Repertoire Jan 23

A Spirit that Lives On

Henry

Schein celebrates 90 years of serving healthcare providers across the continuum of care.

Esther and Henry Schein

Trichomonas Rapid Test

Strep A Test

Henri P. Lori Smooch

Beverly

Trixie

Sniff

Streppy

New Year, New Solutions

Take a huge breath, stand up and stretch for a minute or two, and then let’s go! It’s January 2023, and we have an entire new year to get started. As I write this Publisher’s Letter, I think back to past years: ʯ

January 2020 was full of hope and challenged each of us all to do some things to set ourselves apart in the new year. Little did any of us know what was about to hit the world right between the eyes. ʯ

January 2021 was about saying goodbye to 2020 and looking towards the new year and new normal, with a fresh start to gaining our lives back. ʯ

January 2022 was about the importance of relationships and the anticipation of live meetings returning. 2022 was a great year for Repertoire and our parent company Share Moving Media. We hosted 4 live events and covered each of the distributors’ live events. It was so good to see all of you face to face.

So now we are on the threshold of a new year full of possibilities, challenges, and hopefully a little bit of fun mixed in with some new products and ideas.

We are relaunching RepConnect this month. It’s been completely overhauled from what you may remember. It still has its original tools like manufacturer rep rosters, product libraries and end-user videos, but we also added a scrolling industry news real which is updated daily, each of the magazines are housed in the app for you to read, all of our podcast are now available in the app, and you now have the ability to share everything in the app via e-mail, social, and text. This app was 100% designed to keep you connected to the industry and your manufacturing partners. We will continue to add manufacturers and keep their information as up to date as possible. Please scan the QR code below to download the latest version of RepConnect. If you have the old version, all you need to do is update it. We welcome your feedback on ways to improve the app: sadams@sharemovingmedia.com.

For those of you in national accounts, we recently launched a brand new product called “The IDN Directory.” This product is designed for individuals calling on health systems. This first version profiles the top 100 IDNs in the U.S. Within 3 keystrokes you will know everything you need to understand the mission, vision, and values of a given system. This tool will prepare you like no other to call on that IDN you are trying to close. For a demo of the directory, please contact Kathryn Finley at katherinefinley@idndirectory.com

As always, we’re looking to the new year to challenge ourselves to better serve you and the industry. We value our readers and our advertisers, and we wish each of you a prosperous new year.

And finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t congratulate Henry Schein on their 90th anniversary. Thank you for all that you do as an organization.

Dedicated to the industry, R.Scott Adams

editorial staff

editor Mark Thill mthill@sharemovingmedia.com managing editor Graham Garrison ggarrison@sharemovingmedia.com editor-in-chief, Dail-eNews Pete Mercer pmercer@sharemovingmedia.com art director Brent Cashman bcashman@sharemovingmedia.com

circulation Laura Gantert lgantert@sharemovingmedia.com

sales executive Amy Cochran acochran@sharemovingmedia.com (800) 536.5312 x5279

publisher Scott Adams sadams@sharemovingmedia.com (800) 536.5312 x5256

founder Brian Taylor btaylor@sharemovingmedia.com

Subscriptions

www.repertoiremag.com/subscribe or (800) 536-5312 x5259

Repertoire is published monthly by Share Moving Media 1735 N. Brown Rd., Suite 140, Lawrenceville, GA 30043

Phone: (800) 536-5312, FAX: (770) 709-5432; e-mail: info@sharemovingmedia.com; www.sharemovingmedia.com

One Button Wonder

Why selling hematology will help your customers deliver more value to their patients and help you grow your business.

Your customers are getting the lab message. Slowly but surely as a result of your consulting and collaborative work with your key lab manufacturers, new labs are being established, and existing labs are growing their testing portfolio.

Where is the proof? From 2021 to 2022, the number of CLIA-waived labs, which is the sweet spot for point of care labs, grew from 211,227 to 246,258 – a growth of about 16.6%.

In the POL market, over 4,500 new waived labs were established during that time. Considering this growth took place as the COVID pandemic gripped the U.S., the number of new waived labs is even more impressive. At the same time, moderate complexity labs grew slightly, to over

34,000. As a very positive side note, the number of CLIA moderate complexity lab numbers has been dropping the last few years, and the latest data represents a reversal. Today I estimate that there are about 13,000 hematology systems in place in the POL, leading to a lot of opportunity. Your efforts are making it happen. Yes, practice size and specialty dictate which waived tests are appropriate for the POL, but many tests make sense across the board

By Jim Poggi

for most POLs. Your well-equipped waived lab should be performing rapid tests for hCG, flu, strep, RSV and COVID at least, ideally on a reader system or even a molecular platform. Urinalysis and lipid tests help round out the urgently needed waived tests. Check the box if most of your customers are using these tests and give yourself a gold star if they are also doing cardiac rapids. So where do we go from here?

Good question. This column is all about the “one button wonder”: hematology. A few years ago, you might have responded, “Wait a minute, hematology is CLIA moderate and the number of those labs is dropping.” That concern is no longer valid since the number of CLIA moderate labs is on the rise again

and there is a CLIA-waived possibility for the customers who desire that option. My goal is to convince you to go after selling hematology, helping your customers deliver more value to their patients and helping you grow your business.

If you believe my philosophical cornerstone that the reason to perform lab tests in the POL is “to provide tests needed to initiate or modify a patient treatment program,” hematology is a nearly flawless fit. There are several reasons. Let’s consider them together. First, hematology is an excellent fit for the three cornerstones of value, clinical, workflow and economic.

Clinical value

There is almost no other test I can think of that provides the simplicity of pressing one button and getting the same result every time with the rich set of clinical data that hematology provides. And, there is no other test so valuable in nearly every clinical setting from routine physicals to emergency room visits, sepsis diagnosis and for oncology and rheumatology practices. A single CBC measures red cells, white cells and platelets and provides a differential count of white cells, either 3 part or 5 part. The information provided helps guide the diagnosis of anemia, bleeding disorders, acute internal injury, infection, and cancer (diagnosis AND treatment effectiveness). It is also critical to inform decisions to administer several therapeutic agents based on the

absolute number of these cells and the distribution of the white cells in the differential count. There is also at least one hematology system that aids in diagnosis of sepsis by providing a measure of monocyte distribution width. Monocyte distribution width greater than 20 is associated with sepsis. A normal monocyte distribution width indicates a sixfold decrease in the likelihood the patient has sepsis. With sepsis on the rise, this alone is a big deal.

Workflow value

One button does the job, providing the same result every time. When you compare the simplicity of hematology testing to other CLIA moderate tests, the ease and simplicity stands out. The sample is whole blood for speed and ease of specimen handling and the analysis is quick and provides a standardized list of the same test parameters every time. Hematology tests are easy to perform and easy to train for even the novice laboratorian. Maintenance of the system typically takes more training time than teaching how to perform the test and troubleshoot results.

Economic value

I know what you are thinking already: PAMA has decreased reimbursement for CBC along with most laboratory tests. While this is true, as of 2022 clinical lab fee schedule, CPT code 85025, an automated CBC with differential still reimburses $7.77 per test, making it likely to provide revenue to the

When you compare the simplicity of hematology testing to other CLIA moderate tests, the ease and simplicity stands out.

practice, while still upholding both of the other elements of value. I will be reporting the changes in the clinical lab fee schedule due to PAMA early in 2023 and will update you then.

Even when you look at the initial investment and on going costs to incorporate hematology into the POL it makes economic sense. Depending upon customer preference for features and throughput, initial investment in a hematology system can be well under $18,000. And depending upon the number of tests performed annually, the combined cost of a CLIA license AND enrollment in proficiency testing can cost under $03 per test. Even with PAMA reducing reimbursement, hematology testing is a sound economic choice, adding economic value to workflow and clinical value. Because the hematology system provides the same result each time and does not have a broad menu of tests like a chemistry system would, set up on LIS and EMR should be fast and simple. Be sure to confirm with your LIS and/or EMR suppliers to be on the safe side.

New testing set up

Finally for the labs just considering CLIA moderate testing for the first time, the question inevitably becomes how to overcome the hurdle rate of making this change and the investment that goes along with it. The needs are pretty straightforward: they will need to create a new CMS form 116, listing the new tests as well as expected volume and pay the biennial fee. The designated clinician needs to become a lab director. This requires a certification that they have passed one of the programs entitling them to be a lab director. Among the many choices, COLA offers an online program that is well regarded.

The lab will also need to enroll in a proficiency program, acquire the required lab accessories such as rockers (which YOU will provide) and set up their standing orders for reagents, calibrators and controls which you will also provide. There are several steps but, working hand in hand with your key lab manufacturer, the process is not especially difficult or complicated. It simply requires some dedicated time on your part, the

active assistance of your key lab supplier and the assurance that the new lab is ready, willing and able to add this exciting addition to their laboratory. Done right, it checks all the boxes for customer value and creates a satisfied customer who has just entered the exciting and everexpanding world of CLIA moderate complexity testing. Urge them to press the button. You and they will be glad you did.

There is almost no other test I can think of that provides the simplicity of pressing one button and getting the same result every time with the rich set of clinical data that hematology provides.

The XN-L uses BeyondCareSM Quality Monitor for Hematology (BCQMh) and remote analyzer monitoring to provide best-in-class service and confidence in results. Through BCQMh, QC is automatically submitted and calibration is verified every time multiple controls are analyzed, eliminating the need for routine calibration procedures.

Supporting the Mission

Through a pandemic, hurricane and the everyday complexities of government contracts, Beacon Point Associates has continued to provide solutions for the largest and second largest healthcare systems in the nation.

While serving in the Supply Corps of the U.S. Navy, Jeff Summerour picked up many valuable, transferable skills that would serve him well in the med/surg industry. During his years of service and various assignments, he developed an expertise in the government acquisition, contracting and procurement processes.

After retirement as a senior Navy Supply Officer, Summerour joined a small regional distribution company and led their Government Business Development team. That company grew from $20 million when he joined in 1999 to $330 million when he resigned in 2012, with his team responsible for $256 million in sales as the most profitable and highest growth part of the business year over year. In January 2013, Summerour started Beacon

Point Associates, LLC as a verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) offering contracting solutions to marketshare leading and specialty medical equipment manufacturers for sales into the Federal Health Care sector.

“In starting Beacon Point Associates, I felt we could offer more to the government customers and medical equipment manufacturers who sold to them by focusing on what we do best, which is providing

contracting solutions and assisting our manufacturer partners in the development of an effective go-tomarket strategy for the federal government,” Summerour said.

Customer complexities

Beacon Point’s primary customers are the largest and second largest healthcare systems in the nation, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) Health Systems. Together

January 2020, Team Meeting in Cape Coral, Florida. Attendees wore shirts from Habitat for Humanity.

they represent over 200 hospitals and 2,000 clinics worldwide. “We support their missions by providing effective and efficient ways of purchasing the medical equipment and supplies they need from the manufacturers we represent,” Summerour said. “In short, from the customer perspective we make it easy for them to do business with us and buy the products they need on our contracts.”

In April 2020, Beacon Point was awarded a $600 million, five-year, Hospital Equipment contract by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which is commonly referred to as an Electronic Catalog (ECAT). More recently, in February 2022, the distributor was awarded a $366 million, five-year Medical/Surgical ECAT contract. In addition, Beacon Point has Distribution and Pricing Agreements (DAPAs) which are for sales through the Medical/Surgical Prime Vendors. Other contracts include a Just-In-Time Delivery (Bill Only) ECAT, Blanket Purchase Agreements

and the ability to do SDVOSB setaside contracts. “We are continually looking to expand our contract portfolio and are currently pursuing several additional contracts.”

Beacon Point’s other customers are its manufacturer partners, Summerour said, whose products the distributor features and maintains on contracts. By doing the contract management functions, including maintaining the audit risk, Beacon Point removes a huge barrier to entry in working with the federal government by ensuring manufacturers’ products are on a contract that the government recognizes and can easily purchase from. Beacon Point does the order fulfillment functions, coordinates shipping, and provides payments within established terms so that its manufacturer partners do not have to collect directly from the government, which can be difficult for anyone – especially for those not used to the complexities of the federal acquisition process.

‘Our

team did not miss a beat’

In the last few years, Beacon Point has had to navigate more than just the complexity of the acquisition process with the federal government. The pandemic affected all facets of the economy, including the federal government and its operations. “While there were supply chain and product availability problems, we were fortunate in that our business did not suffer,” Summerour said. “Since we sell primarily equipment into the Federal Health Care sector and with patient contact and elective surgeries severely curtailed, the funds normally used for consumables were redirected to upgrading and accelerating replacement schedules of their critical equipment infrastructure. We are now seeing a return to a more normalized demand for medical equipment and supplies in both the VA and DoD.”

Most recently, Beacon Point was affected by Hurricane Ian. The company’s corporate office was without power and internet for about two weeks, and a third of its staff was impacted by the hurricane in some way. This was especially concerning because the hurricane hit during the government’s fiscal year-end, which is Beacon Point’s busiest time of the year.

“I am pleased to say that our team did not miss a beat,” Summerour noted. No orders were delayed, and the team met all of Beacon’s Service Level Agreements (SLA) to both its customers and manufacturer partners. “Our ability to effectively respond during the aftermath of this devastating hurricane is due to our amazing team, lessons learned from Hurricane Irma in 2017, and decisions we made early in our company’s history.”

Beacon Point’s people and culture are key to the distributor’s success.

