," said Tim Herman, CEO, Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce. "Bio-medical is a growing employment sector and has created a huge boost to our economy.  The company is one of our greatest success stories and it represents a clear signal of where this community is heading."

To view the video go to http://www.youtube.com/user/DiplomatPharmacy#p/a/u/0/4InVXlJMyoc

About Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy

Michigan-based Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, founded in 1975, serves patients nationwide as the country's largest privately held Specialty Pharmacy and focuses on complete medication management programs for patients with serious and chronic conditions. Key programs include: Oncology, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn's, Hemophilia, Immune Globulin, Growth Hormone and Psoriasis. Other specialty areas include Transplant, Fertility, Dialysis Medication Management, Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy and Specialty Compounding. Diplomat creates unique programs with specialty distribution at retail focusing on improving adherence and the patient experience, as well as creating exclusive distribution models for its pharmaceutical partners. Locations include: Flint and Grand Rapids, MI; Chicago, IL; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and San Bernardino, CA. Learn more about Keeping Patients Healthier...Longer® at www.diplomatpharmacy.com

CONTACT: Dan Roelofs, +1-616-808-3232

SOURCE Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy