AHRMM - Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast

Elevating the Supply Chain
Profession and Futurecast
An Executive Thought Leaders Event
Sponsored By
Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
Introduction
T
he Association for Healthcare
Resource & Materials
Management (AHRMM) of the
American Hospital Association (AHA)
is the leading professional
organization for the healthcare
supply chain. Founded in 1962,
AHRMM supports its membership’s
development through leadership,
education, networking, resources,
and advocacy. AHRMM is
committed to keeping its members
ahead of the learning curve, so they
“work smarter” in the field and
remain prepared for future career
opportunities.
The AHRMM Mission
AHRMM strives to advance
healthcare through supply chain
excellence by providing education,
leadership, and advocacy to
professionals in hospitals, health
systems, and related organizations
that are accountable to the
community and committed to health
improvement.
M
ore than a year has
passed since the Patient
Protection and
Affordable Care Act (ACA) was
signed into law. One critical
objective of the ACA is to shift from
a healthcare system that pays
based on volume to one based on
providing value, defined as
delivering high quality care in a
cost-effective manner. Hospital
leaders are attempting to define
strategies that will enable success
and mission fulfillment in the face
of changes in government
reimbursement methodologies and
implementation of new regulations
and requirements. Their challenge
is made even more difficult by a
recessionary environment.
Changes in the healthcare
environment are driving increased
focus by hospitals on the
integration of care across the
continuum and other innovations
in care delivery. The supply chain is
no longer a discreet function
housed within the four walls of the
hospital. Today, supply chain
management is accountable for a
broad network of resources often
spread across many facilities and
2
providers. The challenges of supply
chain success require supply chain
executives to be adept strategic
leaders, able to navigate in a
geographically-dispersed, highly
complex, and rapidly changing
healthcare environment.
On August 8, 2011, the Association
for Healthcare Resource & Materials
Management hosted an Executive
Thought Leader Event, sponsored
by VHA. Held during the
AHRMM11 Conference in Boston,
Massachusetts, 26 seasoned
healthcare supply chain executives
discussed a broad range of
strategic issues and challenges
confronting supply chain
executives today. The skills,
experience, and expertise of supply
chain professionals are essential
resources for healthcare
organizations seeking leading-edge
solutions to increasing cost
pressures. Jamie Kowalski, Jamie C.
Kowalski Consulting and 2011
recipient of AHRMM’s George R.
Gossett Leadership Award
observed, “If we ever had an
opportunity as a profession, it is
now.”
Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
The AHRMM Vision
To advance healthcare supply chain
excellence though the provision of
education, the sharing and
cultivation of knowledge, and
continuous advocacy for the
profession.
Following a summary presentation
of findings from the 2011 National
Executive Survey on Supply Chain
Management, supply chain
executives’ discussion focused on:

Elevating the supply chain
profession;

