For Pandemics Act

HIDA Members Support The Medical Supplies For Pandemics Act

By Linda Rouse O’Neill, HIDA VP of Government Affairs

The Health Industry Distributors Association hosted its Washington Summit in June, bringing

together more than 60 members and their manufacturer partners to engage with U.S. Senators, House members and staff.

HIDA supply chain executives participated in 80 meetings urging support from legislators for the Medical Supplies for Pandemics Act, which will better prepare the U.S. for public health emergencies.

The measure, which has been introduced in the House (H.R. 3463) and Senate (S. 1693), strengthens the partnership between the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and commercial distributors. The legislation would allow for:

ʯ Enhanced Public/Private Partnerships:

The SNS would partner with commercial distributors to manage inventory and prevent expiration of critical pandemic supplies such as PPE, test kits, and infection prevention products. ʯ Diversified Production: The SNS would work with manufacturers to geographically diversify production sources of medical supplies.

ʯ Increased Investments in Surge Manufactur-

ing Capacity: The SNS would work with manufacturers on innovative approaches to ensure there can be enhanced production of supplies during emergencies.

During the summit, Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) discussed bipartisan long-term pandemic policies. Slotkin, who has a defense and intelligence background, said the U.S. should treat the healthcare supply chain and the national stockpile as matters of national security. Hudson said the SNS model should be revisited so private companies have greater ability to replenish it.

White House Supply Chain Coordinator Tim Manning told participants that building public-private partnerships was critical. He called for review of government procurement, a new vision for the SNS, more ways to support U.S.-made critical medical products, and macro policy needs to support those efforts. He applauded the progress the nation has made in combating COVID-19, but noted that until the global pandemic is over, the U.S. pandemic isn’t over.

Selling is Learning for Lisa Render

With knowledge and sharing come confidence

Lisa Render distinctly remembers one morning as a child when her dad’s pager kept going off. It was the director

of the burn unit at a local hospital. “He had his finger inside a patient to stop bleeding because his resident had dropped the only triple lumen catheter on the floor,” she recalls. “I remember hearing him screaming through the phone, asking my dad if he should wait with his hand inside the patient until Cardinal Health delivered a replacement, or pick the catheter up off the floor, use it, and give the patient antibiotics.

“My dad was implementing ValueLink [stockless purchasing] at this facility and trusted the program and his people, so he told the doctor to wait. He was sure it would be there in time. The physician agreed, but refused to let my dad off the phone until the catheter arrived. They sat in silence until he heard the door open and footsteps. The physician just slammed the phone down and hung up, and my dad went about his day.

“It seemed like there was always a 911 call like this or a hospital in need, and it actually made me terrified of hospitals and doctor’s offices as a child.”

She got over it. Today, she is a territory sales consultant in central Tennessee for Cardinal Health, calling primarily on ambulatory surgery centers.

Lisa Render was born outside Atlanta, but moved to the Houston area before she was 2. The family moved to Memphis when she was five, and then again to Mansfield, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth area) at age 13. Her father, Dave Render, grew up as a farm kid in a small Indiana town, and after serving in the military and graduating from Purdue, got a job as an inventory analyst for American Hospital Supply Corp. It was the beginning of a 45-year career with the company, which evolved from American, to Baxter Healthcare, to Allegiance Healthcare and finally, to Cardinal Health. He retired as a director of operations in October 2019.

“I was always proud of him,” she says. “He was truly healthcare’s wings before Cardinal Health was Cardinal Health, and before becoming the ‘wings of healthcare’ was part of our mission.”

Her mom, Lynda Render, had an early career in politics, working on political campaigns for Jimmy Carter. “She met my dad on a job interview,” her daughter recalls. Lynda turned down the job and decided to sell insurance instead, but the two stayed in touch.

Lisa was an active student at Sam Houston State University, holding leadership positions in her sorority, her favorite being service chair; serving as vice president of the American Sign Language Club; and participating in Project Sunshine, an international, non-profit organization that benefits kids and adults with special needs, medical challenges and disabilities. She graduated in 2012 with a degree

in family and consumer science and a minor in marketing, and got a job with Omni Hotels & Resorts.

“I loved the people and their program,” she says. “Little did I know that I would/could find such a bond with coworkers. I worked with a group of recent college grads, all with similar goals and ambitions. We became really good friends, and our manager was eager to see us succeed.

Empowering experiences

“Omni empowered employees to take the initiative to ensure guest satisfaction,” she continues. “I learned it was a positive to think ‘outside the box’ and bring new ideas to the table. Or just execute.” She left Omni after a year and began a four-year career at Dillard’s department store, first as an assistant manager in the accessories department at a flagship store. She was promoted four times to successively larger departments.

“I gained a lot of experience – managing people, selling, training, A/R, security, working with vendors, merchandising, distribution, growing business, recruiting, and hiring/firing,” she says. “I learned a lot about myself at Dillard’s, and the company really toughened me up. I worked 10-hour days/six days a week. They expected us to run our departments like our own business. If we got a big shipment on our day off or had a lot of markdowns, we were expected to be there to give direction and reset the floor.

“One of the Dillards also lived in the area, and she was constantly coming in the store with other VPs, so we always wanted to keep our store in perfect shape. I still cringe every time I see something out of place or messy racks when shopping.”

The sales challenge

In November 2016, she joined Cardinal Health as a territory sales consultant, necessitating a move to Memphis (and later to Nashville). “In my previous positions, I learned that I loved selling and connecting with people. I also knew it would challenge me to learn something new. I barely knew the difference between exam gloves and surgical gloves, not to mention latex vs. latex-free, powder vs. powder-free, the different thicknesses and coatings, donning and doffing correctly … and those were only two products in my bag.”

She credits Cardinal Health’s training program, as well as her manager, Keith Heerdegen, and her clinician, Helen Levenson, with much-needed support during those early weeks and months. And the learning continues today, with support from Regional Director Caitlin Duggan and colleagues in the field.

“We talk about our successes and challenges with customers, what we’re hearing in the market, and what we think will be the next new thing. We’re all successful reps, but we have different strategies. What works for one might not work for another, but it’s nice to get different perspectives.”

In her off-hours, Render enjoys riding her horse, Feisty, whom her parents gave her when the family moved to Mansfield. She and Feisty became accomplished at barrel racing, a competition in which the horse and rider must navigate tight circles around three barrels in an arena. The fastest time wins.

“Surprisingly, rodeo is great training for a career in medical sales,” she says. “It was good for my competitive side, but also taught me the importance of teamwork, building relationships, and learning how to take the good with the bad.

“Just like every run, every sell is a learning experience. The market is constantly changing and evolving, so it is important to stay current, know your position, be confident in it and learn from your mistakes.”