Caregiver Spotlight

PHP Caregiver Spotlight: Anol Thrift

09 April 2025

Anol Thrift is passionate about bridging the gap between business needs and technology solutions to make sure members and caregivers have what they need to be at their best. As a Principal Business Systems Analyst on the Providence Health Plan (PHP) Pharmacy Client Services and Experience team, Anol brings nearly two decades of Providence experience to her role supporting sales and account management with "all things pharmacy."

"I am really proud of our pharmacy program here at PHP," Anol said. "We truly live by the mission in ensuring we are providing honest programs that serve our members while also providing cost savings for our clients as drug costs continue to increase."

A Providence Journey

Anol's Providence story began back in June 2005 when she joined Providence Medical Group as a Medical Assistant in the PMG Float Pool. After working at the PMG 47th Clinic (now PMG Glisan) for a couple of years, she moved to the PMG Disease Management Program where she worked closely with pharmacists on managing patients' chronic disease states, primarily diabetes.

Though she briefly left Providence in June 2012 to work at OHSU as an administrator in their Pharmacy Department, she never felt quite at home there as she did at Providence. In February 2015, she returned to Providence as a Business Systems Analyst with the PHP Pharmacy Department and has continued to grow in her role, being promoted to Principal Business Systems Analyst in May 2024.

Along with her professional growth, Anol has pursued her education, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Portland State University and a Master of Business Administration from George Fox University.

When asked about her work philosophy, Anol offers wisdom that resonates in today's fast-paced healthcare environment: "One foot in front of another. Sometimes the amount of work or change that occurs in our industry and within our company can be overwhelming. I always like to pause and just say to myself 'one foot in front of another.' I can't solve everything today, but I can make small continual steps to get the work completed or make progress."

This approach has served her well through the many changes she's witnessed at PHP. She admires the company's adaptability in the face of annual state and federal changes, evolving client requests, and program expectations. She points to innovations like ePA, Real Time Benefits, Rx Savings Solutions, and HelpScript as examples of how PHP continually evolves to improve efficiency, lower drug costs, and enhance member experiences.

When reflecting on significant milestones during her time at PHP, Anol doesn't focus on corporate achievements but rather on the human connections that have defined her experience.

"When I think about the milestones at PHP, I can often think of things like being a 5-star CMS plan, or gaining or losing certain clients. But the thing that sticks out the most to me are the social relationships we have here at PHP," she explains.

She recalls the surreal experience of returning to the office after the COVID-19 pandemic to find calendars still set to March 2020, and values the friendships she's made – both with colleagues still at PHP and those who have moved on. "The work is important of course, but the people and their stories are what stick out to me the most when I think about milestones at PHP."

For Anol, the most rewarding aspect of her work is the tangible impact it has on local businesses and the broader community.

"I love helping companies in our community – the companies that employ our neighbors, friends, and family," she says. "I truly enjoy being able to provide them with our pharmacy services and show real savings that impacts how they run their business or may save them enough money to improve their employees' lives."

Nothing is more satisfying to her than showing potential savings to a client and later hearing them say, "because of this savings we didn't have to do layoffs."

Outside of work, Anol is a proud native Oregonian who has lived in Oregon City since she was nine. She and her husband Frank, whom she married in 2019, have a blended family of three children: Layva, Marcella, and Vincent.

A self-described "National Park Geek," Anol has visited an impressive 53 of the 63 U.S. National Parks. She and her family love road trips exploring the country's natural wonders. With the National Parks adventure nearing completion, they're embarking on a new quest to visit all MLB baseball stadiums, beginning in April 2025.

Anol and her husband also share a love for two-wheeled adventures – he on a motorcycle and she on a scooter – exploring the back roads of Oregon and Washington. When their children are older, they dream of taking a cross-country journey from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine, sticking to the roads less traveled the entire way.

Through her dedication to her work, her colleagues, and the community, Anol Thrift embodies the Providence mission every day, one step at a time.