Back to the day to day....

As I write this, our East Coast friends are still feeling the effects of this past weekend Hurricane Irene. Living near the Gulf of Mexico, we have become accustomed to following the Weather Channel during each hurricane season - it never gets easier watching the devastation from these weather events. We can only lift those up in our thoughts and prayers.

Here, in my little corner of the world - aka Alabama - everyone is counting the days until college football kicks off this Saturday. Alabama is unique in that we don't have professional sports teams like most of the country - College football is akin to a way of life here - we live and breathe it 24/7.

We are a year away from the big move into our expansion facility here at my job at Childrens of Alabama. Planning meetings, move meetings and organization wide projects fill our days. In addition, I am in the midst of putting our storeroom on an automated inventory - reordering generated from bar coded supplies added and subtracted by department staff. It's a big undertaking but an exciting time for us all.

We may be on another Hurricane watch again soon - there is something brewing in the Atlantic again - sigh! Everyone have a great week and keep safe.

Nancy J Webber, MPH, CMRP

Goodbye AHRMM11 and Boston

It has been a week since my return to work after AHRMM 11 in Boston. Was I only off 5 days? Wow - >200 emails, full voice mail box and a desk full of work awaited me upon my return to my office. Was it worth it? Oh yes, definitely.

I think each year that AHRMM cannot top their conference but I am proven wrong each year. The 49th AHRMM Conference in Boston - this year featured an even broader schedule of Learning Labs and outstanding General Session speakers. I purchased the books from the AHRMM bookstore written by two of our speakers this year-both look to be fantastics reads.

Tomorrow awaits another busy day at Children's of Alabama. Have a great week everyone.

Nancy J Webber, MPH, CMRP

Thank you to all the attendees and vendors for making AHRMM11 so successful. I heard compliments from the vendors on the class act of a vendor fair, glowing comments on the scheduling of the sessions, conversations regarding the socials -  especially the food and finally really favorable reactions to the speakers, especially Joe Tye and Jamie Orlikoff. I look forward to seeing you next year; please don't hesitate to contact AHRMM and let them know what you thought - perhaps some great ideas for next year. Oh yes, and please fill out the conference session evaluations.

Kathi J Pressley

Final Blog Entry for AHRMM11

My last Learning Lab before heading to the airport for my trip back to the sunny South was very good.

"How Irrational?!The Illogical Reasons Behind the Choices we Make" with speaker Timothy Glennon.

Humans are all bundles of habits. Most thoughts are negative - replacing a negative with a positive thought can wipe away all traces in your memory within 48-72 hours. We do what we think about. To change the nature of thought change first what YOU do.

Timothy explained we have two parts of our brain - rational and emotional. We don't look at things separately but as a whole. The notion of "decoy" is important for making decisions. When we are infants we learn that warmth means safety and comfort - this feeling remains even to adulthood. Our first choices can impact our future choices.

We don't like to delay gratification - we are wired for immediate gratification. We compare what we have to others; once we own something, we think it is worth more money than it really is. This is called the Endowment Effect. The speaker ended this learning lab by reminding attendees that your emotional brain has a lot to do with decisions you make each day of your life.

Thanks to AHRMM for allowing me to Blog during this conference. I have enjoyed it a lot and look forward to next year in San Antonio!!!!

Nancy J Webber, MPH, CMRP

Travel Day

As I type this I am waiting out a long layover for a connecting flight. I doubt that I am the only AHRMM member presently doing so, with the conference ending, I am sure that many of us are hurrying back home to catch up on the work that most certainly did not stop piling up while we were out of the office this week. I want to thank all of the AHRMM volunteers, staff, and presenters. It is obvious that there is a great amount of work that you all do to make this happen, and I am very appreciative of those efforts.

I met a lot of great people in Boston this year, and am looking forward to meeting more next year in San Antonio. I hope to see you there.

Jon Reiners, CMRP

AHRMM11 - August 9

After a great day on Monday, the expectations for Tuesday were high. It did not disappoint.

