MHA staff recently attended the Navigating Supply Chain Challenges in the Current Healthcare Environment event hosted March 4 by the Great Lakes Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives. This participation represents the MHA’s continued efforts to advocate for member supply chain issues, which also includes supporting the priorities listed in an American Hospital Association letter issued Feb. 5 to the administration.
Chris Giese, senior vice president of AES-MS, the MHA Service Corporation Supply Chain Program Partner, served as moderator during the event. Panelists included MHA Service Corporation board member Andrea Poulopoulos, senior vice president of supply chain, Corewell Health; Christy Nguyen, supply chain manager, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital; and Luke Aurner, coordinator, Region 6 Healthcare Coalition.
Insights were shared on innovations to address workforce shortages and improve productivity. Corewell Health currently operates two distribution centers and are in the process of building a 300,000 square foot distribution center with automation in Wyoming, MI to mitigate these issues.
The panelists discussed cyber risks associated with automation, prompting participants to reflect upon and plan for what happens when there is a cyberattack or grid outage. Panelists also shared about creating resilient supply committees that can convene at a moment’s notice to evaluate suitable alternatives, early warning system algorithms and participation in the Healthcare Industry Resilience Collaborative. In addition, speakers covered how having a designated individual on the supply chain team dedicated to environmental sustainability, as well as the challenges and rewards of maintaining a resilient and diverse group of vendors amid cost reductions and changing federal policies.
Other issues addressed by the panelists included how to mitigate potential impacts of the new tariffs, inflation and the rapidly rising costs of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. One strategy shared was to focus on supply chain resilience with high-cost, low-volume items that are not conducive to traditional group purchasing organization negotiations, such as physician preference items, specialty drugs and capital equipment. Addressing this requires intentional focus on medical staff and organizational culture.
The MHA recently launched the Supply Chain Collaborative, which provides members with a complimentary cost analysis in collaboration with AES-MS, with no cost or committment required.
Members with questions or seeking more information may contact Rob Wood at the MHA.