Supply chain leaders skillfully handle the critical operations that ensure their hospitals and health systems run efficiently.
Drawing on extensive experience in healthcare supply chain management, these leaders drive cost savings, forge strategic partnerships and effectively manage inventory. Many of these leaders successfully guided their organizations through the supply chain challenges caused by the pandemic and are now positioned to not only survive, but thrive well into the future.
Note: Becker's Healthcare developed this list based on nominations and editorial research. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included leaders, organizations or associated healthcare providers. Leaders cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Leaders are presented in alphabetical order. We extend a special thank you to Rhoda Weiss for her contributions to this list.
Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments.
Debora Alessi. Vice President of Supply Chain Management at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, N.Y.). In the five years since she joined the National Cancer Institute-designated Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center as director of procurement and contracting, Ms. Alessi has reorganized its supply chain operations to ensure alignment with strategic goals. Responsible for the procurement of over $500 billion in supplies and services annually, she helped lead Roswell Park’s transition to a new end-to-end supply chain and procurement system. Promoted to her current role as vice president of supply chain management in 2023, Ms. Alessi is a past president, treasurer and board member for the Buffalo chapter of the Institute of Supply Management. Previously in resource management roles with Catholic Health and Kaleida Health in Buffalo and Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier Inc., she applies decades of practical experience to her work at Roswell Park and as an adjunct professor and lecturer in supply chain for Niagara University. Ms. Alessi's work supports Roswell Park in its treatment of nearly 50,000 patients annually.
Joshua Bakelaar. Vice President of Supply Chain at OU Health (Oklahoma City). Mr. Bakelaar has over 20 years of experience in supply chain leadership, specializing in leadership, team development, integration, process improvement, automation and analytics. He is also experienced in planning and executing strategies to increase stakeholder satisfaction. He restructured and integrated OU's entire supply chain into a system structure, reduced the department turnover rate by 50%, implemented a strategic supply plan with 125 process improvements, helped the chain realize $25 million in cost savings and supported the integration of a new EHR system.
Doug Bowen. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management at Banner Health (Phoenix). Mr. Bowen serves as senior vice president of supply chain management at Banner Health. He first joined the system in 2002, acting as vice president of supply chain services. Through his work, he aims to use an integrated, vertical supply chain model to increase value for patients, payers, providers and suppliers. During his tenure at Banner Health, he has transformed the supply chain into a centralized corporate supply chain service center benefitting 30 hospitals. Under his leadership, Banner’s supply chain was named the Healthcare Purchasing News "Supply Chain Department of the Year" for 2021.
Michael P. Brown. Vice President of Supply Chain and Environmental Services for Texas Children's Hospital (Houston). Mr. Brown, vice president of supply chain and environmental services at Texas Children’s Hospital, has applied his extensive experience in the automotive industry to revolutionize healthcare supply chain management. Since joining in 2018, he has driven cost reductions and standardization across the hospital by leveraging best practices from his previous roles. His leadership has led to significant achievements, including the virtual implementation of a new cloud enterprise resource planning system during the Covid-19 pandemic and the rollout of a cutting-edge radio frequency identification inventory system. Under his guidance, Texas Children’s Hospital’s supply chain has become a trusted source of the tools and environments necessary for clinicians to deliver top-quality care. His efforts have earned his team the "Friend of Nursing" award from the hospital's nursing leadership, recognizing the team's commitment to supporting caregivers and improving patient outcomes.
Mark Campbell. Vice President of Supply Chain at Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital. As vice president of supply chain at Tampa General, Mr. Campbell oversees strategic sourcing, supply distribution, minority business development and the sterile processing departments. He has implemented two new information management systems, recruited new leadership across all departments and launched a system supply chain platform that covers newly acquired hospitals. During his tenure, he collaborated with health system executives to develop the system’s largest ever master facility plan alongside a five-year strategic plan.
