vol.33 n o. 8 • Au g u st 2 025
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Strengthening Island Ties Henry Schein says its acquisition of R. Weinstein will enhance Hawaii health care services
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CONTENTS AUGUST 2025 • VOLUME 33 • ISSUE 8
` TRENDS
26 Contracting with the Defense Logistics Agency The DLA supports U.S. warfighters across the world.
30 AI Policy Roadmap
The growing role of AI in healthcare highlights the increasing need for regulations and policy within the industry.
` ACSs
38 The Bottom Line
Tracking financial data in an ambulatory surgery center.
` POST-ACUTE CARE
42 Patient-Centered Post-Acute Care
Delivering better post-acute outcomes through coordinated, compassionate patient care models.
44 Post-Acute News ` IDN INSIGHTS
46 Small Details, Big Impact
Strengthening Island Ties
Henry Schein says its acquisition of R. Weinstein will enhance Hawaii health care services. p. 22
Pediatric hospitals are rethinking supply chain for better patient care.
53 IDN News ` INFECTION PREVENTION
54 Sell Safer Care
Why infection prevention matters.
` HEALTH NEWS
56 Understanding Psoriasis
Psoriasis Action Month in August highlights the experience of those living with psoriasis and aims to remove the stigma around the painful skin condition.
` REP SPOTLIGHT ` PUBLISHER’S LETTER
2
Bridging Islands and Eras: Henry Schein’s Strategic Growth and CEO Transition
` PHYSICIAN OFFICE LAB
4
Timing is Everything – Sometimes
Why reps need to stay close to customers to clearly understand how they manage the seasonal events in their practice, not just respiratory season.
` DISTRIBUTION
12 McKesson Medical-Surgical Sales Conference
` SALES
14 Locked Out
How to reach decision-makers in a post-access era.
` LEADERSHIP
18 Missing Link
Cultivating connection in a loneliness epidemic.
58 Driving Growth, Delivering Care
Cardinal Health’s Jennifer Stewart blends sales mastery with heart-led leadership.
` HIDA
62 Healthcare Distributors Advocate for Tariff Relief on Capitol Hill ` NEWS
63 Industry News
Repertoire magazine (ISSN 1520-7587) is published monthly by Share Moving Media, 350 Town Center Ave, Ste 201, Suwanee, GA 30024-6914. Copyright 2025 by Share Moving Media. All rights reserved. Subscriptions: $49.00 per year for individuals; issues are sent free of charge to dealer representatives. If you would like to subscribe or notify us of address changes, please contact us at the above numbers or address. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Repertoire, 350 Town Center Ave, Ste 201, Suwanee, GA 30024-6914. Please note: The acceptance of advertising or products mentioned by contributing authors does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors. Periodicals Postage Paid at Lawrenceville, GA and at additional mailing offices.
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Publisher’s Letter
Bridging Islands and Eras: Henry Schein’s Strategic Growth and CEO Transition
editorial staff editor
You never know when news is going to break. At press time, just as we were wrapping up the August issue of Repertoire Magazine, Henry Schein announced that Stanley M. Bergman will retire as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the end of the year after 45 years at the Company, including more than 35 years as CEO. Mr. Bergman will continue to lead Henry Schein in his current role until his retirement and will remain as Chairman thereafter. Repertoire Magazine would like to congratulate Bergman on an incredible career and thank him for his contributions to the industry. We had already planned on covering Henry Schein’s acquisition of R. Weinstein, Inc. in this issue. The move combines Henry Schein’s national distribution strength with R. Weinstein’s deep-rooted local relationships, allowing for faster delivery times and a broader product portfolio for Hawaiian providers. Ty Ford, Vice President and General Manager of Henry Schein Medical, discussed with Repertoire Magazine how long-standing mutual respect between the two companies laid the groundwork for a seamless transition that benefits customers and strengthens supply chain efficiency across the Islands. More than just a business deal, the acquisition reflects Henry Schein’s commitment to culturally sensitive, community-centered growth. By honoring the legacy of R. Weinstein and embracing the values of the Hawaiian healthcare community, Henry Schein aims to build trust and expand its support for local practitioners.
Graham Garrison
There is a lot more to unpack in this issue:
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` In “Locked Out: How to Reach Decision-Makers in a Post-Access Era,” Brian Sullivan gives reps a modern sales playbook. It offers tactical strategies to navigate credentialing barriers, influence indirect stakeholders, and earn meetings through multi-channel outreach. ` Jim Poggi’s Physician Office Lab column unpacks seasonality in diagnostics, reminding reps to go beyond respiratory season and engage customers about other timely health concerns. ` Insights into contracting with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) help reps explore government sales as a growth channel.
August 2025
Whether you’re navigating a changing sales landscape, seeking smarter ways to connect with customers, or exploring new growth channels, this issue of Repertoire Magazine is designed to keep you informed, inspired, and prepared. Dedicated to the Industry, R. Scott Adams Publisher
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ggarrison@sharemovingmedia.com editor-in-chief, Dail-eNews
Jenna Hughes
jhughes@sharemovingmedia.com content creator
Pete Mercer
pmercer@sharemovingmedia.com art director
Brent Cashman bcashman@sharemovingmedia.com circulation
Laura Gantert lgantert@sharemovingmedia.com
sales executive
Aili Casey
acasey@sharemovingmedia.com (404) 625-9156 publisher
Scott Adams sadams@sharemovingmedia.com (800) 536.5312 x5256 founder
Brian Taylor btaylor@sharemovingmedia.com
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Test smart, breathe easy The Sofia® 2 Analyzer makes respiratory testing for the school year easy Back-to-school season means respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and strep are back in season, too. Be prepared for all your patient testing needs with advanced diagnostic solutions from QuidelOrtho. • RSV • Flu + SARS Antigen* • SARS Antigen* • SARS Antigen+** • Influenza A+B • Strep A+
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Physician Office Lab
Timing is Everything – Sometimes Why reps need to stay close to customers to clearly understand how they manage the seasonal events in their practice, not just respiratory season.
By Jim Poggi, Principal, Tested Insights
 Those of us who are passionate about selling lab products
August 2025
seek to find new, interesting and engaging ways to introduce lab testing in our conversations with our key customers nearly every day. Information about new tests, improvements to current tests and other interesting facts provided by our key manufacturing partners is a great source of “what’s new” information. In addition, many distributor home offices publish information you can use to share useful lab information with your customers.
But, if you are like me, sooner or later the well of interesting new information tends to run dry. In this column I will present some information about seasonal disease incidence we can count on to actively engage with our customers. At the same time, I plan to present information as a reminder that customer visit spikes for our customers based upon the season of the year. I will also look at the leading causes of death and present some facts and information about which are seasonal and which are not. Look for a few surprises as some of the information on seasonality for the leading causes of death is not intuitive and challenges the conventional wisdom. As an added bonus, I have done some additional research on urinalysis to learn why this easy, non-invasive and highly informative assay seems to be used less frequently today than in past years.
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Physician Office Lab
Let’s take a look at the leading causes of morbidity and mortality to uncover which disease states can provide a seasonal message to deliver. I think you will find a surprise or two in the data and information shared. The table on the following page summarizes which of the leading causes of death are seasonal, and which are not. Why provide this information? Two reasons. First, these diseases are the ones our customers see day in and day out and are top of mind for them as they work to improve the health of the patients under their care. The second reason is that, as I conducted my research, I found a few surprises, and as we review the data together, you may experience a surprise or two also.
August 2025
The seasonal causes of death We have all sold upper respiratory disease tests for several years and flu, RSV, pneumonia and COVID are all widely acknowledged to be seasonal. But, did you know that strep is not seasonal and incidence is pretty consistent year-around? Look at your customer data, check with trusted colleagues, and I am pretty sure you will find what I did. Strep may well peak in the late fall and winter months, but my data showed substantial strep activity all year long. Are you asking your customers what their experience is? Are you reminding your customers of the strep options you offer? Keeping this data in view and sharing it may well identify you as a consultant with a little more insight and information than others. The data also shows “unintentional injuries” as seasonal, but if you look closely at the data, it is more a case that issues
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related to risk (frequent outdoor activity in cold any icy conditions, frequent social gatherings in the warner months, and other factors influence the sorts of unintentional injuries our customers, especially in urgent care centers, see). While we do not presently have specific lab tests to diagnose patients susceptible to unintentional injuries, our customers see them frequently and the precursors that lead up to them, including overindulgence in alcohol and drugs, driving in dangerous conditions, water sports accidents and heat stroke.
probably using many of them. A few come to mind. For respiratory season, have you seen a rise in incidence of flu yet? Do you feel you are prepared with the number and types of respiratory tests you will need? Be sure to have last year’s data with you to share and help them plan. Are you looking to change any of these tests? They may be looking to move to reader based or molecular systems. Do not assume they will stay with the status quo and be sure to be well informed of the range of solutions your key lab
Did you know that strep is not seasonal and incidence is pretty consistent year around? Look at your customer data, check with trusted colleagues, and I am pretty sure you will find what I did. Strep may well peak in the late fall and winter months, but my data showed substantial strep activity all year long. While we cannot diagnose unintentional injuries, lab products play a part in follow up and recovery from them. CBCs, metabolic and organ panels are common tests used for follow up to unintentional injuries. It’s worth your time to ask your customers what their follow-up plan includes for the most frequently encountered unintentional injuries their patients present with. Don’t be surprised if lab tests you offer make the list. Make sure your customers are ordering them from you.
The balance of the leading causes of death There are so many conversation starters here, and you are
manufacturers are offering, as well as any promotions that may be available. For diabetes there is an equally large number of ways to thoughtfully engage. What impact are you seeing from the new GLP-1 medications on your patients? How is it impacting your diagnostic and follow-up activities? To what extent is it influencing your testing for diabetes and lipids? To what extent are you prescribing continuous glucose monitoring systems? Heart disease is now recognized as a year-round disease. We used to think of a surge in cases in winter months, particularly in parts of the country with harsher
Physician Office Lab
Are the Leading Causes of Death Seasonal? Data from CDC 2022 Rank
Cause of Death
Incidence Trend
Seasonal?
Comments
1
Heart Disease
Increasing
No
Summer and winter both show upward trends
2
Cancer
Decreasing
No
3
COVID-19
Seasonal; dropped out of top 10
Yes
Yes, as with other upper respiratory pathogens
4
Unintentional injury
Increasing
Yes
Surprisingly, yes. Suicides peak in late spring and summer
5
Stroke
Increasing
No
6
Chronic lower respiratory disease
Decreasing
No
7
Alzheimer Disease
Increasing
No
8
Diabetes
Increasing
No
9
Influenza and Pneumonia
Increasing
Yes
10
Kidney Disease
Unchanged
No
winters. But recent data shows significant summer incidence in heart disease. Not at the level of winter, but clearly a year-round issue. It’s worth discussing BNP, lipids and other diagnostic tools all year and making sure you consult with your trusted lab manufacturers to bring the full portfolio of cardiac tests, including diabetic tests, to the table in your customer meetings.
August 2025
Seasonal activities your customers experience Some of these seasonal activities will involve us directly and involve lab testing opportunities, and others are simply part of the rhythm of their practice and may or may not involve lab testing. But, the better informed you are, the more likely you are to be able to engage thoughtfully and earn the respect and trust of your key customers.
