Taking The Supply Chain Pulse

• Sixty Years Of Healthcare Supply Chain Wisdom

  Season three opens with a twist: Tom Redding takes the interviewer’s chair to explore Fred Kranz’s 60-year journey across healthcare logistics and supply chain. What follows is a fast-paced, deeply human conversation about resilience, mentorship, and the kind of innovation that doesn’t always look like a shiny device. From typing memos and walking hospital campuses to orchestrating complex, data-driven IDNs, Fred shows how the fundamentals—relationships, clarity, and integrity—scale with technology rather than get replaced by it.Fred’s story reframes what “innovation” really means. As a Navy corpsman in Vietnam, he watched helicopters—not instruments—save lives by shrinking the time from injury to care. That lesson became his operating system: build networks that move fast, standardize handoffs, and feed decisions with accurate data. We dig into value analysis, the rise of data quality as a competitive edge, and the cultural shifts required to align clinicians, purchasing, and vendors. Along the way, Fred shares a defining moment when he challenged leadership and a favored GPO to protect truth and his team—proof that integrity isn’t just moral, it’s operational.Mentors loom large in Fred’s narrative, from a WWII survivor who taught him to stop “winning” at others’ expense, to supply chain icons who built today’s leadership bench. He’s proudest of the 30-plus people he’s helped elevate to director roles and beyond. For early-career pros, his advice is blunt and generous: learn the clinical world you serve, pair analytics with empathy, and seek out elders who will challenge and champion you. He also looks ahead 20 years—fewer but stronger systems, better-educated supply chain leaders with real-world clinical context, and technology that turns clean data into faster, smarter decisions. Stay to the end for why he won’t retire at 80: purpose, community, and the joy of staying relevant.If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review to help others find it. Got a topic or want to join us on the mic? Reach out and let’s keep the conversation going.Send us a text

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• What Suppliers Wish Hospitals Knew About Value, Quality, And Risk

  We talk with Stuart Wooster, a former hospital supply chain leader now on the supplier side, about how value, quality, and risk management change when you build products as well as deliver them. The result is a practical playbook for resilience, smarter negotiations, and better outcomes.• value as quality, service, and cost combined• community hospitals sustained by smart scale, not size alone• provider reliance on GPOs versus strategic insourcing• manufacturing quality, traceability, and parametric release• distributor windows and the true causes of stockouts• advanced wound care total cost versus unit price• dual sourcing, localization, and FTZ strategy• negotiation tactics and fair margin for RD• clinician feedback loops and supplier collaboration• resilience planning for uncertainty and disruptionDon't forget to subscribe and connect with us online where you can find all of our episodesIf you have a topic you would like to discuss or want to be a guest on the show, you can reach out to Fred directly at [email protected] us a text

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• From Value Analysis to Sterile Processing: How Better Beats Bigger in Healthcare Supply Chain

  We explore how smarter value analysis, better space planning, and disciplined sterile processing turn hidden complexity into safer, simpler care. Crystal shares cases where consolidating supply rooms, mapping risks with FMEA, and aligning teams produced measurable gains.• nonclinical path that leads to healthcare supply chain expertise• value analysis maturity beyond price toward clinical integration• standardizing sourcing, SKUs, and stocking logic across hospitals• space planning that prevents “closet creep” and fragmented PARs• sterile processing risk mapping using FMEA tied to standards• bridging OR, SPD, and service lines to end silos• pairing ops experience with industrial engineering for ROI• moving beyond low‑hanging fruit to flow, labor, and waste reductionSubscribe and connect with us online where you can find all of our episodesIf you have a topic you would like to discuss or want to be a guest on the show, you can reach out to Fred directly at [email protected] us a text

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• When Compassion Crosses Borders: A Supply Chain Leader's Mission

  Greg Goddard, Division Vice President of Supply Chain at Scion Health, shares his extraordinary work with Ukrainian orphans through his foundation Simply Loved Orphan Care. Despite ongoing war, Greg travels to Ukraine to provide children from the Children of Grace Orphanage a 10-day retreat in the Carpathian Mountains away from air raid sirens and drone strikes.• Scion Health operates 15 community hospitals and 63 long-term acute care facilities across 26 states• Greg and his wife started Simply Loved Orphan Care after adopting two Ukrainian sisters in 2019• Western Ukraine faces fewer attacks than eastern regions, but air raid sirens and drone strikes still occur• Economic challenges include average Ukrainian salary of $6,300 compared to $73,500 in America• Despite war, Ukrainian supply chains have adapted remarkably well with stores remaining stocked• The mountain retreat costs only $4,000 for 26 children for 10 days including lodging and three meals daily• Ukrainian children show remarkable resilience while maintaining their childhood despite war conditions• Working in a war zone provides valuable perspective on healthcare supply chain challenges in AmericaTo support Simply Loved Orphan Care, visit www.simplyloved.org or email Greg at [email protected] us a text

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• From Struggling to Standout: How a Mid-sized Health System Built an Award-winning Supply Chain

  St. Luke's Health System in Boise, Idaho has been recognized by Gartner as one of the top 25 healthcare supply chains in the country, achieving this distinction as a mid-sized independent organization competing with much larger systems.• Eight hospitals, 300+ clinics, and $4 billion in annual revenue.• Transformed supply chain operations by hiring 20 strategic employees, mostly from outside healthcare.• Generated $160 million in cost savings over a decade through strategic negotiations.• Built true strategic supplier partnerships based on transparency and aligned incentives.• Opening a 330,000 square foot Consolidated Service Center housing both medical-surgical and pharmacy operations.• Collaboration with other health systems provided valuable insights for supply chain transformation.• Mission-driven approach to healthcare supply chain offers better work-life balance than for-profit sectors.• Addressing critical talent pipeline challenges by engaging with local universities.Remember to subscribe and connect with us online where you can find all of our episodes. If you have a topic you would like to discuss or want to be a guest on the show, you can reach out to Fred directly at [email protected] us a text

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