The supply chain forecast
for the future; and

The AHRMM “Value
Proposition.”
AHRMM Values

Vision

Integrity

Excellence

Risk Taking

Strategic Partnering
“The challenges that face
healthcare organizations
have never been more
daunting… The time has
come for… the
healthcare supply chain
profession to (be) an
essential, knowledgeable,
and strategic voice within
our companies,
institutions, and industry.”
William Stitt, FAHRMM, CHL, CRCST
AHRMM President
Throughout the executives’
discussion of supply chain issues
and opportunities, participants
responded to a series of questions
posed using an electronic opinion
polling process. The polling results
provided an added dimension of
information and insights for this
Executive Thought Leader Event.
Thought Leaders Profile
The perspectives presented by
thought leaders participating in this
AHRMM event were derived from
their many years of supply chain
experience. Nearly 70 percent of
participants have worked in the
supply chain profession for more
than 20 years, and more than twothirds of the participants are vice
presidents. All participants work in
either multi-hospital organizations
or in single-hospitals that are part
of integrated delivery networks
with multiple sites of service. Nine
out of ten of the participants are
responsible for budgets exceeding
$100 million. Of those, more than
one in five have budgets over $250
million and two in five are
responsible for budgets exceeding
$500 million. More than one-third
of the participants came to the
healthcare supply chain field from
another industry.
Contents
Findings of the 2011 National Executive
Survey on Supply Chain Management ..................................................................... 4
Moving Up: Elevating the Supply Chain Profession ........................................... 8
Futurecast: Healthcare and the
Supply Chain in the Near and Long Term ............................................................. 11
The Value Proposition: Delivering Real Results
for Organizations and Supply Chain Professionals ............................................ 14
Action Initiatives ............................................................................................................. 17
Executive Thought Leader Event Participants ..................................................... 19
VHA Sponsorship Acknowledgement .................................................................... 20
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
Findings of the 2011 National Executive
Survey on Supply Chain Management
4
Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
I
n collaboration with the Marquette University
College of Business Administration, the Center for
Supply Chain Management and Jamie C. Kowalski
Consulting, LLC, AHRMM conducted a 2011 National
Executive Survey on Supply Chain Management. The
Executive Thought Leader Event discussion began with
a presentation by Jamie Kowalski, who summarized the
survey’s findings for event participants. The survey was
designed to gauge hospital executives’ perceptions of
the importance of supply chain management within
their organizations, developing issues, and industry
trends.
2) is a result of when the supply chain is well-managed, it
essentially becomes invisible to the organization.
The survey was distributed to CEOs and COOs (not all of
whom have supply chain responsibilities) and supply chain
leaders. A wide range of organization sizes and types
(hospitals and integrated delivery networks) was
represented by survey respondents.
Thought leaders acknowledged that failure to be viewed as
important may limit opportunities for supply chain leaders
to make strategic contributions at the C-suite level and to
elevate the standing of the profession.
Supply chain not well-valued by C-suite. Kowalski
Supply chain not well supported. Kowalski also
presented survey findings related to support for the supply
chain. While support was generally considered to be high,
C-suite respondents’ support was significantly lower than
other respondents (just over 3 on a 5 point scale, where 1 =
Very Unlikely and 5 = Very Likely). In response to questions
regarding satisfaction with supply chain performance and
leadership, supply chain leaders were only moderately
satisfied (3.3 on a 5 point scale, where 1 = Strongly
Disagree and 5 = Strongly Agree), and C-suite respondents
were even less satisfied (2.65 on the 5 point scale).
presented survey results to the question “How important is
supply chain management?” On average, supply chain
importance was rated by C-Suite respondents at 3.7 on a 5
point scale (1 = Unimportant, 5 = Important). Kowalski
questioned thought leaders about why the supply chain is
not considered more important by C-suite respondents. In
discussing this result, participants identified studies
projecting that non-labor costs will surpass labor costs in
the next ten years, a fact they believe should be driving
greater consideration for the importance of supply chain.
About one-third of participants have come into the
healthcare supply chain profession from other industries,
and it is the perception of thought leaders that other