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Annual school physicals
Annual school physicals typically include vital signs measurements and an assessment of the child’s physical and mental development, as well. Updating vaccination records has been a part of the annual physical but some areas of the country no longer require them. Be sure to know the practice in your territory. With childhood obesity at a high level, there are good reasons to discuss lipid and hemoglobin A1C assessments of children whose BMI indicates obesity. In combination with advice on diet and exercise, these wellness activities provide a proactive means of maintaining the good health of our children. Medicare annual wellness visits
These patient visits are not a replacement for an annual physical. They comprise a wide-ranging
Yes, as with other upper respiratory pathogens
visit that includes vital signs, personalized health advice, review of prescriptions and a cognitive assessment. For many patients, tests for lipids and hemoglobin A1C are appropriate. Patients with other chronic conditions will have additional testing needs which may include CBC, PSA, BNP and other tests. A great conversation starter would be to consider asking your key customers abut how they conduct annual Medicare wellness visits and to what extent they include testing as a part of these visits. End-of-year patient visits
Many private pay and Medicare patients schedule visits toward the end of the year to maximize their insurance benefits, especially if they have already exceeded their annual deductible amount. As with the Medicare annual wellness visit, make sure to thoughtfully ask
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Physician Office Lab
about your key customers’ end-ofyear patient experiences. Do they usually see a substantial increase in visits toward year end? How do they plan for medical and surgical supply needs as well as additional testing requirements? How can you help them plan ahead? What do they believe the coming year end patient visit trend will be like? Are they considering any changes in patient management during peak seasonal visit times? Respiratory season
August 2025
Respiratory season is always top of mind for the experienced account manager. As we approach fall and help our customers prepare, it is important to assess their satisfaction with last season’s testing platform and the tests they used. Are they satisfied and willing to use the same platform and products again this season? Are they looking to add new tests? Is it time to “go molecular” or upgrade to a higher throughput and capacity platform? There is a lot to know here and thoughtful conversations with both the clinical practitioners AND the lab personnel will round out the picture. You need to make sure to check in with both teams to assure you understand the respiratory seasonal dynamics thoroughly. As long as both groups have the same impression and understanding, you are in an excellent position to move forward with this year’s continuation of last year’s plan. But if there is a disconnect, it’s time for a business review to get everyone on the same page. I would schedule it formally and ask your customer, depending on their review of last year’s lab
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testing experience, whether they want to include the manufacturer of the tests they used last year or whether they want to consider interviewing a select few manufacturers to consider options for the coming season.
Urinalysis update: why has urinalysis testing seemed to have declined? I have been puzzled over this observation for a few years now. I go back to the days when urinalysis test strips and readers were prominently visible in just about every physician practice I called upon. Inevitably, there were also a few urine cups surrounding the lab sink waiting to be tested. In the last few years, it is clear that routine urinalysis testing has become less common. I have wondered why and even wrote a column a while ago portraying urinalysis testing as the “forgotten test.” I believe I have finally found out what has happened. Many advocacy groups, including the United States Preventive Services Task Force and several IDNs no longer consider wide scale routine urinalysis screening as imperative. USPSTF recommends urinalysis screening for pregnant women between 12 and 16 weeks of gestation. They do not recommend screening for asymptomatic men and nonpregnant women. In my literature research, I have encountered similar recommendations from prestigious university health organizations and healthcare networks. One of the more common objections has been that findings of trace amounts of blood in the urine are relatively common with no serious etiology and frequently expensive follow up fails to determine a cause that needs medical
attention or intervention. Note that for symptomatic patients, this is not the case and urinalysis can help diagnose diabetes, urinary tract infection and other conditions that require treatment. It is also important to note that UTI is one of the more common causes of sepsis so there is clearly a balancing act between general screening of the asymptomatic population and assuring urinalysis for the symptomatic patients. So, what can we conclude as we consider lab testing and seasonality? My personal conclusion is that we need to stay close to our customers to clearly understand how they manage the seasonal events in their practice, not just respiratory season. We have all been attuned to anticipate respiratory season and work hard to protect our current business from competition. But how many of us go on and ask the follow-up questions to understand the other seasonal activities that our key customers face? It is my experience that this deeper dive often gets overlooked as we manage supply issues, backorders, questions about new products and the inevitable challenges of proving that we are knowledgeable consultants and that we add value far beyond the products we offer and the pricing we provide to our customers. Considering the bigger picture and understanding the dynamics of the seasonality your customers encounter is an important element of adding value for them and increasing their spend and satisfaction with you and your company. Be sure to keep this thinking in mind as you hold routine meetings and business reviews with your key customers. It will pay dividends for you and them.
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Clear answers start here. Learn More about Cepheid’s Women’s & Sexual Health Portfolio. © 2025 Cepheid.
Distribution
McKesson MedicalSurgical Sales Conference  Over 1,300 inside and field sales representatives and 150 industry suppliers gathered in Grapevine, Texas for the McKesson Medical-Surgical National Sales Conference. This energizing event marked the close of fiscal year 2025 and set the stage for fiscal year 2026.
August 2025
The conference fostered meaningful connections, celebrated achievements and aligned teams on McKesson Medical-Surgical’s future. Sales representatives had the opportunity to engage directly with suppliers, exploring the latest product innovations and solutions designed to drive better health outcomes for their customers.
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Sales
Locked Out How to reach decision-makers in a post-access era
August 2025
By Brian Sullivan
Now? It feels like you’re knocking on doors that were welded shut. And here’s the kicker: even the best reps in the industry are struggling with it. Including me.
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 It used to be simple. You found the decision-maker. You booked the demo. You got the yes.
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` And gatekeepers have been
trained to treat reps like spam folders treat emails
So, what do you do when you can’t get to the person who says yes? You start influencing the people who say maybe.
And when that door opens – even just a crack – walk through like you earned it.
Sell around the bullseye Think of your ideal buyer as the center of a dartboard. Instead of throwing darts at the bullseye, aim for the rings around it: ` Nurses ` Techs ` Department coordinators ` Biomed ` Admins ` Even janitorial staff (trust me, some of them know everything) Build relationships with the people who touch the pain your product solves. They may not sign the PO, but they can whisper in the ear of someone who does. If you can’t win direct access, build a groundswell.
Lead with value, not requests Most reps reach out asking for time. Great reps reach out offering value.
not just going to miss quotas – we’ll miss the chance to matter.
Why traditional access is dead The shift is real:
` Hospitals are tightening security ` Decision-making is now a team sport ` Buyers don’t want to be “sold to” until they’ve already decided they like you
Try: “I put together a quick breakdown comparing the top 3 wound closure systems for your team – would it help if I shared it with you or your clinical lead? ” Now you’re not asking for time. You’re offering insight. Repertoire
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August 2025
In the old days, you could stroll into a hospital, drop off donuts, shake hands with the OR manager, and be back the next week showing off your product. Now, reps are met with locked badge access, vendor credentialing firewalls, and a labyrinth of middle managers who have zero authority – and zero interest. We’ve entered the post-access era. And if we don’t evolve, we’re
Instead of: “Can I get 20 minutes to show you our latest XYZ device? ”
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Sales
You’re not the 17th vendor that day. You’re the one who came with something useful.
Multi-channel micro-touches One cold call isn’t a strategy. It’s a wish. Today’s access game requires multi-channel micro-touches: ` A short voicemail ` A warm email ` A LinkedIn comment (not pitch!) ` A mailed case study with a handwritten note ` A relevant article sent by text Each one earns a molecule of attention. Eventually, you earn a minute. Then maybe a meeting. Access today isn’t granted – it’s accumulated.
Use proxy pain to create curiosity If you can’t get to the decisionmaker, talk to someone who lives the pain. Example: Let’s say you sell surgi-
cal lights, but you can’t get the OR director to respond.
Talk to a nurse: “Quick question: Is it true your team still has to manually reposition those old lights mid-case? ”
August 2025
Then build a message like: “Spoke with one of your nurses about those awkward repositioning moments during laparoscopic cases. We helped another team cut that down by 80%. Thought you might want a peek.”
16
You’re not just selling product. You’re translating pain into curiosity.
Frame the demo differently “I want to show you our solution” triggers a defensive response. Instead: “We’ve helped teams reduce turnover delays and eliminate 2-3 steps per procedure. We’re doing 15-minute walkthroughs this month to see if it’s a fit. Want one?” This isn’t a sales pitch. It’s a risk-reduction mission.
Final word: Be the one they want to let in Here’s the truth: In a post-access era, your vibe matters more than your slide deck. ` Are you interesting? ` Are you resourceful? ` Do you make their day easier? ` Do you bring insight, even when they’re not buying?
If the answer is yes, eventually they’ll find a way to bring you in. And when that door opens – even just a crack – walk through like you earned it.
Brian Sullivan, CSP, is the founder of PRECISE Selling and a leading voice in the world of medical sales training. He believes the path to influence is paved with preparation, questions, and uncommon value. Learn more at www.preciseselling.com. Repertoire
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Leadership
Missing Link Cultivating connection in a loneliness epidemic. By Pete Mercer
 Human connection has become a precious
August 2025
commodity in 2025 as more and more people experience isolation in one form or another. No matter what the cause is (we will certainly get into a few of them), it’s clear that our society is at a pivotal moment when it comes to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
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Smiley Poswolsky
Repertoire
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Repertoire Magazine sat down with Smiley Poswolsky to discuss building connections in a solitary world and how that can affect your sales reps and organization as a whole. Poswolsky is a keynote speaker and author (titles include Friendship in the Age of Loneliness: An Optimist’s Guide to Connection and The Workplace Belonging Toolkit: An Actionable Guide to Build a Culture of Belonging and Human Connection at Work) who believes that the future of work is human connection.
A loneliness epidemic Vivek Murthy, a former United States Surgeon General, released an advisory in 2023 that the startling levels of social disconnection felt across the country were signs of a “loneliness epidemic.” Just this year, Derek Thompson referred to this cultural moment as the “anti-social century” in the January 2025 issue of The Atlantic. More recently, a study conducted by the American Psychiatric Association has found that one in three Americans felt lonely every week throughout 2024.
“In 2025, we’ve never been more online and digitally connected – yet rates of loneliness, burnout, and disengagement are at historic heights. With hybrid work, rapid AI adoption, wallto-wall zoom meetings, and 24/7 email; workplace connection has taken a hit,” Poswolsky said. As the loneliness epidemic continues to spread, there are very few Americans who are left unscathed in the crossfire. He said, “70% of Americans are disengaged at work, 40% don’t trust their coworkers, 50% are burned out. Employees are experiencing the lowest levels of belonging and engagement ever recorded in a culture of increasing anxiety, uncertainty, and overwhelm.”
How did we get here? As for the contributing factors that led to this loneliness epidemic, there are a number of things at work. For starters, the COVID-19 pandemic played an enormous role in creating new social trends that encouraged isolation. These were born out of necessity, but many have
Clearly, we have a serious problem on our hands. Loneliness is such a prevalent experience that it goes beyond our personal lives – our work lives are being impacted as employees experience staggering levels of burnout and disengagement in the workplace.
maintained their solitary lifestyles long after COVID waned as a public threat. While remote/hybrid work environments are certainly not public enemy number one for loneliness trends, they do contribute to a lack of engagement Repertoire
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August 2025
High stress jobs, many of which are in healthcare, create a tension that often leads to a toxic working environment. Toxicity is naturally detrimental to connection.
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Leadership
with the rest of your team. Poswolsky said, “The shift to hybrid work, ongoing post-pandemic stress, rapid AI adoption, as well as increasing economic and labor market volatility, have left a lot of people feeling they don’t know their coworkers (or friends) anymore.”
Poswolsky said that one of the of the biggest killers of employee engagement is “a lack of purpose.” An employee’s sense of personal purpose can and should align with that of the company they work for, giving them a shared vision for the mission of the company. With
purpose comes clarity, and with clarity comes direction. “When employees don’t know their purpose, or don’t feel valued in pursuit of their purpose, they become disengaged quickly.” Work environments can be easily impacted by so many factors and can take a downward turn without much of a warning. High stress jobs, many of which are in healthcare, create a tension that often leads to a toxic working environment. Toxicity is naturally detrimental to connection. “In fast-paced environments like medical sales or healthcare distribution, the focus is often on speed and outcomes, which is critical, but it can unintentionally sideline human connection. Add to that the chronic staffing shortages and emotional fatigue common in healthcare, which leaves more people isolated and exhausted.”
