AHRMM10/August 3 & 4

Well I hope everyone is enjoying the fantastic weather here in Denver because at home for me in Texas-it is 105!

I really enjoyed the supplier exhibition earlier this week, as it gave me a chance to speak with some people my facility is working with. Of course I saw some familiar faces along the way and made some new friends.

I also found the sessions to be informative - I think AHRMM does a good job at selecting a variety of topics so everyone within healthcare supply chain can find something useful.

The closing speaker did a great job of speaking objectively about healthcare reform and how it relates to our side of the industry.

Anyway - that is it for now. Safe travels and look forward to seeing you in Boston in 2011!

Danny

AHRMM10

Just want to say what an excellent conference this was before I head off to my last Learning Lab. The Learning Lab presenters have been engaging, have provided excellent succinct slides and have opened the doors to new ways of doing what we have been doing all along - provide quality support to our patients and clinicians.

Dr. Nick Sears really summarized and provided the impetus for us to become key resources as healthcare reform impacts us all.

As the future chair for the AHRMM Conference Education committee, I can promise you more excellent content to come. The conference Education Committee has been listening and looks forward to hearing what you liked and what you want more of.

In the spirit of that Attitude of Gratitude, I thank my fellow Board Members, friends, acquaintances, and peers for your collegial spirit and making this conference so memorable in so many ways.

Kathi J Pressley, AHRMM Board Member

AHRMM10

WOW. The last two days have been incredible. Steve Rizzo’s opening keynote address was phenomenal. I know a lot of people that could use a little humor in their lives.

My first track Communicating Like a Leader did not disappoint. Dave Kaczmarek delivered another blockbuster presentation with tons of takeaways that can be implemented immediately. My second session, Expediting Savings Through Data Transparency, has given me the knowledge to present and leverage the correct data to key stake holders within my organization to identify and execute savings initiatives. My third session, Supply Chain OR Management, validated my savings initiatives at my organization and gave me some additional strategies.

The best thing about these educational tracks is that the information presented is real life experiences from my colleagues. The Education Committee has truly outdone themselves. I have a new admiration for the members.

The exhibit floor was jam packed. Walking the exhibit floor gave me the opportunity to be exposed to companies that I would have not necessarily have contact with. I also took the opportunity to inquire about current and upcoming technologies.

Overall the conference has been a worthwhile and positive experience. I am looking forward to the rest of the week. So far, I give this experience Six out of Five stars.

Well it’s time to go. I have been up since 5am, and I need to get ready for today’s General Session on Healthcare Reform. This should be really interesting. See you there.

Norberto Molina, CMRP

AHRMM10/Sunday & Monday

Sunday: We’re here in beautiful downtown Denver and the AHRMM conference has gotten off to a great start. After a walk along Cherry Creek, I freshened up and headed over to the Big Blue Bear Conference Center, not it’s real name, to introduce one of the first sessions – Adopting GS1 Data Standards, Choices and Challenges; the session was informative and geared to grassroots understanding of implementation of GLN and GTIN; the audience was engaged and outstanding, asking informed and thought-provoking questions related to difficulties related to vendor, manufacturer, and MMIS acceptance of these standards.


Then on to the wrap up of 2010 and introduction to the 2011 Conference Education Committee; I am looking forward to almost following in Jeff Wagner’s footsteps, Thank You Trusted Leader, and preparing for next year’s conference with a great group of people.

Enjoyed mingling with the new attendees, while filling in our “Find Someone Who” Bingo cards; I thought the Opening Reception had a great hmm and had a lot of fun finding old friends and making new. The photo and video booths were a crowd pleaser; once again Roberta, Kathi, and Friend Chris put on a great show!

Monday: The Opening Ceremony was led off by a stirring video on Transformation – definitely inspirational and powerful, followed by an equally compelling “call to engagement” by AHRMM President Ray Moore. A moving tribute to a dear colleague, John Brede, brought tears to many eyes. Then we were inspired by contributions and awards to Jean Sargent (George R Gossett) and Bob Perry (Pioneer).

Steve Rizzo challenged us to wake up with gratitude, acknowledge our Humorman, and monitor our attitudes or accept the consequences…..in his Long Island Way.

Then it was off to great and informative sessions. The speakers are doing a great job of bringing grassroots actionables for us to take home. Thanks to the many folks that pulled this agenda together.