Steven Chyung. Senior Vice President of Chief Supply Chain and Procurement Executive for Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.). Mr. Chyung leads Kaiser's supply chain services as senior vice president and chief supply chain and procurement executive. He oversees the end-to-end supply chain management processes, encompassing strategic sourcing and contract management, procurement and order management, receiving, warehousing, distribution, inventory management, demand forecasting and supply planning, vendor management, accounts payable and travel expense reimbursements. His role entails managing $12 billion in spend in both direct and indirect categories, overseeing 2,700 supply chain employees, $400 million in inventory and a $400 million operating budget.
Shuan Clinton. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management at Texas Health Resources (Arlington). Since 2011, Mr. Clinton has served Texas Health Resources as senior vice president of supply chain management, where he oversees supply chain operations for over 20 acute care facilities and numerous outpatient locations. He leads a team of over 100 employees responsible for logistics, procurement, vendor management and clinical engineering across North Texas, while also overseeing strategic planning, organizational transformation, capital planning and revenue generation. His contributions have earned him recognition on the “Top 10 to Watch” list by The Journal of Healthcare Contracting and ranked his team among Gartner’s top 25 supply chains.
Shane Doherty. Vice President of Operations at Heywood Healthcare (Gardner, Mass.). Mr. Doherty took charge of supply chain operations for Heywood Healthcare in November 2020, navigating the organization through the pandemic's peak and a challenging chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring. His leadership ensured the creation of strategic stockpiles of personal protective equipment and essential supplies, guaranteeing uninterrupted patient care during critical shortages. Mr. Doherty's initiatives included a significant overhaul of the hospital warehouse, the introduction of automated inventory management systems, and the implementation of Global Healthcare Exchange to streamline purchasing processes. These efforts not only enhanced supply chain resilience but also delivered substantial cost savings.
Steve Downey. Chief Supply Chain and Patient Support Services Officer at Cleveland Clinic. In 2021, Mr. Downey became Cleveland Clinic's chief supply chain and patient support services officer. His role entails ideating and guiding all strategic and operational aspects of the system's global supply chain and support functions. He brings over 30 years of innovative supply chain experience to his current role, ranging from work in marketing, product management, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and more.
Conrad Emmerich. Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer at Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.). Mr. Emmerich is senior vice president and chief procurement officer for Advocate Health. In his role, has streamlined implant procurement, standardized care and improved quality at the health system. He has held his current position since January 2023. Prior, he was senior vice president of supply chain, lab, imaging and chief product officer for Atrium Health.
Jacqueline Epright. Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health. Ms. Epright oversees over 400 employees within a department dedicated to contracting, procurement, logistics, clinical value and project management. She has led numerous initiatives to optimize operations, including the implementation of a new enterprise resource planning platform and clinically integrated supply chain model. She also launched and manages a warehouse that services the entire health system. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she developed a task force to develop policies in conjunction with supply constraints and converted primary distributors to ensure operational resilience and supply chain stability. She is also a strong advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, integrating these principles into the organization's vendor selection process.
James Francis. Division Chair, Chief Supply Chain Officer and Assistant Treasurer at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). As division chair and chief supply chain officer at Mayo Clinic, Mr. Francis has been instrumental in advancing the healthcare supply chain for the organization. He has over 25 years of experience in leading supply chain organizations, and first joined Mayo in 1999. In 2022, the health system spent over $5.6 billion on supplies, purchased services and capital investments. Mr. Francis' leadership has contributed to the launch or collaboration of Supply Chain Solutions, Captis, Achieve CP, Civica Rx, Alluma and Inspirity Health Partners. Prior to joining Mayo, he was vice president of material services at St. Louis-based BJC Healthcare.
Justin Freed. Vice President of Supply Chain for Adventist Health (Roseville, Calif.). Mr. Freed leads supply chain initiatives for Adventist Health, with an ultimate goal of providing the right product at the right time for the right cost. His primary focus is on affordability in healthcare, and he aims to transform the supply chain from a contracting, procurement and distribution function to a supply cost innovator. Mr. Freed led Adventist Health’s Group Purchasing Organization conversion, resulting in more than $35 million in annual value for the system and reducing the cost of care in its communities. Over the past three years, he improved the system's largest implant contracts, including ortho, spine and customer relationship management, by greater than 15% savings. He implemented a new supply chain organization and leadership model, improving service and performance and lowering cost to service by greater than 10%. He also created governing councils in nursing, ortho, spine and purchase service, allowing the system to enable saving projects by stakeholder engagement.