Why connection matters
August 2025
Eventually, a lack of connection is going to seep into every department at your organization – especially in your sales team. A lack of human connection erodes trust, weakens collaboration, and kills team morale. “In sales, relationships are everything – not just with clients, but within the team. Workers with lower levels of connection have a stronger intention to quit and a higher chance of job-seeking, as well as more missed days at work, 45% lower productivity, and lower quality of work.” As hard as it can be for those who have regular hours in the office, it’s even more challenging for the road warriors to build connections with their team. Poswolsky found that joining a community of like-minded, professional keynote speakers gave him the opportunity to connect and
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waking up to the reality that belonging and well-being are tied directly to performance and the bottom line. Connection doesn’t just happen when people are together, or once a year at an offsite or a conference in Vegas. It requires monthly, weekly, and daily intention and action,” Poswolsky said.
By ignoring or misunderstanding the warning signs, leadership teams are doing themselves and their teams a disservice. Building organically engaging environments is a huge and challenging undertaking, but it will provide a huge return on investment. not have a close friend at work, there is only a one in 12 chance that you will be engaged.” Part of the challenge with pushing engagement is the lack of understanding on leadership’s part about why this kind of thing is important. Many leaders are looking for results, while others are simply too busy to foster environments where engagement is a priority. Why doesn’t connection seem to matter to leadership teams? Poswolsky said, “Many leaders still think of human connection as a soft skill, but in today’s disconnected world, human connection is not just a nice-to-have. Especially in sales, where relationships fuel success, human connection is an essential business skill that impacts the bottom line.” By ignoring or misunderstanding the warning signs, leadership teams are doing themselves and their teams a disservice. Building organically engaging environments is a huge and challenging undertaking, but it will provide a huge return on investment. “More leaders are
Practical ways to build connection Building connections with your team might be easier said than done. With all the moving pieces that come with managing a team and running a business, especially in a healthcare setting, it might seem like making time to build connections isn’t a huge priority. If that’s the case, it might be time to readjust your thinking. Poswolsky shared four practical ways that you and your team can build better connections to improve engagement:
` Don’t always talk about work –
Making everything about work can greatly limit your team’s ability to work. Spend a moment to let small talk and personal updates take center stage during meetings for a simple way to develop deeper connections. “For sales teams, start meetings with a quick personal check-in or a gratitude round. As things like, ‘How’s everyone holding up today? How was your weekend? Is there anything on your mind that you want to share?’”
` Pick up the phone – It’s so
easy to default to sending texts, instant messages or emails to your team, but it lacks the human touch of a phone call. By picking up the phone, you’re not only being intentional about building a connection, but you can also better understand your teammates without the nuance of text communications. “Don’t just send emails or texts – pick up the phone or video chat with your team regularly. A 10-minute call to debrief after a big client visit helps keep you plugged in.”
` Share wins – Celebrate each
other! Sharing wins allows you and your team to truly celebrate victories small and large, because that’s how you measure true success. If we’re taking things one step at a time, why wouldn’t we rejoice at every new step taken? “Don’t wait for the huge milestones or annual targets, celebrate the little moments along the way. Research shows that thriving means celebrating the little wins along the way, the things we don’t often think are a big deal.”
` Be you – People want to see the
real you! Authenticity fosters connection, so take measures to ensure that what makes you unique isn’t being lost in trying to make a sale. Your authenticity will go so much further than a pitch ever could. “Prioritize authenticity over a pitch. Take time to understand your customers and your team’s challenges on a human level. Ask questions about their family or their kids. When people feel seen and heard, trust becomes possible.” Repertoire
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August 2025
engage with people who understand his job and the industry. “I always have someone to text or call – when things are going well, and more importantly, when I’m down or struggling,” he said. “Employees who have a best friend at work are seven more times engaged at work – if you do
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Strengthening Island Ties Henry Schein says its acquisition of R. Weinstein will enhance Hawaii health care services
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his spring, Henry Schein, Inc. announced that it has acquired R. Weinstein, Inc. (R. Weinstein), a provider of vaccines, medical-surgical products, and equipment to Hawaii-based health care facilities and practitioners. Headquartered in Honolulu, R. Weinstein was established in 1984 and reported sales of approximately $11 million in 2024. Ty Ford, Vice President and General Manager of Henry Schein Medical, provided Repertoire Magazine with more insights on the acquisition.
Our appreciation for the business Richard Weinstein established in Hawaii runs deep, and our teams have had a connection for years. Much like Henry Schein started serving providers in Queens, New York, the R. Weinstein team has dedicated over 40 years to providing tremendous service to the local health care market throughout the Hawaiian Islands. We are delighted to support their continued mission of serving health care professionals in Hawaii, and we look forward to doing so for many years to come.
August 2025
What motivated Henry Schein to acquire R. Weinstein Inc.?
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Strengthening Island Ties
What about R. Weinstein joining Henry Schein? What were some of the motivations and business synergies?
We recognized a strong synergy between R. Weinstein and our customer base of providers combined with our supplier community on the Islands. Because of this alignment, the decision to integrate our distribution and product category strengths with R. Weinstein’s local talent and presence offered an ideal opportunity for us to collaborate.
How will the acquisition enhance Henry Schein’s product offerings or services?
Now that we have a local presence in Hawaii, we have improved upon our best-in-industry distribution capabilities, offering reduced transit times for items that may require longer than anticipated delivery schedules. How will R. Weinstein Inc.’s customers be affected by the acquisition?
R. Weinstein’s customers will
experience a broader product range, allowing practitioners to consolidate more purchases through one distributor. What’s unique about providing products and services to the Hawaii healthcare market? How does Henry Schein plan to leverage R. Weinstein’s expertise and capabilities in the medical distribution field in Hawaii?
To succeed, it’s crucial to prioritize respect for local Hawaiian values. By embracing the spirit of Aloha and understanding the rich cultural heritage of Hawaii, Henry Schein can build strong relationships with Hawaiian physicians and health care professionals. This approach will not only foster a positive business environment, but also contribute to the wellbeing of the community. Will there be any changes to the distribution channels or product lines for existing R. Weinstein customers?
We are committed to ensuring a seamless experience for our customers, with no anticipated changes or disruptions. How does this acquisition fit into Henry Schein’s broader strategic goals for growth?
We continue to pursue strategic acquisitions of regional distributors to expand our market presence, enhance our distribution network, and better serve health care professionals so they can continue providing high-quality patient care.
August 2025
Will there be any significant changes to the operational structure following the acquisition?
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No significant changes are anticipated. Repertoire
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Contracting with the Defense Logistics Agency The DLA supports U.S. warfighters across the world. By Daniel Beaird
 Supply chain disruptions and delays became common after the global pandemic. But for the Military Health System, these issues can risk the welfare and health of its over 9 million beneficiaries.
August 2025
Editor’s note:
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The following is part-two in a series on government sales. Read the July issue of Repertoire Magazine for part one.
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That’s where the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) comes in, playing a crucial role in supporting military operations. Its mission is to drive and sustain warfighter readiness by delivering unmatched global support as the nation’s logistics combat support agency. It manages the end-to-end global defense supply chain for the five military services, 11 combatant commands, other federal, state and local agencies and partner and allied nations. The DLA provided more than $47.1 billion in goods and services in fiscal year 2023. It supports a worldwide warehouse and distribution services network, and logistics and staff planning support to the Department of Defense’s (DOD) combatant commands. Its employees are divided into multiple supply chains that contract material and services across the military classes of supply, including:
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products.
` Construction material and equipment.
` Personal demand items. ` Medical material and equipment. ` Repair parts for land, sea and air systems.
Supporting high quality medical care for warfighters High quality medical care for warfighters is a top DOD readiness priority. Troops could be widely dispersed on the battlefield, making it difficult for distribution of blood, drugs, equipment and personnel. But that’s where DOD investments in science and technology help close the gap. For example, the DLA Troop Support’s Medical Capital Equipment Division manages major equipment investments for the DOD. That includes the acquisition of major items of equipment, normal installation, turnkey installation, maintenance, upgrades of existing equipment, training and other services required for medical equipment. And its medical supply chain developed ECAT (Electronic Catalog) to streamline its business practices and expand its range of procurement options. ECAT is an internet solution that uses the latest technology for ordering, distribution and payment, providing DOD and other federal agencies access to multiple manufacturer and distributor commercial catalogs at discounted prices. A full line of medical and surgical products are available for customers worldwide, including the Navy Fleet.
Furthermore, the Strategic Material Sourcing Group Readiness Division contracts for access to medical consumable supplies in support of deploying and deployed forces. Support for surge and sustainment is provided through contingency contracts awarded to manufacturers and distributors. It also procures and manages the full spectrum of pharmaceuticals for the military and their dependents worldwide.
Contracting with the DLA Kevie Hendrix – better known as The DLA Guru – has been contracting with the DLA for over 20 years and in the past two years he has launched his own YouTube channel called the DLA Vendor Network. He helps government contractors achieve contracting success with drop shipping products to the DLA.
` Industrial MRO equipment and supplies.
` Tactical gear and supplies. ` Medical equipment and supplies. ` Consumer electronics. ` Renewable energy solutions. ` Kitting solutions. ` DD250 and Mil-Spec packaging services.
“The DLA primarily does business through an internet bid board system called DIBBS,” Hendrix said. DIBBS stands for the DLA’s Internet Bid Board System and it’s the primary gateway to connect small businesses to the DLA that want to contract with the agency. It’s an electronic catalog of products and solicitations. “It never sleeps,” Hendrix said. “It’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the DLA has about 100,000 solicitations that are available for small, medium
“ You basically just have to be a U.S. citizen or part of a NATO nation in order to have access to DIBBS. And the DLA does a great job of setting aside opportunities for small businesses.” His company, The National Material Supply Company (NMS) and HEC Distribution, was founded in 1999 and is a national distributor of medical, tactical and industrial maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) supplies within the U.S. government and businessto-business sectors. It services federal and commercial clients with: ` Just-in-time emergency spot buys. ` Supplier management and procurement services.
and large businesses to compete to win those opportunities.”
Small business centric Hendrix says if small businesses can partner or position themselves with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or Tier 1 distributors to buy direct and resell to the DLA, then they are in a position to bid on those solicitations. But it’s an exacting process to gain access to DIBBS because it’s a military site and its operators don’t want information getting into the wrong hands. Repertoire
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August 2025
` Subsistence (food/water). ` Clothing and textiles. ` Bulk petroleum and other energy
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“They’re pretty serious about who has access to DIBBS,” Hendrix said. “They take you through security clearances, etc., but once you have access you can bid.” According to Hendrix, it’s usually a two-page electronic solicitation that asks about pricing and availability and makes sure the company is bidding approved source products. “The right form, fit and function,” he said. That includes a national stock number (NSN) as the DLA makes sure vendors are aligned with the NSN and products are exactly what the military wants. “Do they want a red apple or a green apple?” Hendrix asked. “That NSN is specifically for that green apple.” The DLA manages a dynamic database of about 5 million NSNs. New assets come online, and other products become obsolete and are removed. “It presents fantastic opportunities for your company to align with the DLA because it’s ever changing. There’s always something new coming in,” Hendrix explained. “If you can access the NSNs, bid on them and deliver, the DLA invites you into their community as a viable agency.”
August 2025
Awarding 10,000 contracts every day The DLA awards approximately 10,000 contracts every day, according to Hendrix. Many are automated awards, but others have a contract officer that helps the vendor throughout the process because the DLA is responsible for counterfeit parts being denied from the supply chain. And while there might be some restrictions and hurdles to
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clear, the barrier to entry is relatively low and the DLA has lost about 30% of its industrial base since the pandemic, Hendrix says. “So there’s a strategic mission over the next five years to stimulate the industrial base – manufacturers that are able to produce bona fide spare parts in support of the DLA’s military assets,” he said. To that end, his role is to promote small businesses because the DLA invites them to the table with about 70% of its fiscal spend earmarked for small businesses. That includes women-owned businesses, disability-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses and others. “You basically just have to be a U.S. citizen or part of a NATO nation in order to have access
to DIBBS,” Hendrix explained. “And the DLA does a great job of setting aside opportunities for small businesses.” Hendrix promotes manufacturing opportunities on his YouTube channel for small businesses and “for new technicians graduating from college who think there aren’t any jobs out there.” Small businesses can be nimbler and can react to smaller projects more quickly than some larger businesses. And for Hendrix, it’s just a matter of getting the word out because some companies don’t know there’s a demand. “The DLA is a great customer,” he said. “But there are a handful of companies that win their business over and over again. That’s a risk if something goes wrong with those companies.”
