Enterprise Vice President, Supply Chain Management/GPO Operations
Advocate Health
Washington, DC
What interested you about a career in healthcare?
I was drawn to the healthcare field at a young age. In fact, I set my sights on a degree and a career in healthcare administration in my mid-teenage years and have never looked back. I have always believed the healthcare field to be a noble cause, in that it provides critical services to people and their families when they need it the most. The reality is, we all require healthcare services at some point in our lives; to be part of a field that supports people, both in times of happiness and in need, has always been what has drawn me. Whether it is in supply chain or working as a direct care provider, we all have a role to play in ensuring that we are providing the best service and experience to the patients that we serve.
What do you like about working in supply chain? Was it a position you sought, or found out about once you began working in the field?
During college I was fortunate to receive an appointment as an Administrative Intern at University of Missouri Healthcare. My preceptor was the VP of Supply Chain/Support Services. I recall stepping into the role for the summer knowing very little about supply chain and never realizing that it played such a critical role in the delivery of care. I was addicted from the start. And while I have had the great fortune to work in many different roles during my career, they have always been connected to the healthcare supply chain. I have the same feeling now that I did then – supply chain remains as one of the most critical, and sometimes unappreciated, areas of the healthcare delivery system. Twenty years into my career, I am still learning something new every day and believe that we have a tremendous opportunity to continuously improve. Every day is different, and I love that.
In what ways has the supply chain changed over the last 2-3 years, from your perspective?
Without question, and as we are all aware, the pandemic exposed the weakness and fragility of the healthcare supply chain. It was one of the first times in the career of many supply chain leaders that our teams were put in the spotlight. While there were bumps along the road and we can all agree that there is much to improve, it was also the time in which leaders, teams, and staff came together under extraordinary pressure and delivered for our care teams, patients, and communities. Certainly, there were moments of stress and panic, but teams across the country delivered. I believe we still have a long way to go to take the lessons of the pandemic and ensure that we build a more resilient supply chain, but that work is ongoing, and I remain encouraged by progress across the industry.
What skills are most important for you to succeed individually and for your team to succeed corporately in today’s environment?
Innovation. Improvement requires innovation, which demands new ways of thinking, doing, and engaging across the value chain. If we are going to build a more resilient post-pandemic supply chain, we have to continually challenge ourselves, our teams, suppliers, and industry partners to think differently. Simply making minor adjustments and largely doing what we have always done will not create lasting and meaningful change. We need to build resiliency and lean into best practices from other industries, such as vertical integration and greater transparency. I challenge myself and my team every day to question the status quo to ensure that we are not simply repeating what is familiar. A well-run and robust supply chain will only come by thinking differently than we have at any point in the past.
What are some of the top priorities of your supply chain team for 2023?
While resiliency must remain top of mind, we also must acknowledge that we are facing a period of further declining margins driven by soaring inflation and diminishing revenue. I fear that the path the healthcare industry is on, which has been accelerated by macro-economic forces over the last 2-3 years, is becoming more and more unsustainable. As a supply chain leader, cost control and finding solutions to offset escalating raw material and transportation costs is my top priority. The industry cannot sustain 8-15% year-over-year increases in supply costs, which we have seen over the last 12-18 months. Suppliers and providers must come together and identify ways to create efficiencies and reduce costs. This also involves technology partners and GPOs. Reducing costs also requires us to ensure we are working closely with physicians and care providers to collaborate to reduce variation and costs while maximizing outcomes for our patients.
Does your organization have a formal or informal leadership development plan? Have you had any mentors that have provided guidance?
Yes, at Advocate Health we have several programs to develop the next generation of leaders in our organization. Supply chain is an area where I am very passionate about developing talent to carry the torch forward. I think much of our success is predicated on inspiring that future cohort of leaders. For me personally, I can trace much of my success to a few mentors that have helped to guide my career. My current leader is one of those mentors. We have worked together for over 15 years in a variety of capacities and at different organizations. As you can imagine, over 15 years we have both developed and grown significantly but I have always looked up to him and his steady, inspirational, and principled leadership is something I have always sought to emulate.