Independent Healthcare Supply Chain Consultant
December 2023- The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
Please tell us about your role/responsibilities within your organization.
I am a supply chain leader that has had the opportunity to work across multiple industries – allowing me to bring forward expertise and best practices from those industries into the healthcare setting. My responsibilities have focused on leadership over all aspects of the supply chain, both contractually and operationally, that has resulted in clinician-integrated initiatives. I view my role as helping to turn supply chains into strategic partners – instead of a transactional department – through technology implementations that revamp the full contracting and operations processes for greater efficiency, savings and long-term resiliency.
In what ways has the market changed that makes supply chain more important to hospitals and health systems?
The importance of the hospital supply chain became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic due to pervasive shortages and backorders. Because of that, everyone now knows what PPE stands for. Since the pandemic’s early days, the importance and prominence of supply chain has only risen due to the increase in labor expense that all hospitals witnessed alongside inflation. When labor expense rose, the financial ask was how to counterbalance and reduce non-labor expense. This falls within the supply chain through strategic negotiations and strong vendor partnerships.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing supply chain teams today?
One of the biggest challenges facing supply chain teams today continues to be shortages and backorders. More transparency from our suppliers on manufacturing sites and capacity can help supply chains strategically plan from both a contracting and inventory perspective. We need to ensure continuity of supply, but can only do so when we understand the full end-to-end supply chain starting with the raw materials that begin the manufacturing process. This is standard practice in other industries, and we need to incorporate that thinking into the healthcare supply chain as well.
When you hear words like diversity and equity in the workplace, what does that mean to you? How can prioritizing these values contribute to the success of an organization?
Being in supply chain, the opportunity to drive diversity and equity in the vendor base allows for extending diversity and equity beyond the walls of the workplace and into the communities. Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work alongside leaders that drove a successful Supplier Diversity program. And through this, I was able to see and experience how diversity strengthened not only the supply chain, but the communities that we serve. That has resonated with me to this day, and I continue to support initiatives that will build strong programs.
What is a recent project or initiative you’ve been excited to work on?
Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to implement multiple supply chain technology and software systems. While this can be a big lift, it also allows for innovation and continuous improvement as markets develop and mature. New solutions bring the opportunity to implement change to an organization. Historically, systems were designed to be stagnant, but with advancements in technology happening daily and changes with market pressures, supply chain solutions also need the ability to quickly adjust and adapt to reflect those changes. Designing an agile, flexible and highly beneficial solution in an industry that historically has been inflexible is very invigorating.