The importance of having facility-wide standardized systems for instrument processing. The pandemic highlighted for healthcare organizations that proper preventive measures and safety protocols are imperative to prevent disease transmission. Healthcare practices are increasingly obtaining accreditation for their facilities to establish a standardized and safe workplace … [Read more...]

Shireen Ahmad, Interim Vice President, GPO Business, Financial Insights, and Analytics, CommonSpirit Health® Shireen Ahmad serves as the Interim Vice President of GPO Business, Financial Insights and Analytics atCommonSpirit Health, a faith-based, nonprofit health system operating in 22 states across the country. She helps the organization devise strategies for bringing as … [Read more...]

Bill Kellar, VP, Strategic Sourcing, HCA Bill Kellar has been with HCA Healthcare for 14 years and has been Vice President of Strategic Sourcing since July 2022. His role encompasses all spend within HCA, including $14 billion in purchased services and another $7 billion in supply spend. His team represents HCA within HealthTrust for all contracts voted on and ensures … [Read more...]

CHP Oak Street Health opens first primary care center in Kansas Oak Street Health is now welcoming patients at the new Strawberry Hill center at 1200 N 7th St in Kansas City, Kansas. This is the first center for Oak Street Health in Kansas City and in the state. “We are thrilled to open our Strawberry Hill center in Kansas and begin delivering an unmatched patient … [Read more...]

The pharmacy retail giant appointed healthcare leadership veteran Tim Wentworth as CEO in October. Walgreens invested $5.2 billion and became the majority stake owner in VillageMD in October 2021 as part of a broader effort to turn its stores into healthcare destinations. Competition between giant pharmacy retailers Walgreens and CVS Health, as well as Amazon, Walmart and … [Read more...]

More urgent care chains have a triple-digit number of locations than ever before The number of urgent care centers continues to rise. According to the Urgent Care Association, there are over 14,000 such centers in the U.S. (not including retail clinics), and the current growth rate for new ones is 7%. Over 78% of the U.S. population lives within a 10-minute drive of an … [Read more...]

By Linda Rouse O’Neill, Senior Vice President for Supply Chain Policy, HIDA HIDA has long advocated for stronger public-private partnerships to strengthen the medical supply chain. A recently published Preparedness Playbook, developed in collaboration with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), marks an important development in this process. At … [Read more...]

DTC devices and tests can complement the professional market. Direct-to-consumer medical devices are what the market is demanding today. Educated, motivated, health-conscious and busy consumers are attracted to almost anything online, including home blood pressure equipment, glucose meters, in vitro tests and diagnostic wearables. But distributors should view the DTC market … [Read more...]

Prevention strategies for influenza in healthcare settings. By Paul Girouard It’s that time of year again. We’re heading into the cold and flu season. The season usually gets underway in October and lasts through April. Timing varies from season to season; however, the peaks of each season generally occur December through February. Be prepared. Preparation and planning … [Read more...]

By Jenna Hughes In the healthcare supply chain industry, a successful marketing campaign can include a variety of techniques and strategies. The world of marketing is dynamic and always changing, and there isn’t a “one size fits all” way that works to promote all brands. It can be helpful when first developing a brand’s marketing strategy to have a framework, or outline, … [Read more...]