Beacon Point’s unaffected team members, who were previously cross-trained, pulled together and worked long shifts to process orders and support those impacted. They had generators on standby as well as water and internet hot spots. “Also, because early on we decided to hire the best and brightest team members regardless of their location, we had developed distributed systems that can operate anywhere and resources that could be reallocated remotely,” Summerour said. “This included our phone systems as well as our internally developed cloud-based computer systems, neither of which were impacted at all by the hurricane.”

Keys to success

Summerour said Beacon Point’s people are one of two keys to the success of the organization. “We have some of the most experienced and well-trained team members of any company I know,” he said. “Well over half of our team has 10 or more years of experience in the industry with many of us having over 20 years of experience.” Additionally, every member of the team, from accounting to information technology to customer service, is certified in the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) Accredited in Medical Sales (AMS) program. This ensures everyone understands the industry they are in and how their role in the company contributes to the company’s success in taking care of customers and manufacturer partners.

Culture is the second key to Beacon Point’s success. “We are a highperformance team focused on doing the right things for our customers and manufacturer partners, actively prioritizing their needs in day-to-day decisions at every level of the company,” Summerour said. “Our goal is

Supporting veterans

Beacon Point recognizes and embraces its responsibility to be a good community business partner, especially to the veteran community, said Summerour. “We actively look to hire veterans and almost half of our team are veterans.”

The distributor also supports several charities, primarily focusing on veterans and programs that support active-duty military members that have been injured. Examples include Habitat for Humanity where Beacon Point has sponsored houses built for veterans in need of affordable housing, the Navy Safe Harbor Foundation, Toys-4-Tots, Shop-With-A-Cop, Calvary Children’s Home, and the Wounded Warrior Regiment.

to provide value to our partners with every interaction, at every level.”

Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, Beacon Point empowers team members to make decisions

that benefit the customer and manufacturer partners. “We want to have everyone we interact with say, ‘Beacon Point Associates is easy to do business with’.”

Michael Summerour and Tom Summerour, Beacon Point Senior Government Account Managers and Jeff Summerour, Beacon Point President

Trusted Partners

Building successful partnerships takes constant communication between manufacturer and distributor reps.

What are the keys to success for effective manufacturerdistributor relationships? Repertoire asked several leading manufacturer reps to provide their insights into the roles, collaborative efforts with distributors, and trends they are seeing affect customers across the healthcare continuum of care.

Amy Empric

Gulf Coast Enterprise Manager for MedPro Associates

Amy Empric is the Gulf Coast Enterprise Manager for MedPro Associates. She started with MedPro in 2018 and currently manages a team that oversees five states in the southern region. Her team works with hospitals, physician offices, ASCs, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies representing multiple manufacturers. Empric’s personal territory is Georgia and North Florida for the non-acute space.

How do you measure a successful interaction with a customer?

I would measure a successful interaction with a customer by the depth of the conversation, information gathered, transparency of their struggles, and being able to offer a realistic solution for the provider and staff. A successful interaction should be organic and easy; this usually happens if I listen more than I speak and follow up in a timely manner.

MedPro’s model is to work with distribution partners and offer sales solutions including better patient care, accuracy, streamline workflows, and state-of-the-art technology. The relationships with distribution partners are equally important to the sales responsibility. Every day is different, and I learn something new. My favorite part of the job is to make sure our customers are happy with the

solutions purchased and train the staff thoroughly. This allows me to put a bow on the end of the sale and personalize the experience.

What’s keeping your customers up at night?

I believe customers are staying up at night due to the shortage of materials, irate conversations over things they can’t control, staffing shortages, and the inability to truly help patients. It makes their lives difficult if they can’t access supplies needed and are constantly adjusting schedules due to staffing shortages. It has been truly enlightening going through the pandemic and seeing the strain on our healthcare professionals.

I have recently learned about a program called the Lavender project. This project creates soothing spaces for healthcare professionals on site to recharge or process difficult situations. I’m glad there are solutions offered and an awareness of the need.

What are some best practices of developing, and maintaining, effective partnerships with distributor reps?

I could not be successful without my distribution partners. There are many best practices to keep these relationships healthy, but respect is first and foremost. I’ve listed a few other qualities that come to mind. The funny thing is most of these aren’t difficult:

ʯ Show up

ʯ Return calls/emails/texts in a timely manner

ʯ Always ask the account who their preferred distribution partner is –respect those relationships

ʯ Communicate clearly and copy all parties involved

ʯ Be thankful for the opportunities and acknowledge the wins ʯ Know your products – include product specialists when needed –we will never know everything ʯ Most important, get to know your partners – the professional and personal relationships go hand in hand.

for verbal and non-verbal communication. Through the pandemic everyone sharpened their virtual skills; not only was this entertaining but it filled the gap. Virtual still has a space and is more acceptable especially if travel is extensive. I offer both to respect comfort levels.

During the pandemic, many interactions with customers had to go virtual. What’s it like now?

My pandemic experience was a little different due to projects scheduled and the type of specialty practices. I work with many cardiology clinics, and the patient volume was high due to the side effects of COVID. There were many offices that did not want any reps to come on site. I always followed the preferences for each practice, but also took care of any installations necessary with the right precautions. I would say things are back to normal. Masks are still required occasionally, but meeting in person is fully acceptable.

Do customers prefer in-person meetings, or has there been a switch to more virtual meetings?

As of today, customers do prefer in-person meetings. The interaction is uplifting after social limitations. In-person meetings are always more productive and allow

How do you try to continue to grow in your skillset?

I am a student in life and I’m always striving for improvement. I am fortunate to work for a company that invests in my development. MedPro as a company recently supported HIDA, AMS training and a membership with Professional Women of Healthcare (PWH). HIDA training modules were challenging and encompassing; I am officially AMS certified. Better yet our company is officially AMS certified!

With PWH I participate in the mentorship program, focus groups, and attend the annual meetings. I really enjoy being part of this group. It is truly a celebration and so well done. Our next meeting is in San Antonio, May 2023, I plan on attending with one of my colleagues.

Reading books is another one of my passions. I also have a subscription to several magazines including Repertoire, OR Today, and Veterinary Advantage, etc. On a personal note, I am working on a yoga teaching certification. It is important to feed my mind, body, and soul.

“ I could not be successful without my distribution partners. There are many best practices to keep these relationships healthy, but respect is first and foremost.”

Justin Goodman

Value Based Sales Executive, Central/ SW Florida, Med

Tech / Med Care

Justin

How do you measure a successful interaction with a customer?

To me a successful interaction with a customer is first learning as much about their practice/ organization needs, and then providing the best solution for them. Sometimes the issue is a quick fix, i.e., something is broken and needs attention, or they are looking to bring in a new piece of diagnostic equipment. Sometimes it’s more complicated, like opening a new office. Either way, taking the time to fully understand that customer’s needs leads to a more successful interaction.

What’s keeping your customers up at night?

Continued supply chain issues and staff shortages.

What are some best practices of developing, and maintaining, effective partnerships with distributor reps?

I have always prioritized distributor requests as they come in and try to

get back to them as soon as humanly possible. The way I figure it, if a distributor is taking time out of their busy schedule to call, email or text me, they are looking for my help. The quicker I can help them, the more likely they are to come back to me the next time they have an opportunity.

I started in this industry as a distributor rep. I had some manufacturers who would get back to me very quickly, even though I was a rookie and (in my mind) bringing them small opportunities. I also had some who would take days to return my calls or emails. The ones that I knew I could count on were the ones who

got my business. This is how I have developed relationships.

Being with MTMC puts me in a pretty unique situation where I represent multiple manufacturers that have products for practically every specialty. I tell my distributor partners all the time, if you don’t know who has a particular product, give me a call. I either have something, or will have a pretty good idea where to send them. I also will not hesitate to recommend a competitor’s product if I feel it is the best solution for the end user. I feel that this way of working with the distributor reps has helped me maintain these relationships over the years.

Goodman is primarily responsible for the primary care and ASC accounts for MTMC in Central and Western Florida. He is also the team lead for Florida.

“I tell my distributor partners all the time, if you don’t know who has a particular product, give me a call. I either have something, or will have a pretty good idea where to send them.”

During the pandemic, many interactions with customers had to go virtual. What’s it like now? Do customers prefer in-person meetings, or has there been a switch to more virtual meetings? I live in Florida, so while things in the primary care space went virtual for a period of time, physicians have welcomed us back into the office. One benefit that I have seen is when it comes to

staff training and retraining, offices are more willing to take a virtual meeting or even take video demonstrations versus requiring everything to be in person.

How do you try to continue to grow in your skillset?

MTMC as an organization does a great job of continued education through our trainings of the month. This allows us as a team to learn (and

often relearn) the products we represent. We also have a lot of reps who are excellent at what they do. I stay in touch constantly with them to see what they are working on and where they are having success, and I try to emulate it. I also try to absorb as much content online from people who are successful. From podcasts to YouTube VLOGs there is virtually limitless content available.

Ryan Hahn

Territory Portfolio Manager, Midmark Corporation

As a territory portfolio manager, Ryan Hahn’s role is to increase demand for the Midmark medical portfolio of equipment, products and services. One of his main responsibilities is to make conducting business with Midmark as easy as possible for end-user customers and distribution partners. Hahn consults with and educates healthcare customers about unique Midmark solutions in an effort to solve key business problems. Additionally, territory portfolio managers support decision-makers and buying committees to help simplify and enable their buying journey.

How do you measure a successful interaction with a customer?

At the conclusion of the sales process, the end-user customer should come away with specific solutions to problems they had identified and others they may not have realized existed. If successful, our customers will find value in our consultation and make meaningful changes in their exam room environment

specifications with the goal of improving patient outcomes and patient/staff satisfaction while reducing cost and waste. This process should result in customers purchasing more components of the Midmark connected ecosystem of products and services which is a mutual benefit for Midmark and our distributors to better support our customers.

What’s keeping your customers up at night?

Our customers are challenged with scaling their businesses to accommodate increasing patient demand and compensate for labor shortages. Today’s healthcare consumers are seeking a better customer experience and are increasingly unwilling to wait for care. Midmark territory portfolio managers and

distribution reps can work together to help end-users overcome their challenges to improve efficiency and the overall healthcare experience, see more patients, and improve (or maintain) the fiscal health of their organization.

What are some best practices of developing, and maintaining, effective partnerships with distributor reps?

To be an effective partner I must be reliable, available and able to communicate productively. Building a solid business relationship requires me to establish effective relationships with distribution reps based on trust and open communication. Together, we must also ensure that we are always on the same page strategically off stage and in front of the customer.

During the pandemic, many interactions with customers had to go virtual. What’s it like now? Do customers prefer in-person meetings, or has there been a switch to more virtual meetings? The customer’s buying journey has become more dynamic and complex. Post pandemic, Midmark and medical distribution are being seen as essential business partners. This is affording us the benefits of meeting in-person, which is preferred by many customers and effective for both Midmark and distribution. It does remain important moving forward for sales professionals to be able to discern when it’s appropriate to request in-person meetings versus virtual. All of our customers have differing preferences and buying journeys. We need to keep the customer perspective in mind and

remain flexible, knowing when to leverage virtual, in-person and/or hybrid engagements to effectively meet customer needs.

How do you try to continue to grow in your skillsets?

For me, it starts with studying the constantly changing marketplace. Preparing off-stage and pre-planning every sales interaction is something I truly believe helps sharpen my skillset. Once on stage, I want the interaction to feel natural and effortless. In 2023, my goal is to improve my ability to deliver market insights to help customers better identify their needs while creating a sense of urgency to obtain effective solutions and inspire them to make meaningful improvements to patient care and the overall healthcare experience for patients and staff.

Steven Rodriguez

Territory Manager, Arizona/New Mexico, Primary Care, Baxter

As a Primary Care Territory Manager for the Front Line Care business at Baxter, Rodriguez’s responsibilities include partnering with both distribution reps and clinical end users in Arizona and New Mexico to present Welch Allyn products in managing disease states such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and vision loss.

How do you measure a successful interaction with a customer?

Customers have access to more information than ever before, and often an initial conversation with an end user might start with a basic need, such as a new ECG.

One of the ways I measure success is if – during that initial conversation – I’m able to identify an unconsidered need or an improved way of doing something the customer may not have thought of. In some cases, the needs are basic and relative to their clinical setting.

In other cases, it might mean an improved workflow that helped staff reduce time on sorting, reviewing, charting, and scanning ECG studies.

Customers will always know more about the intricacies of their daily workflows, and sometimes it’s just a matter of working with them to uncover and address these needs in a way that helps them provide the best possible patient care.

What’s keeping your customers up at night?

Given the current economic climate around global supply chain and logistics, I would anticipate this will still be at the forefront of restless nights for the foreseeable future. Aside from these challenges, I believe primary care physicians are continually striving for more ways to create efficiency within their clinics. This might mean connecting to an EMR to capture patient results, reducing manual data entry and transcription errors, or automating areas of their business where they’ve traditionally done things manually, such as blood pressures. The key driving point will be finding more ways to create additional time spent with patients during the day. A focal point part of my role

is helping customers identify what they might need to do differently versus what they are doing today to accomplish their desired outcome.

What are some best practices of developing, and maintaining, effective partnerships with distributor reps?

As a manufacturer partner to their business, one of my primary responsibilities is to educate distributor reps on key areas that tie our product offering to a particular disease state.

For example, as they’re in the field addressing ways to manage hypertensive patients with their customers, hopefully they’re thinking about how Welch Allyn’s blood pressure averaging feature on our vitals devices can navigate through patients experiencing white coat hypertension versus true baseline blood pressure readings.

