GPO RESPONSE
Leading IDNs are being judicious with supply orders “for the foreseeable future,” GPO executive says Editor’s note: As the coronavirus pandemic has evolved, Repertoire has reached out to several healthcare supply chain organizations to help assess the situation for our readers to try and make sense of what is going on. The following are responses from Chaun Powell, MBA, group vice president, strategic supplier engagement, Premier.
Repertoire: How are you working with
are working around the clock to promote
we tracked the progress of the virus and
member organizations to identify
the safety of their patients and clinicians,
the impact to the global supply chain, yet
and mitigate potential impacts or
and we must do all we can as a country to
the impact on the U.S. was minimal. Less
supply disruptions?
support them. Above all, we would like
than a month ago, there were still only
Chaun Powell: This is an
to thank our caregivers for
three states with fewer than 10 confirmed
incredibly challenging and
everything they’re doing to
patients domestically. Now we are serv-
fluid situation with variables
provide critical care to our
ing providers across 49 states dealing
that are in constant flux. As
communities.
with more than 3,500 confirmed cases.
a member-driven organiza-
In order to be effective, we have had to
tion, we are working on
insight on the speed at
pivot our internal processes significantly
behalf of nearly 4,000
which this is escalating, the
to make sure that our clinicians are able to
acute care hospitals and
Premier Disaster Prepared-
deliver uninterrupted care. In addition to
health systems and 175,000
ness and Response Team
the work that we are doing with members,
non-acute providers. The
activated on January 24.
we are also partnering with government
Over the next five weeks
agencies, the Administration, suppliers
caregivers at these facilities
28
To provide some
Chaun Powell
Special Issue 2020 • www.repertoiremag.com