Networking was on the top of the agenda as friends and I visited and networked to the various socials and receptions put on by our wonderful vendor sponsors. They each went all out to make sure that we touched base, ate and drank well, and then capped it off by extended dancing at the Med Assets sponsored Hard Rock Café venue. Thank you to All.

See you tomorrow…

AHRMM10/August 2

I hope everyone remembers their humorous side! Steve Rizzo did a great job of injecting humor into his motivational speech this morning - that got us started on the right note.

I also hope folks enjoyed the reception last night - it's a small world! I bumped into many of my current and former colleagues and it is always fun networking.

I attended some great breakouts this morning and am headed over to the Exhibition as I write this - more to come later!

Danny

Welcome from exiting Denver!

First day of the AHRMM conference and so far it is meeting all of my expectations. Today was Materials Management 201. This session was conducted by the 2006 AHRMM President Robert Perry. The information was priceless. Robert covered all aspects of materials management. One of the most important take away of this session was the suggestion to create an MM dashboard to keep your customers and superiors informed of all the current projects and initiatives, and report any savings that are being achieved. As Materials Managers, we are constantly influencing our organizations bottom line and are critical to operations, but we shy away from publicizing our successes. This is just one of the many insightful topics that were discussed during this session. I would highly recommend this session to anyone looking to enhance their MM knowledge base.


After this session, I headed over to the Welcome Reception. I was very excited to meet some old friends as well as meet some new ones. I was also able to personally meet some members that I had only dealt with over the phone.


I am looking forward to tomorrow’s opening keynote address as well as attending all of the educational tracks that I signed up for. I am sure that I will not be disappointed. I am hitting the sack early tonight so that I can be fully prepared for the day ahead. I am sure that tomorrow will definitely surpass my expectations. Hope to meet as many of you as I can.



Norberto Molina, CMRP

AHRMM10

Made it to Denver without a hitch! I hope everyone has safe and comfortable travels on their way to the conference.

I just checked into the hotel and am heading over to the convention center to see what's happening.

This afternoon I will be participating in a Sustainability Focus Group, and I hope to meet some new folks.

I'll be attending several sessions over the next few days and I hope you say hello if you see me.

Remember tonight is the Opening Reception at 6:30 - see everyone there!

Danny

Just started packing...

Just started packing and got to thinking about previous conferences – getting in touch with my friend Von who will always dance, saying hello to acquaintances between presentations, socializing at the networking functions and going out on the town to one of the vendor sponsored cocktail parties or dinners.

But now for the serious stuff – I am looking forward to the presentations highlighting our most relevant and current issues, to meeting new friends, to discovering new technologies and products at the vendor exhibition, hearing about the success of the Project World fund raiser.

But most of all, I am thinking how lucky we are to attend this premier event that truly elevates our profession and recognizes the contribution of each and everyone of us to our profession and our patients.

Greetings from Sunny New York!

It has been a busy week preparing for the 2010 AHRMM Conference. I am definitely looking forward to meet with some old friends and colleagues as well as make new acquaintances and business connections. This is my second year attending, and I am excited at this opportunity.

I was very impressed with last year’s conference in Tampa as it gave me the opportunity to network with individuals that I would have never been exposed to if it wasn’t for this venue. The educational tracks were first class, and I could not wait to come home and start implementing what I had learned.

This year’s educational offerings are even better and more challenging. From ER to OR, and from inventory management to Supply Chain Executive, there is an educational track for everyone.

Well, it is time to return to work and leave things in order here before I leave the office. Tonight I pack my bags and prepare for my trip to the AHRMM 2010 Conference in Denver, Colorado. An event that will clearly help shape the future of hospital supply chain. I hope to meet as many of you as possible, and I invite you to check out the AHRMM blogs for up to the minute information and updates on the conference proceedings.

See you in Denver.

Norberto Molina, CMRP

One week to go!

Looking forward to the start of AHRMM next Sunday, August 1. I learned the hard way that you need to book your hotel well in advance – the first two hotels were already booked, but the folks at AHRMM were able to secure a 3rd hotel within a block of the conference.

Good luck to the golfers who will be participating in the golf tournament in Littleton!