Combining federal buying power In 2024, the DLA and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) partnered to combine their buying power. The two agencies worked together to define their requirements and awarded about 40 contracts to large and small businesses that provide quick access to a full array of modern radiology and imaging equipment. The goal was to eliminate duplicative contracting work and improve customer service at lower prices that benefits veterans, warfighters, DOD beneficiaries and government partners.
A 10-year, $3.6B partnership agreement This March, the DLA and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) signed a 10-year, $3.6 billion Level 2 interagency agreement for healthcare support documenting the general terms and conditions, aligning supply chain requirements and centralizing logistical support to all VHA healthcare facilities in the country. With the agreement, VHA can request goods and services from all supply chains when the need arises. The two signed an agreement in 2018 to use DLA Troop Support’s medical supply chain’s ECAT for medical supplies. They also signed a memorandum of agreement in 2019 marking a strategic partnership with the DLA as one of the VA’s logistics providers.
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AI Policy Roadmap The growing role of AI in healthcare highlights the increasing need for regulations and policy within the industry.
 Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the delivery of care across healthcare, providing
clinicians with transformative new tools to aid in patient diagnosis and treatment. In fact, nearly 1,000 AI-enabled medical devices have been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the last 25 years.
To keep up with the rapid pace of technological development, hospitals, health systems, MedTech companies, AI coalitions and more have begun to promote a new era of health technology by advocating for a U.S. policy environment that supports the ethical advancement of these devices. Repertoire Magazine recently spoke with industry experts on artificial intelligence and the need for dynamic policy as the health AI industry continues to evolve.
August 2025
Regulating AI technology Healthcare stakeholders have increasingly urged lawmakers to provide clear policy guidelines for the management and use of AI in healthcare, recognizing that regulating the growing use of AI technology in healthcare is essential to ensure patient safety, protect health information privacy, and address ethical concerns. On the forefront of technology-driven healthcare improvement, Premier Inc. has been working with numerous technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning and more for many years, and since 2023, the company has been very involved in AI policy thought leadership.
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outcome-based metrics for AI transparency, align federal data standards with industry best practices, require clear labeling of intended uses to prevent misuse of AI algorithms and more. “Premier has been thrilled to see more conversation happening around the benefits of these technologies and the risks,” said Mason Ingram, senior director of government at Premier.
“Premier views AI as a tool that providers and doctors can use to help with patient care in both visible ways, with the actual provision of care, and in invisible ways to mitigate supply chain shortages or to help predict shortages, to make sure patients are scheduled appropriately and to better navigate their care,” said Aden Klein, technology policy analyst at Premier. The Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) also advocates for more explicit AI policy across the industry by bringing together healthcare providers, technology developers, academic researchers, standards bodies, patient advocacy groups, payers, and life sciences/ pharmaceutical organizations to create a shared foundation for health AI and its governance. “CHAI was formed in response to the growing need for clear, consensus-driven guidance and guardrails around the use of AI in healthcare,” according to Merage Ghane, director of Responsible AI in Health at CHAI. “As AI tools began to proliferate, stakeholders recognized that without coordinated guidance and shared infrastructure, we risked both undermining trust and missing opportunities to improve care.” CHAI’s Responsible Health AI Framework provides a structured approach to evaluating and deploying AI in healthcare settings. It includes a set of consensus-driven guidance and checklists designed to guide developers and implementers in areas like transparency, fairness, safety, usability, and privacy. The Framework consists of an Assurance Standards Guide which aims to build consensus Repertoire
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August 2025
Premier recently submitted comments on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on the development of an AI Action Plan, which defines priority policy actions to enhance AI leadership within the U.S. while avoiding policies that stifle innovation. In the AI Action Plan, Premier advises the Administration to prioritize standardized,
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The AI Lifecycle Coalition for Health AI unveils 6-Stage Lifecycle for Responsible Health AI Development Through a consensus driven process, the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) has developed a 6-stage health AI lifecycle based on industry-standard AI development frameworks. The lifecycle encompasses processes from initial problem identification and solution planning through to large-scale deployment and monitoring of an AI solution and surrounding system (workflows, technical support components, personnel).
Stage 1: Define problem and plan Healthcare is riddled with “solutions” in search of problems. Responsible innovation requires a clear understanding of the specific issue AI is intended to solve, which will drive the intended purpose of the tool. The intended purpose a) defines the scope of verification & validation activities and b) allows reasonable delineation between user responsibility and vendor responsibility. First, however, an upfront investment of time and effort is needed to map root causes and understand the specific needs of those experiencing the problem(s). Stage 1 focuses on this process, with developer teams conducting surveys, interviews or market research to understand healthcare system needs. In Stage 1, implementer teams also identify a clear problem, its setting, and stakeholders involved (which together comprise a use case), thereby quantifying potential return on investment, return on health outcomes, and improvement of healthcare operations. Implementers use this information to decide whether to build an in-house AI solution, procure one from a third party, or partner with a third party to develop a solution.
August 2025
Stage 2: Design the AI system
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Stage 2 involves capturing details of the AI system of which the solution is the main component. This includes detailing its technical requirements, proposed system workflow, and deployment strategy. The design of the AI system is informed by the business requirements of the health system(s) and the needs of representative end users where the AI solution will be implemented.
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Stage 3: Engineer the AI solution The engineering stage aims to create an AI solution that can accurately predict or classify data and develop the interface for exposing AI solution output, as defined during the Design stage. This stage also ensures that AI solution deployment can be operationalized and that adequate planning is completed prior to deployment. In cases of externally developed AI solutions, the developer should provide expertise in collaboration with the implementer, who ensures that the AI solution meets its intended purpose via risk-benefit analysis before and after deployment.
Stage 4: Assess This stage involves a series of assessments to determine whether to proceed with a pilot of the AI system in Stage 5. When existing AI technologies are acquired from an external organization, local validation and installation qualification need to be conducted first, prior to the assessment of the AI system as a whole. A change management plan should be in place to delineate who, between the developer and implementer, is responsible for performing these duties. This is followed by a prospective, silent evaluation and the establishment of a risk management plan, based on anticipated risks from Stages 2 through 4. These steps are followed by end user training and usefulness testing, along with a review to ensure compliance with applicable healthcare standards and regulations prior to piloting and deployment.
Stage 5: Pilot The pilot stage is the first real-world use of the AI solution by the implementer team to inform large-scale deployment plans. Prior to the general deployment of an AI system, careful review and consideration must be made by the health system to decide whether or not to deploy an AI model into production. Based on this pilot stage, success criteria are reviewed to inform the decision on whether to deploy the AI system. Some common success criteria include the AI solution’s accuracy, reliability, interpretability, feasibility, user acceptance, cost,
Policy and promoting innovation A consistent framework for AI development sets industry standards, therefore fostering trustworthy innovation. To continue to encourage the development of AI, regulatory polices surrounding the technology must remain stable and reliable. “One of the worst things that can happen to a technology innovator is investing in a first-of-its-kind technology that makes a meaningful difference in patient care, only to have the regulatory framework suddenly change midstream,” said Ingram. “A complete lack of regulations does not necessarily drive innovation; innovators instead want assurance that the rug won’t be pulled out from underneath their investments.” In response to the need for coordinated efforts around AI in healthcare, organizations have
come together to promote more responsible innovation. “The success of innovation depends on the adoption, trust, impact, and use of technology, and CHAI emerged to fill this gap by building transparency, accountability, and fairness into the development and deployment of health AI from the start,” said Ghane. Healthcare stakeholder coordination on the questions surrounding AI is crucial to ensure that the development and deployment of the technology is both consistent and trustworthy. “Premier’s AI advocacy priorities center around responsible regulatory frameworks that include a call for transparency,” said Ingram. “As a company, we’re passionate about transparency of AI models being centered around the outputs of those models, as what you put into an AI model quickly transforms the model itself. We’re really interested in making sure model developers are accountable for outputs of their models.” “The goal of the CHAI framework is to make responsibility operational. That means creating practical tools like
and alignment with the organization’s values and goals. This process is primarily undertaken by the implementer team.
Stage 6: Deploy and monitor The deployment and monitoring stage is the process of making the AI solution and system broadly
testing and evaluation templates, model reporting formats, and risk categorization guidance that health systems, developers, and certifying bodies can use to make informed decisions and ensure safe, effective use,” said Ghane. “Ultimately, the framework aims to reduce friction in procurement and deployment while building public trust and advancing positive health access and outcomes for all.”
AI and improving patient outcomes One of the many benefits of AI technology to the healthcare industry is its ability to optimize workflows and reduce administrative burdens, ultimately improving care delivery. Streamlined processes enable health systems to enhance patient outcomes and shift their focus toward value-based care. “One neat thing that AI has the capability to do is go beyond the surface of a patient’s electronic health record (EHR) to look at unstructured data, clinical notes, images from radiology and more to glean things that might not necessarily be captured in the very structured
available to the healthcare system or relevant specialty. Once deployed by the implementer team, the AI solution is often handed over to a model operations team (when available) to provide ongoing monitoring, retraining, and governance of models to ensure peak performance and that decisions are transparent.
Source: https://chai.org/workgroup/responsible-ai/responsible-ai-guide-raig-and-raig-executive-summary
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August 2025
among stakeholders from different backgrounds, provide a common language for understanding the lifecycle of health AI solutions and best practices for designing and deploying AI within healthcare workflows.
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fields of an electronic health record,” said Ingram. AI is playing a significant role in the healthcare industry’s transition from fee-for-service to valuebased care models by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, optimizing treatment plans and streamlining operations, all of which reduce health system expenses and improve care quality. “Premier is passionate about the movement to value-based care, and the use of AI models for improving population health management pairs well with the movement to value-based care,” said Ingram. “When providers and payers are engaged in a value-based care arrangement, all parties have aligned incentives to drive the best outcomes for the patients. AI models that layer on top of the existing data sources really are the tool that makes a difference in catching health disparities in some of the most vulnerable populations.” One of the most significant ethical challenges for healthcare stakeholders, however, is ensuring that AI tools don’t reinforce or exacerbate existing health disparities. “It’s really important to ensure that both the public and private sector make adequate investments in workforce training so that the providers that are learning to use these new technologies in their clinical workflows don’t fall victim to automation bias or accidentally misusing a model for a purpose which it is not well suited,” said Ingram. “Addressing AI ethics challenges requires careful attention to how models are trained, tested, and evaluated across diverse populations, and ensuring fairness is not an
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afterthought but a core design principle,” said Ghane. “This also comes up when we consider organizations that are better positioned to adopt and use AI solutions, and who have resources to effectively govern these solutions, versus those who could really benefit from these solutions, like smaller payers, community health centers, and rural hospitals, but that may be less resourced and struggle to develop the necessary infrastructure.” By enabling access to data from diverse patient populations, instead of small data sets from a limited number of patients, physicians are able to expand their clinical capabilities, ensure that models are trained properly and support the ongoing development of AI models. “It is important that any federal policy or regulatory structure incentivizes model developers to use robust, high-quality, realworld data to train their models,” said Ingram. “From a data perspective, when considering potential policy levers that can incentivize the integration of AI and a high-quality care, you must focus on model developers using data that’s generalizable to the national population.”
