TRENDS
Mark Van Sumeren: The Number Cruncher Meet the man behind one of the most widely-read COVID-19 reports among U.S. healthcare supply chain leaders.
Mark Van Sumeren said three things prompted him to begin to dig into the data and analytics about COVID-19 case numbers. First, he was restless. Like most working professionals in March 2020, he was sitting
Van Sumeren wanted to see if he could glean some insight from the mass of data that could better inform teams so
in his home office wondering when he was going to get back out on the road either for
that they could lead their organizations
client business or other purposes. “I don’t sit still very well.”
better, direct their people better, and live their lives a little bit better. Based off the industry’s response, he’s succeeded with
Second, he was curious. “We look back
the creation of his COVID-19 report.
at how little we knew about this virus last
JHC recently reached out to Mark Van
March, and how we probably still don’t
Sumeren to discuss what prompted the
know a lot, but we know a whole lot more.”
creation of his widely read daily COVID-19
Finally, and perhaps the most im-
overviews and forecasts, as well as his
portant, Van Sumeren was frustrated.
thoughts on how the healthcare supply
Much of the reporting and narratives
chain has handled the pandemic and what
weren’t being given a lot of insight, “and
he sees for the industry going forward.
I think part of that is, unfortunately, we got caught up in a political year,” he said.
JHC: What goals did you have
“Everything was reported with a political
for the report?
lens on it. So it was either, ‘The sky is fall-
Mark Van Sumeren: I didn’t set out
ing,’ or, ‘There is nothing to this.’ Now, we know that the truth was in the middle.”
to do it. I didn’t set out for it to become Mark Van Sumeren
The Journal of Healthcare Contracting | June 2021
what it’s become.
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