Primary care providers often rely on their distributor reps as the lead source of education and information to assist with a business issue and if I can help educate my distributor reps on ways to match a business issue with a potential solution then it creates mutual credibility and leads to an effective partnership.

Additionally, I view myself as an extension of their business and developing trust is something you earn over time with your distributor reps. I’ve learned trust can be built in many ways including communication, accountability, and humility to name a few. But I’ve also found that being yourself and trusting the character traits that make up who you are generally translate to good things in building trust over time. We’re all unique in our own ways and it’s up to us to learn together

with our distributor partners to bring out the best in one another.

During the pandemic, many interactions with customers had to go virtual. What’s it like now? Do customers prefer in-person meetings, or has there been a switch to more virtual meetings? The height of the pandemic created a lot of uncertainty in how customer interactions would look moving forward. Today, I’m finding more customers have regained their comfort levels with holding in-person meetings, which I’m grateful for. There’s so much more you can learn from meeting customers at their office, as it allows you to get a better feel for their clinical environment.

I do, however, believe virtual meetings will continue to provide a means to interact with customers and they can be time-savers under the right situations. Although I think moving forward, we’ll see fewer customers taking a virtual call from their own bedroom or kitchen!

How do you try to continue to grow your skillsets?

I’m fortunate to work with so many wonderful teammates and distributor reps with years of experience and knowledge in our industry. It’s amazing what I might learn on a joint call in the field, or by listening in on a marketing presentation about ways the primary care market is evolving and how we can better position our products to meet changing customer needs. Baxter provides a countless number of resources to allow me to continue to develop my sales skillsets, but I have found it’s been my fellow teammates around me that help me learn and facilitate my continued growth the most.

There is a lot of uncertainty this respiratory season. Let’s bring customers onboard with a molecular testing platform that offers the flexibility and speed that can meet the challenge.

Abbott ID NOWTM offers rapid molecular testing for Influenza A & B, Strep A, RSV, and COVID-19.

The ID NOWTM COVID-19 2.0 product has not been FDA cleared or approved. It has been authorized by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for use by authorized laboratories and patient care settings. The test has been authorized only for the detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens, and is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostic tests for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner. © 2022. All rights reserved. All trademarks referenced are trademarks of their respective owners. Any photos displayed are for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in such photos is a model. COL-08320-03 12/22

Equipment PRIDE

Five steps to the Good Life.

By Brian Sullivan

Money can’t buy you love, but it sure does make it easier to have fun. And while disposable, consumable, and pharmaceutical products do a nice job of bringing in enough commission/bonus to pay the mortgage and spend a cozy lake weekend at the Super 8 each year, don’t forget it’s capital equipment sales that help you step up your entertainment/vacation game. So, if you plan on making 2023 the year you became famous in your company and industry, now is the time to give your equipment portfolio a little more love. And that is going to take a little equipment PRIDE:

Prospect: So, whose job is it to prospect for new business? The answer is EVERYBODY. That means both manufacturer reps and distributor reps. To do it well, you need to focus on a select number of products each month (3-5). For my example below, let’s use a three-month time-period.

There are three categories you need to work on.:

ʯ

How many sales of each product do you need to make in that time frame?

ʯ

How many product demos would you need to do to create those sales?

ʯ

How many cold prospecting calls do you need get those meetings?

For example, I want lab sales, but to get those five sales, I will need to do 15 lab demos. But to get 15 demos, I need to reach out to 45 prospects.

PRODUCT SALES

So, what number do you think is the most important? If you said prospecting (45), you are correct. Meetings and sales are hard to come by if you don’t proactively create opportunities by reaching out to either cold or existing clients.

Rep Communication: If you are in distribution, take time in your office before the end of the year to determine which manufacturers you should be partnering with. Remember, not all manufacturers and reps are created equal. Look for well-known brands or cool new technologies that also have great sales reps to support you. By teaming up with the right partners, you will find that together you will create more leads, more meetings/demos, and more sales. And the same applies to manufacturer reps. You don’t need 20 great distribution reps who think about your equipment first thing when they wake up in the morning (although it would be nice.) You need between five and seven. And those five to seven need your absolute five-star attention.

In the Call:

When manufacturer and distributor reps do a joint call or product demo together, it’s important that they discuss specific roles during that call. If they don’t, the risk is that they will be talking over each other, and the communication/meeting will be disjointed. Take a few minutes before you walk in (or turn on your Zoom camera) and split up duties. For example, the distributor rep may start the call with a greeting and a recap of the initial prospecting call. The manufacturer rep may then ask deeper discovery questions and present their solution based on what they learned was important to the prospect. They may also be “in charge” of overcoming any sales objections. You just need to make sure there is clarity in those roles.

Decision-Time:

Once you receive buying signals and buying noises (like hmm, interesting, I like it), somebody needs to control the call. Remember, the financial presentation is as important as a good clinical presentation, so you need to master it. The best

time to deliver that financial presentation is NOW. When possible, don’t tell them you are going to get back to them with a proposal. Have three different product/pricing options available and present them immediately after you have built the emotional momentum. This means you need to prepare the financials before you ever attend that demo/ meeting. When salespeople don’t take the time to do this before the call, they often struggle creating that same prospect urgency days or weeks later.

Explore: The best time to explore for additional capital equipment opportunities is immediately after a prospect says “yes” to the capital equipment opportunity you just presented. Too many salespeople are so elated to sell something that they’re afraid they will sound too pushy by bringing up another piece of equipment.

Before you walk into that demo/ presentation, think about the ancillary or cross-sell products that would be a perfect fit with the product you are showing. And after you get that “yes” on product one, set another hook by saying something like, “Doctor, we look forward to training your staff. By the way, many clinics who found value in our connected EKG also found value in being able to monitor heart rhythms over an extended period. Would you be interested in learning how others are combining the use of an EKG and Holter monitor?” By simply being prepared with that final exploration hook, you will be amazed how often you turn one opportunity into two.

With a little PRIDE and better preparation, 2023 could be your best capital equipment selling year. And the by-product will be higher commission checks that will allow you to do and see things that you haven’t even thought of in a while. It’s time for the Good Life.

PRECISE Selling Founder Brian Sullivan, CSP, is the author of the book 20 Days to the TOP – How the PRECISE Selling Formula Will Make You Your Company’s Top Sales Performer in 20 Days or Less. He also hosts a Radio/ Podcast with MLB Hall of Famer George Brett called Golf Underground on ESPN Kansas City. To learn more, go to preciseselling.com.

Meetings and sales are hard to come by if you don’t proactively create opportunities by reaching out to either cold or existing clients.

Henry and Esther Schein

A Spirit that Lives On

When Henry and Esther Schein founded Henry Schein in 1932, they imbued the organization with an entrepreneurial spirit that would lead the company through the next 90 years – and then some. “The Company’s unique ability to listen to our customers and understand where health care is headed has allowed us to make [critical] pivots and successfully manage the changing environment in which we operate,” says Michael Ettinger, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “As we enter our 10th decade serving the health care industry, we remain confident that we are well positioned to help our customers run efficient practices so they can provide quality care more effectively.”

From its introduction of private-brand dental and medical products in the 1940s to its recent announcement of 2022-24 BOLD+1 Strategic Plan, Henry Schein has aimed to deliver an exceptional experience through differential solutions. Some of the organization’s top leaders shared with Repertoire their thoughts on how industry changes and important pivot points have impacted company growth and strengthened its ability to continue distributing healthcare products and services, nationally and abroad.

Henry Schein celebrates 90 years of serving healthcare providers across the continuum of care.

Michael Ettinger

Henry Schein

A Spirit that Lives On

Repertoire: Since its inception, what has had the greatest impact on Henry Schein’s sales force?

Brad Connett, chief executive officer, North America Distribution Group: Throughout Henry Schein’s 90-year history, there have been many changes and advances in healthcare. The pivot points that have had the greatest impact on Henry Schein’s sales force all tie back to advancements in technology. Technology has not only changed how care is being delivered to patients, but also how Henry Schein can engage and connect with its customers. We have transformed our businesses over the years to best reach, serve and provide value to our customers, from when we first automated the distribution cycle to today, as we continue to offer various supply chain technology solutions, inventory management solutions and other clinical, financial and operational solutions. Our sales force has evolved beyond the transaction and looks for ways to provide these solutions, because we understand how our customers have also transformed as a result of new technologies.

Repertoire: Would you consider COVID-19 an important pivot point in Henry Schein’s history? If so, how has it changed the company and its approach to the medical market?

Trinh Clark, senior vice president and chief global customer experience officer: The pace of digital adoption has been accelerating for many years, and exponentially over the last two and a half years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Customer experience demands and expectations, as well as advances in technology, are driving significant change in the way we need to interact with our customers. The data is showing that customers are increasingly basing decisions about staying with brands on customer experiences, with product and price becoming less and less important for customer retention. Customers are demanding experiences that deliver greater convenience, simplicity, consistency and a high level of personalization across all of our channels that they interact with us.

We know that our customers may start in one interaction channel and move to another as they progress to a purchase or resolution. The transition between channels for customers must be easy, cannot require the repetition of information and must have the same look, feel and consistency of information, regardless of the channels utilized. An integrated omni-channel customer experience strategy is of increasingly high importance to us, as we recognize it is a significant driver in delivering better outcomes for both our business and customers.

Consistent with our history of growth and evolution over the last 90 years, we have continued making strategic investments in our digital technology capabilities to remain relevant to our customers as their technology needs and expectations continue to evolve. We have prioritized additional investments in resources, process and technology to design and deliver an integrated, seamless and consistent omni-channel customer experience across multiple channels, including digital commerce, mobile and voice.

Repertoire: How have Henry Schein’s key decisions regarding mergers and acquisitions reflected its approach to business and the markets it serves?

Ty Ford, vice president and general manager, U.S. Medical Sales: I believe the decisions we have collectively made over the last 30 years speaks to our commitment to our providers, supplier partners and core values our organization was founded upon. Henry and Esther Schein started this business to provide a unique and improved experience amongst local dentists and physicians – a time-honored tradition we continue to build upon today. We believe in our ability to support the provider regardless of the care setting, and we look to leverage the technology and capabilities of our supplier partners in those markets as well. An aggressive mergers and acquisitions strategy over the years has afforded us the opportunity to build an organization that thinks globally but services locally. We will continue to look for new partnerships as we expand to more markets and ensure our customers continue to have the greatest experience possible.

A Spirit that Lives On

Repertoire: How does Henry Schein’s history and involvement in the dental market impact its medical sales reps today?

Nancy Lanni, vice president and general manager, strategic account management, North America Strategic Accounts: It is widely known that good oral health can improve health outcomes and lower costs. According to the World Health Organization, oral diseases are among the most prevalent non-communicable diseases (NCDs), impacting 3.5 billion people globally. Untreated oral infections are closely linked to a wide range of costly NCDs, including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and stroke – that together drive 75% of overall health care costs. Many larger dental organizations are embracing the opportunity to integrate healthcare into their dental practices. This is being done to capture new patients as well as improve outcomes and the overall patient experience. Likewise, many emerging models of care delivery, such as retail and employer health, are expanding into dental. Traditional healthcare delivery through community health centers (CHC) have always embraced the combination of offering a dental and medical solution.

As oral and traditional healthcare delivery continue to consolidate, the medical sales reps may need to expand their knowledge into oral care delivery. Ultimately, the consumer dictates where they want to receive care, and providing a seamless experience uniting dental and medical will become more prevalent.

Team Schein Values

Repertoire: How do Team Schein Values impact the activities of your sales reps and sales support teams?

Brad Connett: Team Schein Values represent the fundamental aspect that makes Henry Schein special is its people and culture. Henry Schein’s culture is deeply rooted throughout the organization and is based on eight shared values that guide our Team Schein Members and their actions. Our values have been in place since as long as I’ve been around, which is quite some time, but through all the years of change, a constant has always been our Team Schein Values. The eight values serve an important purpose in the fiber of our organization, but the ones that stand out the most are “Mutuality” and “Each person is as important as the next.” We believe that Henry Schein and its Team Schein Members are mutually responsible for the success of the business, but we also recognize each person’s value and their individual and collective contributions to not only Henry Schein but our stakeholders, supplier partners, customers and society at large. With these values, our teams want to win and want to win together.

Repertoire: Your mission statement says: “To provide innovative, integrated health care products and services; and to be trusted advisors and consultants to our customers – enabling them to deliver the best quality patient care and enhance their practice management efficiency and profitability.” How does that influence your sales reps on a day-to-day basis?

Ty Ford: First and foremost, trust is never something that should be taken for granted, and it is something that we believe is earned. It is also something that can be lost as quickly as it is gained. To me, this comes down to the experience our customers have, and ways in which each Team Schein Member engages. We have utilized a Team Selling Strategy now for more than 14 years, and in order for our team to enable our customers to provide an optimal patient experience, we must leverage the collective strength of our industry. We need for our customers to operate efficiently and in doing so, we hope they recognize our role and contributions along the way.

Our 2022–24 BOLD+1 strategic plan also continues to guide our team on a day-to-day basis. The elements of this plan are to: 1) build complementary high-growth software, specialty and services businesses; 2) operationalize “One Distribution” (which more

BAXTER AND WELCH ALLYN ARE NOW ONE TEAM

You may not know Baxter as well as you know Welch Allyn, but that’s about to change. A strong legacy of healthcare progress meets a future of new possibilities that will help your team make the days and lives of clinicians easier.