George Godfrey. Chief Supply Chain Officer and Corporate Vice President of Financial Shared Services at Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables, Fla.). With over 30 years of career experience to his name, Mr. Godfrey has transformed Baptist Health's supply chain operations through a focus on people, process and technology. Leading a team that supports 12 hospitals and over 200 outpatient centers, he fosters continuous improvement via an emphasis on self-management, data-driven decision-making and transparent communication. His innovative approach has revolutionized processes across the supply chain, including the development of a custom customer relationship management application that drastically reduced resolution times and prevented over $2.9 million in overpayments. Under his leadership, Baptist Health has also made significant strides in sustainability, implementing energy-efficient solutions and waste reduction programs. Recognized as one of the "10 People to Watch in Healthcare Contracting" by The Journal of Healthcare Contracting for 2022, Mr. Godfrey's visionary leadership continues to drive excellence and innovation in the healthcare supply chain industry.
Kevin Gordon. Vice President of Supply Chain for Grady Health System (Atlanta). Since joining Grady Health System, Mr. Gordon has driven significant cultural and operational transformations within the supply chain, leading to over $10 million in cost savings. His efforts have resulted in improved engagement results within the finance division. He also established an undergraduate leadership internship program, creating a strong talent pipeline while implementing sustainable, systemwide processes. His work in enhancing supplier diversity has garnered national recognition, further solidifying his impact on the organization.
Michael Gray. System Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at SSM Health (St. Louis). Mr. Gray is the strategic leader for supply chain and non-labor expenses across SSM Health, where he collaborates with system leadership to optimize costs while maintaining high standards of quality and safety. Under his leadership, SSM Health has achieved significant environmental sustainability milestones, including diverting 141.4 tons of waste from landfills in 2023. He played a key role in establishing a joint venture with St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare to create a regional laundry facility, which serves both health systems and supports economic development in under-resourced communities in St. Louis. Mr. Gray was inducted into the Bellwether League Foundation's Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership in 2023.
Cindy Gueltzow. Vice President of Supply Chain Services at Baptist Health (Louisville, Ky.). Ms. Gueltzow oversees the supply chain for nine hospitals and over 400 points of care in her role as vice president of supply chain services for Baptist Health. In addition to spearheading personal protective equipment and vaccine supply chain efforts during the pandemic, Ms. Gueltzow was also instrumental in supporting communities of Western Kentucky after the violent tornado disaster in December 2021. Among other Baptist Health efforts, she and her staff arranged for an entire warehouse of bottled water and other essential supplies to be sent to the area to support hospitals, staff and community members. In 2020, Ms. Gueltzow was one of eight female supply chain leaders profiled by the national Journal of Healthcare Contracting.
Jorge Hernandez. Chief Procurement and Supply Chain Officer at Broward Health (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). As chief procurement officer and supply chain officer for Broward Health, Mr. Hernandez has been instrumental in better controlling and reducing supply costs, while improving operating efficiencies for the system. He oversees a massive budget in annual expenditure. Mr. Hernandez is a staunch supporter of supply chain diversity and allocates more than 60% of Broward Health’s procurement budget to minority vendors in South Florida. He also led a supply utilization transformation to maximize Broward Health Group Purchasing Organization contracts, delivering more than $1 million in savings.
Ed Hisscock. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management at Trinity Health (Livonia, Mich.). Mr. Hisscock serves as senior vice president of supply chain management at Trinity Health. He brings a diverse educational background in engineering, behavioral science, and supply chain to the role, as well as experience across various health care supply chain modalities. Under his guidance, Trinity Health's supply chain team managed disruptions in global supply chains, implemented strategies for inventory management, and coordinated logistics to support operations and patient care during the pandemic. Mr. Hisscock was recently inducted into the Bellwether League Foundation’s Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership.