industries hold the supply chain at a higher level of
importance than does the healthcare field.
Finding the “silver lining.” Kowalski and thought leaders
reviewed the challenges to supply chain strategy identified
by the survey. The top challenges identified included
physician preference items and nurse and physician
resistance to change. Recession and healthcare reform
may offer supply chain professionals a “silver lining” to
demonstrate their vital strategic importance in reducing
costs and standardizing the use of supplies and equipment
Thought leaders questioned if the lack of perceived
importance and interest in the supply chain: 1) stems from
being viewed as a component of other aims, service lines,
functions, etc. vs. existing as a stand-alone function; and/or
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
Thought leaders were then challenged to consider the
implications of these survey results. Those implications
include ineffective communication and positioning
regarding the scope of supply chain responsibilities and
the depth of supply chain professionals’ knowledge, skills,
experience, and expertise. Without this knowledge,
Kowalski and thought leaders believe C-suite executives
will fail to realize the importance of the supply chain to
organizational success. As a result, C-suite executives and
their organizations may fail to benefit from the significant
strategic contributions the supply chain offers.
Managing to metrics. In an attempt to quantify a
potential source of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the
supply chain, survey participants were asked if they have
the metrics needed to manage supply chain performance.
Only slightly more than one-third of C-suite (36.5 percent)
and supply chain (35.3 percent) leaders believe they have
the metrics necessary to manage supply chain
performance. More than one-third (34.1 percent) of C-suite
executives responding either disagree or strongly disagree
that they have the metrics needed to manage supply chain
performance. Kowalski emphasized the critical importance
of taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the
current environment to demonstrate and communicate
the significance of the supply chain to the strategic success
of their organizations.
across the organization. Reimbursement and revenue
changes, persistent unemployment, and growing numbers
of self-pay patients are demanding that leaders and supply
chain professionals focus on those products that increase
quality while controlling costs. These environmental
factors are motivating executives to engage physicians in
supply chain evaluations and decisions. Survey
respondents recognized that supply chain professionals
are able to deliver reductions in expenses that improve the
bottom line.
Securing a place on executive agendas. Another area of
the survey focused on the American College of Healthcare
Executives’ (ACHE) Congress, held every March in Chicago.
Kowalski estimated that of the 250 sessions offered at each
Congress, only a limited few are related to the supply
chain. The survey questioned why the supply chain is not
more prominently featured on ACHE Congress agendas.
Results indicated that most survey respondents do not
believe that the supply chain is strategic, nor do they
believe that it is as important or relevant as other topics.
Results also indicated a failure to recognize the impact of
the supply chain on improving financial margins.
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
“What’s in a name?” In addition to the
survey results, thought leaders discussed
the pros and cons of the term “supply
chain.” The concerns of some
professionals are whether “supply chain”
is truly representative of the full scope of
non-labor resource management
responsibilities encompassed by the
supply chain and whether it contributes
positively to the positioning of the supply
chain in an organization. Leaders
acknowledged that the concept and
function of the supply chain has evolved
far from “materials management.”
Included in the discussion was
acknowledgement that name alone
cannot advance the profession; education about and
communication of the principles, concepts, and enterprisewide value of the supply chain are also important.
emerging from other fields.
Survey participants were
asked about the selection
criteria they use when
seeking supply chain
leaders. Respondents
indicated their criteria are
leadership-based as
opposed to seeking
technical supply chain
experience. The qualities
respondents are seeking
include: demonstrated
success, leadership
qualities, certification,
communication skills,
collaboration capabilities, integrity, ability to engage Csuite executives, experience with physicians, masters
degrees in supply chain, and resourcefulness. An example
was cited of an organization whose new hiring strategy is
to seek individuals with leadership skills over technical
supply chain experience.
Leaders wanted. Historically, many healthcare supply
chain leaders have risen through the ranks of the supply
chain. Today, however, many supply chain leaders are
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