To see how we’re transforming care visit www.baxter.com/meet-acute-care

Baxter and Welch Allyn are trademarks of Baxter International Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. APR425001 Rev 1 08-NOV-2022 ENG-US

A Spirit that Lives On

tightly integrates the management of the company’s distribution businesses globally, while more fully leveraging the functions, talent, processes and systems of our distribution businesses) for exceptional customer experience, increased efficiency and growth; 3) broaden and deepen relationships with our customers; 4) drive digital transformation for our customers and the

company; and 5) create shared value by activating our stakeholders around purpose-driven missions – our customers, supplier partners, Team Schein Members, investors and society. We expect customers to rely on us to do what we do exceptionally well, which in turn allows for them to do what they do – provide the best quality of care!

Key pivot points

A series of pivot points have played an important role in Henry Schein’s development as a global leader in healthcare:

1940s: Introduced private-brand dental and medical products.

1950s: Shifted focus from consumers to office-based practitioners.

1962: Produced first Henry Schein Catalog.

1971: Placed focus on dental practitioners.

1983: Introduced TouchTone telephone ordering.

1984: Automated the distribution cycle.

1990s: Began international expansion (The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain).

1994: Introduced practice management software, initial step that led to Henry Schein One software business, helping to drive current strategic plan.

1995: Listed on Nasdaq Marketplace, raising $72.8 million in the IPO.

1996: Introduced unique integrated sales and marketing approach to serving customers (field sales, telesales, direct marketing).

1997: Became world’s largest healthcare distributor serving office-based practitioners.

2001: Established Henry Schein Cares global social responsibility program.

2004: Entered growing dental implant category, first step in creating Global Oral Reconstruction Group.

2010: Created a Medical Executive Selling Team as well as a Specialties Business serving oral surgeons and endodontists.

2014: Accelerated expansion into IDN market by acquiring Cardinal Health’s physician office sales team and distribution business.

2019: Tightened strategic focus on human health market, acquired North American Rescue.

2019: Expanded its web-based SolutionsHub, featuring a full suite of solutions to help customers improve patient outcomes, increase profitability, and run a more efficient business.

2021: Established One Distribution and One Schein strategic initiatives to enhance operational performance and increase growth.

2022: Introduced 2022-24 BOLD+1 Strategic Plan, focused on delivering an exceptional experience through differentiated solutions.

Is it COVID-19 or the Flu?

Quickly detect and differentiate between Influenza and COVID-19 * with a single test this flu season, with clear, trusted, digital results in 15 minutes.

See what’s new at BDVeritor.com/COVID-Flu

*Emergency Use Authorization Information for the SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A+B assays:

• These products have not been FDA cleared or approved; but have been authorized by FDA under EUA for use by authorized laboratories

• The BD Veritor™ System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 has been authorized only for the detection of proteins from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens; the BD Veritor™ System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A+B has been authorized only for the detection of proteins from SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and influenza B, not for any other viruses or pathogens; and,

• These products are only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the declaration is terminated or authorization is revoked sooner.

BD Life Sciences, 7 Loveton Circle, Sparks, MD 21152-0999 USA 800-638-8663

BD, the BD Logo and Veritor are trademarks of Becton, Dickinson and Company or its affiliates. © 2021 BD. All rights reserved.

Infection Prevention Sales

Best practices of reps who sell IP products well.

Arguably one of the most dynamic product categories in healthcare distribution for the last three years has been infection prevention. That trend doesn’t look like it will change anytime soon. COVID variants, monkeypox, and flu will continue to drive demand.

The infection prevention category itself is large and diverse, made up of products that when used can break the chain of infection or create a barrier to infection. So by definition, gloves, PPE, hand hygiene, environmental hygiene, surgical & skin preps, sterilization all roll up to create a very large and complex category.

You can take the complexity away and be a more consultative resource for your customers using the following best practices:

No. 1: Know Your Audience

There are many questions that come to mind that can help you understand the customer.

ʯ What are they ordering?

ʯ Are they ordering enough?

ʯ Is it older technology that can be improved? For instance, are their nitrile gloves thinner and more comfortable to wear? Do they have a chemo claim?

ʯ

What type of surface wipes are they using? Do they have all the right kill claims? Are they the fastest kill times? Can you find a formulation that’s easier on their equipment?

ʯ Is there someone on-hand that takes lead for infection prevention planning and training?

formularies to help drive compliance and utilization of the right products. In most areas of the category there is a systematic approach. For instance, with environmental hygiene there is a need for products that clean and disinfect. With instrument sterilization there are indicators, instrument-care products, pre-cleaners, disinfectants, sterilants, and pouches/wraps. Make sure you have recommendations for products used in every step of the recommended guidelines used.

No. 4: It Takes a Village

ʯ

Is the hand sanitizer that they use formulated with at least 60% ethyl-alcohol?

ʯ Are they compliant with CDC recommendations?

ʯ Is product visible throughout the facility and in all the high traffic areas?

No. 2: Remember It’s Personal Sometimes we forget about the customer experience. We think of these products as commodities – “a glove is a glove,” or “it’s just some off brand sanitizer to save money.” Remember, clinicians wear these gloves all day long. They understand quality, fit, and what makes them feel safe. They are washing or sanitizing their hands between patients. They are protecting themselves in the workplace. The better you make them feel about quality and safety, the higher their compliance of infection prevention products will be.

No. 3: Recommend Bundling Up

The IP category is so large and diverse that it’s beneficial to create

There are so many resources around us to help educate. Reach out and utilize the knowledge from key suppliers in the industry. Recommended guidelines from the CDC have changed over the past few years. Your supplier will make sure you are up to date with regulatory and market trends. Make sure customers tap into one of their many continuing education programs that are offered. This is a value-add that helps elevate understanding and compliance. Visit CDC.gov, or APIC. org to stay current.

No. 5: Be an Advisor

Infection Prevention is a category where you can lean-in and be of real service. The pandemic has forced us to step up our game. This goes beyond just helping our industry – you will protect customers and their families.

Proven, Preferred Protection

PURELL® produc t s are designed for high -frequenc y use in hospitals, and PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer is the # 1 brand of hand sanitizer used in hospitals 1 When patient s, visitors, high s tandards for patient safet y and qualit y care.

PURELL products are designed for healthcare, using our most advanced science to exceed healthcare demands – hand sanitizers that meet FDA requirements in a single dose,2 soap products that are gentle on skin even with repeated use, and a complete set of hand hygiene performance.

Learn more at gojo.com/rep9

Legislative Look Ahead For 2023

The 2022 midterm elections resulted in a narrow Democratic margin in the Senate and a narrow Republican majority in the House. But for proponents of pandemic preparedness, a bipartisan cohort of lawmakers were returned to office. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the lead Democratic sponsor of the PREVENT Pandemics Act, won re-election to a sixth term in office, and will chair the powerful Appropriations Committee in the next Congress. In the House, Representatives Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), the bipartisan authors of the Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act, both won re-election.

At the end of 2022, Congress left several legislative loose ends with respect to healthcare distribution and the medical supply chain. As we enter a new year with a new Congress, HIDA is advocating for several legislative priorities.

Supporting Lab Services

In 2014, Congress passed a law to align Medicare’s clinical laboratory fee schedule with rates paid by private insurers. But because the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) used an unrepresentative sample of labs to set rates, many services were cut by 10%. These cuts were paused during the pandemic, but even deeper cuts were poised to snap into effect. HIDA supports the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA), which spares labs from cuts and creates a more representative, sustainable, and market-based fee schedule for clinical laboratories.

Preparing For Future Pandemics

Expediting Medical Supplies

After monitoring the medical supply chain for one full year, only slight reductions in the length of shipping delays and the volume of delayed medical containers have been reported. Over 90% of survey respondents reported the situation has stayed the same or worsened over the last three months. HIDA supports Congressional and executive actions that would create a “fast pass” process to expedite medical supplies throughout the nation’s transportation system. HIDA has drafted legislative language for the creation of a Fast Pass Critical Cargo Pilot Program for medical supplies.

Throughout 2022, HIDA supported the PREVENT Pandemics Act, legislation to strengthen the nation’s public health preparedness in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill was approved by the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee on a broad bipartisan basis, but was never considered on the Senate floor. The PREVENT Pandemics Act recognizes the vital role of public-private partnerships in managing medical supplies during a pandemic. In 2023, Congress is expected to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPRA). HIDA is advocating for the PREVENT Pandemics Act to be made a part of the PAHPA reauthorization process.

HIDA greatly appreciates the enthusiasm and dedication of our member advocates, who are crucial to making our industry heard on Capitol Hill. As we head into a new Congress, we will continue to educate elected officials about the value of distribution.

Wyeth Ruthven, Director of Public Affairs, Health Industry Distributors Association

Mobile Adjustable Height Lead Acrylic Window Barrier

With the same great protec tion you get from a Wolf barrier, this model features the ability to position the clear lead at any level between 45.25” and 74” for the ultimate in patient and operational visibility I t ’s great for dozens of applications.

Best of all, the internal counter balance mechanism makes it easy to lif t or lower…it requires minimal

• O verall width: 30.5”

• Opaque por tion of the shield has .8mm lead equivalent protec tion

• Clear panel provides .5mm lead equivalent protec tion

• 25” legs with casters provide strength, durability and easy transpor t within the clinic

• The per fec t right size solution for any environment: OR, ER, C T, X-ray, Urology, Pain Management, and Surgical Centers

• When lowered allows rapid transpor t to any location in hospital or clinic and easy-to -store

2023: Time for Solutions

Last year brought its share of challenges. Finding solutions is the hard work awaiting everyone in the healthcare community this year.

2022 presented all kinds of challenges for providers, patients and public health professionals. No doubt many of those challenges will linger in 2023, and new ones will arise. However, researchers, providers, public health professionals, lawmakers – and medical sales professionals –can be expected to keep working through the tough issues facing them. In part one of a two-part series, Repertoire examines the following issues:

Respiratory season

Monkeypox

Retail clinics

Inflation

Workforce issues

Respiratory season: In like a lion

Predictions of a tumultuous respiratory season –fueled by COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus – appeared to be coming true at year’s end. Will any of the public-health-related measures society learned during the pandemic ease the damage?

In November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that early increases in seasonal influenza activity were continuing nationwide, with the Southeast and South-Central areas of the country hardest hit. The agency estimated that as of Nov. 1, influenza accounted for 1.6 million illnesses, 13,000 hospitalizations and 7,300 deaths (including two pediatric deaths), and the cumulative hospitalization rate was higher than the rate observed in week 43 during every previous season since 2010-2011.

In addition to elevated levels of flu, CDC was tracking rises in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Rhino viruses and animal viruses. Children’s hospitals were overflowing with RSV patients.

Long COVID

Although the incidence of COVID-19 had abated by late 2022, the healthcare community still faced a challenging after-effect – Long COVID. Between 7.7 million and 23 million people in the United States could have Long COVID, whose symptoms can linger for weeks, months and even years, according to U.S. government estimates.

The most reported symptoms include fatigue, symptoms that worsen after physical or mental effort, fever, and lung (respiratory) symptoms, including difficulty breathing or shortness of breath and cough.

People who had suffered severe illness with COVID19 were more likely to experience organ damage affecting the heart, kidneys, skin and brain. Abnormalities of the thyroid joined the ever-growing list of side effects attributed to Long COVID, according to research presented at the American Thyroid Association 2022 Annual Meeting in October. Inflammation and problems with the immune system were also said to occur. Effects such as these could lead to the development of new conditions, such as diabetes or a heart or nervous system condition, according to Mayo Clinic.

At year’s end, researchers were still questioning whether Long COVID is a new syndrome and unique to COVID-19. That’s because some symptoms are similar

to those caused by chronic fatigue syndrome and other chronic illnesses that develop after infections. Despite the questions, however, the healthcare community continued to learn more about Long COVID, how to treat it, and even how to prevent it.

For example, in November, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released a study showing the medication Paxlovid can reduce the risk of symptoms of Long COVID. The study, which included more than 56,000 veterans with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, showed that those given the oral antiviral medication in the first five days of a COVID-19 infection had a 25% decreased risk of developing 10 of 12 different Long COVID conditions studied, including heart disease, blood disorders, fatigue, liver disease, kidney disease, muscle pain, neurocognitive impairment and shortness of breath.

Monkeypox: Lessons learned about ‘stigma’ disease

Monkeypox cases were declining by year’s end, but some observers believe progress could have been swifter.

In the U.S., about 27,635 cases were reported in late October, about 85% down from the peak at the outbreak, reported Demetre Daskalakis, MD, White House National Monkeypox Response deputy coordinator. However, he added, “the outbreak is really concentrated in communities of color, specifically among Black individuals.”

The CDC reported on a clinical consultation for 57 hospitalized patients with severe manifestations of monkeypox, most of whom were Black men with AIDS. Delays had been observed in initiation of monkeypoxdirected therapies. Twelve patients died, and monkeypox was a cause of death or contributing factor in five patients to date, with several other deaths still under investigation.

As a result, CDC advised clinicians to consider early treatment with available therapeutics for those at risk for severe monkeypox disease, particularly patients with AIDS. Engaging all persons with HIV in care remains a critical public health priority.

According to one U.S. epidemiologist, the monkeypox experience demonstrated that the world has made little progress since the 1980s AIDS epidemic. “As with the AIDS epidemic, sluggish responses from governments and international institutions, plus outright homophobia and bureaucratic bumbling, have hampered efforts to

contain the outbreak,” wrote Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut, in a commentary in Nature. “Very often, humanity has the ability to prevent and treat infectious disease; not doing so is a political choice.”

