SUPPLY CHAIN’S FUTURE LEADERS
Kenny Allshouse: Enterprise Initiatives Kenny Allshouse began his healthcare career at a family-owned durable medical equipment company while he was still in college. “Providing medical equipment directly to patients in their homes was both eye opening and rewarding as it immediately improved the quality of life for people in the community,” said Allshouse, now the senior director for HCA Contracting with HealthTrust Supply Chain in Dallas.
“I had no prior knowledge of, nor in-
Allshouse said. “Because each service is
teraction with, the healthcare industry be-
unique, it can be complex understanding the
fore that. But the longer I worked there,
nuances and critical issues for end users, and
the more I understood the importance of
how to deliver the service in a high-quality,
the work we were doing.”
cost-effective manner.” But the organization
After college, Allshouse began
has seen realized value in these areas.
working for HCA Healthcare in a role
HealthTrust and HCA are also inno-
supporting supply chain, and has been in
vative in cultivating their formal leader-
the contracting space for almost 14 years.
ship development programs. Recently,
“The diversity and breadth of initiatives
they held their Leadership Institute Acad-
we’re involved with (in supply chain)
emy which has participants learn and de-
motivates me the most. Supply chain
velop various skills during a nine-month
impacts expense management, inventory
period with direct input from HealthTrust
and logistics, clinical value analysis, envi-
executives. Participants work in teams to
ronmental services, food and nutrition,
solve actual business challenges and pres-
emergency response and many other areas
ent their recommendations to leadership.
affecting patient care,” he said. Allshouse serves and supports HCA
He also highlighted a few leaders who “We were solving problems outside of
have been willing to invest time and help
Healthcare divisions in Texas, but the
our traditional job scope,” Allshouse added.
advance his career. “In the contracting
pandemic required a company-wide
“The team’s willingness to adapt to any chal-
space, Fred Keller and Ryan Compton have
response. “That provided me with op-
lenge with a whatever-it-takes attitude was
been outstanding mentors who are always
portunities to assist at the national level,
remarkable and a source of extreme pride.”
available to provide guidance or remove
leveraging HCA’s scale and resources to
As HealthTrust and HCA move
obstacles,” he said. “It’s clear that they also
address needs across the organization,” he
forward, both clinical and non-clinical
take a personal interest in our team, which
said. Allshouse now works on enterprise-
purchased services has become a central
fosters a lot of mutual trust and respect.
wide initiatives as a permanent part of
and consistent theme of its contract-
Matt Pehrson, Supply Chain CEO in Dallas,
his job as the pandemic highlighted the
ing efforts. Significant time, energy and
has also been a positive influence.”
importance of adaptability for him – the
resources have been invested in their
ability to learn quickly, apply skills in new
purchased services efforts.
ways and respond to changes. “Those are
“My experience at HealthTrust and HCA has been that when you express an
“Measuring the quality and value of a
interest to learn and to be mentored, there is
competitive advantages for businesses and
service is different versus measuring the
no shortage of people willing to contribute
individuals,” he said.
clinical outcome of a surgical device,”
to your success,” Allshouse concluded.
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April 2022 | The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
