So much so, he hasn't had time to read a good novel in two years. Now all he reads are books on business and health care. Jones' fascination with health care economics, his experience and his skills correspond well with ProVantage's future growth goals. He tries to absorb as much as he can, which ties in with his vision for the company. ProVantage's stock price dropped dramatically in recent weeks, even though the company reported a 26 percent increase in second quarter earnings.
Analysts blame the stock drop on a jittery market for health care services stocks.
Hospital and nursing home companies' stocks, for instance, are down 30 percent so far this year. ProVantage aims to distinguish itself from competitors by expanding its offering of value-added services and expertise that help clients reduce overall health care costs, not just pharmacy costs. Jones takes to heart the idea that managed care should do more than cut costs. When done right, managed care should improve the quality of patient care by eliminating inefficiency, he says. An example of the company's leading health information technology products is RationalMed, which combines patients' medical claims, diagnoses and pharmaceutical data to create profiles that identify those who may be at risk for adverse reactions to certain prescription drugs.