Taking The Supply Chain Pulse

We talk with HonorHealth Strategic Sourcing Program Director Matthew Mitchell about why healthcare capital is uniquely hard to manage and why demand for care creates real pricing pressure. We dig into practical ways to plan, fund, and measure major equipment purchases so capital dollars go further and technology actually gets used.  • Matthew’s path from government and healthcare to hospitality an...

We talk with Eric O’Daffer about why healthcare supply chains need to invest more aggressively in AI platforms, indirect spend governance, and capital equipment planning. We share what’s working now, what still feels early, and what leadership teams must do to turn supply chain into a true enterprise value driver.  • Eric’s post-Gartner focus on advancing healthcare supply chain as his true north ...

Encore Episode: We talk with sterile processing expert Kim Jones about why central sterile is the hidden driver of operating room performance and patient safety. This conversation is still highly relevant as health systems continue to face OR efficiency and staffing challenges. how Kim transitioned from HR into sterile processing leadership and education how certification and education directly im...

We sit down with Scott Becker of Becker’s Healthcare to talk about what his daily view of the industry reveals about closures, staffing gaps, and the real-world squeeze on access to care. We also dig into why great events and clear writing still matter, then hear how Scott approaches building businesses through momentum, setbacks, and scaling.  • rural and community hospital closures and the downs...

We talk with David Kirshner about why healthcare CFOs are facing extreme margin pressure and why supply chain has become a strategic tool for survival. We map out how to find savings beyond clinical supplies by using better data, tighter contracting, and real cross-department partnerships.  • health systems moving from thriving to barely surviving as margins compress  • why CFO sponsorship matters...

A lot of supply chain leaders can talk strategy. Far fewer can trace it back to what happens when a patient is on the table and a team cannot afford a single shortcut. That’s why this conversation with Joseph Carr, Vice President and Supply Chain Leader at Akron Children’s Hospital, lands differently. Joseph started his healthcare career as a registered nurse in the operating room, then carried th...

We sit down with Rick Barlow to unpack why the Bellwether League Foundation exists and what it takes to honor healthcare supply chain leaders the right way. We trace the Hall of Fame’s origin story, the real world hurdles behind building a nonprofit, and why recognition can be the difference between losing talent and keeping it. • Bellwether League Foundation mission as a healthcare supply chain n...

We’ve lived through a supply chain time warp in healthcare: from clipboards and carbon-copy purchase orders to scanners, dashboards, and automation. Fred sits down with Tracy Cleveland, VP of Supply Chain at Munson Healthcare, to get honest about what actually improved, what still feels broken, and why the “latest tech” only works when the data behind it is clean. If you care about hospital operat...

We talk with Joe Colonna about how value analysis in the healthcare supply chain creates better decisions by balancing clinical outcomes with financial reality. We also reflect on Bill McFaul's legacy and why trust, inclusion, and change management matter as much as pricing.  • Bill McFaul's mentorship and his lasting impact on healthcare value analysis  • Value analysis as a holistic me...

We explore how a retiring SVP and a new SVP engineered a seamless leadership handoff at a national health system, turning succession into a strategic advantage. Mentorship, team alignment, and C-suite credibility anchor a playbook any supply chain can adapt. • three generations compare lessons on leadership and continuity • Damika’s path from hospital operations to executive leadership • how outsi...

We explore why AI cannot replace judgment, how curated data and sharp questions prevent elegant mistakes, and what separates strategic leadership from transactional management. The conversation centers on healthcare, leading up without title power, and building inclusive cultures that surface frontline insight. • AI as tool rather than turnkey solution • Risks of confident but wrong recommendation...

We explore how Cleveland Clinic scales supply chain excellence across 26 hospitals and hundreds of sites through daily safety huddles, rapid standardization, and honest system-wide assessments. Sarh Charai shares practical lessons on strategic supplier partnerships, recruiting for purpose, and closing the AI skills gap. • Role and scope of enterprise supply chain operations • Daily safety huddles...

We trace a practical playbook for transforming a hospital supply chain after major acquisitions, from stakeholder listening to a four-pillar strategy that ties clinical choice to operational excellence. A CSC launch, Kanban at the point of use, and smarter GPO expectations drive resilience and 99.8% fill rates. • first 100 days model and stakeholder mapping • four pillars of strategy: standardizat...