Learning Lab 4.6

Healthcare Reform - What It Will Mean and Why It Will Be the Supply Chain Opportunity of a Lifetime. This was a panel discussion, which included the following: Michael Bohon, Scott Hawig, Randy Hayas, Michael L. Rudomin, and Eugene Schneller. This was an open panel discussion among the above discussing the implications of Healthcare Reform and how should the Supply Chain capitalize on it. All panelists agreed that physician involvement is a key for any changes that may be made due to new reform legislations. In Massachusetts, the state enacted a law requiring all state residents to have health insurance. This was an initial big tax impact on those without proven insurance. Several million new people were added to the system in Massachusetts which had made the issue of access to care so critical.

Based on a recent survey, 36% of all hospitals are not going to do any sort of ACOs, which are envisioned as a government prosperity situation that some hospitals don't like.

All Supply Chain managers need to make their records and all information available to your customers. This prospers good customer relations and is a win-win in the long haul.

General Session
Health Reform: Drivers and Implications
Speaker: Jamie Orlikoff
Beverly Slate, AHRMM President-Elect, introduced our speaker for the General Session.

There are two swords of Damocles hanging over hospitals - (1) Health Reform and (2) Federal Debt. Health Reform passed this time because it had to. The rate of healthcare costs is going up faster than inflation. Today 4.9% of the national economy is spent on our military. We spend three times more dollars to cover healthcare costs. Healthcare spending doesn't add value to the costs of our goods and services. Healthcare is the largest component of GDP and growing at a high rate. Cost reduction is the key! A reduction in costs creates the dollars to provide gain sharing. Value-efficiency-safety must center on patient care. Value not volume.

Learning Lab 5
Secrets of the Supply Chain (That Every Administrator Should Know).

Speakers, Michael Bohon and Michael Rudomin discussed the problem of frequent miscommunication between hospital departments and the importance of uncovering and properly addressing these strategic Supply Chain “secrets.” We need to discover new and minimally disruptive approaches to supply chain improvements that can produce positive results. Building trust takes time - it is built through actions and often starts with small projects. Deal with hard facts - if you blow it you might as well give up. Vendor consolidation saves the most money. GPO assessments are very expensive and 70% of the hospitals end up staying with same vendor.

Tuesday was a great day and the vendor exhibits were some of the best I have seen in recent years. AHRMM11 has been a wonderful learning experience for all.

Just one more day then I jet back to the sunny South - blog for final day to come later.

Nancy J Webber, MPH, CMRP

This morning proved to be another great experience in Boston. My first session was enlightening, learning about those aspects that make the healthcare supply chain unique, as well as similarities from other industries. Following this learning experience, I was able to reconnect with several colleagues at the vendor fair and made new acquaintances as well, which should prove even more valuable than the iPad that I didn’t win.

After lunch, I readied myself for an informative but dry general session; after all, how could a session entitled Health Reform: Drivers and Implications be interesting? The answer to this question is Jamie Orlikoff. He is not only a talented presenter with a mastery of his subject matter, but he was also entertaining and quite funny, even though his message may be construed as “bad news” (As I type, I am putting a quarter in the pickle jar.)

The healthcare supply chain is about to undergo trial by fire. Those supply chain executives who are ready for the challenge will have both the attention and support of the C-Suite at an unprecedented level as the industry is forced to evaluate costs and utilization. I am reminded of an old saying: “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” Supply chain has been asking for more administrative attention. Now that we have it, the question becomes, what we are going to do with it? Here’s hoping that we all rise to the challenge.

Jon Reiners, CMRP

AHRMM11 - Day 3

Wow, already Day 3 of my last AHRMM meeting as a Board member. It has been so wonderful to meet the many faces behind the voices of committee members; by the way, it has been my pleasure working with you all, and I hope you have benefited from the experience as much as I. Thank you for you time and commitment.

Joe Tye was the perfect speaker to begin AHRMM after Bill Stitt's welcome. Joe's presentation complemented Bill's comments regarding what roles we play by reminding us of our history and the value each one of us can bring to each social, educational, and professional forum.

The sessions I have attended have been well presented and representative of the calibre of professionals amongst. Remember, you too, have a story and we would love to see a submission for next year.

Off to my first session this am; will try to check in shortly.

Kathi J Pressley

Having a Great Time in Boston

With the first day of AHRMM completed, I have to say that Boston is a great town for this conference. The eclectic mix of people, sights, and architecture permeate this city in a way that, strangely, seems to reflect the varied backgrounds, occupations, and home bases of the attendees.