Cecile Hozouri. Corporate Vice President of Supply Chain at Scripps Health (San Diego). As corporate vice president of supply chain at Scripps Health, Ms. Hozouri’s responsibilities include contracting, purchasing, clinical value analysis and logistics. She led the transformation of Scripps Health’s supply chain from a siloed function to a centralized system, reducing supply expenses by $17 million in the first year. Her efforts to lower costs while improving efficiency include implementing systemwide staffing standards and clinical performance analytics. Renowned for her collaborative approach, Ms. Hozouri uses insight from the organization’s executives, clinicians and staff to guide her purchase decisions. In addition to frequently sharing her expertise at industry events, she has been recognized by Supply Chain Digital and Gartner as a top leader in the field.
Daniel Hurry. President of Advantus Health Partners and Chief Supply Chain Officer of Bon Secours Mercy Health (Cincinnati). Mr. Hurry is moving the supply chain industry forward, creating awareness, alignment and action within Bon Secours Mercy Health. He has led the team in hundreds of millions of dollars in operating cost savings, generating high performance stats compared to industry averages. He was also the driving force behind the creation of Advantus Health Partners, a new supply chain company in healthcare.
Ryan Koos. Chief Supply Chain Officer at Sharp Healthcare (San Diego). Since 2016, Mr. Koos has directed both acute and nonacute supply chain operations throughout Sharp Healthcare as its chief supply chain officer. With over 20 years in the field, he has reduced operating expenses by over $50 million while building an organizationwide vertically integrated supply chain. He focuses on streamlining supply chain processes to ensure caregivers can concentrate on patient care, utilizing data to drive meaningful change and improve quality. Mr. Koos also played a crucial role in ensuring the delivery of personal protective equipment and essential supplies during the pandemic.
Nancy Ling. Director of Supply Chain Services at East Alabama Health (Opelika, Ala.). Ms. Ling brings over 25 years of healthcare supply chain and operations experience to her current role as director of supply chain services for East Alabama Health. She takes a profitability-driven approach to supply chain management, which has helped improve inventory management and tracking. She is a member of the Alabama Society for Healthcare Materials Management and the Association for Healthcare Resources and Materials Management.
Candace Long. Supply Chain Management Director at UNC Health Southeastern (Lumberton, N.C.). Ms. Long, supply chain management director of UNC Health Southeastern, has successfully overseen two major supply chain system implementations during the integration with Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health. She works alongside the group purchasing organization to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Ms. Long also chairs the UNC Health supply chain guidelines and procedures committee and serves on the value analysis and supply chain leadership teams.
Thomas Lubotsky. Vice President of Supply Chain at Allina Health (Minneapolis). As vice president of supply chain for Allina Health, Mr. Lubotsky directs short-term and long-term supply chain strategies. Under his leadership, the system has implemented an integrated service center to support inventory management and distribution, established a program to increase diversity spending and developed a plan to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. He also redesigned the supply chain department with new leadership hires, alignment of the logistics and transportation teams, and centralization of procurement. In 2022, he also led the system in its renewed partnership with Richmond, Va.-based Owens & Minor, a collaboration to create a unique integrated service model for supply chain resiliency.
Phyllis McCready. Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer at Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.). With over 25 years of management experience under her belt, Ms. McCready serves as senior vice president and chief procurement officer at Northwell Health. There, she oversees a $2.6 billion annual spend and has worked to diversify and modernize the system's supply chain. She has been crucial to the creation and oversight of the Integrated Distribution Center, which has allowed for simplified product delivery to the system's hospitals. She is also president and CEO of North Shore-LIJ Alliance, the system's group purchasing organization.