That said, public health officials around the world were applying lessons learned from the AIDS epidemic to monkeypox. “Local staff in the most affected states [in Nigeria] have reported that stigma, connected with commentary from across the world blaming gay people for monkeypox, is discouraging some people from seeking care,” said Dr. Leo Zekeng, UNAIDS Country Director and Representative in Nigeria in August. “State Health officials are working to ensure that staff at health clinics are sensitized to break down such stigma, and not to reinforce it. State Ministry of Health officials are also embarking on community sensitization on monkeypox, emphasizing identification of symptoms, prevention and the need to get tested.”

In September, the U.S. FDA made a significant step forward in early detection of monkeypox by authorizing emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for the detection or diagnosis of monkeypox. These diagnostics may detect the monkeypox virus specifically or more generally detect non-variola orthopoxviruses, which include monkeypox virus.

Retail clinics: Nonstop

Repertoire readers know that traditional retailers (e.g., Walgreens, CVS Health, Walmart) and some non-traditional ones (e.g., Amazon) have been busy setting up bricks-and-mortar primary care clinics around the country. Expect that trend to continue in 2023.

In November, research and consulting firm Forrester predicted that retail health clinics will double their share of the primary care market. Sixteen years ago, there were 29 retail health clinics; now, there are more than 3,000. From 2019 to 2020, such clinics experienced growth of 21.5%, fueled initially by the need for local, convenient COVID-19

testing sites and sustained by their ability to provide accessible care without appointments. Just five days after Forrester published its report, VillageMD announced its intention to acquire Summit Health-CityMD, giving the combined company more than 680 provider locations in 26 states.

Retail health clinics will double their share of the primary care market in 2023, fueled by patient demand and additional retail companies looking to join the ranks, predicted Forrester. As retail health clinics grow in primary care, the demand for health systems to step up their patient experience game can be expected to increase.

Inflation: The unwelcome guest

Inflation maintained a stubborn presence in 2022. At press time, the outlook for 2023 looked only slightly less ominous.

For healthcare providers, inflation couldn’t have come at a worse time. Forrester predicted that the economic downturn and consumer behavior could cause hospital bankruptcies to spike by a third. “Inflation, the nurse staffing crisis, labor cost hikes, supply chain disruption, and sourcing shortages are breaking the banks of U.S. hospitals and shutting their doors,” the firm reported. “Over the next 12 months, hospitals that averted financial crisis due to the Fed’s contingency provisions, state-based funding sources, and

lender-granted waivers and extensions will succumb to a lack of cash flow.”

Hospital and health system expenses were expected to increase by nearly $135 billion in 2023, driven by a projected $86 billion increase in labor expenses. Backlogs for surgery, imaging and diagnostic services could prevent hospitals from recovering a $20 billion loss of revenue, spurred by the shutdown of elective procedures from March to May 2020. Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings for large healthcare organizations in 2022 were 28% higher than 2021. By the end of 2022 more than 30% of all rural hospitals were expected to be at immediate risk of closure due to low financial reserves or reliance on government aid.

Workforce issues: A stubborn problem

Concerns about the shortage of healthcare workers and about burnout among those still on the job were expected to linger in 2023 and perhaps beyond.

The percentage of physicians reporting burnout rose from 61% in 2021 to 65% in 2022, according to a survey by Jackson Physician Search and the Medical Group Management Association. When asked to gauge how much their burnout levels changed from 2021 to 2022, 35% of physicians reported a significant increase and 40% reported burnout had increased somewhat. Half of physicians reported considering leaving their practice for a different job in healthcare.

For the long-term-service sector, the workforce situation was even more dire. Nearly 342,000 jobs in the sector were lost from February to December 2020, a 5% decline, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs in nursing homes declined by 9%, followed by declines in residential care (7%) and home care settings (3%).

Nursing shortages were well-publicized in 2022 and will probably linger in 2023. In April 2022, researchers reported in Health Affairs that the total supply of RNs decreased by more than 100,000 from 2020 to 2021 – the largest drop observed over the

prior four decades. A significant number of nurses leaving the workforce were under the age of 35, and most were employed in hospitals.

The shortage of registered nurses was expected to intensify as Baby Boomers age and the need for healthcare grows, reported the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Meanwhile, nursing schools across the country were struggling to expand capacity to meet the rising demand.

Creative solutions

By year’s end, some providers had already found ways to creatively address the nursing shortage. In Danville, Pennsylvania, for example, Geisinger Health implemented an internal traveling nurse program to offer nurses higher payment rates for traveling within the organization, which comprises nine hospitals, reported HealthLeaders Media Geisinger also opened its staffing model for flex and per diem nurse roles and is offering recruitment loans to new graduates and retention bonuses to nurses. And instead of conducting exit interviews when people leave, Geisinger was conducting “stay interviews” to help administrators understand what would encourage people to continue working for the system.

The American Hospital Association Center for Health Innovation recommended five ways providers could address staffing issues:

ʯ

Customize retention strategies. While all nurses seek recognition and compensation for their efforts, many put a premium on flexible scheduling, breaks to recharge, strong management support and open lines of communication, input into decision-making, accessibility to mental health and well-being resources, or help with child or eldercare. Meanwhile, physicians seek increased pay, additional time off, reduced on-call, and paid sabbaticals.

internal staffing agency gives, nurses gained more flexibility while remaining in the organization and maintaining seniority.

Union shops

As concerns about workforce shortages grew in the past year, so did interest in unionizing among healthcare workers. Among physicians, perhaps it’s no surprise, given the rising number who are now employed by large healthcare systems. Medical residents might be moving in the same direction.

ʯ

Fully exercise the skills of advanced practice nurses. Nationwide, more effective use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants could help alleviate the primary care physician shortage, said AHA. Licensed NPs took on greater responsibility during the pandemic, and their role was expected to continue to grow along with value-based care models in 2023, per McKinsey & Company. Their ranks also are expanding, increasing 12% in the last year to a record 325,000-plus.

Ten years ago, in 2012, 60% of physician practices in the U.S. were physician-owned, 23.4% of practices had some hospital ownership, and only 5.6% of physicians were direct hospital employees, according to researchers in a July 2022 JAMA Network article. By 2022 the percentage of physicians employed by hospitals or health systems reached 52.1% and 21.8% by other corporate entities, for an estimated 74% of practicing physicians.

“This rapid transformation has largely followed an aggressive strategy, put forward by hospital and corporate leadership, that seeks scale and exploits market power,” the researchers wrote. “However, it is also a strategy that is increasingly at odds with the interests of the physicians working in these organizations. ... These differences suggest the potential for growing challenges for U.S. medicine.”

ʯ

Become a destination for millennials and Gen Zs. As workforce shortages continue, new clinicians can be more selective about where they work. Providers should allow staff to tailor their schedules and create career pathways.

Among medical residents, union-organizing attempts were also on the rise, with recent drives at Stanford, the University of Southern California and the University of Vermont. As of mid-2022, roughly 15% of U.S. house staff in more than 60 hospitals were represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), which is part of the Service Employees International Union. A smaller portion of residents have created their own local unions or joined one for medical and dental providers, such as the Union of American Physicians and Dentists.

ʯ

Integrate workforce planning with strategic planning. Healthcare providers should strive to create an environment that supports the team through change. As skill sets and capabilities shift, employers can develop strategies to reskill the workforce and strengthen the talent pipeline with new professional development pathways.

Residents’ reasons for organizing often focus on pay and working conditions. At the University of Washington, for example, the Resident and Fellow Physician UnionNorthwest (RFPU) won pregnant residents the right to reject 24-hour shifts. At the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, CIR negotiated additional pay and better planning for the extra demands residents face when hurricanes hit.

ʯ

Create your own solutions. Some hospitals and health systems are building their own internal supply of clinicians who can be reassigned temporarily during peak need periods. Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, for example, found that by creating an

Unionization is not a slam-dunk decision for providers, however. Some residents worry that it could undermine patients’ and communities’ trust in them. Meanwhile, executives in teaching institutions worry that a collective contractual agreement could limit flexibility in graduate medical education.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that interest in unionizing has increased, given the rising number of physicians now employed by large healthcare systems.

Based on her ground-breaking business book, Leadership Unchained, Sara Canaday’s keynote presentation reveals the daily practices separating innovative leaders from their counterparts. Using a dynamic combination of insights, examples and research, she outlines the new signature habits that will catapult “by the book” leaders into modern thinkers. Current and future leaders will be captivated by Sara’s clear roadmap for defying conventional wisdom and adopting unconventional habits for business success.

Sara Canaday helps companies maximize the contributions of their leaders and high potentials for bottom-line impact. She has a unique gift for connecting with her clients and ensuring they walk away with actionable strategies for positive change – strengthening leadership skills, improving business relationships and enhancing performance.

Excellent content & amazing subject matter experts. ___

All sessions were high quality content and the networking opportunities offered made it easy to engage. ___ Enjoyed the purposeful times to network.

LEADERS EXPERIENCE AT THE SUMMIT: EMPOWERING critical networking & leadership skills LEARNING how to be a more confident leader CONNECTING with others to have a more positive approach DEVELOPING skills to be better positioned for future career opportunities ACQUIRING strategies to get a seat at the table EMBRACING new connections and a new sense of purpose & ambition GAINING practical takeaways on leadership and success in our industry.

Sara Canaday, Leadership Keynote Speaker, Author, Executive Coach

Wearables and the Physician Office

Health apps are everywhere ... except the physician’s exam room.

Have you noticed that most people checking their watches aren’t looking for the time, but rather, for the number of steps they’ve taken today? The fact that so many people – an estimated 45% of Americans – wear fitness trackers has given rise to the term “quantified self.” There’s even a nonprofit based in the San Francisco Bay area called Quantified Self, whose tagline is “Self-knowledge through numbers.”

To date, consumers, employers and health plans have been responsible for driving much of the adoption of wearables and health apps, like fitness trackers. But it remains to be seen how – or if – physicians will jump in.

It’s not just about wellness anymore

Wearables range from Fitbits, AppleWatches and Galaxy Fits, to more sophisticated devices that collect information on blood pressure, glucose levels, oxygen levels and gastrointestinal issues. In fact, health apps are increasingly focused on health condition management rather than wellness management, with the former accounting for 47% of all apps in 2020, up from 28% in 2015, according to the research firm IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science. Mental health, diabetes and cardiovascular disease-related apps accounted for almost half of disease-specific apps in 2020.

Wearable health devices offer several benefits to users and healthcare providers, according to researchers from Cornell University in 2020:

ʯ They offer a convenient way to monitor, store and share health information in real-time.

ʯ They provide feedback to users to make appropriate changes to their daily routines or behavior.

ʯ They can facilitate remote patient monitoring and provide proactive and faster data access to physicians.

ʯ They can be particularly useful for patients with chronic conditions, patients with cardiovascular risks, and elderly populations.

Working with a mobile health app platform in Asia, the researchers monitored health activities (e.g., exercise,

sleep, food intake) and blood glucose values of 1,070 diabetes patients over several months. They found the adoption of the mobile health app led to improvements in health behavior, reductions in blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels, and fewer hospital visits and lower medical expenses. Patients who used the app undertook more exercise, consumed healthier food, walked more steps and slept for longer periods of time, and they were more likely to substitute offline visits with telehealth visits.

connected healthcare navigator, offering employers and health plans a menu of health resources and plan designs, including health apps.) Successful employers are likely to incentivize employee engagement to use these programs, resulting in engagement levels that are on average eight times higher than those without incentives, according to the company.

Vivante Health

One healthcare application company working directly with employers and health plans is Vivante Health,

The business model

Developers of digital health apps initially marketed and sold them using a direct-to-consumer business model, but developers of apps providing the most significant health benefits are increasingly targeting payers and employers, according to IQVIA.

The average employer offers more than 12 digital health programs to their workforce, prioritizing activity, fitness, and sleep programs; nutrition and weight management tools; and diabetes management and prevention programs, according to San Francisco-based Castlight Health. (Castlight identifies itself as a

Chicago. Its digital health products are designed to provide personalized and comprehensive care for people with digestive conditions.

More than 70 million Americans suffer from digestive health issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease or other chronic GI ailments, says Vivante Health CEO Bill Snyder. Furthermore, abdominal pain is the No. 1 reason for doctors’ appointments and emergency room visits, he says.

Introduced in 2019, the company’s digestive health program, GIThrive® is designed to combine

Bill Snyder

Simon Mathews

interactive technology and 24/7 personal support from nurses, a registered dietitian and a health coach, who in turn are supported by a team of pharmacists, research psychologists, microbiome scientists and gastroenterology professionals.

“As part of our GIThrive program, we offer a dynamic technology platform that uses data-driven insights to personalize the experience for our members,” says Snyder. “It also includes novel biomarker collection, including an at-home microbiome test, GutCheck, and GIMate, which is a first-of-its-kind handheld breath hydrogen monitor.”

Mathews, M.D., clinical advisory board member for Vivante Health and a gastroenterologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “The most common way patients interact with the digital world is by searching online and reading more about their condition. Occasionally, they will bring in data reports related to a fitness tracking app.