Moving Up:
Elevating the Supply Chain Profession
8
Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
B
efore focusing discussion on elevating the supply
chain profession, thought leaders responded to a
series of questions designed to gauge their views
on how the supply chain profession is perceived. While
more than one-third of the participants (36.4 percent)
believe their most important C-suite relationship is with the
CFO, an equal number believe it is with all C-suite
executives (CFO, COO, CEO, and CIO). Few selected the
CEO as the single, most important relationship for supply
chain leaders.
Significantly, only a few thought leaders (15 percent)
indicate they are highly involved with their organization’s
physician practice development, indicating an opportunity
for supply chain leadership.
With reform comes opportunity. Clinical integration,
acquisition of physician practices, and recruitment of
employed physicians have raised challenges for supply
chain professionals. Commonly, the supply chain has not
been brought into the recruitment or acquisition process
early-on. Expectations of standardized vs. physician
preference items have not been set early in these
processes, which often raises operational issues later on.
The thought leaders recognized the need to become an
integral part of recruitment and hospital/physician
partnership processes, ensuring physician understanding
of hospital commitments to standard products and
equipment. Some of the thought leaders are beginning to
receive requests for meetings from physician practice
leaders who are well-attuned to the new practice
environment, who recognize the need for an
understanding of supply chain dynamics, and who
appreciate the role of the supply chain.
Two in five thought leaders believe they engage very
effectively with senior leaders on strategic issues, but more
than one-quarter (27.3 percent) view their engagement
with senior leaders as only somewhat or not very effective.
Those that effectively engage with senior leaders believe
their success is the result of presenting innovative ideas for
cost reduction and efficiencies, and the strong peer
relationships they’ve established as a member of the senior
leadership team.
Most of the participants are involved in their organization’s
strategic planning process with more than half of those
reporting having a “seat at the table.” “At the table” was
interpreted by participants as collaboration among senior
leaders in which the supply chain leader understands and
participates in the entire process.
Thought leaders believe their ability to plan, develop,
simplify, and execute process efficiencies is the supply
chain competency that can most benefit other areas of
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
their organizations. This capability has even greater
significance when coupled with the supply chain’s ability
to analyze and evaluate return on investments. These
competencies are particularly significant given changes in
reimbursement and the increasing attention being focused
on delivering value, high-quality, cost-effective care.
COOs who understand that the supply chain impacts over
50 percent of total operating expenses or who have served
as CFOs are more likely to value and strategically use the
talents and skills of supply chain professionals. C-suite
executives who consider the supply chain as more
transactional than strategic are less apt to recognize or
benefit from the same opportunities. The thought leaders
believe that supply chain professionals must take personal
initiative to “market” to their CEOs and other C-suite
executives the skills and expertise of the profession and
how those can be strategically put to use to benefit the
organization. Supply chain professionals working as Csuite executives are able to apply their skills and expertise
in contract negotiation, project management, utilization,
and more to areas beyond general supply chain
management, including clinical products, IT, nutritional
supply, clinical engineering, and more.
Manage GPO relations. Thought leaders see both
opportunity and possible risk in their hospitals’ relations
with GPOs. Although highly valued by supply chain
professionals, some leaders question if GPO dependency
and competition limits development of hospital supply
chain expertise. Others believe that demonstrated supply
chain leadership within the GPO relationship is
communicated to CEOs to the benefit of supply chain
executives.
Wide-angle perspectives of care. Another advantage for
supply chain leaders are their working relationships that
span the healthcare delivery system. The supply chain
interacts with physicians, food and nutrition executives,
office and administrative staff, and multiple other areas.
These working relationships provide supply chain leaders
with insight into nearly every facet of the organization.
This insight across an organization uniquely positions
supply chain leaders as a resource with the ability to grasp
the complexity of the organization and an ability to
provide valuable feedback, information, and knowledge
about the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.