Matthew McGraw. Vice President of Supply Chain at OSF HealthCare (Peoria, Ill.). Mr. McGraw leads operations for materials value chain, supply chain management and digitization initiatives, supporting the ministry’s integrated distribution center. His key achievements include setting up a $50 million annual medical and surgical distribution system and overseeing the phased implementation of the enterprise resource planning system across 16 acute care sites. He expanded beyond current automation market offerings and partnered to build digital applications that turn data into actionable information and enable business-to-business partnerships. He was also pivotal in transitioning OSF to a new group purchasing organization. Additionally, he has built a team that consistently ranks in the top tier for employee satisfaction. He and his team successfully enable "day 1" supply chain connectivity to newly acquired acute care facilities as OSF expands its geographic footprint. Before his current role, Mr. McGraw worked for Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Associates prior to its acquisition by Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems.
Milrose Mercado. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Chief Procurement Officer at Hartford (Conn.) Healthcare. Ms. Mercado, senior vice president of supply chain and chief procurement officer at Hartford Healthcare, is an industry thought leader recognized for her expertise in leading large-scale healthcare supply chain transformation efforts. She is charged with achieving financial improvements and increased operational efficiency at Hartford Healthcare. To accomplish this, she handles supply chain, account payable, capital and clinical care redesign at the health system. Under her leadership, the supply chain was able to pivot during the pandemic and build a direct international sourcing model across Asia. She also led the system's supplier diversity efforts, which resulted in over $180 million in diversity spend.
Don Parks. Director of Procurement Strategy and Sourcing at UCLA Health (Los Angeles). Mr. Parks is the director of procurement strategy and sourcing at UCLA Health. His current focus is vendor relations, with the ultimate goal of increasing supply assuredness and decreasing chance of inflation. Under his guidance, the system is using a new distribution center where the team can stock greater inventory of higher priority items. He first joined UCLA Health in 1998 and has worked in roles related to distribution and supply chain ever since.
Andrea Poulopoulos. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for Corewell Health (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Ms. Poulopoulos serves as senior vice president of supply chain for Corewell Health, where her patient-centered decision-making has helped drive significant value for the organization. She took on the role in May 2024, after serving as vice president of procurement for the system for nearly a year. Prior, she was senior director of sourcing for Corewell. Her work helped to double financial savings from 2022-23. Her work has been crucial in restructuring the procurement team to better align team members with areas of skill and interest, ultimately improving workflows and job satisfaction.
Jonathan Pumphrey. Vice President of Supply Chain and Chief Supply Chain Officer at WellSpan Health (York, Pa.). With over 50 years of experience in supply chain management, Mr. Pumphrey works to develop and integrate the supply chain throughout WellSpan Health’s growing portfolio. He significantly contributed to the establishment of a six health system-group purchasing organization by forging the relationship with the retail supply chain that acts as the group’s procurement manager. Mr. Pumphrey also worked alongside the health system’s performance improvement team to produce what would become the only FDA-approved N95 mask manufactured by a health system.
Ravi Reddy. Executive Vice President of Shared Services at Prime Healthcare (Ontario, Calif.). Mr. Reddy’s role as executive vice president of shared services at Prime Healthcare involves overseeing supply chain, biomedical, centralized purchasing and document digitization services. His leadership in centralizing biomedical operations and transitioning to a service risk model effects $13 million in savings per year. He is responsible for the standardization of medical equipment and supplies across 44 hospitals, securing over $350 million in equipment leases while obtaining best-in-class discounts.Mr. Reddy’s efforts have also extended to developing a shared services model and processes to ensure implants are charged accurately.
Joni M. Rittler. Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Ms. Rittler has worked in the healthcare supply chain space for more than 30 years, and credits relationship-building as the cornerstone to supply chain successes. In her 14 years at the hospital, she has created a high-performing supply chain management program that expands beyond supplies expenses to include all non-labor expenses. Most recently, she helped launch a services and logistics center that houses eight support functions for the enterprise. Since 2019, she has helped the supply chain develop a robust technology infrastructure, including an online requisitioning system, an enterprise resource planning system, and a warehouse management system. The hospital also uses a business intelligence tool that integrates data from multiple systems and suppliers to support operations and inform decision-making. Ms. Rittler has also led supplier diversity efforts at the hospital since 2012 and is the executive sponsor for its all abilities resource group and supplier diversity committee. She has worked closely with the Children’s Hospital Association and currently holds the position of chair of the executive steering committee for the Pediatric Alliance.
