With a strong track record in the medical device field, Jaimie Augustine serves as Vice President of Sales at COPAN Diagnostics, a company known for its leadership in microbiology and virology sample collection and transport solutions.
In her current role, Jaimie oversees a team of six sales managers responsible for driving growth across COPAN’s sample collection, transport products, and laboratory automation systems used in hospitals. She also manages key commercial partnerships with distributors and assay developers. Much of her day involves working directly with end users, helping them navigate COPAN’s portfolio to find the most suitable tools for their testing needs.
What keeps Jaimie energized is the variety of her work. She may spend one day collaborating on a new collection kit to meet emerging demands and the next day traveling across Europe to align with industry partners on business strategy.
Meeting New Challenges
Jaimie’s career has evolved in two chapters. She earned her BA in premedical studies and philosophy from Point Loma Nazarene University and spent nearly six years managing clinical research for a neuroendocrine clinic. Eleven years ago, she transitioned into the industry side of healthcare, where she feels she has truly found her long-term professional home.
A major milestone came in early 2020 when Apple awarded COPAN Diagnostics $10 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to accelerate the production of sample collection kits needed in hospitals across the country. This partnership enabled COPAN to expand production capacity, open a new facility, and create jobs in Southern California during a critical moment for the healthcare system.
Since 2021, Jaimie has also partnered with assay manufacturers focused on at-home diagnostic testing. She sees this as the future of healthcare: testing moving closer to the patient through innovations that make diagnostics faster, simpler, and more accessible.
Staying Ahead in a Competitive Space
COPAN has long been considered a pioneer in microbiology sample collection and transport. The company created and patented the flocked swab and has integrated robotics and automation into its processes for years. This commitment to innovation led to the launch of the Walk-Away Specimen Processor (WASP®) in 2008, followed by Smart Incubators and Digital Microbiology in 2012.
COPAN’s culture encourages creativity at every level. Many team members who joined when the company first opened in 1979 still work there, which reflects the deep pride employees take in their mission. This environment allows people to think freely, try new ideas, and deliver meaningful solutions for clinicians and laboratories.
Navigating Unprecedented Obstacles
Like the rest of the laboratory community, COPAN faced extraordinary pressures during the pandemic. Jaimie and her team had to make difficult decisions about how to allocate limited supplies. She recalls the emotional weight of the moment: supporting a team inundated with urgent calls from hospitals, while customers struggled under intense pressure from clinicians and patients.
Jaimie stepped forward wherever she was needed. She assisted operations, worked closely with government officials, and engaged with corporate leaders and policymakers to help speed up support where possible. With Apple’s partnership, COPAN was able to build an additional facility, hire furloughed workers, and increase production of essential testing materials when the country needed them most.
Leadership and Life Beyond Work
Jaimie finds purpose in watching her team succeed, whether it’s securing a challenging contract or helping clinicians cope with the demands of the last few years. In 2021, she was recognized as one of the Top Women in Biotech, ranking sixth on the Healthcare and Technology Report’s list.
Balancing work and personal life has not been easy, especially during the height of the pandemic. She spent far more time at work than she did at home. Recently, she has taken steps to reset her routine—slowing down when possible, taking a long overdue vacation, and reconnecting with her priorities. She now tries to follow more standard working hours and makes time for exercise classes or outings with friends several times a week.
Celebrating small and big wins helps keep her motivated. Watching a new team member deliver her first presentation or holding a finished product that was once only a sketch reminds her why the work matters.
Becoming a Source of Encouragement
In an industry dominated by metrics and output, it’s easy to lose sight of one’s purpose. Jaimie hopes women remember that their voices matter. She encourages them to trust their strengths, surround themselves with people who complement their abilities, and avoid comparing themselves to others. The only competition worth focusing on, she says, is the one with yourself.
Her View on Success
Jaimie believes success doesn’t come from rigid formulas. For her, it is shaped by hard work, leading by example, taking on challenges, building the right team, learning through failure, and improving each time. She works to create a culture where people understand that mistakes are part of growth and often lead to the most meaningful breakthroughs.
She also notes that women are sometimes encouraged to mute their intuition in favor of logic alone. Her own journey has been guided by a mix of instinct, determination, and reason.
Jaimie’s connection to healthcare became deeply personal while she was in college and experienced the anxiety of waiting for medical test results. That experience, combined with her passion for clinical microbiology, influenced her decision to join COPAN rather than pursue her initial plan of becoming a clinician.
The Road Ahead for COPAN Diagnostics
COPAN Diagnostics continues to provide the US healthcare system with high-quality sample collection and transport solutions. Jaimie now contributes to areas such as contract manufacturing for assay developers, a part of the business she enjoys because it allows COPAN to pair its specimen-collection expertise with advanced diagnostic technologies created by leading innovators in the field.