Flexible, but grounded The effective regulation of healthcare AI requires collaboration across sectors. Consensus driven and layered approaches driven by state, local and national guidelines must create guardrails while maintaining regulatory structures that are flexible enough to continue to accommodate innovation, said Ghane. “We’ve been using AI in various forms for many years to
improve the healthcare system, and if we can find alignments and correct incentives, we can go farther in improving the patient experience, and the value of care that patients receive,” said Klein. “The push to improve patient outcomes while reducing unnecessary costs in the system is important, and at Premier, we want to see regulations that build on that desire in the health system, providers, and patients.” “What we want to avoid is every state and local government establishing widely different rules, regulations, and definitions,” said Ghane. “This will hinder scalability for technology developers as well as those adopting these solutions.” The regulation of AI should provide guidance without hindering innovation, and the effective management of AI technology involves regular reassessment of policy to ensure it is aligned with the evolving needs of the healthcare industry. “The key is to create regulatory structures that are flexible enough to accommodate innovation, but grounded in clear standards for safety, transparency, usability, security, and fairness,” said Ghane. “Knowing that the resources we are developing include the voices and experiences of those using them is paramount.” “When we see regulations that create actionable metrics, we introduce really useful data and information that produce useful, quality safeguards for AI technology,” said Klein. “Regulation shouldn’t exist for the sake of regulating; policies should instead have a clear purpose that improve the quality of care.”
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Siemens Healthineers Restructures with Distributor Reps in Mind New approach offers a single point of contact, faster quoting, and tools for consultative selling. Jennifer Murphy understands how much distributor reps have coming at them every day. As Senior Vice President and Head of Laboratory Solutions and National Strategic Accounts for Siemens Healthineers, Murphy recognizes the “inch deep, mile wide” nature of distributor reps’ roles. As such, at the start of its 2025 fiscal year, Siemens Healthineers announced it was restructuring its diagnostic division, one of the key reasons being to better support and simplify the relationship with their distributor partners. In an interview with Repertoire Magazine Publisher Scott Adams, Murphy discussed what the restructuring means for distributors reps and the customers they call on. The following are five key takeaways:
August 2025
No. 1: Single Point of Contact Siemens Healthineers has moved from having separate field sales teams for its core lab solutions and specialty products to a regional model, where field account executives (FAEs) and business development executives handle all product lines. Why it matters: Distributor reps no longer have to track down multiple Siemens Healthineers contacts based on product. Now, they can work with one consistent person per region, simplifying communication and speeding up sales processes.
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No. 2: Dedicated Field Distribution Specialists Siemens Healthineers created a new role: Field Distribution Specialists (FDS), one in each U.S. region (East, Central, West). Why it matters: FDSs support distributor reps directly with quotes, opportunity management, and field coordination. “They’ll do the quotes, they’ll do opportunity management, they’ll be the liaison between distributors and our team making sure we’re all working together,” Murphy said.
No. 3: Customer-Centric Campaigns & Selling Tools Campaigns like the Immulite Compliment Campaign demonstrate Siemens Healthineers shift to consultative, customer-focused sales. Why it matters: Distributor reps will have access to educational tools (e.g., comparison grids showing gaps in lab testing) to help customers bring tests in-house — creating value and enabling better customer conversations.
No. 4: Go-To-Market Strategy Built on Customer Voice Siemens Healthineers works “from the customer backwards,” Murphy said, using customer feedback to shape product development and strategy. Why it matters: Distributors can be confident that new innovations (like the troponin assay that
supports prognosis) are directly tied to customer needs. This makes Siemens Healthineers products more relevant and easier to position during sales calls.
No. 5: Distributor Flexibility and Early Partnership Alignment Siemens Healthineers aims to avoid product or market restrictions, allowing reps to sell broadly and based on customer preference. Why it matters: Reps can maintain trust with long-time customers by working with Siemens Healthineers regardless of region or account type, and engage Siemens Healthineers early in the sales cycle for a unified, aligned customer experience. “We are really committed to creating programs that encourage engagement for distributor partners, but also that bring solutions for our customers. The restructure that we implemented absolutely benefits the distributor reps, and that is not on accident,” said Murphy. “It streamlines their connections across our product lines and provides them a single point of contact for all things distribution.” To listen to the podcast, scan the QR code.
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ASCs
The Bottom Line Tracking financial data in an ambulatory surgery center. By Pete Mercer
August 2025
 In the fast-paced and highly regulated environment of an ambulatory surgery center, tracking
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financial data is not just a best practice – it’s a necessity for long-term success and sustainability. With rising operational costs and shifting reimbursements, these outpatient facilities are turning to detailed financial data to guide key decisions, from staffing and equipment investments to service expansion. As financial pressures mount, understanding the story behind the numbers is helping these centers balance efficiency with high-quality patient care.
Repertoire
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How financial data impacts ASCs While financial metrics are typically not used to measure quality or improve patient outcomes in ASCs, it’s important to understand how gathering and reporting that data can impact ASC reimbursements. “The Medicare Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program requires surgery centers to report specific quality measures,” Lau said. “Failure to meet the program’s clinical reporting requirements can result in a 2% reduction to the ASC’s reimbursement schedule from Medicare.” One area where the financial metrics can link to clinical outcomes is case costing, the process wherein an ASC determines the direct and indirect costs of a surgical procedure. According to Lau, if case costing can show that a procedure can be done differently while maintaining quality
patient outcomes, it is possible to change physician behaviors. This can be a lengthy process, typically managed by materials managers and OR nurses, but it’s critical for ensuring that an ASC maintains healthy margins. Through case costing, ASCs can analyze the resources used in specific surgical cases, particularly medical supplies and implants. Lau said that when ASCs compile case costing data on a sufficient number of cases and include the clinical outcomes for those cases, they can compare the specific types of supplies and implants used by different surgeons performing the same procedures. Most billing technology platforms have the capability to track costing data for each case that is performed in the facility.
performance of an ASC, it’s much more difficult to make meaningful changes to any processes that might not be getting the best results. “Financial reports can highlight key drivers of ASC financial performance,” Lau said. “For example, an income statement trend report that provides the ASC’s financials side by side over time could show that profits started to decrease at the same time anesthesia stipend expense started to increase. The ASC could then discuss ways to reduce the anesthesia stipend costs and implement those operational changes to help improve the bottom line.” With better insights, it’s easier to make better, more informed business decisions. Measuring the financial results against the
Part of the challenge with understanding why financial data matters is that most ASC employees have a clinical background. On top of that, financial reports can feel extremely overwhelming to people who are not necessarily business oriented. “If there is a significant difference in costs with the same positive outcomes, this information could help to potentially change physician behaviors concerning their use of supplies and implants and improve the overall financial health of the ASC without sacrificing quality or patient satisfaction,” Lau said.
Why financial data matters Why is financial data so important? Without a deeper understanding of what the financial data is saying about the
expectations of the budget might reveal new insights into revenues and profits that could then correlate with launching new programs (e.g., total joint replacement) for the ASC. Lau said, “From there, the ASC could implement further changes that would support the growth of the new program. Additionally, comparing the ASC’s financial metrics against industry standards could show that the ASC is spending far more on its labor than similar ASCs. This revelation could lead Repertoire
www.repertoiremag.com
August 2025
Repertoire Magazine spoke with Matt Lau, a senior financial advisor for Avanza Strategies and the senior vice president of client accounting and financial services for Avanza parent company MedHQ, about what the financial data in an ambulatory surgery center means for the organization and how it can be leveraged to better understand the financial position. Avanza Strategies is an advisory firm devoted to supporting ambulatory surgery centers from concept to launch, providing strategic, consultative feedback to help ASCs put their best foot forward. This is part one of a twopart series where we get a better understanding of how ASCs track and leverage their financial and clinical data.
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ASCs
to evaluating and changing the employee scheduling process to make it more flexible, efficient, and cost-effective.” Part of the challenge with understanding why financial data matters is that most ASC employees have a clinical background. On top of that, financial reports can feel extremely overwhelming to people who are not necessarily business oriented. Lau explained that tracking and reporting financial data is a huge responsibility, but it’s critical to understand what your numbers say about the financial health of the business. “They often have had extensive clinical training and are extremely knowledgeable about taking care of patients. ASCs could not exist without these super smart
clinical people, but they may not be as comfortable and knowledgeable when it comes to the financial side of the business,” he said.
Leveraging the latest technology for the future of data tracking As technology continues to evolve, it allows for new opportunities to streamline processes that used to require a significant amount of time. While automation and AI are still in the early days as far as what these tools are capable of, they can create efficiencies right now that will significantly impact and improve the team. Lau said, “One area where technology is helping to streamline the process of tracking and measuring financial data is the
Key points Financial data is essential for strategic and operational decisions Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) rely on detailed financial data to guide critical decisions related to staffing, equipment, service expansion, and overall sustainability. Accurate financial tracking helps identify performance drivers and supports informed changes to improve margins and operations.
Case costing connects financial metrics with clinical outcomes By analyzing the direct and indirect costs of procedures (case costing), ASCs can compare surgeon practices and resource use while maintaining patient care quality. This data can help change physician behavior and optimize the use of supplies, ultimately improving the ASC’s financial performance without compromising outcomes.
August 2025
Technology and AI are streamlining financial processes
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Automation and AI are reducing manual workload in areas like invoice processing, coding, and inventory management. These technologies enhance the accuracy and speed of financial reporting, enabling ASCs to make quicker, data-driven decisions and stay competitive in a fast-evolving healthcare environment.
Repertoire
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processing of the ASC’s invoices.” This has traditionally been a lengthy process that involved mailing an invoice to the facility, having someone open the mail, file and manually enter the invoice into the accounting system, and assigning the correct expense accounts before any payment was made. AI is perfectly suited to simplify complex processes like invoicing, greatly reducing the margin for error and freeing up the rest of the team to accomplish other tasks around the center. “The processing of invoices is becoming much quicker, and the coding of these invoices is more accurate, which then leads to more timely, accurate, and reliable financial reporting.” Like with everything else, technology is on the frontline of trends that are shaping the future within the ambulatory surgery space. As things like automation and AI take center stage in the next few years, ASCs will need to be able to adapt to the changing landscape. Tools like barcode readers can help ASCs to streamline inventory counts and order supplies, while AI can work to reduce time and errors for processing accounts payable and coding surgical procedures for the facility. Through tools and resources like these ASCs have an opportunity to get deeper insight into the information that matters most. Lau said, “ASCs can utilize tools such as business intelligence solutions and data lakes to collect data from their various systems – like revenue cycle, inventory, payroll, accounting – analyze that data and convert it into meaningful information and actionable insights to facilitate more informed decision-making.”
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Post-Acute Care
Patient-Centered Post-Acute Care Delivering better post-acute outcomes through coordinated, compassionate patient care models.
 In the shift to a value-based healthcare system, post-acute healthcare providers have increasingly prioritized care delivery that is centered around the goals and needs of each patient.
As a growing number of health systems have started to focus on patient experience, hospitals and healthcare facilities are actively transforming how they engage with patients. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), person-centered care includes integrated health care services delivered with an understanding of each patient’s needs, in a system that supports provider–patient communication and empowers the individual receiving care.
“Patient-centered care in postacute settings emphasizes individualized treatment that respects each patient’s values, preferences, and goals,” said Corey Egel, director of public affairs for the California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF). CAHF is the largest provider of continuing education for long-term care professionals in the state of California, facilitating continuous quality improvement for healthcare providers. Healthcare systems and organizations across the U.S. are
striving to improve the quality of long-term care by increasing the availability of the nursing workforce, translating evidence-based long-term care into practice, and aligning care with person-centered care values. Successful patient-centered care models in post-acute environments, according to a National Institute of Health (NIH) study, allows both patients and their family members to be full partners in care, determining when and how care is provided. “The core components of successful patient-centered care models, in long-term care, require flexibility, strong listening, and ongoing communication to respond to current and evolving patient preferences,” said Egel.
