by
Sean Ruck, Contributing Editor | July 20, 2016
From the July 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
HCB News: What initiatives are you championing as chair?
MBL: Ten years ago, the discussion at AHRMM was how to get supply chain viewed as a strategic leader and elevated as a C-suite leader. Many large systems have a C-suite supply chain leader. This leader is now being tasked with unprecedented cost savings that can’t come from lower acquisition costs. These savings must come from the redesign of care, avoidance of duplicative or unnecessary care, appropriate sites of care and a focus on wellness and prevention. My role as chair is to propel the CQO Movement by strategically connecting supply chain leaders to the Triple Aim (www.ahrmm.org/CQO-Triple-Aim) being conducted across the country at the executive level. This effort began last year and has grown as a focus throughout this year.
The second area of focus during my chair year has been around succession planning. Specifically, engaging the next generation of students to want to practice in health care and to create the environment that encourages staff to grow into supply chain leaders. As with all new areas of focus, we have started small by hosting a session during the AHRMM16 Conference & Exhibition this summer in San Diego, to highlight current activities of disseminating best practices related to attracting students into health care supply chain, and promoting career ladders to retain and promote future health care supply chain leaders.
HCB News: What skills and training does a resource and materials management professional need to be successful in today’s health care environment, and has that changed significantly from a decade ago?
MBL: The qualifications profile of a supply chain professional has changed compared to a decade ago. For example, health systems are looking for master’s or doctoral training for key supply chain management as tactical functions are automated and staff focus turns to strategic activities. As mentioned previously, spend under management has grown to include all non-labor spend, necessitating broader category management and expertise.
Successful staff and leaders must also possess the desire to be a transformational leader. The old command and control management style can thwart progress. The leader of today is someone who can take charge with strong project management skills focused on change management, Lean Six Sigma process redesign. An uplifting leader is a good communicator, especially throughout the process change, a good listener willing to make plan adjustments after assimilating stakeholder feedback, strong collaborator, bridge builder, and fosters a culture of excellence.