My personal highlight of the day yesterday was hearing Joe Tye talk about designing a cultural blueprint for your department. He is a truly gifted speaker, with a topic that is both salient and timely, and after hearing him speak, I have set a personal goal to spend at least one hour every week planning the invisible architecture of my department, and I would like to challenge all of my AHRMM colleagues to do the same.

That’s all for now; I am looking forward to day two.

Jon Reiners, CMRP

AHRMM11 - August 8 - Monday

"It's truly a supply chain revolution. Let's lead the charge" - William Stitt

Our 49th Annual Conference had the Opening Session and Keynote Address in the Ballroom East of the Boston Convention Center. William Stitt, AHRMM President addressed the members with welcoming remarks and information. Kimberly-Clark presented the prestigious George R. Gossett Leadership Award to Jamie Kowalski - a very deserved honor.

Keynote speaker was Joe Tye, CEO and Head Coach, America's Values Coach. In today's healthcare reform climate, healthcare facilities should ensure that everyone does their part. Instead of whining and crying look at things as opportunity for change for the better. Florence Nightengale was the first hospital administrator during her 22 months at the battlefront during the Crimean War. Her book "Notes on Nursing" is still widely respected. The first hospital was in fact designed by Florence Nightengale - the Sidney Herbert Hospital in 1866. Before this time hospitals were in converted warehouses and other buildings. Healthcare is not a job - it is a mission. Disengagement is one of the chief causes of underachievement and depression on the job. The invisible architecture is the blueprint behind the brick and mortar of your organization - it is the soul of an organization.

Mr.Tye signed copies of his book during the attendee luncheon - which is available for sale in the AHRM Bookstore.

Learning Lab 1

Preventing Fraud and Theft in the O.R. 1.6 Speaker for this session, Thomas Beall, spoke of his own experience at his facility when a whistleblower reported that their vendor was charging full price for new reamers used in hip repair but the sales person for the hospital was actually substituting used instruments. He went through the investigation, how data was gathered and the spikes in purchases over a 2-year period - a red flag - a demonstration was shown to attendees of the drilling of the hip bone for placement of the pins. The initial justification in very fine print, where cleaning of this product was given, said the hospital may opt for new drill each procedure. Final outcome - company response - after investigation of its sales force, the sales person for the hospital got greedy.

Learning Lab 2

Results of 2011 Executive Survey on Supply Chain Management: Messages and Strategies. The speaker, Jamie Kowalski, gave the results for this survey, which is done in collaboration with AHRMM, Marquette University's Center for Supply Chain Management, and Jamie Kowalski Consulting LLC. Supply Chain can improve hospital performance, hospital productivity, and hospital effectiveness. Supply Chain can also improve clinical success, patient care, and patient safety. Support for the Supply Chain at the C-level is dropping and the survey results are significantly lower. A main area of concern is the fact that Supply Chain Leaders (moderately) are 3.3/5.0 satisfied with their performance. Improvement and process is being seen but the interest level is lower. The main focus of the C-suite is revenue and reimbursement - most do not believe that Supply Chain is strategic. Conclusions include that there is too much disconnect between C-suite and Supply Chain. There is too much not under control. The C-suite executives need convincing that Supply Chain is strategic and Supply Chain needs leadership training.

Learning Lab 3

Journey from the Basement to the Boardroom 3.6 Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta has seen it's payor mix change to 53% Medicaid and 43% private pay. There has been a paradigm shift going from Materials Management to Supply Chain - people dependent to process dependent - technology deficient to technology enabled. Speaker John McMillian explained this was not an overnight fix. The steps include optimization, integration, collaboration, synchronization, and supply chain maturity. The Childrens Supply Chain Journey:

2005- crawl
2006- walk
2007-jog
2008-run
2009/10-sprint
2011 - run for endurance - equip for success 2012 - marathon strength strategy
2013 - team relay - collaborate/expand resources. Components of their success are to think differently, people capability, process discipline, and technology capability.

It was a long, full day - highlighted by the Vendor Exhibits from 1:15 - 4:15 pm.

