SUPPLY CHAIN’S FUTURE LEADERS
Operations Analyst to the Senior Director Supply Management
Developing leaders
and Administration, her current role.
TUKHS employs lean principles as the formal leadership model. Leaders go
Throughout her career, Bruns has maintained the perspective that she’s in this industry to help people. Even if she’s
through lean training once they are placed
not one of the frontline workers, she understands that the
into a position of leadership. In her de-
role of the healthcare supply chain plays a critical part in sav-
partment, they are working on a leadership
ing lives. “Working in healthcare supply chain, I get the honor of helping someone, of contributing to saving a life, and giving back to my community.”
Navigating a pandemic During the early days of the pandemic, she stepped into a role as the System Director of Clinical Supply Optimization, where she essentially had to build an entirely new team. Despite the fact that they were building a new program at TUKHS, Bruns said she is most proud of her team’s humility and teamwork. “No one knew how to work from home. No one knew how to build a team remotely and orientate them remotely. No one knew how to build an entire program from the ground up remotely. They had to learn how to work together and trust one another without having any in-person meetings.” Her team didn’t even meet face-to-face until May 2021. Even with these challenges, Bruns and her team have persevered and met the challenges head on. “In supply chain, understanding the end-to-end process is an art, but it is not the type everyone gets the pleasure of having up on their wall. This pandemic has enabled supply chain team members (and even those outside of supply chain) to not only understand the end-to-end supply chain process but work through each facet of it.” Her team has even had the opportunity to educate end-users
Bruns understands the power of effective leadership, the capability to guide an organization, department, and workforce to better outcomes for the patients.
development plan for the manager leaders. It’s a year-long program for all supply chain managers with direct reports. “Each supply chain manager will undergo formal career development after they are hired into a leadership role, manager level and above.” The program will focus on learning and applying key leadership traits in addition to participating in industry and career experiences on topics like emotional intelligence, mentorship, effective communication, and innovative thinking. “After completion of the program, each manager will be responsible for trickling down this knowledge and experience with their front-line team members.” Bruns understands the power of effective leadership, the capability to guide an organization, department, and workforce to better outcomes for the patients. “If I were to summarize my mentorship experiences throughout my lifetime, I would say they have taught me the importance of our own soft skills and how to appreciate the diversity each person carries in their own soft skills. Healthcare
and suppliers on the scope of the supply chain from end-to-end.
is one of the most diverse industries out
“Each of our customers knows a little more about supply chain,
there. No other industry can contribute
which has allowed us to develop bridges, build them, and walk
more to people’s health and well-being
over them together.”
than healthcare.”
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April 2022 | The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
