For Henry Schein’s Tami Cates, relationships with her customers are what matter most.
Early in her career, Tami Cates knew she would thrive in a fast-paced environment – one that revolved around continuous change and enabled her to help others. Healthcare distribution was the perfect fit, she says. She joined the distribution industry in 2009 as a field sales consultant, eventually making her way to Henry Schein in 2015, where she began as a group purchasing organization strategic account manager. The following year, she stepped into a new position at Henry Schein: strategic account manager, with a focus on integrated delivery networks and large national accounts. She also had an opportunity to work with the company’s business development team, forging new relationships and familiarizing herself with the team’s goals and accomplishments. So, when she was promoted to Director of Business Development in the Eastern United States two years ago, once again, she found a perfect fit.
“The business development executive (BDE) team focuses on building meaningful relationships,” says Cates. “Our team is a trusted advisor that healthcare customers can rely on for support. We are dedicated to helping our customers deliver the best quality patient care while enhancing their practice management efficiency.”
The non-acute customer
“The past two years turned health care upside down with supply chain challenges,” she says. “The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted hospitals in many areas. Recently, I listened to various supply chain leaders express their main supply chain goals. These goals included enhancing financial success, resiliency and workforce optimization for the entire system, including non-acute settings.
“Non-acute financial success can be driven by looking at all options for a product,” she continues. “This means identifying the best price, reducing SKUs and utilizing smart sourcing by your distribution partner. [It calls for] maximizing processes and helping ensure clinics are doing what they do best – caring for their patients – instead of unpacking boxes and looking for missed items and alternatives.
“To enhance resiliency, all processes should be evaluated, and it is crucial to partner with an expert in the non-acute space. With patient visits returning and procedures moving outside of the hospital walls, understanding the needs of the non-acute setting is critical.”
Working with suppliers
Henry Schein has always worked closely with its supplier partners, says Cates. “Together with our more than 3,200 supplier partners, we provide over 1 million dental and medical customers globally with more than 300 solutions. We value our partnerships, and throughout COVID-19, these partnerships only strengthened, driving meaningful conversations with our customers.
“Because of our global sourcing capabilities and relationships, we are able to provide our customers with a comprehensive medical product portfolio that meets their unique needs,” says Cates. In fact, remaining aligned with manufacturers has led the business development team to strengthen – but not change – its goals. “These relationships have allowed us to serve our customers, providing them with the products and solutions they need to succeed.”
Always up for a challenge
Part of building strong customer relations involves accepting – and addressing – any challenges that may arise, notes Cates. “Regardless of what business our customers are in, there will always be challenges and concerns. It is important to be consistent and understand the environment within which our customers operate. I never look at a challenge as a negative, but as an opportunity to improve as a company, as a team and as people.”
For Cates and her team, this has involved helping to expand the company’s portfolio of digital solutions. “The world is increasingly becoming more digital, and we must adapt and meet our customers where they are,” she says. “We continue to support their digital journey so that they, in turn, can deliver quality healthcare.”
It is an exciting time to be in distribution for the non-acute setting, she continues. While patients have been steadily moving from the acute care setting to the non-acute setting for some time, COVID-19 has left more patients wishing to be seen at home or at a location close to home, she points out. “Collaboration between corporate-owned entities and e-hospitals are on the rise in an effort to provide the best possible care for patients. At Henry Schein, we can provide the human touch in a digital world. By doing so for our customers and other constituencies in an increasingly digital world, we can continue to strengthen these connections.”
Understanding the value of a meaningful and human relationship with her customers is a critical part of Henry Schein’s business, she says. Doing so involves actively listening to others – a skill she has found beneficial both professionally and personally. “Only when you actively listen can you communicate in a mutual environment,” she explains.
For Cates, the future holds an opportunity to continue serving her customers, as well to live a life filled with joy. “It’s important to figure out who you are and what makes you joyful,” she says. “I strive to live a positive life and surround myself with people who challenge me. I see myself continuing to focus on making a positive difference in the lives of others. If we each do this, together we can help create a world that’s better for all.”