“At GIThrive, we are looking to be additive to the care ecosystem and ensure we are getting patients to the right care at the right time. We provide immediate access to individuals who may have accessibility barriers based upon various socioeconomic

says Dr. Mathews. “Health systems or individual departments may have bespoke integrations, but there is no easy, universal approach that facilitates broad access. This barrier is changing, however, as interoperability standards become more commonplace, leading to greater flexibility.”

The Cornell University researchers raised the following concerns about integrating patient-generated health data into medical diagnostics and care:

ʯ The ability of wearable devices to track, store, and transmit patients’ health information raises questions about data security and privacy.

ʯ The design, accuracy, and reliability of wearables have been a major concern.

ʯ Questions have been raised about the accuracy of data gathered by wearables in people of color.

Snyder says that Vivante Health has proven:

ʯ GIThrive consistently saves a company more than $840 annually per member on average – a 15% reduction in spend.

ʯ 87% of members better manage their digestive symptoms since using GIThrive.

ʯ 89% of members say their overall well-being improved since using GIThrive.

ʯ 89 Net Promoter Score for GIThrive Care Team.

Health apps and medical practice

Despite the good statistics, it is questionable whether health apps have yet to become an integral part of medical practice.

“Overall, the penetration of digital health tools in gastroenterology patients is low,” says Simon

factors. We immediately assess the acuity of our patients and engage them in an evidence-based clinical pathway to reduce their symptoms and get them feeling healthier quickly. We can refer higher-acuity patients to brick-and-mortar providers. We can capture additional longitudinal data that gives us unique insights into the needs of the patients we serve.

“We can share this information with providers to give them a more holistic picture of their patients so they are able to best meet their patients’ needs,” he says. “Vivante has received great feedback from providers associated with partner health plans on the program that we have built with patients’ provider relationships in mind.”

That said, integrating information from health apps won’t happen without effort. “Integration of digital programs is in large part very fragmented (as with the rest of healthcare!),”

ʯ Technology acceptance of new wearable devices remains another significant barrier.

Wearables and health apps have also raised questions of health equity, according to the researchers. For example, in their study of patients with chronic diabetes, they noted that rewards [by payers or employers] based on healthier eating habits and lifestyles could end up rewarding the rich and penalizing the poor.

“The practice of physicians prescribing digital health programs is not mainstream,” says Dr. Mathews. “Changing physician behavior can be notoriously difficult, so going through health and employer plans is often more successful.

“The potential for impact is huge. As ... barriers continue to drop, patients and providers will see the full potential impact of these solutions.”

‘Changing physician behavior can be notoriously difficult, so going through health and employer plans is often more successful.’

Striking a Balance

GPO partnerships with health systems, suppliers tackle inflationary pressures.

More than half of U.S. hospitals were projected to operate in the red through 2022, according to a report by Kaufman, Hall & Associates, LLC, and released by the American Hospital Association (AHA) in September. The losses are in the billions of dollars, and rising expenses for supplies and workforce are elevating the pressures.

“Inflation’s leading to a lot of uncomfortable conversations between suppliers and health systems,” Peter Aftosmes, vice president of strategic supplier engagement for Premier, told an audience at IDN Insights East in Philadelphia, hosted by The Journal of Healthcare Contracting, this past fall. “We’re acutely aware of inflationary pressures due to all the data we have on supply chain. It’s a balance to strike. One of our primary responsibilities as a GPO is to protect our members from price increases.”

As suppliers pass on inflationary costs to health systems, Meena Medler, vice president of supply chain management for UPMC, says health systems don’t know where to pass it along.

“It’s a tough situation no matter the health system,” she told the IDN Insights East audience. “It’s leading to cutoffs in service for some remote patients. For example, dialysis service was cutoff in remote locations during Covid. What happens to those renal patients? Where are those patients provided care? This is happening at a time when the industry is saying it’s interested in population health.”

How can suppliers bring a different kind of value

Medler is asking suppliers to take a step back.

“We lean on GPOs to fight the fight because we don’t have time to fight it,” she said. “When they don’t win, we blame them. I’m asking suppliers to lose a little bit, but I can’t demand it. If they pass the price down, we still need to use their products. But the time for true partnership is now.”

Aftosmes agrees and says it is an accurate portrayal of the conversations Premier is having with its members.

“There’s only two things we can cut – supplies or people,” Medler added. “We’re a service providing entity. There are already workforce shortages, so if we cut people or can’t pay the salaries for clinically relevant individuals and can’t keep ORs, our volume goes down. If we don’t do volume, supply realization goes down. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Medler says suppliers can bring value in different ways and is also asking GPOs to do this.

“Look at it horizontally, not categorically,” she said. “Cut the price on something and increase something else for an overarching offset. Because, when working at a small operating margin, a 20% price increase on top of 20% inflationary costs for nurses is a spiral.”

GPOs like Premier are looking for a win-win-win – when the members win and the suppliers win, then they win.

“We need our members to see value first,” Aftosmes said. “We’re in business for our members and we’re a representative of them. That’s the top priority. But our members need suppliers’ products, technology and services. So, it’s a true partnership.”

it automatically reaches out to those patients. And it translates exactly how many FTEs that technology replaces.”

He tells suppliers to tell a story.

“It’s amazing technology,” he said. “We can’t get medtechs for lab right now and this reduces the demand for medtechs by X. Tell us the story and we’ll get it out there. That gets attention.”

Medler adds that sometimes sites can’t remain open due to a lack of medtechs or even physicians at a certain level. So, technology like this helps suppliers provide value to health systems in a different way.

“They can help us train our internal staff because we can’t outsource everything,” she said. “We call

Meena Medler, vice president of supply chain management, UPMC

Quantifying technology outcomes

Aftosmes says the more suppliers can quantify the outcome of their technology, the better chance they have in bringing a different kind of value to health systems, and Premier is focused on labor augmentation technology that helps alleviate hospital staffing issues.

“We had a couple of suppliers that started quantifying their technology around the number of fulltime employees (FTEs) not needed,” Aftosmes said. “One specifically identifies at-risk patients in EMRs that haven’t been in for recent testing, and

it repurposing and optimizing our labor force so that our people can function at the highest levels.”

Medler concludes change was already coming to healthcare before Covid with health systems were aligning in strategic partnerships with GPOs and suppliers, but now hospital CFOs are moving away from transactional relationships between administration, supply chain and suppliers more than ever.

“Everyone must think differently,” she said. “Because if we don’t, it’s going to kill us, and it’s going to come back to hurt suppliers too. It all catches up.”

“Cut the price on something and increase something else for an overarching offset. Because, when working at a small operating margin, a 20% price increase on top of 20% inflationary costs for nurses is a spiral.”

–

Supply Chain Leader Profiles

What are the most important attributes of successful supply chain teams today?

People are the most important component in creating and maintaining a successful supply chain. To be successful, team members need to be able to self-manage, and in order to

do so, they need the accurate data and analytical tools to promote good decisions. Transparent and frequent communication as a team is another essential element. I have always believed that if you provide your team with the tools they need, they can and will do wonderful things.

What project or initiative are you looking forward to working on?

At Baptist Health South Florida, we are very fortunate to have developed a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within our team. For the past three years, we have designed business intelligence tools for all core functions, which have allowed us to deliver gamechanging results – some of the best in the industry. We are now deploying a CRM solution (Salesforce) in an innovative way to be our communication engine. Additionally, we will be automating the communication loop related to match exceptions, concept to contract, item substitutions, value analysis and other transactions requiring iterative interactions between the supply chain team, our supply partners, and the departments we support. We want to win at communication every time, and we believe this tool will help us achieve that goal.

What changes brought about by the pandemic are here to stay in the supply chain?

Due to the pandemic, we have changed our perspective on supplier management, backorder management, item substitutions and market share agreements. We have found that having a single-source vendor and manufacturer in a specific geographic area can significantly affect patient care. The industry has been

Editor’s note: The following supply chain leaders were featured in The Journal of Healthcare Contracting’s Ten People to Watch issue.

George Godfrey, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Corporate VP, Shared Services, Baptist Health South Florida

shifting toward market share agreements supporting a single-source strategy. But, given the lessons learned during the pandemic, we need to rethink that strategy.

When a supplier fails to deliver goods for any reason, be it their inability to source raw materials or profitably provide the goods at the contracted rate, they fail to deliver to multiple healthcare organizations tied to a market share commitment with that vendor. If they attempt to move to a new vendor to purchase the goods, they are penalized for not meeting their market share commitment, or worse; they cannot find enough product from alternate sources because the product is on allocation.

Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship?

Baptist Health South Florida has been blessed to have Brian Keeley as President and CEO for 53 years. Not only has he had the strategic vision to develop this organization into the largest and most-awarded healthcare provider in South Florida, but he also had the character to instill a foundation of integrity, compassion and charity. Baptist Health has grown from a single hospital to a healthcare system comprised of 12 hospitals and over 100 outpatient facilities, physician practices and institutes, serving over 1.5 million patients per year. Baptist Health has been named one of the “Best Companies to Work For” by

we can make improvements across the enterprise. They truly enjoy the challenge of being best-in-class in everything they do. As we continue to improve, we continue to find new and innovative ways to advance to higher performance levels. Everyone wants to be on a winning team.

What qualities are lacking among today’s leaders?

We are fortunate to have great leaders rising within our organization. The areas that we are focusing on to ensure their future success are their ability to develop and use analytical tools for decision-making, simplify and manage processes, and balance speed with precision.

What are your current goals?

ʯ Continue to enhance, influence and feed the incredible continuous improvement culture we have built.

ʯ Continue to identify processes that can leverage technology to automate tasks to allow our talented staff to do more with less.

The success we realized in managing backorders and finding viable substitute products is attributable to gaining the trust of the clinicians and the support of senior management.

At times, we had to make rather large financial decisions very quickly, which would not have been possible without the great teamwork throughout our organization. The relationships we have built with the clinicians and other departments within the organization during the pandemic have built the foundation for us to achieve new objectives more rapidly and effectively than before.

Fortune Magazine 22 times, one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by Ethisphere 12 times, and provides more the $400 million in charity care and community benefit per year. Mr. Keeley’s ability to grow the organization in the right way has inspired me and many others.

How do you keep your team motivated despite conflicts and obstacles?

Our team at Baptist Health is very self-motivated. The team has transformed from outlining obstacles to success to now figuring out where

ʯ Automate our communication processes to eliminate laborintensive interactions and instead focus on more complex, valueadded tasks.

ʯ

Partner with the clinical staff to build more robust value analysis processes.

ʯ

Leverage technology such as machine learning to enable predictive analytics so that we may anticipate supply and demand shifts induced internally through usage or externally through market availability.

The relationships we have built with the clinicians and other departments within the organization during the pandemic have built the foundation for us to achieve new objectives more rapidly and effectively than before.

What are the most important attributes of successful supply chain teams today?

Leadership, and the investment in future supply chain talent, are of the utmost importance in supply chain teams today. The challenge we sometimes find is that the people who have been embedded in supply chain for many years need to understand how to embrace new ideas. It’s important that we cultivate a transformative and innovative growth mindset amongst our teams. At UPMC, we look for individuals who are willing to be trailblazers, and to take the lessons we have learned through the pandemic and put us on the right path. Change is imperative and collaboration is a key component to this. Our people need to be influencers and exhibit the qualities of transformational leaders. Additionally, the

ability to sell change internally and externally is of high importance.

The next key attribute of successful supply chain teams today lies in automation, or data-driven decision making in predictive and prescriptive analytics. This includes using technology for transactional activities while optimizing talent towards strategic initiatives. At UPMC, for the past several years, our teams have been focused on robotic process automation (RPA). In the last 12 months, RPA has saved us 16,624 hours of work. In 2022, we project we will save 19,210 hours of work. Year over year, we continue to gain efficiencies by continuing to build on our RPA processes.

The third key element of successful supply chains today is building collaborative partnerships, both internally and externally. It is

important to build relationships not just with suppliers, but with service line leaders, our own clinical teams, operational leadership, and so on. Collaboration must start at home. We need to build transparency and trust within our supply chain teams, within our organization, across the health system, and then out to our suppliers. It’s that continuum that will make us successful.

What project or initiative are you looking forward to working on?

There are three key initiatives that excite me the most that I am actively working on and committed to achieving: ʯ

At UPMC, our team has internally developed a leadership program, specific to supply chain. Employees are highly encouraged to participate in this program, and it is multi-faceted with our highest priority areas of development. Communication and cohesion (acting as one team) are always high priorities in an organization. A team simply cannot be successful if members cannot communicate and work well together. Our program offers many opportunities for all employees to participate, and the coursework is woven throughout our regular meetings and communications.

ʯ

We have recently formed our UPMC Supply Chain Engagement and Transformation Center of Excellence team, made up of internal consultants who are focused on developing and executing strategic initiatives and process optimization projects across supply chain management to improve efficiency and effectiveness and enhance value to UPMC. Additionally, the team inspires employee engagement and communication to promote a

Meena Medler, VP, Supply Chain Management, UPMC

ʯ

positive culture in the work environment. I have enjoyed helping to develop this team, as well as working closely with the team on many exciting supply chain initiatives.

In May of this year, UPMC held its first Healthcare Elevation and Transformation Program Supplier Summit, where 15 of UPMC’s top suppliers attended an executiveled session to focus on collective innovation aimed at cost, quality and outcomes. The feedback we received from our first session was overwhelmingly positive, and we are excited to build on this momentum for future sessions.

What changes brought about by the pandemic are here to stay in the supply chain?