Also, many of you are arriving early to catch the CMRP Overview from 8:30-12:30. I understand that this course is very helpful. For those of you that already have your CMRP, of course you can earn CEU credits toward your certification renewal throughout the conference.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I arrive on time this year, as I was delayed a full day last year due to mechanical issues on my flight.

See you in Denver!

Danny

Only One Month Left to AHRMM10

Hi Everyone,

Can you believe it’s only another month until this year’s AHRMM conference? If you haven’t already registered, you can do so by going to the website: http://www.ahrmm.org/ahrmm_app/conference/annualconf10/index.jsp

I’m especially looking forward to going to Denver – it has one of the best downtowns in America. The great public transportation makes it easy to maneuver around the city.

If you’re new to AHRMM this year, I want to point out that there is a First-Time Attendee & New Member Orientation session from 5-6pm on Sunday, August 1. Since I actually missed it last year, I may try to attend myself this year.

One of the great things about networking at AHRMM is that it draws hospitals providers, suppliers of all stripes, and GPOs. We all share a common goal to improve the quality of care in the most efficient way possible. I’m looking forward to meeting some new folks as well as catching up with some old colleagues.

See you soon!

Danny

One Month Left to AHRMM10 in Denver

Just realized we are just one month from AHRMM10 in Denver; attendance is up from last year at this time and so hopefully we will see long time friends and make new friends. As a Board member I am excited by this year’s conference in Denver; not only is it in my neck of the woods but the format brings changes from last year. Our Chapter Roundtable session is back to a new time slot to encourage your participation. Sessions are current and geared to bring ACTIONables back to your organization.

The AHRMM conferences are a great way to kick start more involvement in our Supply Chain Profession. Not only can you acquire Continuing Education credits, but you will broaden your professional network, glean from your peer’s experiences and even decide to become more involved in AHRMM. The changes in governance, in that once you meet the criteria, may lure you into running for one of the Board seats – you are no longer limited to a geographical region.

Just a glimmer at what’s ahead – hope to see your there at one of the Networking Sessions. Kathi J Pressley, AHRMM Board Member

AHRMM10 at Denver

Hey there everyone!


Summer is quickly approaching and it’s time to start thinking about our upcoming AHRMM conference in Denver Aug 1-4, 2010.

There is still time to register at http://www.ahrmm.org/ahrmm_app/conference/annualconf10/index.jsp

If you haven’t been to Denver before, you’re going to have a blast – Denver is one my favorite cities.

This will be my second AHRMM conference, and I look forward to seeing everyone this year. I will again be sharing my experiences “from the ground” in the AHRMM blog, hopefully with a more seasoned perspective.

After reviewing the brochure, I see the educational tracks will be very informative. Another great thing about AHRMM is learning about the current trends, issues, and best practices from healthcare supply chain colleagues around the country.

I encourage everyone to take advantage of the great networking opportunity and learn from folks from different areas of the supply chain. I personally hope to brush up on the latest in spend analytics, and maybe learn about the impacts of healthcare reform.

Until next time!

Danny

Life After Efficient Healthcare Consumer Response (ECHR)

Today’s webinar offered many of us a chance to take an outside view of healthcare supply chain and look inward. While we have spent the last decade or so working on improving the healthcare supply chain, the focus in this area really didn’t get started until the 1990s.

Starting with a 1996 study, Dr. Heather Nachtmann and Dr. Edward Pohl started researching cost inefficiencies in the healthcare supply chain and identify the opportunities for improvement. They conducted a cost-analysis from top-down and bottom-up to identify $23 Billion in process costs such as inventory management, order management and logistics. The authors also outlined a set of challenges, attempted savings initiatives, and strategic improvements broken into business type (manufacturer, GPO, distributor, provider).

The advent of e-commerce has had the greatest impact not just in healthcare but every major industry. I started working for a GPO in early 2001, and I have witnessed an amazing evolution of EDI order management. It has reduced labor and paper costs, as well as contributed indirectly to an improvement in inventory management. The results of the survey show the increase in e-commerce transactions, which is also one of the top strategic initiatives of the study.

Reviewing the rest of the survey results shows that GPOs have taken a lead on many of the other initiatives, except inventory management, which is the core business of distributors. An important element to remember is that each of the stakeholders are interconnected, and that achieving greater efficiency in each step of supply chain will be better for all.

The good news is that healthcare supply chain continues to gain merit among other parts of the industry, and we have more tools and resources available compared to 1996 that can guide us to faster cost efficiencies.