Looking forward to Tuesday!
Nancy J Webber, MPH, CMRP

On the Road - Skies, I Should Say - to AHRMM 11

Saturday August 6 - 8:45 am - loaded on Delta airplane for the quick flight to Atlanta from my home in Birmingham. No delays so far - so good. Weather is clear and sunny so hoping weather cooperates all the way to Boston.

12:30 pm - had a safe take-off and will be in Boston in about 2 hours 10 minutes according the overhead announcement. We are currently cruising along at 35,000 feet.

2:14 pm - safe trip and not too bumpy a landing at Boston - I am so happy to report both of my suitcases made safe journeys to the Northeast via Delta airlines.

9:15 p.m. - Westin Hotel Waterfront is simply a gorgeous place - had dinner in hotel at cute Irish pub called MJ O'Connor's - AHRMM attendees I can highly recommend! Tomorrow is early registration for conference - the 15th Annual Golf Tournament is also tomorrow. Everyone have a great day and let's get ready for AHRMM11!

Nancy J Webber, MPH, CMRP

Pickles Anyone?

Who else out there has had a week filled with chaos? I won’t bore you with the details, let’s just say that I feel somewhat overwhelmed at this point, trying to check off all of the tasks in my Outlook mailbox and getting ready to travel to AHRMM. In fact, I could easily become bitter and negative, if I hadn’t recently pledged not to be a “pickle sucker.”

I learned about pickle suckers from Joe Tye, who coincidentally is the opening keynote speaker at AHRMM this year. I won’t steal his thunder by explaining what in the world a pickle sucker is; you will just have to make sure to see his keynote address. I know that you will not be disappointed.

Joe Tye is a force for positivity in healthcare. He reminds us how important it is to live out those aspects of common kindness and decency that (hopefully) we were all taught as young children, and why it is so important that we neither permit nor promote negativity, gossiping, whining, or complaining. You can check him out at http://www.joetye.com/.

As you prepare to travel to Boston, come ready to learn and network, expect supply chain enlightenment, and remember, let’s be nice out there.

Jon Reiners, CMRP

Countdown for AHRMM11

It is hard to believe that in just 4 days I will be jetting my way from the sunny South to the not-quite-as-hot Northeast. With temperatures this week in Alabama at and above 100 degrees, I am ready for the 70-80 degrees expected in Boston next week.

My first Conference was in 1994 at the 32nd American Society for Healthcare Materials Management in Ft Worth, Texas. Now, 17 years later and a new name, Association for Healthcare Resource and Materials Management, I look forward to this year's meeting with as much anticipation as my first. This year also marks the 15th Annual Golf Tournament, which is sponsored by McKesson this year.

The Learning Labs this year have eight different tracks and a few changes are noted. The "Distribution" Learning Lab is now called "Logistics" and a brand new "Research" Learning Lab is being offered with three sessions. These sessions will give all attendees the opportunity to choose learning tracks best suited to their needs. With such a wide variety offered, every AHRMM member should have no trouble planning their days of learning.

The three planned General Sessions speakers are all outstanding and should be of great interest to all attendees.

I appreciate the opportunity to blog this year- have spent 3 years on the "Issues and Legislation" Committee ( including one year as Committee Chair), I was beginning to feel a little "out of the loop" without my committee work. I hope my blogs will be informative and interesting.

I have a full week at work - trying to ready the storeroom and my staff with my scheduled off week at AHRMM. If each day is as busy as Monday and Tuesday have shown to be, this will be one wild week!

I plan to write a blog for each session I attend so I may have several short blogs or a long one or two.

Now it is back to work here before AHRMM11 this weekend!

Nancy J Webber, MPH, CMRP

AHRMM11 - A Great Way to Extend Your Network!

AHRMM is a PeopleFest even for those of us who are more introverted. What I am saying is that AHRMM provides forums – smaller sessions, hallway conversations, new member networking socials for those of us that do better in smaller, more one on one or one on three interactions. These conversations have always provided a way to meet new people, entertain new ideas for our careers, and plant seeds for career growth. So I challenge you to chat with one new person at each learning session, strike up a conversation with someone from another state or country, and extend your network at least one more degree. See you at AHRMM 2011.

Kathi J Pressley