Transitioning to patient-centered care
August 2025
In the U.S., long-term care nursing homes (NH) have started to experience what is known as a ‘culture change movement,’ which aims to transform NHs from institutionalized, medical models of care to home-like, person-centered settings where residents direct their own care and residents’ families are actively
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any updates are properly documented by the care team.” Integrating patient preference in care decisions has been shown to increase smooth transitions from one level of care to another, according to the National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTCC). The NTCC recognizes that patient and family engagement, along with education and counseling for patients and families, enhances patients’ active participation in their own care and promotes informed decision making and communication; two of the key elements for a safe and seamless care transitions between types of care.
needs can be shared among all their different care providers across the electronic health record (EHR). The adoption of technologies such as the EHR, telehealth and artificial intelligence (AI) have helped ensure continuous and personalized, patient-centered care for patients and the ability for providers to track patient progress in real time and adjust care plans, facilitating a more responsive approach to patients’ post-acute care treatment. “As technology advances, several innovations are emerging in the sector focusing on patient-centered care,” said Egel. “This includes
“ Getting physicians to foster collaboration among care teams (nurses, therapists, social workers, etc.) to support a patient-centered approach includes a review of the preferences by the care team, asking questions, and documenting current choices.” Technology and advancing patient care A patient’s caregivers and family members must also be actively engaged with physicians and the care team in order to facilitate and communicate patient needs. “The role of the caregiver and family is to speak openly during conversations with their loved one, so they understand care preferences and have a realistic outlook of care needs,” said Egel. “This will require the caregiver and family to assist their loved one with verbalizing their preferences across multiple stages/ levels of care.” Once a patient’s care preferences are determined, with the help of all participants, patients’
companion robots, both mobile and bedside, technology that allows for making daily activity decisions from the bedside (such as food preferences) to activity participation, and tablet and wearable technology that feeds information to care providers to monitor, make decisions and communicate with the patient, allowing more autonomy in their daily routines.” Technology advancements like these have and will continue to pave the way toward a patientcentered care focus within the post-acute sector, promoting patient autonomy, supporting personalized care, assisting with provider-patient communication and allowing for real-time patient health monitoring. Repertoire
www.repertoiremag.com
August 2025
engaged in assessing residents’ needs and planning care, according to the NIH. Emerging research from the NIH shows the potential for culture change to advance patient care quality, with an estimated 85% of U.S. nursing homes currently engaged in culture change. For physicians to begin integrating patient preferences into care planning in post-acute care settings, they must engage patients in decision-making on treatment, understand their desired outcomes, and tailor medical care to each patient’s individualized needs. “One of the main challenges when shifting from traditional care models to patient-centered ones is the time necessary to invest in the interactions and conversations that elicit the preferences of the patient,” said Egel. “Additionally, clinicians must develop their skills to get a patient to properly verbalize or disclose their preferences.” When communicating with patients, physicians focused on patient-centered care interactions should use appropriate language that supports a patient-centered approach and ensure that they check with each member of the patient’s care team about processes and healthcare goals. “Getting physicians to foster collaboration among care teams (nurses, therapists, social workers, etc.) to support a patient-centered approach includes a review of the preferences by the care team, asking questions, and documenting current choices,” said Egel. “As care is provided, the physician needs to continue conversations with the patient to ensure preferences have not changed, and that
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Post-Acute Care
Post-Acute News Home health leaders in “wait and see” approach in current market Transaction activity in the U.S. home care sector has remained subdued so far this year, weighed down by what one expert calls “fresh uncertainty,” according to a McKnight’s Home Care report. The sluggish pace is attributed to factors such as aggressive Medicaid tax proposals and lingering macroeconomic instability that are sowing caution among potential buyers. As a result, deal volume is significantly lower compared to previous years, with industry leaders adopting a wait and see approach until policy and market clarity improve.
August 2025
U.S. nursing home spending projected to soar Skilled Nursing News reported that annual spending on nursing homes and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) is projected to nearly double from $192.9 billion in 2022 to $385.9 billion by 2033, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of the Actuary. Year over year growth rates are expected at approximately 8.3% in 2024, 8.0% in 2025, then slowing to 6.2% in 2026–27 and around 5.6% annually through 2028 . These projections exclude the potential impact
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of proposed reconciliation budget changes, which may further influence spending trends.
CMS to launch chain-level nursing home ratings and revamp inspection metrics The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a memorandum in June detailing key updates to the Nursing Home Care Compare platform. Beginning July 30, CMS will add aggregated performance data for nursing home chains – including star ratings, inspection outcomes, staffing, and quality measures – displayed in a consumer-friendly layout. In parallel, the agency will drop the oldest “third cycle” standard inspection from the health inspection rating to better reflect current performance and incorporate more comprehensive long stay antipsychotic measures that combine. Medicare/Medicaid claims with existing data. Finally, COVID 19 vaccination rates for residents and staff will be removed from the main profile pages, streamlining reported indicators.
Survey: Nursing home providers “deeply concerned” about potential Medicaid reductions A recent survey from the American Health Care Association (AHCA)
found that an overwhelming majority of nursing home providers were deeply concerned about potential Medicaid reductions. More than one-quarter of respondents report that reductions would force them to close. The survey, conducted by AHCA in May 2025 of 363 nursing home providers, reflects growing concerns by long term care professionals across the country as Congress debated a budget reconciliation package that included federal spending reductions to Medicaid. Highlights from the survey include: ` Nearly two-thirds of nursing home providers report Medicaid reimbursement as less than 80% of the actual cost of care. ` 11 percent of respondents reported that they’re receiving less than 50% of the actual cost of care. ` An overwhelming majority of nursing home providers (92%) are concerned about potential reductions to Medicaid. ` Most are extremely concerned (79%) or moderately concerned (13 %). ` More than 8 in 10 providers say any reduction to or elimination of provider taxes would have a severe impact on their facilities.
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80+ leaders from healthcare distributors, group purchasing organizations, regional purchasing coalitions, and integrated delivery networks will be available to discuss potential partnerships.
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IDN Insights
Small Details, Big Impact Pediatric hospitals are rethinking supply chain for better patient care.
 The smallest of details matter in serving
August 2025
pediatric patients today – especially in supply chain. For example, while the color or design of a Band-Aid might not make a difference in the purchasing decision of an acute care hospital, for children’s hospitals it can be key.
“Years ago, the Mickey Mouse patterned Band-Aid was transformational for kids who didn’t want to wear a regular Band-Aid,” said Mike Brown, Vice President, Supply Chain & Environmental Services at Texas Children’s Hospital. “Simple idea … transformative on the patient care side.” Indeed, pediatric patients often respond better to products specifically designed with their preferences in mind. “While a tan coban wrap may be more cost-effective, children are more likely to wear and tolerate wraps in colors like blue, green, or pink,” Brown said. “The same principle applies to casts and Band-Aids – patient comfort and compliance are essential, and these small changes can make a significant difference. We work with our distributors to ensure these innovations reach the manufacturer and come to fruition as real product improvements.” The Journal of Healthcare Contracting, sister publication of Repertoire Magazine, spoke with Brown; Ashley Wilson, Executive Director of Supply Chain at Children’s National; and Kristin Allen, Sr. Director, Sourcing, Member Engagement, Vizient about considerations and common challenge in procuring supplies for today’s leading pediatric hospitals.
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IDN Insights
What are the most common challenges you face when sourcing products or services for pediatric healthcare settings? Brown: Not all manufacturers
Ashley Wilson
produce pediatric-sized products, which limits the options available for essential items such as lumbar puncture trays, 10Fr dialysis catheters, 2.5Fr-3.5Fr PICC lines, urinary catheters, and feeding tubes. When shortages occur, there are even fewer manufacturers capable of providing pediatric substitutes, further complicating sourcing efforts.
Wilson: Pediatrics is a niche in
and of itself, which creates different challenges for supply chain leaders. Pediatric supplies tend to be more expensive, for starters. They tend to be more expensive because we must carry products that are child-friendly and of varying sizes. Sometimes those require additional manufacturing or more pieces, which make them a little more expensive. Additionally, it creates challenges because not a lot of suppliers make all the sizes we need. There is a smaller network of suppliers, and they have the opportunity to drive the price up. And when they go on to a backorder or have a supply disruption, it makes it really difficult for us to be able to find an alternative to that because there aren’t a lot that make these specialty sizes to begin with. So, there is the price piece, but there’s another piece of managing more inventory and more shelf space than a typical acute care hospital. For example, an acute care facility may carry three sizes of blood pressure
August 2025
Kristin Allen
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Mike Brown
Repertoire
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cuffs, while we carry 15. We have to manage that differently, understanding the space constraints that all areas may have, but being able to provide varying sizes because we may see patients from a NICU baby to an 18-year-old. You’re solving for sizes, but you’re also solving for very specific procedures or care models that only exist in pediatrics. For example, when we go to give an IV, we are prepping areas with products to help the children not feel that IV. You don’t do that in an adult facility. They’re not numbing your arm to do that. We’ve got to carry special products for that.
Value analysis teams are the glue that sticks the Supply Chain together with the providers. Having a highly engaged group of clinically trained RNs and Sourcing professionals has defined the success of our Supply Chain at Texas Children’s Hospital. What criteria do you prioritize when evaluating potential suppliers for pediatric healthcare products? Allen: Guaranteed fill rates and
assurance of availability are two top priorities for all our children’s hospitals. It’s important that we ensure the right product is available at the right price at
the right place at the right time. Consistency and reliability in supply chain is critical. Many disruptions can directly impact patient care with the pediatric hospitals. Our clients must have confidence that their suppliers can meet the demands to provide uninterrupted, high-quality care to their patients. Disruption in Repertoire
www.repertoiremag.com
August 2025
In implants, think about the size of the screws that we have to carry, because you go in and don’t know how large that kid’s leg is going to be once they’re in surgery. It makes it difficult. Disruptions can be even more pronounced. I’ll use catheters as an example. They don’t make a 6 French size catheter. Adults are using 12, 18 and 24. We use 6. There are only two suppliers in the market that make a 6 French catheter. So, when we can’t get that, we have to partner very closely with our clinicians to think of unique ways to try to solve patient care needs safely when you don’t have your ideal product.
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IDN Insights
supply, even for something as simple as an infant-sized tracheostomy tube, can make a negative impact on clinical operations that you don’t see in adult hospitals. Brown: Cost, quality and out-
comes data are the key drivers historically, but the new consideration is resiliency. How resilient is the vendor’s supply chain overall? Where do they source their raw materials from? Is that supply chain resilient? Where do they produce the final product? What area of the world does that product come from? Another consideration is logistics. Does it come by truck, boat, airplane, rail? What political and socio-economic factors come into play that could disrupt supply? Is it an area of the world susceptible to the new tariff chaos happening in Washington?
August 2025
How do you collaborate with clinicians to ensure they have the right products and services to meet patient needs? Brown: To address product backorders, shortages, and discontinuation challenges, we have partnered with other pediatric hospitals to amplify our collective voice and advocate for solutions that better meet the unique needs of our patient population. This partnership across the pediatric hospitals allows us to get feedback and input from clinicians across the industry. Making selections without considering this group would be an abject failure for any pediatric supply chain. We use the CHA/ Vizient workgroups, message boards, and forums to communicate across hospitals.
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Viewing our suppliers/vendors as partners – building contracts and terms that protect us is important – but building partnerships, inviting the vendor in and including them in solving problems, is so much more important. Wilson: I would reference the
catheter example. Our value analysis team worked very closely on that problem. We didn’t have the ideal product, but they had to work together to bring in samples and we had to buy kits of things where they already had
the catheter. While that may not drive efficiency, we were able to think through as many ways as possible to help the physicians get to that smallest size possible so that it was still safe for them to be able to practice the best way they could for these patients.
How do you ensure that the products and services you source are not only effective but also costefficient for pediatric healthcare providers?
How have you seen the Vizient Pediatric Alliance collaborate with manufacturers to ensure pediatric product safety and compliance with regulations?
Brown: Value analysis teams are
Brown: The main challenge is the
the glue that sticks the Supply Chain together with the providers. Having a highly engaged group of clinically trained RNs and Sourcing professionals has defined the success of our Supply Chain at Texas Children’s Hospital. Finding and procuring products that are not only costefficient but also provide the best possible experience of the provider and the patient.
uniqueness of certain pediatric items. In some cases, a single manufacturer may be the exclusive provider of a pediatric-sized product. If that item is discontinued due to low sales or other factors, clinicians must search for alternatives. For instance, a laboratory manufacturer discontinued a pediatric-sized lab tube, requiring the use of an adult-sized tube, which could require a larger blood
volume – potentially leading to the need for a blood transfusion. The operating committee works with Vizient to ensure we are communicating these concerns back up through the supply chain to ensure vendors are compliant and not discontinuing the products we need the most!