Academic Webinar: Hospital Supply Chain Management in the Future Healthcare Landscape

Wow – what a daunting task we all have ahead of us – to make sure we better connect all of the stakeholders in the healthcare supply chain to ensure better patient care and eliminate inefficiencies in the system.

Of course this is much easier said than done, but Ken Thomas highlights some great points about looking more globally and prospectively at future healthcare trends. Efficiency should be the goal of every part of the supply chain – from patients to providers to payers. Going forward, a successful healthcare organization will be judged by its performance in supply chain management. While we have various metrics today to rate hospitals, the dynamic nature of the industry will demand much stronger emphasis on efficiency in the supply chain.

At the end of the day, supply chain needs to balance patient care with the business objectives of the organization. I think many of us who have worked with Value Analysis in some capacity try to strike this balance every day. For example, when we try evaluate a safe, efficable product for patient use, we try to negotiate the lowest cost possible with our supply partners.

Ken notes that supply chain performance can actually impact patient care such as timeliness of diagnosis, delivery of therapy, and reduction of secondary effects. He believes that decreasing costs and improving efficiency will result in higher volume in patient care, and thus increasing revenue for an HCO.

I think that depends on the type of hospital and whether it is non-profit or for-profit.
We should have a collaborative patient-centric supply chain that addresses the clinical and non-clinical needs of all stakeholders.

Click here to read more about upcoming Academic Webinars or to order a copy of the Hospital Supply Chain Management in the Future Healthcare Landscape Academic Webinar on CD-ROM.

Academic Webinar: Physician Preference Item Management

I’m sure many of us cringe when we think about physician preference item management. After all, it is one of the toughest areas to focus on in healthcare supply chain.


Natalia Wilson offered a great perspective in this webinar because she has been involved in PPIM research, and is also a practicing clinician.

I could relate to this topic because I am currently working with a Teaching Hospital in Dallas, TX on PPIM in Orthopedics. We have decided to pursue a capitated pricing strategy for total hip implants. We are currently a sole-source, which doesn’t offer much leverage with price negotiations. After meeting with some of the physicians and VP Surgical Services, we have been given permission to “crack the door open” to achieve better pricing. While we realize the docs are not going to switch product, they will at least trial some competitive products to put pressure on our sole-source vendor to provide more savings.


We have followed much of Natalia’s suggested strategy of engaging our internal and external stakeholders, and have been fortunate to receive buy-in from our physicians. Many of you work with well-renowned physicians and do not have the luxury of strong engagement. That is why it is important to understand and support what brings value to your docs.


Natalia also mentioned one of the difficulties of PPIM is access to good data. I cannot stress enough the importance of good data. If nothing else, a physician is more likely to evaluate reports or statistics if they are backed up by supporting information. There are some good tools that can provide dashboards or benchmarking studies such as ECRI, MD Buyline, SpendLINK (UHC) or Spend Compass (Advisory Board).


Looking at the broader view of a PPIM strategy, however, Natalia summarized the evaluation of the following areas:
1) Management within Supply Chain
2) Role of Internal & External Stakeholders
3) Physician Engagement Strategies
4) Education and Communication


While I won’t go into any more detail of each of these, I did want to stress that Executive Support is crucial to Physician Preference Item Management. With the current economic malaise, HCO’s are looking at high cost areas in the supply chain, which may provide opportunities in PPIM that didn’t exist before.

Click here to read more about upcoming Academic Webinars or to order a copy of the Physician Preference Item Management Academic Webinar on CD-ROM.

Academic Webinar: Fundamental Shifts in the US Healthcare System

While most of us are probably focusing on our own functional roles within our organizations, it is easy to forget the big picture issues facing the healthcare supply chain.

Given the complexity of healthcare and the current political climate, I have personally started paying attention to issues and trends that may affect my company and part of the supply chain. I work for a GPO and they are again facing scrutiny from the Senate Subcommittee for supposed anti-competitive business practices. Of course I think any company or sector of healthcare is an easy target if they are large or profitable.

I thought Dr. Singh did a great job of discussing the major shifts (i.e. Demographics, technology changes, physician trends, etc.) that will be evolving over the next several years. One example he discussed was a shifting disease pattern and the continuously increasing cost of treatment. He suggested a shift from acute care to chronic care, which will put even greater strain in the supply chain in the coming years.

