SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS WORTH WATCHING


Supply Chain’s latest Elite bring ‘A’ game to data, clinical, process management


by Rick Dana Barlow T


here’s a common theme – or maybe several common threads  interwoven among the mini-profi les of this year’s Elite 11 “Supply Chain Operations Worth Watching” cho-


sen by Healthcare Purchasing News.


Data appear to be the tatting that connects processes and per- formance throughout a growing enterprise. Perhaps the epitome of the “rock the data” movement rests with the reigning Supply Chain epartment of the Year, Tower Health, West eading, PA, which in a spark of prescience also happened to make last year’s Supply Chain Operations Worth Watching. (See HPN’s August 2019 feature by visiting: https:www.hpnonline.comhall-of- famearticle21087717a-tower-of-able.) Tower Health found creative ways to gather, collect, analye and react by using scores of data gleaned from internally developed software as well as from external products. In fact, data seem to be fueling a deep-seeded overhaul of the fundamental tools in supply chain operations, including item masters and tentacles to myriad systems within an organiation, such as billing, charge data masters, clinical and surgical systems and electronic healthmedical records. Essentially, these facili- ties foreshadow a pattern that promises to shape the next decade of progressive supply chain development, further closing the loop between administrative, clinical, fi nancial and operational decision-making. or the 8th


consecutive year, the ecember edition of HPN tradi- tionally spotlights “Supply Chain Operations Worth Watching” by soliciting nominations from all sectors of the industry (providers, suppliers, group purchasing organiations and consulting fi rms) and conducting background research to determine those that emerge at or near the top. This year, 11 organiations join 89 other ongoing healthcare supply chain superstars profi led by HPN since 2011, bringing the grand total to date to 100 (although this year two government organiations technically are being counted as one). enerally, once an organiation’s Supply Chain department


team “makes the list” it remains “worth watching” unless its absorbed via merger or acquisition, in which case it’s possible for the “new” crew to make the list (if nominated, of course) under the “new” name because they may be accomplishing more “new”


10 December 2019 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com


things. For the running list of 100 Supply Chain Operations Worth Watching, visit HPN Online. As always, if your organiation  or one you think should qualify


 didn’t “make the list,” be sure to let us know and then plan how to showcase the deserving organiation for consideration in the 2020 compilation. The ecember 2020 edition will welcome noteworthy organiations to join the list of 100 as well as expand to include Sterile Processing Operations Worth Watching. Take a look at HPN’s latest Elite list in alphabetical order by


name for highlights on what they’re doing and why they matter. Ascension Health, St. Louis, MO


https://healthcare.ascension.org/ https://theresourcegroup.com/


While Ascension Health may be the largest not-for-profi t, Catholic, faith-based healthcare organiation in the nation, it’s the fi rst to hold all of those distinctions and exercise man- agement over end-to-end supply chain operations at each of its more than 150 hospitals in 21 states and Washington, C. Ascension’s The esource roup (T) effectively places Operations Management Teams at each location and manages all supply chain associates onsite. uring the past year, T has pulled back the curtains on some of the progressive and impressive projects being undertaken. (See October 2019 HPN story on “Future-ready Supply Chains for examples.) Among the notable projects either actively running or in development: They implemented a standard enterprise resource planning (EP) system (Oracle’s PeopleSoft) across all locations, launched a central master data management (MM) team to cleanse and maintain the item master for accuracy, established a “managed distributor model” by consolidating distributors to one each for medicalsurgical, laboratory and pharmacy products as well as extensively rationaliing stock-keeping units (SUs) to minimie  if not eliminate  carrying excess inventory. urther, T established that all purchases must be made via purchase order (PO) to reduce pricing errors and rectify any pricing discrepancies quickly  or no remittance. Meanwhile, T also is developing a comprehensive disasterdisruption


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