What trends do you see emerging in pediatric healthcare procurement? Allen: We’re seeing a continued focus on personalizing care, making sure it’s patient centered. There’s a huge movement toward more patient safety and patient advocacy in pediatrics, especially
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Foglia EE, et al. J Pediatr. 2017 Mar;182:375-377.e2. 2 Marlar AI, et al. J Clin Monit Comput. 2024 Aug 28. 3 Barker SJ, Wilson WC. J Clin Monit Comput. 2023;37:567-574. 4 Sharma V, et al. J Clin Monit Comput. 2024 Jan;38:347-354.
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with mental health support. We’re also seeing an increased use of AI that helps the physician and parents plan for the child’s care. Some clinicians are starting to wear a smart watch to monitor the patient’s health.
August 2025
Brown: Pediatric supplies are
often the last to recover during shortages caused by raw material constraints or product delays. How do we prepare for that? Viewing our suppliers/vendors as partners – building contracts and terms that protect us is important – but building partnerships, inviting the vendor in and including them in solving problems, is so much more important. Longer term agreements, product volume commitments, and using our committed program with Vizient helps ensure we can hedge against the instability and increasing variation we are seeing in the global market.
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How do you measure the success of a sourcing initiative within the pediatric sector? Brown: Though the key measures are related to product availability, pricing and rebate structure for the product, overall pricing is always the last and least important consideration. We examine quality and outcomes data for all products under assessment. Nursing is included at each step to verify product quality and how it fits with protocol – then supply chain takes the final two or three products (if there is that many – sometimes its sole source) and works with the vendor on pricing.
What have been some recent initiatives of the Vizient Pediatric Alliance? Allen: We’ve done a lot of
great work with the purchased
services and indirect spend categories. For example, freight management is one area we’ve focused on. Another category is coronary interventional and cardiology, which tend to be categories with a strong preference by physicians. And we are currently undergoing a spine initiative right now. So, we are having a lot of sourcing successes through the Vizient Pediatric Alliance. We also have a robust value analysis committee that consists of a great group of clinicians. As the Pediatric Alliance represents hospitals nationwide, this group of clinicians has the ability to come together and talk specifically about specialized pediatric products, their needs, their challenges, share best practices, and collaborate on how they’re each handling something.
IDN News Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership Hall of Fame to honor three in Future Famers Class of 2025
Intermountain St. Vincent Regional Hospital has celebrated the start of construction of the new Intermountain St. Vincent Regional Hospital – a “once in a generation” investment in the health of the Billings community and region. The new hospital will be a 14-floor, 737,000 square-foot facility located at 27th Street and 12th Avenue North just east of the current hospital building. This will be a full-replacement hospital, meaning the current Intermountain St. Vincent facility will be replaced, and upon opening, all current services offered at Intermountain St. Vincent will transfer to the new facility.
Bellwether League Foundation’s Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership Hall of Fame™ will recognize and welcome three professionals into the Future Famers Class of 2025 this fall. They join 42 earlier recipients of this notable honor. The Hall of Fame’s Future Famers recognition honors supply chain professionals making significant contributions to their organizations and industry during the first decade or so (up to 12 years) of their careers. The Future Famers Class of 2025 includes the following professionals: Reuben Philip, Director of Product, Clarium Inc.; Andrea C. Poulopoulos, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Corewell Health; and Nicole Schmidt,
BayCare expands nurse well-being program systemwide, cuts new hire turnover to zero BayCare Health System’s successful effort to address nurses’ stress is expanding across all 16 of its acute-care hospitals in 2025, according to a press release. With this program, Nurse Well-Being, BayCare has reduced nurse burnout by 34% and cut its new hire turnover rate to zero in the first year. The nurse well-being program will spread to more than 160 inpatient units, following a successful three-year pilot that significantly improved staff retention, communication and workplace culture.
RT (R)(VI), System Director, Clinical Supply Optimization, Spend Management, The University of Kansas Health System. This trio represents the latest examples of the nextgeneration supply chain leader with deep ties in the clinical and information technology realms that motivate colleagues to unite around a common mission and vision during daily operations that can be riddled with crises and disruptions. The Future Famers Class of 2025 will be recognized at the 18th Annual Bellwether League Foundation Induction & Recognition Event (BLFIRE), scheduled for Monday, November 10, at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Amazon, Hackensack Meridian Health plan 20-plus clinics Amazon One Medical and Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health continue to open clinics across New Jersey to expand access to primary care. The two organizations joined forces in 2023 to co-open the offices and make Hackensack a specialty care referral partner of Amazon One Medical. So far, the organizations have One Medical offices in Edgewater, N.J., with plans for Jersey City next month, Englewood in 2026 and Hoboken in the future, according to NJBiz.com Amazon One Medical has about 20 health system partners across the U.S. Repertoire
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August 2025
Intermountain Hospital begins construction on ‘once-in-a-generation’ replacement hospital project
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Infection Prevention
Sell Safer Care Why infection prevention matters By Paul Girouard
 Healthcare is changing fast. Reps who can talk infection
prevention are opening more doors, solving bigger problems and becoming true partners to their customers.
The healthcare industry keeps evolving. Every year, we lose a bit of tribal knowledge and gain fresh energy from new teammates. That makes now the perfect time to get everyone up to speed on the infection prevention category.
and masks – it’s a full suite of solutions to help facilities stay clean, safe, and break the chain of infection.
What’s driving demand Facilities are under pressure from CMS, accrediting bodies
If you’re only selling SKUs, you’re missing the story. Infection prevention is how you make your call matter.
August 2025
Why infection prevention matters When we talk about infection prevention, we’re really talking about helping customers keep patients safe, protect staff and avoid costly problems like hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). It’s not just about compliance – it’s about doing the right thing and improving the bottom line. Infection prevention touches every corner of healthcare: hospitals, surgery centers, doctor’s offices, long-term care, and home health. This category includes hand sanitizers, soaps, PPE, gloves, disinfectants, and sterilization tools. It’s more than gloves
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and patients to reduce infection rates. At the same time, they’re short-staffed and trying to stretch every dollar. That makes infection prevention products, especially those that improve safety and efficiency, a high priority. If you can talk the talk, you’re not just selling SKUs – you’re solving problems. That’s how you move from vendor to partner.
Build your infection prevention IQ Want to stand out? Start by using the resources already available: ` Manufacturers: Tap into clinical teams, product trainers, and ready-to-go tools like ROI
calculators, case studies, and demo videos. Ask for outcomes data and infection prevention talking points. Schedule joint sales calls. They can bridge the gap between product specs and clinical value.
` Associations: Check out APIC,
AORN and HIDA. They publish clinical trends and pain points that give you insight into your customer’s world and your sales strategy.
` Regulatory Bodies: CMS,
CDC, and OSHA all shape the infection prevention space. Know what they’re saying about HAIs, penalties and standard precautions. It’ll give you an edge in conversations with decision-makers.
The more you understand what your customers care about, the better you can position your solutions. Infection prevention is a long-term opportunity – build your knowledge and the business will follow. Infection prevention isn’t just another product category – it’s a way to stand out, solve real problems, and earn trusted advisor status with your customers. Take the time to learn the language, understand the guidelines and lean on your manufacturer partners for support. The reps who lead with clinical value are the ones who win. So don’t just sell products, sell safer care. Your customers, and their patients, will thank you for it. Wash your hands. Repertoire
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August 2025
Be the rep who gets it
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Health News
Understanding Psoriasis Psoriasis Action Month in August highlights the experience of those living with psoriasis and aims to remove the stigma around the painful skin condition.
 More than 8 million people in the U.S. have psoriasis, a disease caused by an overactive immune
August 2025
system that results in a rapid increase in skin cell production. Psoriasis leads to inflamed, scaly patches on the skin, among other symptoms, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation.
“We initially thought psoriasis was confined to the skin, but now we know it is an immune inflammatory disease that is systemic,” said Dr. Bruce Robinson, boardcertified dermatologist. Dr. Robinson, of Bruce Robinson MD in New York City, has specialized in adult and pediatric dermatology for more than 33 years, with a specific interest in psoriasis treatment. The American Academy of Dermatology, the largest U.S. dermatology organization, for which Dr. Robinson is a national spokesperson, has been at the forefront of research into many skin conditions and the improvement of the condition for those living with psoriasis. “I see quite a number of psoriatic patients varying from all ages,” said Dr. Robinson. “The most common ages I see range between 18 to 39 with another burst of cases in patients older than 50.” There are several different presentations of psoriatic disease, including plaque psoriasis, inverse psoriasis (affects skin folds and creases), guttate psoriasis (small tear-drop or round shaped skin spots), pustular psoriasis (pusfilled bumps on the skin), and erythrodermic psoriasis (most severe form, widespread skin redness and peeling).
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Those diagnosed with the disease often have symptoms such as patches of thick, raised skin (plaques), itching, skin irritation, burning, and peeling, pustules or blisters, dry skin that cracks or bleeds, and flaking of dead skin, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. “The most representative form of psoriasis is plaque psoriasis,
which presents with silvery, scaly raised red plaques on the elbows, knees, and scalp. 30% of patients who have psoriasis can have psoriatic arthritis, which causes inflammation of the joints,” said Dr. Robinson. “Inflammation associated with psoriasis can also led to hypertension, diabetes, obesity, increased cholesterol, and depression and anxiety in patients.”
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder that can be triggered by various factors including stress, skin injuries (such as cuts or sunburns), infections such as strep throat and HPV, medications such as lithium, beta blockers, anti-malaria drugs, hormonal challenges and more, said Dr. Robinson. “Most dermatologists can diagnose psoriasis from a patient’s physical presentation, through the examination of the skin, but occasionally a biopsy is necessary and is submitted to a derma-pathologist, who helps determine the final diagnosis,” said Dr. Robinson. The root cause of psoriasis is not yet fully understood by the medical community, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. It is believed to be caused by a combination of genetics, the immune system, and the environment. “Psoriasis is genetic, and one parent having psoriasis gives their child about a 10% of developing psoriasis, and if both parents have it, this risk develops to about 50%,” said Dr. Robinson. Treatment options for psoriasis, aimed at reducing inflammation and slowing the disease’s rapid growth of cells, have evolved over time. Treatment formerly included only topical corticosteroids, Vitamin D and keratolytic medications (help skin exfoliate thick plaques). “We now have wonderful medications including topical hydrocarbon receptor antagonists, that stop the cascade of inflammation, new systemic medications like biologics and JAK inhibitors,
and some older effective medications like methotrexate, and cyclosporine,” said Dr. Robinson. “These new biologics have really been a game changer in terms of treating psoriasis.” Beyond treatment options, lifestyle changes are crucial for patients to reduce the potential for psoriasis flare-ups and allow an individual to feel like they have control over their condition.
patients and healthcare providers on the disease while promoting steps to cure psoriatic disease. Beyond managing psoriatic disease’s physical symptoms, many patients also face the strain of social stigma associated with the misperception of the skin condition. “Physicians can educate patients and the public to reduce stigma and support those with
Beyond treatment options, lifestyle changes are crucial for patients to reduce the potential for psoriasis flare-ups and allow an individual to feel like they have control over their condition. “Reducing alcohol and smoking, eating less processed foods, increasing the consumption of Omega-3 vegetables and keeping your weight down are important lifestyle modifications for those with psoriasis,” said Dr. Robinson. “It has also been seen that GLP-1 inhibitors can help patients with psoriasis manage weight and decrease metabolism.” “Dermatologists have also suggested that sun exposure can aid in psoriasis treatment, provided a patient uses sunscreen and proper sun protection,” said Dr. Robinson. “UV light from sunlight exposure ties up a psoriasis patient’s DNA so that it doesn’t allow the cells to reproduce at a rate to cause raised plaques.”