Susanna Rustad. Chief Procurement Officer, Vice President of Supply Chain Management and Care at Home at UCI Health (Orange, Calif.). Ms. Rustad guides the growth of a nationally recognized healthcare supply chain management team at UCI Health. She has played a crucial role in the health system's multi-hospital acquisition and expansion efforts, including the development of a new medical center complex, and has been pivotal in establishing the UCI Health Care at Home platform, which aims to expand care access and supply. Her leadership has resulted in the successful implementation of industry-leading solutions such as P2P, Kanban, RFID, and contract lifecycle management. She has also led extensive process orchestration and automation efforts, with the development of the Supply Chain Control Tower currently in progress. With a strong focus on clinically integrated partnerships and data-driven decision-making frameworks, Ms. Rustad's commitment to quality and collaboration has significantly enhanced patient care at UCI Health.
Ana Victoria Sanchez. Vice President of Supply Chain and Support Services for Virtua Health (Marlton, N.J.). Ms. Sanchez has redefined Virtua Health's supply chain and enhanced value by integrating clinical operations. She has cultivated a team with both clinical and logistical expertise, applying an approach that uses hands-on engagement with perioperative and clinical areas to identify and implement supply chain improvements. Recognized for her extensive knowledge of healthcare supply chain operations, she has shifted Virtua's perspective on supply chain from transactional to strategic. Her comprehensive five-year plan aims to modernize equipment, update IT, implement inventory management and enterprise resource management planning systems, expand product and location scope, and much more.
Lisa Scannell. Vice President of Supply Chain at Mass General Brigham (Somerville, Mass.). Ms. Scannell is vice president of supply chain management at Mass General Brigham. She first came to the health system over 25 years ago and has taken on roles with increasing responsibility. She is responsible for supporting Mass General Brigham's strategic initiatives while addressing the need for supply chain resiliency.
Susan Schrupp. Senior Vice President and Chief Purchasing Officer for Community Health Systems (Franklin, Tenn.). Ms. Schrupp joined Community Health Systems in 2018, bringing over 20 years of experience in healthcare supply chain and healthcare group purchasing organizations. She oversees the company’s supply chain function, clinical equipment and biomedical function, and the laboratory and imaging service lines. She also represents CHS on the equity board of HealthTrust Purchasing Group. Ms. Schrupp works with the clinical operations team and a network of physician leaders to evaluate and influence key purchasing decisions, which resulted in $67 million in savings in 2023. She is responsible for the implementation of an Oracle-based enterprise resource planning system for finance, human resources and supply chain. In year one of the implementation, the team completed point of care installations at 47 hospital affiliates.
Eddie Sharp. System Vice President of Supply Chain at PeaceHealth (Vancouver, Wash.). As system vice president of supply chain at PeaceHealth, Mr. Sharp has initiated the development of a fulfillment center to streamline supply management across the system and upgraded the distribution system for PeaceHealth’s ambulatory services supply chain. A spirited collaborator, Mr. Sharp also developed a reporting system that credits savings to his internal customers as well as the supply chain. While doing so, he generated over $35 million in savings for PeaceHealth.
Phil Smith. Executive Director of Supply Chain for Saint Francis Health System (Tulsa, Okla.). Mr. Smith, a seasoned supply chain leader, has significantly improved operations at Saint Francis Health System since his arrival in 2022. Buoyed by extensive experience gleaned from prior roles at health systems across the East Coast and Midwest, he successfully relocated Saint Francis Health System's supply and distribution department to a new 200,000-square-foot offsite warehouse, expanding its capacity and efficiency. This move allows the system to maintain a larger inventory, reducing the risk of supply shortages and improving cost management. Additionally, Mr. Smith is currently overseeing the relocation of the hospital's laundry facility to the same warehouse, doubling its capacity. His efforts have also centralized the contracting and purchasing processes, leading to substantial cost savings systemwide.
