More than 1,000 distributor, manufacturer, and group purchasing organization attendees were at HIDA’s 2016 Streamlining Healthcare Conference in Chicago this fall.
“If you need to get some business done, you are in the right place,” said HIDA 2016 Chairman Todd Ross, welcoming attendees and kicking off the conference.
Over the course of two and a half days, conference attendees conducted more than 2,500 business partner meetings – selling out all of the event’s meeting space – as part of HIDA’s Executive Business Exchange, Gold Key Club, and private suites meetings.
More than 85 manufacturers exhibited during the Innovation Expo, which featured medical product developments in diagnostics, infection prevention, med/surg, and skin and wound care.
HIDA brought back its Reverse Expo, where conference exhibitors and attendees were able to walk the show floor and converse with both current and potential trading partners. This year’s forum grew to 45 exhibiting distributors and, for the first time ever, included 18 GPO participants.
Mike Orscheln, CEO and chairman of Patterson Medical, was installed as 2017 chairman of the board of directors for HIDA at the conference’s annual Chairman’s Dinner. “I am very pleased that a leader of Mike’s depth and experience will be HIDA’s chairman next year,” said Ross. Orscheln will begin his one-year term January 1, 2017.
“If you take away one thing from this event, remember that HIDA will never stop growing the positive impact it has on our members and the industry,” said HIDA President and CEO Matthew J. Rowan.
Distributor panel
The event’s opening general session featured a panel of leading distributor executives, who discussed how their providers want to reduce costs, waste, and complexity. Suppliers can help achieve these goals, they said, by partnering with customers to leverage data, improve technology, and reduce the total cost of care.
Panelists were Cody Phipps, CEO, Owens & Minor; Brad Connett, president, U.S. Medical Commercial Group, Henry Schein; Todd Ross, president and CEO, Preferred Medical; Roger Benz, co-president and CEO, Concordance Healthcare Solutions; Stanton McComb, president, McKesson Medical-Surgical; and Cindy Juhas, chief strategy officer, CME.
“Distributors need to lead disruptive change in our industry,” said Connett.
“We can be the indispensable partner to our customers by helping them attack complexity,” added Phipps.
HIDA has made its roundtable series a permanent fixture at the Streamlining Healthcare Conference. This year’s roundtables, where attendees exchange best practices and learn from peers in a collaborative setting, were focused on the topics of small business, sales management, and marketing/vendor-relations strategies.
HIDA also hosted an education session, “Adapting Your Sales and Marketing Strategy for Today’s Healthcare Customers,” in which executive staff explored the specific quality metrics on which customers are being rated, and the medical products and solutions that can contribute to quality improvements.
The conference concluded with its Contract Administration Workgroup meeting, beginning with a six-person GPO panel and ending with contracting professionals sharing perspectives on ways to improve pricing accuracy and advance HIDA’s contract communication standards.
Award winners
Mark T. Seitz received the 2016
John F. Sasen Leadership Award
Mark T. Seitz, president and CEO of NDC, received the 2016 John F. Sasen Leadership Award at the conference’s Chairman’s Dinner. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities, commitment, and service to HIDA and the healthcare products distribution industry.
“HIDA is very pleased to recognize Mark’s leadership in healthcare distribution,” said Rowan. “Mark’s strategic thinking and collaborative approach have made invaluable contributions to HIDA, its members, and the industry.”
Cindy Juhas, CME, was Professional Women in Healthcare’s (PWH) 2016 recipient of the Jana Quinn Inspirational Award for her contributions to the industry, as well as for being an excellent role model to others.