Focused on a higher mission. Successful supply chain
executives think beyond traditional supply chain
responsibilities. The mindset of these professionals is
focused on how the supply chain can positively affect the
delivery of safe, high-quality patient care. These executives
want to help achieve the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) six
aims (care that’s safe, timely, efficient, effective, patientcentered, and equitable) and align with others in
contributing strategic value to their organizations.
Supply chain thought leaders believe that a key barrier to
elevating the supply chain profession is the limited
perception of many C-suite professionals that supply chain
is strictly about buying equipment and supplies and
managing GPOs. Thought leaders suggest that CEOs and
Leaders believe that by contributing value to their
organizations and earning trust and respect, supply chain
professionals have and will continue to successfully elevate
the supply chain profession.
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
Futurecast: Healthcare and the Supply
Chain in the Near and Long Term
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
L
eading into a discussion about the trends driving
the supply chain’s influence on organizational
success, thought leaders were asked what they see
as the most valuable role for the supply chain in enabling
healthcare organizations to successfully adapt to reform
pressures and opportunities. Almost half (47 percent)
believe their most valuable role is applying “systems
thinking” across the enterprise, while one-fifth believe their
most valuable role is to improve quality and patient safety.
When asked what directions hold the greatest opportunity
for supply chain executives, over one-third of the thought
leaders indicated the greatest opportunity lies in the
increased emphasis on the relationship between supply
chain management, clinical outcomes, safety, and
sustainability. Nearly half believe the most significant
opportunity is related to strategy, and 25 percent of
respondents believe the biggest opportunity is the
accelerated conversion of role from transactional to
strategic; just under one in four believe the demand for
strategic metrics linking supply chain to strategic initiatives
is the greatest opportunity.
and patients’ recovery long term, thereby reducing cost
per patient per day. Reduced cost per patient is a measure
of efficiency being considered for implementation by CMS
as part of its value-based payment program. Thought
leaders believe that to succeed in the future, supply chain
professionals must be able to envision and embrace the
“bigger picture.” Applying systems thinking and
demonstrating cost efficiencies will position supply chain
professionals to contribute strategically to hospitals’ efforts
to manage population health, coordinate care across
continuums, and prevent readmissions as well as
contribute to hospitals’ financial strength and stability.
Thinking broadly. Leaders expressed their beliefs that
system thinking, linking everything across the enterprise, is
important to reducing costs. An example was cited in
which evidence demonstrated that application of
diagnostic supply chain processes reduced length of stay
Finding opportunities in reform. Nearly all thought
leaders (over 95 percent) agreed that healthcare reform is
an opportunity for supply chain professionals to elevate
the visibility and value of the supply chain field.
Specifically, thought leaders believe that value-based
purchasing offers an opportunity for the supply chain to
elevate its contribution to organization success and elevate
the image and position of the field. Observing that the
continued escalation of healthcare costs is unsustainable,
thought leaders believe that cost pressures will force a
greater reliance on the supply chain to find and deliver
efficiencies and savings throughout the system of care.
The ability to interface electronic medical records across
the continuum represents significant cost to the healthcare
system, cost that is increased by variability. The supply
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
innovative perspectives that look beyond cost are key
elements to developing these opportunities, and wellaligned incentives and efficient metrics will be important
to achieving success.
chain’s ability to contribute to efforts to drive out variability
and standardize supplies and processes represents an
important reform-driven opportunity for the profession.
Reducing variability must extend beyond supplies and
equipment to activities and processes as well. In one
example, an organization with multiple facilities
experienced difficulty balancing staffing among hospitals.
Different processes and products in each hospital required
additional education and training. The organization was
able to reduce costs and improve efficiency when the
supply chain assisted in standardizing processes and
products among the different hospitals.
Looking to academia. Supply chain leaders are
developing new relationships with colleges and
universities to ensure the depth of supply chain talent