Supply chain has been going through a paradigm shift over the past decade from transactional to a strategic arm of health systems – and the pandemic only accelerated this transformation. Focusing solely on product cost and a siloed approach to procurement should be things of the past. We’ll continue to see a greater emphasis on value analysis, clinical transformation and total cost of care within the procurement process.

Supply chain resiliency and continuity practices are areas that have been showcased throughout the pandemic and will continue to be very important moving forward. At UPMC, we are focusing on continuing to build on many areas that were of prime focus throughout the pandemic, including supply continuity, and ensuring we are proactive, rather than reactive by identifying and collaborating with distributors for country of origin (tier 1 and 2), and creating bi-directional transparency to optimize forecasting and demand planning.

What one thing makes you most proud?

I answer this in three parts: ʯ My personal perspective is that parenting is the toughest job there is. Raising three sons who are well-adjusted, productive adults is a source of great pride for me.

ʯ

Professionally, as a clinician and healthcare administrator, taking part in building great programs over the course of my career that improve population health and clinical outcomes, such as diseasespecific accreditations, transcatheter valve programs and value analysis, is incredibly meaningful to me.

building our initiative of “One Supply Chain.” Again, this is a multi-faceted program focused on many key areas to further enhance our teams. Our goal is for an end-user, whether that be a clinician or a patient, to view each member of supply chain as a cohesive, connected group that is able to help with any supply chain need in a timely and accurate manner.

ʯ

As a leader, mentoring and developing future leaders who are now doing bigger and better things bring me great satisfaction.

What’s the most important risk you took and why?

Transitioning to a role at Premier, my previous employer, was the biggest career risk that I have taken during my 25-plus year healthcare tenure. I left the comfort of a healthcare system to grow both personally and professionally. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and increased my knowledge of supply chain, as well as the broader healthcare industry.

While that change was valuable to me, I learned that I missed the environment of an academic medical institution. When I learned about the position of vice president of source to pay at UPMC, I knew it was the right move for me to make, and I haven’t looked back.

How do you align your organization with your vision and mission?

We have been highly focused on creating an environment conducive to

At UPMC, we have created values and leadership principles that align with the overall values of UPMC but are unique to supply chain. We embrace these values and leadership principles and do our best to live them every day. We also incorporate these into our meetings and leadership sessions to ensure we are continuously focused on our connection and improvement as a team.

As I mentioned earlier, we have developed a leadership program at UPMC that allows many options for employees to get involved, including team-building events, learning sessions, book clubs and more. It’s important to continuously be focused on how we can be better as a team, while always tying our efforts back to our mission –transforming healthcare through supply chain elevation. In every meeting, we push each other to embrace change and innovation. We strive for perfection, while knowing we can never be perfect. This is in line with the Lean Six Sigma approach and always aiming to improve, while continuing to optimize and tweak our approach.

At UPMC Supply Chain, we have performance improvement consultants embedded in every operational area to allow us to continue to transform while running our operations. This team disrupts the status quo, continues to move us forward and allows us to be innovative. That is the “secret sauce” for UPMC Supply Chain.

Are ‘Tripledemics’ Here to Stay?

COVID, flu and RSV are all threats this winter.

By Pete Mercer

Since early 2020, the word pandemic has been a part of our everyday vernacular. Even after almost three years, the pandemic is technically still not over, just entering new phases.

In the last few years, those phases have been variants that were more or less contagious than the previous iterations. Each new wave posed a threat to the uninfected and unvaccinated, perpetuating stages of social distancing. As we spent more time isolated from each other, we weakened our immune systems to infectious respiratory illnesses like the common cold and the flu.

As social distancing has largely fallen to the wayside, the positive cases for the flu have skyrocketed, leading experts to predict a more contagious flu season than the last could of years. Now, some infectious disease experts have forecasted what could be the next phase of pandemic – the tripledemic.

What is a tripledemic?

The tripledemic is the intersection of the flu, COVID-19, and RSV during the holiday season, an already primetime slot for respiratory illnesses. The flu got an early start, as the CDC began reporting seasonal flu activity in the early fall, with an increase in activity in the southeast and south-central parts of the country.

As of November 12, the CDC FluView reported that there were

15,308 (14.7%) positive flu cases and 8,707 hospitalizations in the United States. In the same week, the weekly CDC COVID report found that the average of weekly new cases dropped 3.2% (40,102 cases) compared to the previous week.

“COVID cases are expected to rise during the winter. This will be occurring at the same time we expect to see influenza rates increase while we

are already seeing an early start to RSV season,” said Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital in a press release. “With all three viruses on the rise, we are worried about an increase in the rates of viral infection that may lead to an increase in hospitalizations.”

According to a report from WebMD, experts are saying that flu and RSV are “playing catchup” from taking a backseat to COVID in the last few years. Elizabeth Murray, DO, a pediatric emergency medicine doctor at the University of Rochester Medical told WebMD, “RSV has always come around in the fall and winter. It’s a perfect storm for all the germs to spread now. They’ve just been waiting for their opportunity to come back.”

Can we avoid it?

While the possibility of infection in a tripledemic might seem more likely than a pandemic, there are still plenty of ways to avoid getting sick this winter. RSV can infect anyone, but children under the age of five and adults over 65 are most susceptible. Because the flu, RSV, and COVID are respiratory infections, symptoms can overlap for each illness.

At the end of the day, the best way to avoid getting infected or spreading infection is to stay home if you’re feeling sick. As always, washing hands and getting vaccinated are great ways to protect yourself this season.

Mandy De Vries, a respiratory therapist and director of education at the American Association for Respiratory Care, said to WebMD, “It’s important to seek medical attention for any concerning symptoms, but especially severe shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, as these could signal the need for supplemental oxygen or other emergency interventions.”

“With all three viruses on the rise, we are worried about an increase in the rates of viral infection that may lead to an increase in hospitalizations.”

— Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases, UC Davis Children’s Hospital

How Sales Teams Can Improve Customer Engagement in Healthcare

The healthcare industry experienced a massive upheaval during the COVID-19 pandemic – hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, there were global product shortages, and all unnecessary interactions were put on hold.

In response to these sudden shifts, medical suppliers have had to adapt to years’ worth of digital growth in the space of a few months. Instead of being able to meet with customers face-to-face like they were used to, many sales representatives were thrust into digital meeting spaces. This caused many people to lose some customer engagement in healthcare.

As the industry begins to reshape the definition of customer engagement, you can use your expertise to your advantage and deliver quality communication and optimized content, whether that is virtually, in person, or a combination of both.

Why is customer engagement in healthcare important?

As a medical supplier, the products you sell are designed to improve a person’s health. You believe in your products, and you need your customers to believe in them too.

If you or your customers are not engaged during the sales process, sales are going to suffer, and patients may miss out on valuable products that could improve health outcomes.

In our modern, digital world, it is important to use whatever technology options you have available to you. Use tech options like virtual reality, augmented reality, and 3D visuals to demonstrate products in a virtual environment. This will keep healthcare decisions makers engaged and help them visualize how your medical supplies will work in their clinical settings.

Engaged customers will feel more of an emotional connection with your company. This will lead to better sales, more referrals, and improved loyalty.

6 strategies to improve customer engagement

Customer engagement is one of the most important factors in selling medical supplies and equipment. Use these strategies to improve customer engagement in the digital healthcare environment.

No. 1: Get to Know Your Customers

Your customers are real people. They have unique interests, family relationships, and learning styles. When you learn about these people, you may discover things you have in common, or at least things you can relate to.

To help you keep track of all your customers, create customer personas for each person. These are individualized sheets or digital files where you record specific information on each customer, such as the following: ʯ

Demographic information ʯ Job title and level ʯ Pain points and how you can solve them ʯ Values and goals ʯ Hobbies ʯ Learning style (visual, written, etc.)

Use this information to refresh yourself before each interaction. Update these personas when you learn new information.

No. 2: Connect with Genuine Emotions

Healthcare is an emotional industry. Patients can experience every emotion imaginable while interacting with healthcare professionals. To match this level of emotion as a medical supplier, you need to keep patients’ needs at the forefront of all interactions.

This can help you connect honestly with your customers. When customers feel appreciated and understood, they are more likely to reward you and your business with more sales.

No. 3: Meet Your Customers on Their Terms

If your customers prefer face-toface communication, try to make that happen. Others may still want to meet virtually. According to a 2021 report from Veeva, many healthcare

professionals have found they prefer virtual meetings with representatives. In fact, the average duration of meetings has increased 133%, when you compare face-to-face meetings with remote meetings.

Remote meetings can be a versatile tool that you can use to meet with healthcare professionals who have tight schedules. Since it eliminates any travel time, you may have more freedom to plan for longer meeting times.

No matter what the preferences of your customers, you will likely end up using a hybrid approach. The key is finding the ideal balance between remote and in-person interactions.

No. 4: Follow the Customer Path

To understand your customers, you need to see the medical supplies sales cycle from their perspective. Put yourself through the sales funnel and try to identify any bottlenecks where customers can get stuck or drop out of the cycle.

approach. This allows customers to learn about your company and products using their preferred channel, whether that is your business website, a blog, or even social media.

No.

5: Create Customized Content

With multiple channels for your customers to connect with you, your business needs customized content for each channel. While this content can have the same overarching theme, different channels require different approaches, especially for social media. You want to deliver content that is relevant and engaging to your customers. This will ensure a more personalized experience.

Rely on the personal preferences of your customers when choosing which content to share with them. Compare analytics from your customer tracking systems to determine the best approach to take with certain types of customers.

No.

6: Thank Your Customers

No matter the outcome of your customer interactions, you should thank them for giving you some of their time. Whether you send them an email, a handwritten note, or some other form of appreciation, it can go a long way toward improving your customer engagement. Even if you didn’t close a sale, your act of kindness may encourage them to think of you the next time they are looking to buy.

You can also speak to your customers directly and ask them what they expect from the sales experience with you.

To broaden your customer base and increase engagement, you should consider using an omnichannel

By focusing on your customer’s needs and connecting with them on an emotional level, you can improve your customer engagement.

Share Moving Media is a great resource to help you reach more customers where they are. Visit sharemovingmedia.com for more information.

A Mission of Hope

McKesson executive leads families out of poverty, one business at a time.

On his first visit to Ethiopia in 2009, Jeff Butler was struck by the devastating impact of poverty on so many families there. “I saw for the first time how extreme poverty causes vulnerable families to disintegrate, leaving countless children abandoned and alone to survive on the streets or enslaved in human trafficking,” he recalls. “I couldn’t stop asking myself, ‘What am I going to do about this?’”

He soon discovered that the same strengths that helped him excel as an account executive at McKesson Medical-Surgical – listening, caring, building relationships and problem-solving – could also help him improve the lives of families in Ethiopia. Through Family Hope International, a nonprofit organization he founded 10 years ago, he has

transformed families on the brink of starvation into independent entrepreneurs who can provide for their children and remain hopeful for a brighter future.

New opportunities

Twenty years ago, when Butler’s longtime friend, Ben Hull, mentioned how much he enjoyed working at McKesson and suggested that medical product sales might be a great fit for Butler, it led to some careful consideration. “I had been with Boeing for almost 10 years and was ready to explore a new opportunity,” he says. Still, there were plenty of discussions with his wife, Crystal, before he felt ready to make the leap. “It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life!”

Several years later, in 2009, Hull opened another door for his friend. “Ben invited me on a mission trip to

Ethiopia to visit several widow and orphan homes,” says Butler. “My heart broke over the hopelessness I saw in the eyes of desperate mothers and hungry children. I learned that Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries on Earth. It has some of the highest number of orphans and homeless children. I could see how severe and urgent the need was and knew something had to be done.”

In 2012, he founded Family Hope International. He has served as president ever since alongside another close friend and McKesson account manager, Ethan Bauer, the organization’s vice president. Together, they have developed “an incredible U.S. and Ethiopian staff who really make this program work,” says Butler. “Both our parttime and full-time staff work tirelessly to care for our sponsored families. “If our team is successful

‘We believe in short-term support for long-term transformation. It’s been our joy to have graduated many families from our program as self-sustaining, successful smallbusiness owners over the past several years!’

in their roles, we can fulfill our mission. So my primary role is to help them stay focused on – and expand – our vision, as well as help solve any problems and address obstacles.

“There is no way I could have done any of this without Ethan’s help and leadership,” he continues. “He has the biggest heart and there would be no Family Hope International without him. I’m extremely grateful for him.”

the necessary care to keep the family secure and stable. We send 100% of the sponsor’s money to Ethiopia (mostly to care for the family, but a portion is used to fund in-country operational costs as well). After six to nine months, we identify a smallbusiness opportunity for the family, which we train them to successfully operate and manage.

“We rely on our Ethiopian team to assess the best business

to work well. “It’s been our joy to have graduated many families from our program as self-sustaining, successful small-business owners over the past several years!”

Vision Trips

Each year, Butler and Bauer take groups of people on Vision Trips, an opportunity for them to see the extreme poverty conditions in Ethiopia firsthand and decide if they can get involved moving forward. “We typically lead these trips in October and will return there October 2023,” says Butler. “We take between 10-16 people on Vision Trips. Our primary goal is for them to see firsthand the reality and severity of extreme poverty – what it looks like, how it impacts people and destroys families. We want people to see what hopelessness looks like.”

Short-term support, longterm transformation

First and foremost, Family Hope International aims to help families become self-sustaining, Butler points out. “Our goal for the families we welcome into our program is for them to thrive in a small business, thereby freeing them from poverty and giving them hope.”

