Leadership Interview Value Analysis Leadership Interview Nila Getter, President, Association for Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals The following is an edited excerpt of an interview conducted by Robert W. Yokl, Managing Editor, Healthcare Value Analysis Magazine, with Nila Getter, President, Association for Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals in December 2012 (Background) Nila Getter was hands-on in di- Initially, I started my position with no knowledge of value analysis but saw it as my role to be a liai-
rect patient care as a nurse manager in critical care and an emergency room manager before
son and interpreter for my customers, since I spoke the language of clinicians as well the jargon
she made the jump to value analysis in 2001. of purchasing, materials distribution and supply Nila has been with Kettering Medical Center, chain management. Today, the Kettering value Kettering, Ohio, for over 32 years and says it “Seems like just yesterday that she started
analysis department has three value analysis managers, two of which are clinicians and one has an analytical background. The best part
out”. Nila graduated from Miami University about our VA Program is that we are a team with one important voice for our health system.
(Ohio) with a degree in nursing.
(RWY) How did you get into value analysis and (RWY) What was your view of the healthcare supply chain prior to working in the value analthe Supply Chain Management world? (NG) I moved into the materials management
ysis field?
department of Kettering as a nursing product (NG) As a nurse manager, I had no concept of manager. It was a new position with no job de- what supply chain was all about. To me, it meant scription, which gave me the opportunity to de- you ordered something from purchasing and it velop my own vision of how to best meet Ketter- came to you or you called distribution and they ing’s supply chain requirements. My vision was brought the products to you. I had no concept of to use my own experience as a clinical nurse what was really going on behind the scenes; it manager to be the person that I would have liked was a different world I found myself in. to have had serving my department’s needs when As you know, I got into materials management I was a nurse manager. Winter 2012
before we changed the department’s name to>>> Healthcare Value Analysis Magazine
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