Taking The Supply Chain Pulse

Encore Episode: We talk with sterile processing expert Kim Jones about why central sterile is the hidden driver of operating room performance and patient safety. This conversation is still highly relevant as health systems continue to face OR efficiency and staffing challenges.
how Kim transitioned from HR into sterile processing leadership and education
how certification and education directly impact performance and team pride
why small breakdowns in SPD drive major OR delays and disrupt surgical schedules
where OR, sterile processing, and supply chain fall out of sync and how communication gaps create ripple effects
how to build trust with surgeons through stronger partnerships and visible OR leadership support
what audits at leading health systems reveal, including outdated assumptions about SPD performance
why Lean efforts break down when point-of-use cleaning and tray completeness are inconsistent
how traditional staffing models miss complexity and why volume alone is misleading
where robotics and automation can improve safety, reduce injuries, and increase throughput
how traveler pay gaps and post-pandemic dynamics are fueling ongoing retention challenges
how to confidently make the case to the C-suite using both data and real operational constraints

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We sit down with Scott Becker of Becker’s Healthcare to talk about what his daily view of the industry reveals about closures, staffing gaps, and the real-world squeeze on access to care. We also dig into why great events and clear writing still matter, then hear how Scott approaches building businesses through momentum, setbacks, and scaling. 
• rural and community hospital closures and the downstream impact on access 
• how Becker’s Healthcare curates short-form healthcare business news for busy leaders 
• why conferences work when they prioritize peers, learning, and networking 
• the growing shortage of specialists across the country and what it means for patients 
• healthcare costs, healthcare inflation, and the rise of tiered care including concierge medicine 
• prevention as a priority but not a substitute for doctors and nurses 
• Scott’s new book Building Great Businesses and the craft of writing in your own voice 
Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button and connect with us online so you’ll never miss an episode and can catch up on all the ones you might have missed. 
Got a topic you’re fired up about, or maybe you want to be a guest on the show? Fred would love to hear from you. Just reach out at fcrans@stonge.com.

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We talk with David Kirshner about why healthcare CFOs are facing extreme margin pressure and why supply chain has become a strategic tool for survival. We map out how to find savings beyond clinical supplies by using better data, tighter contracting, and real cross-department partnerships. 
• health systems moving from thriving to barely surviving as margins compress 
• why CFO sponsorship matters when expanding supply chain influence 
• defining non-clinical and indirect procurement across IT, facilities, energy, marketing, corporate services, and legal 
• using accounts payable and spend analytics to uncover vendor sprawl and contract gaps 
• the “$1 saved equals $20 revenue” logic and why expense work wins fast 
• raising expectations with vendors through competitive sourcing and respectful collaboration 
• using a supply chain maturity model to move from good to great 
• mentoring the next generation of data-driven supply chain leaders 
Don't forget to hit that subscribe button and connect with us online so you'll never miss an episode and can catch up on all the ones you might have missed. 
Got a topic you're fired up about, or maybe you want to be a guest on the show? Fred would love to hear from you. Just reach out at fcrans@stonge.com

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A lot of supply chain leaders can talk strategy. Far fewer can trace it back to what happens when a patient is on the table and a team cannot afford a single shortcut. That’s why this conversation with Joseph Carr, Vice President and Supply Chain Leader at Akron Children’s Hospital, lands differently. Joseph started his healthcare career as a registered nurse in the operating room, then carried that clinical urgency into healthcare supply chain, strategic sourcing, and hospital operations leadership.

We walk through the career moves that shaped his toolkit: an MBA and finance background, early work helping build a clinically integrated supply chain model at Mayo Clinic, exposure to Lean and DMAIC problem-solving, and the reality of performance-managed systems where metrics drive accountability. Along the way, we get concrete lessons on change management using ADKAR, why data access changes everything, and how missteps like a poorly handled glove conversion reveal the real cost of ignoring clinician voice.

Then we bring it home to pediatric healthcare. Joseph explains what makes children’s hospitals unique, from pediatric-specific procedures to the full patient and family experience, and why children’s hospitals can get squeezed on pricing due to GPO tier structures and smaller spend buckets. At Akron Children’s, he shares how a supportive culture and clinical collaboration helped launch the Commit for Kids sourcing strategy, expand category reviews at scale, invest in technology and ERP modernization, and use Lean projects to lock in best practices before bigger system shifts.

If you care about healthcare supply chain transformation, pediatric hospital operations, and building a strategic supply chain that clinicians actually trust, listen through to the end. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review with one question you want us to tackle next.
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We sit down with Rick Barlow to unpack why the Bellwether League Foundation exists and what it takes to honor healthcare supply chain leaders the right way. We trace the Hall of Fame’s origin story, the real world hurdles behind building a nonprofit, and why recognition can be the difference between losing talent and keeping it.

• Bellwether League Foundation mission as a healthcare supply chain nonprofit 
• Why the “bellwether” name ties to lighthouse leadership 
• How a research project and a baseball Hall of Fame debate sparked the idea 
• Early challenges launching the organization including legal setup, banking hurdles, and the 2008 crash 
• Why healthcare supply chain leaders often stay unknown despite massive impact 
• Historic and unexpected inductees including Clara Barton and early GPO roots 
• How Bellwether Honorees, Future Famers, and the Dean S. Ammer award differ 
• How the foundation is funded through corporate and individual support 
• What BLFIR is and what happens at the annual induction event 
• “Goes Back to School” campus outreach to grow healthcare supply chain talent 
• SCMAT maturity assessment tool as an operations improvement path 
• How to get involved by attending, nominating, volunteering, or sponsoring 
• Why the nomination process is designed for credibility over reputation 

And don't forget to hit that subscribe button and connect with us online so you'll never miss an episode and can catch up on all the ones you might have missed. Got a topic you're fired up about, or maybe you want to be a guest on the show? Fred would love to hear from you. Just reach out at fcrans@stonge.com.

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