Jesse Stanton. Vice President of Supply Chain at Parkview Health (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Mr. Stanton began at Parkview as a project contract analyst, working his way into his current role as vice president of supply chain. His leadership has been pivotal to expanding the organization’s centralized distribution center, securing essential supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic, and integrating new facilities into the Parkview network. He has led efforts to streamline product evaluation processes and developed a “conversion specialist” role to handle substitute products. His innovative strategies to lower costs and add value to negotiated agreements has resulted in over $65 million in savings. Mr. Stanton is a key contributor to the "Friends of Parkview" program, which aims to extend Parkview's pricing advantages to other healthcare entities that do not have Parkview’s economies of scale.
Jeremy E. Strong. Vice President of Supply Chain at Rush University System of Health (Chicago). Mr. Strong is the vice president of supply chain for Rush, where his main focus is eradicating any barriers between medical supplies and caregivers. In order to make the system more efficient, he has helped reduce inventory backlog and has prompted the system to reevaluate the relationship between product price and product care. He is also passionate about empowering the future generation of supply chain leaders. Mr. Strong first joined Rush in 2001.
Brian Stuckman, BSN, RN. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Ancillary Operations at MemorialCare (Fountain Valley, Calif.). With 36 years in healthcare leadership and 13 as a supply chain executive, Mr. Stuckman has been responsible for the reorganization, maturation and development of centralized shared services supply chain, procurement, analytics, logistics, sourcing, contracting, purchased services and conversion to all digital contracting. His system pharmacy strategy oversight includes 340B program compliance, system drug formulary committee, inventory automation, controlled substance surveillance and diversion prevention that leverages shared technology solutions. His leadership in system perioperative services encompasses the systemwide adoption of key performance metric improvements that leverage optimal use of EMR for surgery, surgery scheduling and anesthesia environments, as well as the standardization of surgical scheduling and administrative oversight for the anesthesia best practice team. His oversight of contracting and strategies to impact inflation through expense savings plans have resulted in significant savings, and the current fiscal year savings is on plan to exceed $22 million.
Melanie Stutzman-Ricci, BSN, RN. Vice President of Support Services at Tower Health (West Reading, Pa.). As vice president of support services, Ms. Stutzman-Ricci provides oversight and strategic guidance to operations across Tower Health, in addition to managing the organization’s capital and operational budgets. She has led the supply chain team in the face of significant disruptions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, implementing strategic sourcing and improving inventory management practices. During her first fiscal year at Tower Health, Ms. Stutzman-Ricci initiated a return to core supply chain operations, saving the organization $7 million in costs.
Bob Taylor. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at RWJBarnabas Health (West Orange, N.J.). Throughout a network comprising 12 facilities and 400 practices, Mr. Taylor leads a team of more than 400 people that oversees strategic sourcing, contracting, capital equipment procurement, the full procure-to-pay process and the final delivery of goods and services to clinicians and patients. He employs a data-driven approach to managing the procurement process, enhancing quality and patient outcomes in a cost effective manner. Under Mr. Taylor’s leadership, the organization has been recognized as one of the “Best 50 Healthcare Providers for Supply Chain Excellence” by Global Healthcare Exchange.
Rick Tresmond. Vice President of Supply Chain Management for Coastal Community Health (Jacksonville, Fla.). As vice president of supply chain management for coastal community health, Mr. Tresmond oversees the supply chain operations for Jacksonville-based Baptist Health and Brunswick, Ga.-based Southeast Georgia Health System, ensuring quality and cost-effective care across eight hospitals. Leveraging over 30 years of healthcare experience, Mr. Tresmond's leadership has driven strategic supply chain initiatives, including the implementation of new technologies and a robust value analysis process. Under his guidance, Coastal Community Health earned the 2020 "Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award" from the ECRI Institute for exceptional resource management and supply chain efficiency, marking them as one of only 12 health systems recognized nationwide. Mr. Tresmond also expanded Baptist Health’s supplier diversity program, fostering relationships with minority-owned and local businesses, and led efforts to donate $500,000 worth of medical supplies to Ukraine in 2022.
