2013 SURE AWARDS
Honoring 3 Cs pushing supply chain momentum, progress CEOs grant expense management a C-side view amid
healthcare reform enactment, uncertainty by Rick Dana Barlow
to fi nd support in high places to help make things happen.
W And it’s refreshing to
know that a CEO’s support, understanding, recognition and empowerment of supply chain
operations is authentic, bona fi de and real. In fact, three more CEOs have demon- strated and proven that supply chain man- agement has turned a corner in healthcare operations, uprooted from the basement and poised before the C-suite not only to account for an organization’s fi scal health but also to drive it.
Healthcare Purchasing News launched
its annual campaign in 2005 to identify and honor hospital and health system CEOs that “Support, Understand, Recognize and Empower” supply chain management with its SURE award. This year, HPN hon- ors three with SURE recognition. They join 26 others HPN already has interviewed and profi led during the last eight years. HPN’s 2013 SURE CEOs are Bruce Cum- mings, CEO, Lawrence + Memorial Hospi- tal, New London, CT; Lyndon Christman, CEO, Fayette County Memorial Hospital, Washington Court House, OH; and the late R. Timothy Stack, president and CEO, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta. Cummings knows a great quote when
he sees it, particularly if he can apply the observations and wisdom of some contemporary or past historical fi gure to some current event or issue affecting the industry. For Cummings, supply chain opera-
tions is an essential component of an organization’s success and is key to fi scal responsibility. So he not only promotes the function of supply chain management across all departments but also pushes the supply chain team to invest in its future, which invests in the organization’s future.
hen times get tense and tough, it’s encouraging
“Bruce just gets it,” indicated Mike Pas-
sarelli, Director, Materials Management, in his nominating petition. “He knows how important the supply chain is. He knows that organization wide support is necessary for us to do what we need to do. Bruce also under- stands we need specifi c tools to do our job.” Further, he and the senior management
team created four of what they call TIGER Teams to address expense reductions. These teams represent a “deliberate, disciplined and quality approach to business process analysis” and demonstrate the seriousness he places on the entire organization managing expenses with supply chain management. Christman gives out an aura of sophis- ticated self-effacement, politely defl ecting credit to others, particularly team efforts, in a way that seems genuine and not artifi cial for political effect. Christman also isn’t afraid of a challenge.
He arrived at Fayette County, which is about an hour southwest of Columbus and about 90 minutes northeast of Cincinnati, as the facility was on the verge of failure, hemor- rhaging money, struggling to attract quality physicians and improve its poor reputation in the community. He helped turn the tide, adding service
lines and increasing medical coverage, reduc- ing bad debt and clawing back toward the black even as the internal culture resisted change. “A great many difficult decisions were
made by the senior management team and the Board to bring us from the dark into the light and Mr. Christman bore the weight of those decisions in the public forum,” noted Susan Morris, Materials Manager, in her nominating petition. “We know that he is one of our greatest advocates and partner in supporting the organization.” In fact, depart- mental silos have been torn down in favor of teamwork that includes materials manage- ment, along with the physician community. The late Tim Stack forged a career path
that started in Pittsburgh’s steel industry, but when the mills went on strike he secured a
10 January 2013 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
www.hpnonline.com
job in central supply at Eye and Ear Hospital on the road to being a history teacher and football coach. But he never looked back and pursued that goal. Instead, “the complexity of the hospital environment and the opportu- nity to help people,” according to a Piedmont statement, kept him in healthcare all the way to the C-suite, ultimately leading two supply chain turnarounds at two different hospital systems. (See related story:
www.hpnonline.com/ inside/2013-01/
1301-SURE.html.) Service and the enjoyment of developing leaders in his organizations drove him. “Whether it was serving meals in the cafeteria, helping out in surgical supply, or cleaning hospital rooms, Tim loved talking to employees and fi nding out about their challenges,” said Ed Lovern, Piedmont’s Chief Administrative Offi cer who worked with Stack since 1991. “Tim defi nitely lived in the moment, but at the same time was an incredible visionary.” Stack revealed his approach to leadership
and success in a quote from a 2006 profi le in Atlanta Hospital News: “The attributes of a good leader are universal. You need to love what you do, be open and inquisitive and persistent, not afraid to make waves if you have to. You should also be personally productive and work well with others. Be innovative and allow others to innovate. Finally, be a certifi able member of the human race. Cultivate a light touch, be passionate about your career but be sure to balance it with the rest of your life.” HPN’s traditional wide-ranging interview explored how Lawrence + Memorial’s Cum- mings, Fayette County’s Christman and Piedmont’s Stack connect to and link with supply chain operations, as well as provide insights for supply chain leaders to generate solid credibility and infl uence.
To read the actual nominations submit- ted, visit
www.hpnonline.com/inside/2013- 01/
1301-SURE.html.
HPN: What motivates your interest in supply chain management?
See 2013 SURE AWARDS on page 12
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