Following is the energy story of Lanis Belaire of Lafayette, Louisiana:
What is your name, title/occupation, and where do you live?
Lanis Belaire
Vice President/Business Owner
Lafayette, Louisiana
Can you tell us a little about what your company does and your role?
Pharma Safe is a service company which specializes in two primary areas: both as the leading provider of remote health care services and as a professional safety management company. My role in the company is to provide financial oversight and business strategy.
In addition, I do my best to provide offshore workers a voice in the Oil & Gas industry.
How long have you worked in the offshore energy industry?
I started my career in the offshore energy industry in 1987 providing remote patient health care in the Kerr McGee Breton Sound field.
What originally attracted you to the offshore energy industry, and what has kept you in the industry?
As a third generation Oilfield family, providing health care to offshore workers meant patient care would be provided to a previously overlooked geographical area. When I first started offshore, patient care was considered less of an option and more of just a moral obligation. The only patient care that was provided was when there was a medical evacuation or when an accident already occurred. Realizing this gap in coverage, becoming a patient care advocate for offshore workers quickly became my passion.
As a former remote health care provider, who lived and worked offshore for 8 years, I have developed lifelong relationships with fellow coworkers who have even walked in my wedding. I have uncles, best friends, cousins and other family who work offshore. Unfortunately, it is the patients who can pay the price for not having a health care provider while working offshore. As a result, I feel obligated to raise the bar on patient care and give the people offshore a voice as a patient care advocate. Our genuine desire to be part of the EMS chain of survival has kept us in the industry and saving hundreds of lives through proactive safety oversight has inspired us to develop continuous improvement processes.
What types of job opportunities does your company offer? What skills make potential employees a good fit with the team?
We hire three primary types of employees: Remote Healthcare professionals, Safety professionals, and combo Health/Safety professionals. With all three types, Pharma Safe only hires seasoned personnel with experiences catered to our client’s needs. Through our customization process, we match experience with client expectations to insure mutual success. Employees who have exceptional offshore experience along with exceptional people skills are our primary targets.
How much of a priority is worker safety and environmental stewardship for your company? Can you give an example of safety or environmental practices within your company?
Understanding our priority of worker safety and environmental stewardship begins with a fundamental understanding of what inspires a company’s safety culture from day one. In years past, safety in the Oil & Gas industry wasn’t always a priority. Just one generation ago, my father lost his fingers on his dominant hand due to a lack of safety procedures. As a result, I grew up with a father who could not reel in a fishing pole, throw a football, and swing a baseball bat just to name a few things. As a result, I dedicated my life to providing remote patient care with safety oversight to avoid this from happening to another generation. When consequences are felt on a personal level, safety takes on new meanings and powerful Safety cultures are created. We develop consistent Level 1 expectations to develop and implement procedures and processes as boundaries, Level 2 processes to provide resources to further define the HSE tools, hazards, regulatory, client and company requirements, and Level 3 site specific systems, processes and procedures. Our Safety Culture is combined with our clients in both our words and in our mutual actions.
How has the industry changed in the last five years? Are there any new technologies or practices that you wish had previously existed?
Technology has changed our industry greatly in the past five years. Focusing on the medical side, with the advent of enhanced communications and better software, Telemedicine has played a vital role in increasing the quality of remote patient care. Also, pharmaceutical advancements are evolving in our highly dynamic field making our jobs much easier by developing more specific or targeted drug delivery techniques. As a result, we have noticed remarkable improvements in our remote care clinics and a reduction of unnecessary transports which saves our clients money.
What does your family do for fun when you are not working?
As the father of two eagle scouts and one more in the making, we are very active in outdoor activities. My family and I enjoy fishing, hunting and backpacking when not working. We believe in a healthy balance of work and fun to reduce stress, provide greater focus, and obtain higher levels of job satisfaction.
People who do not live along the Gulf Coast might not know about the fishing, beaches and other outdoor draws to the region. How much are the outdoors part of the way of life for energy workers along the Gulf of Mexico?
The outdoors is a huge part of our lives in South Louisiana. Louisiana is known as the Sportsman’s Paradise due to its fishing, wildlife and unique recreational offerings. We, and almost everyone we know here, take advantage of all outdoor activities on a regular basis.
Finally, what is the one thing you would like to tell Americans about life alongside America’s offshore energy production?
Protecting our environment so outdoor activities can continue is an obligation which we all can agree on. Having worked in the offshore area for more than 32 years I am confident technological advances allow us to responsively and safely secure reliable access to energy resources. Please understand that your environment is as important to you as our environment is important to us. We share your concerns about protecting the planet. As with work and fun, a healthy balance of energy production and environmental protection is obtained when we work together.