needed to succeed in the future. In reaching out to
representatives of college and university supply chain
degree programs, some supply chain executives have
discovered that these programs had not considered
healthcare as a potential career opportunity for their
supply chain graduates. As a result, new partnerships,
programs, and internships focused specifically on
healthcare are being developed with academic
organizations. Unable to find the depth of needed talent
in their region, some leaders have turned to academia to
find not only new talent, but also seasoned supply chain
professionals to hire.
Leaders also forecast opportunities to identify new
technologies and other means of improving patient care.
To be successful, thought leaders believe the supply chain
must assume an active, energetic role in coordinating multi
-disciplinary, integrated teams to identify opportunities,
analyze impacts, and deliver results. Challenging
individuals and teams to embrace new, different, and
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
The Value Proposition: Delivering Real
Results for Organizations and Supply
Chain Professionals
14
Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
T
suggested for AHRMM to consider in advancing the supply
chain profession.
hought leaders considered two questions designed
to help identify and focus attention on the supply
chain’s value and opportunities for promoting the
profession and its contributions to the C-suite. When
asked which two issues interest the C-suite most and most
dominate their time and attention, thought leaders
identified improving reimbursement and improving quality
and patient safety as the top issues. When asked in which
two areas the supply chain has an opportunity to play the
most significant role, reducing costs through smarter
decisions and greater efficiency was selected over
improving reimbursement and improving quality and
patient safety. Despite the apparent discrepancy in
responses between C-suite priorities and supply chain
opportunities, the choices are both intricately and
inextricably related.
Developing talent organically. Supply chain leaders
value the resources AHRMM provides to educate their
staffs. Of particular value are important messages about
how the supply chain in many ways impacts how an
organization is able to best care for its patients. The
thought leaders want AHRMM to challenge and motivate
the membership to a higher level of performance and
expertise.
Collaborative programs for C-suite executives. To
promote the profession and encourage C-suite
appreciation for the significant contributions the supply
chain can make in the areas of reimbursement, quality and
patient safety, efficiency and more, thought leaders
suggested that AHRMM collaborate with organizations like
ACHE to develop new programs focused on the strategic
role of the supply chain. The programs would be designed
to educate and promote with executives the
organizational value, opportunities, and benefits they can
derive from utilizing the full range of expertise and
perspective of their supply chain professionals.
Strengthening AHRMM’s Value
Strengthening AHRMM’s brand awareness, collaborating
with C-suite organizations on program development, and
assisting with talent development are among the actions
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
Extending the knowledge of AHRMM’s value. Thought
leaders questioned CEOs’ awareness of AHRMM, and
whether CEOs understand the value AHRMM offers to
supply chain professionals and, ultimately, to their
organization. As supply chain leaders, they recognize the
importance of their personal advocacy for AHRMM with Csuite executives. Leveraging AHRMM’s ties to AHA as a
channel for promoting the organization and the profession
was also recommended for exploration.
The thought leaders would like AHRMM to strengthen its
position within the profession as well. Surveying the
members to identify gaps in membership services,
recruiting new membership to the organization,
promoting active membership involvement, sharing
innovative best practices, and creating a supply chain
leadership development program were among the
suggestions for building AHRMM’s organizational strength
and recognition.
Finally, seven of ten thought leaders believe AHRMM
should evaluate changing its name to something shorter,
simpler, or more descriptive as a step in strengthening its
brand position.
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
Action Initiatives
T
hought leader event participants identified a
number of initiatives or improvements they
believe will advance the supply chain
profession.
Promote Understanding
Supply chain leaders interact with a wide-range of
departments and functions throughout their
organizations. They offer invaluable skills and
expertise, such as effective negotiation and cost/
benefit analyses, that can be readily applied in many
areas throughout an organization. C-suite executives
often fail to recognize and take full advantage of all
that the supply chain can offer the organization. Leaders
advocate better knowledge and understanding of their
profession by C-suite executives through:


AHRMM’s collaboration with ACHE and other
executive organizations to develop supply chain
programs targeted to C-suite executives; and
Publication of well-written, informational articles in
executive publications.
Ensure active, engaged members and promote
membership growth;

Provide educational opportunities and leadership
development programs; and

Use AHRMM’s ties with AHA as a channel for
promoting the organization.
Think Strategically, Focus on the Mission
Successful supply chain professionals look beyond
transactional functions for opportunities to contribute
value to their organizations. They couple their expertise
and insights gathered through interactions spanning the
organization with “big picture” thinking to make strategic
contributions to their hospitals. Their primary focus is to
seek out opportunities for the supply chain to help the
organization provide high-quality, safe patient care.
Strengthen the ARHMM Brand
A strong brand image for AHRMM lends credibility to the
profession. AHRMM should be readily recognized by Csuite executives and others as a valued resource.
Recommended activities for strengthening the
organization include:


Survey membership to identify gaps in
membership services;
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
development programs that raise the professional bar for
the supply chain are essential components to ensuring
respect and career opportunities for supply chain
professionals.
Advocate for the Supply Chain
Supply chain executives know best the valuable skills,
expertise, and knowledge they have and can contribute to
organizational success in responding to reform and
healthcare transformation. Underlying many of the
discussions of the thought leaders event was the need to
act with initiative, engage C-suite executives, and
demonstrate and market the strategic capabilities and
assets of the supply chain profession.
Manage to Metrics
The 2011 National Executive Survey on Supply Chain
Management results indicated that only slightly more than
one-third of C-suite executives and supply chain leaders
believe they have the metrics needed to effectively
manage supply chain performance. Appropriate and
accepted measures of supply chain performance would
demonstrate and promote the strategic contributions of
the supply chain.
Enhance Supply Chain Expertise
Today’s C-suite executives seek supply chain executives
with demonstrated leadership skills and expertise over
technical supply chain knowledge and experience.
Providing educational opportunities and leadership
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Elevating the Supply Chain Profession and Futurecast
Executive Thought Leader Event Participants
Francine Crockett, CMRP
Vice President, Supply Chain Management
University Health System
Molly Matthews
Vice President
VHA Inc.
Cathy Denning, RN, MSN
Vice President
Novation
Robert Matthews, CMRP
Assistant Vice President
Albany Medical Center
Florence Doyle
Vice President, Supply Chain Management
Catholic Health East
Phyllis McCready
Vice President, Procurement and Contract Management
North Shore LIJ Health System
Alan Edwards, CMRP
Assistant Vice President, Supply Chain Management
Mary Washington Healthcare
Dale Montgomery, FAHRMM
Vice President Support Services
Hays Medical Center
Afshin Fatholahi, MA, MPA, CMRP
Vice President, Support Services
Cottage Health System
Steve Patton, CMRP
Assistant Vice President, Purchasing Services
Alexian Brothers Health System
Stephen Faup
Vice President, Supply Chain Operations
Saint Barnabas Healthcare System
Howard Sisco
Vice President
Children’s Health System
John Gaida, FAHRMM
Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Management
Texas Health Resources
Edward Smith, CMRP
Executive Director
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Lawrence Gossman, MBA, CMRP
Associate Vice President of Supply Chain
Wishard Health Services
William Stitt, FAHRMM, CHL, CRCST
Vice President, Materials Management
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Thomas Harvieux
Vice President
Sanford Health
Jeffrey Wagner, CMRP
Vice President
MidMichigan Health
Stephen Huebner, CMRP, FACHE
Vice President, Material Operations-Virginia
Bon Secours Health System
Anthony Ybarra
Senior Vice President, Supply Chain
Community Hospital Corporation
Brent Johnson
Vice President
Intermountain Healthcare
Brian Zuck
Executive Director, Supply Chain Operations
Essentia Health
Mary Beth Lang
Senior Vice President
UPMC
Jan Lea
Vice President, Materials Management
Methodist Health System
Moderated by Larry W. Walker, President
The Walker Company Healthcare Consulting, LLC
Lake Oswego, OR
Presentation by Jamie Kowalski, CEO
Jamie C. Kowalski Consulting, LLC
Dale Locklair, CMRP
Vice President, Real Estate and Procurement
McLeod Health
John Mateka, MBA, MHA, FAHRMM
Executive Director, Supply Chain Operations
Greenville Health Systems University Medical Center
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The AHRMM Executive Thought Leader Event was
sponsored by VHA®. Based in Irving, Texas, VHA Inc. is a
national network of not-for-profit healthcare
organizations that work together to drive maximum
savings in the supply chain arena, set new levels of
clinical performance and identify and implement best
practices to improve operational efficiency and clinical
outcomes. VHA serves more than 1,400 hospitals and
more than 23,000 non-acute care providers nationwide.
155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 400
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(312) 422-3840
www.ahrmm.org