Eric Tritch. Vice President of Supply Chain and Support Services at UChicago Medicine. Mr. Tritch, vice president of supply chain and support services at UChicago Medicine, is a highly regarded supply chain leader who has been recognized for his innovative sourcing strategies and ability to reduce unnecessary burn rates of personal protective equipment and supplies during the pandemic. He oversees all supply chain operations, contracting, value analysis, and supplier management activity for the health system, along with responsibility for environmental services and patient transportation operations. As the UChicago Medicine health system grows, Mr. Tritch is helping to automate supply chain processes to reduce mental burden and help caregivers focus on care.
Erik Walerius. Chief Supply Chain Officer at UW Medicine (Seattle, Wash.). In his role as chief supply chain officer, Mr. Walerius is responsible for providing operational, strategic and financial oversight of the key supply chain operations across the health system. He leads a team of more than 200 people who are managing upwards of 80,000 items and $1.4 billion in annual supply chain related spend. The team is focused on achieving goals set out in its 5-year supply chain strategic plan, including improving employee engagement, expanding the quality management program, optimizing a recent enterprise resource planning conversion, and continuing to accrue financial savings. Under Mr. Walerius’s leadership, UW Medicine has earned numerous recognitions including Practice Green Health's “Top 25” award for best practices in environmentally preferable purchasing across the U.S., GHX's “Best 50” for healthcare providers across North America for supply chain excellence, and Vizient's best in class price index ranking.
Cairo Wasfy. Vice President of Supply Chain Services and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Orlando (Fla.) Health. Mr. Wasfy assumed the role of vice president of supply chain services and chief supply chain officer at Orlando Health in April 2024. He is responsible for driving supply chain initiatives that enhance clinical outcomes and patient experience while reducing costs. Partnering with clinical, hospital and ambulatory leaders, he has successfully aligned supply chain operations with broader healthcare goals. His previous role as chief resource officer at Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health saw him managing supply chain, purchased services, pharmacy and laboratory operations across 30 hospitals and over 200 care sites. Mr. Wasfy has also held key leadership positions at HealthTrust Purchasing Group in Nashville and at St. Louis-based Ascension Health.
Brian Washa. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management for Endeavor Health (Evanston, Ill.). For Endeavor Health’s nine hospitals and 300 clinics, Mr. Washa oversees supply chain strategy, logistics and procurement. With a responsibility for $1.6 billion in supply and service contract spending, he leads the organization toward aligning and centralizing the corporate supply chain. During the pandemic, Mr. Washa's leadership was crucial in managing the supply chain response, ensuring there were no critical supply shortages while successfully integrating a unified enterprise resource platform system to streamline operations across the organization.
Mark Welch. Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Novant Health (Winston-Salem, N.C.). Mr. Welch is the senior vice president of supply chain at Novant Health, where he is responsible for managing enterprisewide non-labor spend, supply chain logistics, operations, procurement, sourcing, and clinical supply chain engagement. He has encouraged supplier diversity amongst his division, which contributed to Novant Health's $160 million increase in spend with minority and women-owned suppliers from 2005 to 2022. His leadership led to the system's reduction of contracted supply chain general ledger expense by 15 percent annually.
Ben Wingfield. Director of Supply Chain Operations at Arkansas Children's Hospital (Little Rock). Mr. Wingfield manages inventory and contracts for the children's hospital, focusing on increasing equity and diversity with suppliers. He is also focused on improving communication and access between the supply chain and clinical departments, bringing the supply chain conversation to the table when it comes to discussing organizational challenges.
Chuck Wright. Vice President of Supply Chain for Tanner Health System (Carrollton, Ga.). Mr. Wright, leveraging 30 years of supply chain management experience, demonstrates exceptional analytical skills and strong relationships with his peers at Tanner Health System. His leadership has kept the supply chain team fully engaged in their mission, even during the challenging pandemic period. His ability to stay on top of issues and communicate effectively has been crucial in resolving problems swiftly. Under his guidance, Tanner Health System has been recognized multiple times for its exceptional utilization of Group Purchasing Organization offerings, earning numerous awards for high engagement and maximizing rebates.