We explore how pediatric care reshapes supply chain strategy and why curiosity, clear KPIs, and real relationships drive better outcomes. We also dig into rural pressures, shifting reimbursements, and building a talent pipeline that pairs education with experience. • Defining high mix, low volume for children’s hospitals • Preparing for pediatric surges and limited vendor coverage • Reviewing reim...

We take the pulse of supply chain headlines with Bryan Jensen and Tom Redding, exploring planning, sourcing, and the push for visibility amid policy shifts, tariffs, and healthcare disruption. We share practical ways to build resilience when certainty is scarce. • moving from pandemic-era buildouts to S&OP and inventory strategy • inflation, tariffs and country-of-origin rules reshaping cost a...

We explore how a former OR tech became a supply chain leader and built trust with physicians while modernizing contracts, inventory, and utilization. Alan shares the playbook for “reasonable just in time,” in-house distribution, and cleaning up preference cards to cut waste and risk. • career path from OR operations to SVP supply chain • building integrated systems across purchasing, inventory, fi...

Season three opens with a twist: Tom Redding takes the interviewer’s chair to explore Fred Crans's 60-year journey across healthcare logistics and supply chain. What follows is a fast-paced, deeply human conversation about resilience, mentorship, and the kind of innovation that doesn’t always look like a shiny device. From typing memos and walking hospital campuses to orchestrating complex, d...

We talk with Stuart Wooster, a former hospital supply chain leader now on the supplier side, about how value, quality, and risk management change when you build products as well as deliver them. The result is a practical playbook for resilience, smarter negotiations, and better outcomes. • value as quality, service, and cost combined • community hospitals sustained by smart scale, not size alone •...

We explore how smarter value analysis, better space planning, and disciplined sterile processing turn hidden complexity into safer, simpler care. Crystal shares cases where consolidating supply rooms, mapping risks with FMEA, and aligning teams produced measurable gains. • nonclinical path that leads to healthcare supply chain expertise • value analysis maturity beyond price toward clinical integr...

Greg Goddard, Division Vice President of Supply Chain at Scion Health, shares his extraordinary work with Ukrainian orphans through his foundation Simply Loved Orphan Care. Despite ongoing war, Greg travels to Ukraine to provide children from the Children of Grace Orphanage a 10-day retreat in the Carpathian Mountains away from air raid sirens and drone strikes. • Scion Health operates 15 communit...

St. Luke's Health System in Boise, Idaho has been recognized by Gartner as one of the top 25 healthcare supply chains in the country, achieving this distinction as a mid-sized independent organization competing with much larger systems. • Eight hospitals, 300+ clinics, and $4 billion in annual revenue. • Transformed supply chain operations by hiring 20 strategic employees, mostly from outside...

Reggie Gardner, a Navy Corpsman turned graduate student, represents the future of healthcare supply chain by combining practical medical experience with formal supply chain education at the University of Tennessee. His journey highlights the evolution from learning supply chain on the job to pursuing advanced degrees in one of the nation's top programs. • Reggie served five years as a Navy Co...

Tom Redding, Executive Vice President and Healthcare Practice Lead at St Onge Company, discusses why healthcare organizations need to regularly assess their supply chain operations to stay competitive and efficient in today's challenging environment. • The importance of taking a pause to benchmark operations, especially for new leaders who have about two years to make their mark • Why health...

Mark Van Sumeren, Managing Director at Health Industry Advisor, discusses the perfect storm facing healthcare: tariffs increasing costs, Medicare demands growing with the aging population, and critical workforce shortages. • Tariffs on medical supplies and devices creating immediate cost pressures with no easy way to offset them • By 2029, all baby boomers will qualify for Medicare, driving unprec...

Régine Villain, SVP of Supply Chain at Ochsner Health and 2023 AMR Award winner, discusses healthcare supply chain resilience and the engineering mindset that has shaped her leadership approach. • Continuous supply disruptions require healthcare organizations to become "masters of resiliency" with dedicated teams focused on risk management • Defining what's truly "critical&quot...