The Ethiopian team begins by evaluating families’ needs. “In order to join the program, we need to determine that families will not make it – that they will disintegrate and their children will be abandoned to the streets,” says Butler. Family Hope International then pairs accepted families with a U.S. sponsor. “For $50 each month, the sponsor provides

opportunities that lead to the highest likelihood of success for each family, in each region of the country,” he continues. “Then we work closely with them over the next two years to ensure they are successful and profitable.” So, for example, families living in a busy city may be trained to open a vegetable, bread or coffee kiosk at their local market. Families located in agricultural areas might receive oxen and be trained to plow fields, or grain so that they can learn to grow crops. Some families are provided with sheep for sheep fattening – essentially fattening up undersized sheep and selling them for a profit.

“We believe in short-term support for long-term transformation,” says Butler, an approach that appears

He also hopes the Vision Trips enlighten people as to how little it takes to make an overwhelming difference in the lives of others. “I hope our trip members leave Ethiopia asking themselves the same question I asked years ago: ‘What am I going to do about this?’ My hope is that this short trip will encourage people to join us in our efforts to preserve and empower vulnerable families.

“I recently returned from our Vision Trip this past October and once again was deeply struck by these families’ stories,” he says. In some cases, parents spoke of being suicidal before Family Hope International stepped in to help. “They couldn’t bear to go another day watching their children grow weaker without food and help. I was also impacted by stories from some of our recent program graduates whose lives have been transformed. I came away with an even deeper understanding that the help we provide at

Family Hope International means the difference between life and death to many families.”

Next year, Butler plans to expand his program to include Kenya and wishes his program could do even more to meet the worldwide need

Father of 11

that exists. “As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, we rely on the generosity of our donors and sponsors. Donations allow us to sponsor and care for impoverished families, provide micro-loans to help get their new business started and offset any

operational shortfalls. We must do all we can to help as many people possible. Bringing hope to others is such a powerful thing!”

To learn more about Family Hope International, please visit www.familyhopeinternational.org.

Jeff Butler truly raises the bar when it comes to giving of himself. In addition to the hours he invests servicing his medical products customers and rescuing impoverished families in Ethiopia, together with his wife, Crystal, he is raising 11 children. The Butlers adopted nine of their children from across the country, as well as from Ethiopia and China. “With so many children, life is a wild ride!” he says. “I’m thankful I married a super-mom like Crystal!”

Parenting such a large clan, running Family Hope International and his longtime career at McKesson have helped him grow in a multitude of ways, he notes. Although each of these comes with different needs,

they’ve all taught him the importance of listening, caring, problem-solving to meet needs and building relationships. “It all comes down to the importance of connecting with others on a genuine and personal level,” he says.

“Serving in Africa has made me a stronger account manager and overall better person. At the same time, my career at McKesson has provided me with resources and opportunities to serve in ways I never imagined. I’m especially grateful to my McKesson colleagues who have been so giving and generous to Family Hope International. To all I say, ‘amesegenallo’ – or ‘thank you’ in the Ethiopian language, Amharic.”

Industry News

Manufacturer of Health o meter Professional scales and McAuley Medical products appoints new president and CEO

Pelstar, LLC, the manufacturer of Health o meter® Professional scales and McAuley Medical products, has announced that Ken Harris will succeed Dan J. Maeir as its next president and CEO on Feb. 1, 2023. Maeir announced his retirement this fall. As a member of the executive leadership team and executive vice president of sales and marketing, Harris’ group was responsible for the commercial activities at Pelstar since 2013, including sales, marketing, product development, and business development.

“Dan Maeir retiring as CEO of Pelstar caps a 21-year career of success and leadership,” said Rick Crandall, chairman of the Board at Pelstar, LLC. “Over the years, Pelstar has grown its Health o meter® medical scales business to market leadership in the U.S. and has introduced many new products. We are fortunate to have another long-standing executive Ken Harris, to take over. At Pelstar, he has been front and center, delighting customers with the Pelstar ‘Weigh Easier’ culture to remove friction at all levels of customer engagement. Pelstar won’t miss a beat in the transition and will probably add a few as well. Congratulations to Dan for his successful career and to Ken for his advance to Pelstar CEO.”

Prior to his time at Pelstar, Harris held executive roles at SCA Packaging North America (Essity). Harris served as vice president of Protexic Brands, SCA’s Tier 1 Automotive and Construction products division, and, as managing director of ThermoSafe Brands, oversaw the formation and growth of the largest global cold-chain pharmaceutical packaging company. Harris also served as the vice president of operations and R&D at Bohdan automation, a division of Mettler Toledo manufacturing robotic automation for pharmaceutical R&D Laboratories, as well as vice president of finance and administration at Ever Ready Thermometer Company, a manufacturer of scientific instruments.

Cardinal Health brings hospital-level care to the home with new supply chain solution

Cardinal Health announced the launch of Velocare™, a supply chain network and last-mile fulfillment solution capable of reaching patients in one to two hours with critical products and services required for hospital-level care at home. Through a strategic collaboration with Medically Home, Cardinal Health at-Home Solutions is now supporting a Medically Home health system customer with Velocare, collectively enabling scaled, highacuity care in the home.

Velocare brings together Cardinal Health capabilities through a combined offering intended for health systems, payers, digital health companies, telehealth providers and other entities moving high-acuity care to the home. Legacy Cardinal Health capabilities include global logistics and distribution expertise, management of a large network of suppliers and vendors, and access to a wide range of home-based care providers. The pilot will test the use of new technology, new order handling processes, small-format depots and short-haul delivery vehicles to enable safe and consistent hospital-level care in the home.

With the right infrastructure in place, patients who were historically admitted to brick-and-mortar hospitals such as those with severe pneumonia, complicated urinary tract infections, cellulitis, blood infections and congestive heart failure exacerbations can now receive high-quality, safe, hospital-level care in the comfort of their homes. The Velocare pilot includes real-time evaluation of the technology, service levels, effectiveness, patient experiences, plus consideration for future growth in new markets.

A recent study by McKinsey & Company estimates that up to $265 billion worth of care services for Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries could shift to the home by 2025 without a reduction in quality or access. The same research demonstrates how stakeholders – including payers, healthcare facilities and physician groups, home-based care providers, technology companies and investors –could see substantial value by providing patients

Ken Harris

with care in the comfort of their homes. Potential benefits include cost savings due to reduced overhead and more efficient clinician protocols, increased safety due to a reduced risk of hospitalacquired infections and medical errors, plus increased patient satisfaction.

Thermo Fisher Scientific launches

TrueMark Infectious Disease Research Panels

Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the launch of the TrueMark Infectious Disease Research Panels designed to enable rapid and accurate detection and categorization for investigating microorganisms that cause respiratory, vaginal, urinary, gastrointestinal, and sexually transmitted diseases.

To effectively study outbreaks and determine disease etiology where pathogens are similar, analytically sensitive panels are needed to support laboratory research.

TrueMark Infectious Disease Research Panels are analytically sensitive, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) syndromic panels for the analysis of a wide range of infectious disease pathogens.

Leveraging real-time PCR technology, the predefined and customizable panel options allow researchers to choose from more than 90 different bacterial and viral strain assays to generate results within four hours from taking the samples.

“With the TrueMark Infectious Disease Research Panels, laboratories can choose either the readymade panels or create their own custom panels to suit their needs,” said Dr. Manoj Gandhi, senior medical director of Genetic Testing Solutions at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “By providing the flexibility to choose panels for researching polymicrobial infections, laboratories can now expand their testing menus using existing instrumentation and offer the benefits of PCR testing for researching a broad range of markers that can cause infectious disease.”

The assays use pre-spotted and dried down TaqMan plates, which are designed to enable easy set-up and increased accuracy. Testing can be done from nasopharyngeal swabs or nasopharyngeal aspirate, vaginal, genital and lesion swabs or urine samples. These samples can also be prepared using workflows that currently exist in most labs that use the Applied Biosystems MagMAX Viral/Pathogen kits automated on a KingFisher Purification System instrument and mixed with the Applied Biosystems multiplex master mix onto a 96-well or 384-well plate.

Midmark names Rob Sackett as company’s new COO

Midmark announced Rob Sackett as the company’s new chief operations officer (COO) effective Dec. 6, 2022. In this role, he will be in charge of day-to-day operations and execute the company’s long-term goals.

Sackett comes to Midmark from Edwards Lifesciences where he was senior vice president of worldwide engineering for Edwards Lifesciences Global Supply Chain. Before that, he spent 20 years at Johnson & Johnson in a variety of roles in operations, manufacturing, research, development and supply chain, including business unit manager, plant manager, vice president of manufacturing and vice president of R&D operations.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Akron, Sackett spent nine years serving his country as an engineering officer in the United States Air Force. He is also a certified Master Black Belt in Six Sigma.

Sackett will succeed the current Midmark COO, Mike Walker, who is retiring after more than 30 years with the company. Walker first joined Midmark in 1986 and was named an executive in 2000. Before becoming COO in 2018, he held leadership positions in operations, quality assurance, technical service and product development. Walker also served as vice president and general manager of the company’s animal health and medical business units.

President and CEO of Midmark, Jon Wells, stated, “Mike has been a vital member of Midmark’s executive team. Over his career at Midmark, he has been fully engaged in and guided our success. He is one of the main reasons Midmark has, for so many years, been not only a leader in healthcare but also teammate development.” Wells continued, “I am also excited to begin working with Rob. He is a great addition to the executive team, and I know his experience, insight and cultural fit will be a driving force as we transform healthcare experiences in the future.”

Medela partners with MedPro

Medela recently announced a new partnership with MedPro. The partnership will help expand access to Medela’s suite of wound therapy systems. This

Rob Sackett

collaboration will strengthen the footprint of Medela to include nationwide coverage with 60 skilled account managers supporting acute, post-acute and government channels, complementing the dedicated Medela team and reinforcing Medela’s investment in wound care.

“As a company, we remain committed to the patients and clinicians in the wound care space,” explains Jeff Castillo, executive vice president of the Americas for Medela. “Medela’s wound care systems improve patient comfort and mobility, increase clinical flexibility and confidence, and allow for better management of patient care. We are excited that our partnership with MedPro will allow us to extend our support to areas that previously did not have coverage and provide even better support to our customers, ensuring that all patients in need have access to Medela products.”

For nearly 20 years, the clinical care team at MedPro has worked to support the continuum of care and is trusted by manufacturers and distributors of all sizes. “Medela has incredible brand recognition, industry- leading products we believe in, and a great team of people with whom we are thrilled to be working,” states Manny Losada, president and partner of MedPro. “Our customer-focused model in the markets we serve is a perfect fit to support Medela’s wound care solutions.”

Medela also announced additional focus on the wound care segment welcoming Todd Harris to the team to lead as general manager for Medela wound care. “I’m thrilled to join the Medela team at such an exciting time for the organization,” said Harris. “Together with the support of MedPro, Medela will be able to provide more access and expanded support for hospital systems, clinicians, and patients. I look forward to collaborating with MedPro and across Medela to better serve patients and clinicians.”

Henry Schein Medical expands SolutionsHub with Rimidi

Henry Schein Medical announced the expansion of its SolutionsHub with Rimidi, a SaaS company that brings together remote patient monitoring tools, patient reported outcomes, and clinical decision support to help clinicians enhance patient care. As a result of this new distribution agreement, Henry Schein will offer its clinic, medical group, and health system customers access to Rimidi’s cloud-based software platform. As a result, this relationship will help further expand efforts to deliver to

these health care providers an efficient model of care for patients with chronic conditions.

Integrated with a broad range of connected medical devices, including cellular and Bluetooth-enabled bloodglucose meters, scales, blood pressure cuffs, pulseoximeters, insulin dosing pens, and continuous glucose monitors, Rimidi’s software platform facilitates remote patient monitoring (RPM), patient reported outcomes, and clinical decision support into the clinical workflow. This allows for data aggregation across multiple devices into a single, streamlined solution that integrates with the clinician’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) and offers time effective and robust data-informed clinical decision support.

Physician-founded and led, Rimidi is designed to support health care providers with their quality improvement, patient engagement, and workflow optimization objectives. Current clinical use cases of the Rimidi platform include chronic, cardiometabolic conditions, epidemic management, and perioperative care.

BD named in top 25% of Newsweek’s 2023 list of America’s Most Responsible Companies

BD announced it has been named among the top 25% of Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies. This is the fourth consecutive year that the company has been named to the list.

The list recognizes the top 500 most responsible companies in the U.S. based on performance in the areas of environment, social and corporate governance (ESG). This recognition demonstrates BD’s ongoing progress in advancing its ESG strategy – Together We Advance – and efforts to achieve its 2030+ goals.

“This award recognizes our commitment to address the most relevant ESG issues to our business that make a lasting impact on our industry, society and planet today,” said Tom Polen, chairman, CEO and president, BD. “The work we do today throughout our organization of 77,000 employees helps us operate more responsibly and sustainably, and positions us for a more resilient future.”

America’s Most Responsible Companies are selected based on publicly available key performance indicators derived from reports on CSR and sustainability, among other topics, as well as an independent survey about the perception of company activity related to CSR. The award is presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.

Better BP® is Better Care

Midmark designed the only fully integrated point of care ecosystem to help promote a more consistently accurate blood pressure measurement by targeting 3 key areas

Proper Patient Positioning

Patient positioning during blood pressure (BP) capture can impact the accuracy of BP measurements. The American Medical Association (AMA) recommends the patient’s back be supported, feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed and arm supported at heart height. 1

Accurate, Consistent BP Capture

EMR Connectivity