Another example that Dr. Singh referenced was a shifting technology focus. “Health care has not witnessed technology cost reduction”. I do not think anyone can necessarily make that generalization. Since I’ve been working with a large hospital in Dallas the past 2 years, I have seen them move from manual, paper-based ordering to utilizing EDI and also upgrading their MMIS system to Lawson. This is a perfect example of how technology has resulted in operational cost reduction.

One of the my biggest takeaways from Dr. Singh’s presentation is that we should all have a 10-15 year view instead of a 2-3 year view, keeping in mind all of the different shifts. We tend to be reactive in our roles instead of proactive. It is amazing what we can learn from someone from the outside looking in.

Click here to read more about upcoming Academic Webinars or to order a copy of the Fundamental Shifts in the US Healthcare System Academic Webinar on CD-ROM.

Academic Webinar - Supply Chains and the Surgical Suite: Measuring the Impact of Best Practices on Financial and Operational Performance

Dr. Vicki Smith-Daniels and Dr. Dwight Smith-Daniels have conducted extensive research into improving the financial and operational performance in the OR suite. One of the main reasons for their research is the lack of empirical evidence in the healthcare supply chain industry. To broaden the scope of their research, they looked at the manufacturing industry for evidence of best practices. Manufacturing uses an evidence-based approach and incorporates practices such as lean manufacturing or Six Sigma.


Measuring performance and quantifying the results is difficult - especially since many healthcare organizations rely on distributors, GPOs and/or consultants to provide tools and resources for performance measurement. In addition, best practices tend to be limited to one hospital provider or system, rather than a group of providers.

The research has shown that some of the important elements of high performance supply chains in the surgical suite include physician engagement, value analysis, analytics, and IS Integration. Clinical collaboration is essential in best practices because the stakeholders include end-users, physicians, as well as supply chain staff.

Through one of the online polls conducted, we learn that two of the greatest factors in surgical suite improvement include inventory monitoring and custom procedure packs. Since the results were taken across several hospital organizations, it allows us to start building evidence toward a best practice.

The presenters stressed that practices over time build capabilities which breed better performance. Successful supply chain strategies will move from short-term focus to long-term sustainability.

Click here to read more about upcoming Academic Webinars or to order a copy of the Supply Chains and the Surgical Suite: Measuring the Impact of Best Practices on Financial and Operational Performance Academic Webinar on CD-ROM.

AHRMM09 - Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Day 4: Yes, it was worth the humidity, the exercise running back and forth and all the words exchanged with vendors, cultivating new friendships and renewing relationships put on hold by distance and business. The highlight of the Buccaneer Bash was definitely the people and the dancing – I think we have an opportunity on the gastronomic side :)

This morning I made new acquaintances while doing my final presentation of the conference. Thanks to all who attended for the comments and insights; it’s nice to know there are others having similar challenges. My final Learning Lab was on the Zen Commute; I saw several many folks I knew including at least five AHRMM Board members listening how to become more mindful and more aware of our paying attention in our daily lives.

AfterBurn – what a great choice for a Closing Session; it was high energy, had concepts that could be readily incorporated into any culture and sent off on our way.

Thank you to all the folks that came up and addressed themselves to me, thank you to new friends, apologies to friends I couldn’t spend more time with but that’s what conferences are all about. Missions accomplished – networking, education, fun and laughter….see you next year in Denver.

AHRMM09 - Wednesday, July 22, 2009

As I prepare for my trip home, I wanted to say what a great conference this was for me as a first-time attendee. One of the last sessions I attended was 'More Best Practices in Materials Management', which really outlined some of the high points for a successful supply chain strategy.

Since this was my first time, I could not gauge what the attendance level was compared to previous years. I am guessing that there may have been a few less attendees after conversations with my peers. I think one of the successes of AHRMM is that the networking and education offered is easily applied into our daily jobs, which really makes the entire span of healthcare a better place. I am glad that the things I've learned and continue to learn in this setting allow me to have a direct impact at my job.

I wanted to say thanks to all of the sponsors, exhibitors, facilitators, and other attendees - everyone working together made this experience worthy of our time. And a special thanks to Tracey Heusner, who let me gab continuously the last few days!

I wish everyone good luck and safe travels - see you next year in Denver!