Moving in the right direction August is Psoriasis Action Month, in which The National Psoriasis Foundation calls on the healthcare community to educate both
visible symptoms by promoting awareness of the disease, having open communication with patients and letting them know they are not alone and that there are things that they can do lifestyle and treatment wise that can address psoriasis in a meaningful way,” said Dr. Robinson. Dermatologists disseminate a great amount of information through their websites, podcasts, email blasts and more, said Dr. Robinson. “The American Academy of Dermatology has a lot of influence to dispel myths about psoriasis and other diseases, but also to promote patients’ knowledge of the different treatments that are now available, which have exponentially multiplied with time,” said Dr. Robinson. “Through these resources, patients can learn how they can effectively manage their psoriasis, so they no longer have to wake up in the morning worrying if they’re going to have a flare-up.” Repertoire
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August 2025
Understanding disease triggers
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Rep Spotlight
Driving Growth, Delivering Care Cardinal Health’s Jennifer Stewart blends sales mastery with heart-led leadership. By Pete Mercer
 In addition to managing nearly 250 customer accounts, Jennifer Stewart, a South Florida-based
August 2025
account manager for extended care within Cardinal Health’s Global Medical Products and Distribution business, also serves as a Field Sales Trainer and mentor for incoming sales reps. A few times a month, she conducts trainings Monday-Thursday for new employees.
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Jennifer Stewart
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Even though she’s got multiple plates spinning simultaneously, she loves having the opportunity to invest her time and share her experiences with new team members. “There’s nothing more beautiful than having a blank slate on a Monday and seeing this person bloom by Thursday with all this new knowledge, ready to conquer the world,” Stewart said. “It’s a transformation that brings me so much joy. I think it’s in my DNA to want better – better for myself, better for everyone I encounter. They should always feel better in some way. And once the training is complete, I love to see their growth as they begin to flourish in their role.” She approaches each training session by getting a better understanding of the rep’s learning style and base level industry knowledge. “My goal is for you to understand and have a good grasp of the information, but I also want you to be your own authentic self. Your communication will be a lot more believable and relatable.”
Due to the nature of her role, Stewart travels almost every day. This gives her the opportunity to take her trainees on the road, providing them firsthand experiences in medical sales. She believes a big part of training is real-life demonstration, not just teaching. For her trainings, Stewart provides new employees with a weekly agenda, so they have an idea of what customers they
plan to visit and the goals for each meeting. “I don’t change my appointments because I have a trainee. The value of bringing them with me is that they get to see me in action with my customers.”
Working at Cardinal Health Stewart joined Cardinal Health in 2018, where she uses her background in clinical and therapeutic
“ What really excites me about Cardinal Health is that the products we manufacture and distribute are the best in the business.”
nutrition for providing medical products and solutions to her customers. With a focus on extended care, she spends much of her time with providers outside of an acute care hospital – e.g., long-term care facilities, nursing homes and infusion centers. Before working at Cardinal Health, Stewart spent nearly 10 years in sales within the global science and nutrition sector, where she developed core selling skills, experience and a specialized background. Now in her role at Cardinal Health, she can explore the more holistic care of the whole person – she’s using her experience in healthcare nutrition to
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best understand the interrelationship of patient nutrition and total body health with all the available medical products Cardinal Health offers for patient care. “What really excites me about Cardinal Health is that the products we manufacture and distribute are the best in the business,” she said. “Cardinal Health truly is essential to care. We provide our customers with the medical products they need when and where they need them to help deliver quality care to their patients.”
the extended care business and the Presidents’ Club Award for exceeding all sales metrics within the extended care business. “It was a year that all my stars aligned. My experience in clinical therapeutic nutrition proved tremendously valuable as Cardinal Health launched the Kangaroo OMNI™ Enteral Feeding Pump, she said. “I jumped out of the gate fast and lined up my accounts to support the introduction of this new enteral feeding solution to the market.”
“ It’s like a train track – it takes me down the track and keeps me focused on finding out what the problem is and how to quickly find the solution. With this methodology, my problem resolution timeframe is very short compared to a scenario without the use of Lean Six Sigma.” For Stewart, each day as an account manager looks different because of the variety of call points. Because of this variety, her ability to be flexible and pivot to the new and dynamic needs of each day (and each customer) is critical to maintaining a steady flow of productivity. “I have worked really hard to develop the skills to pivot whenever necessary,” she said.
August 2025
Accomplishments and methodologies In 2024, Stewart received three major awards for her performance at Cardinal Health – the Sales Excellence Award given to reps who exceed their sales goals, the Rep of the Year Award for top overall performance within
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Stewart successfully launched thousands of pumps into her territory and supported other teams as they onboarded additional customers to the new product. Stewart operates by the Lean Six Sigma methodology, a process improvement methodology that combines Lean, which focuses on eliminating waste and improving efficiency, with Six Sigma, which focuses on reducing variation and improving quality. For Stewart, this is an efficient way of identifying problems and finding solutions. “It’s like a train track – it takes me down the track and keeps me focused on finding out what the problem is and how to quickly find the solution. With
this methodology, my problem resolution timeframe is very short compared to a scenario without the use of Lean Six Sigma.” According to Stewart, her background and early experience in sales, combined with her ability to efficiently problem solve, has helped her find success at Cardinal Health.
Harnessing personal experiences Along with her professional experience in science and nutritional delivery, Stewart says her Jamaican heritage and upbringing have helped her develop a special connection to patient care. Experiencing different cultures growing up has allowed her to build unique bonds with her customers and support them in the ways they deliver patient care. “My level of communication with my customers is very relevant to them, and they know that I understand their challenges from a diverse perspective,” she says. Stewart says she often strives to present Cardinal Health products as solutions because clinicians are often looking for ways to solve the unique challenges they face every day. She connects the dots between these issues and the features that make Cardinal Health’s products different and valuable to a clinician – such as features designed to make clinicians’ work easier, or their experience more comfortable, so they can focus on what’s most important: caring for their patients. This understanding allows Stewart to connect with her customers on a deeper level, giving further meaning to what she does every day.
If these manufacturers trust us to help them reach distribution, shouldn’t you?
Contact Aili Casey: 404-625-9156 acasey@sharemovingmedia.com
HIDA
negotiate trade agreements with trusted allies to eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers in order to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing base for medical goods. Supply chain resiliency: HIDA
Healthcare Distributors Advocate for Tariff Relief on Capitol Hill  HIDA’s most recent Washington Summit and Fly-In was among its
largest. It benefited greatly from a number of first-time attendees and increased representation from independent distributors. More than 85 healthcare distributors and manufacturers took to Capitol Hill for nearly 100 meetings with Senators, Representatives and their staff.
Leadership meetings: HIDA members met with a
bipartisan cross section of Congressional Leadership including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA). Bipartisan in scope: During the fly-in, distributors
and manufacturers from across the medical supply chain met with staff from 49 Republicans Congressional offices and 48 Democratic offices. Attendees discussed tariffs with the bipartisan leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, which sets trade policy – Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
By Wyeth Ruthven, Director of Congressional and Public Relations, HIDA
Tariffs are top of mind: HIDA’s top priority was to educate Congress on
August 2025
the impact that tariffs are having on the medical supply chain, and to advocate for tariff relief for critical medical products. The uncertainty around constantly shifting tariff policy complicates supply planning and threatens supply chain resiliency. HIDA members advocated for passage of the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act (H.R. 2213, S.998) – a bill to facilitate trade negotiations concerning critical medical goods and services are delivered safely, swiftly, and efficiently. The bill directs the U.S. Trade Representative to
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supports the Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act (H.R. 2444, S.257) which would create a Supply Chain Resilience Working Group led by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce. This bipartisan legislation fosters public-private partnerships to monitor and strengthen supply chains, with the goal of preparing for and responding to supply chain shocks. Focus on preparedness: Another ongoing legislative priority for HIDA is the full reauthorization of the Pandemic & All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). This law was first enacted in 2006 to respond to bioterrorism threats, infectious diseases, and other public health emergencies. Thanks to PAHPA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been able to mobilize resources in response to a variety of natural disasters – including most recently during Hurricane Helene in fall 2024. Ongoing commitment to patients and providers: Despite partisan
swings and uncertainty in Washington, HIDA members remain focused on delivering critical medical products to the patients and providers who need them most. Healthcare distributors continue to respond to seasonal respiratory illnesses, as well as emergency outbreaks like bird flu and measles. Regardless of the politics of the moment, we have a job to do – to be the essential link in the medical supply chain.
News
Industry News
Healthcare cybersecurity threats are escalating at an alarming rate, putting patient safety, sensitive data and critical systems at risk, according to Premier. To support informed policymaking, healthcare cybersecurity experts convened on Capitol Hill to highlight industry efforts, regulatory challenges and opportunities for collaboration. The discussion reinforced the shared responsibility between Congress, the Administration and the private sector to strengthen system resilience and protect patients. In partnership with Premier’s advocacy office in Washington DC, Premier recently joined cybersecurity leaders from Baxter, Mount Sinai Health System, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Johnson & Johnson at a Capitol Hill briefing hosted by the Healthcare Leadership Council. The company told lawmakers healthcare needs new partnerships to keep our systems secure from evolving cyber threats. Cybersecurity is a pressing threat to hospital operations, health data – and most importantly – patient lives. In the past year, 92 percent of healthcare organizations experienced at least one cyberattack. Downtime from ransomware attacks has cost healthcare organizations an average of $1.9 million per day, and healthcare has the highest average cost of a data breach of any sector, coming in at $9.77 million.
Owens & Minor opens distribution facility to support healthcare delivery in West Virginia and beyond Owens & Minor announced the opening of an innovative new medical distribution center in Morgantown, West Virginia. Local partner, the West Virginia University Health System, which operates under the brand name WVU Medicine, joined Owens & Minor to celebrate the official grand opening. The 350,000 square foot center of excellence integrates advanced robotics and order fulfilment capabilities that blend technology and human expertise to help drive greater efficiency and flexibility for WVU Medicine. Located just minutes from WVU Medicine’s flagship campus in Morgantown, its capabilities include custom surgical kitting, order fulfillment and product distribution. Owens & Minor Morgantown will serve all 25 acute care hospitals in the WVU Medicine system and is currently ramping up employment to bring on more than 100 new teammates by the end of 2025. Owens & Minor designed the state-of-the-art facility, operations infrastructure, and supply distribution network to meet the unique challenges of WVU Medicine, including delivering healthcare in Repertoire
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August 2025
Premier Inc. on cybersecurity: Healthcare needs cyber backup
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August 2025
News
communities that are widely dispersed across West Virginia’s mountainous terrain. “The Morgantown distribution center is more than just a logistical hub; it’s a testament to Owens & Minor’s commitment to innovating to meet the needs of partners like WVU Medicine,” said Edward A. Pesicka, President and CEO, Owens & Minor. “We appreciate the unique opportunities and challenges that come with building a healthcare supply chain that can efficiently serve a healthcare system with as much geographic diversity as WVU Medicine. We look forward to continuing our 10-year partnership and working alongside them to support healthcare delivery in the region.” The partnership between Owens & Minor and WVU Medicine was announced in December 2021 and subsequently expanded to give the state of West Virginia the ability to rapidly leverage Owens & Minor’s logistics expertise and medical supply and distribution capabilities in response to future public health emergencies. “This center of excellence is an important step in our partnership with Owens & Minor, and a tangible example of our unwavering commitment to serving our clinicians and enhancing patient care.” said Albert L. Wright Jr., President and CEO, West Virgina University Hospitals. “With a cutting-edge acute care medical distribution facility located right here in Morgantown, WVU Medicine is poised to further advance healthcare delivery for our community and the state of West Virginia.”
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Repertoire Podcast: Revolutionizing Access – With new standards for medical diagnostic equipment in place, are your physician office customers equipped and compliant? In a recent Repertoire Magazine podcast, Scott Adams interviewed August Boehnlein, Associate Marketing Manager for Midmark Corporation about how small details can have a profound effect on enhancing patient access and care. Take medical diagnostic equipment. In 2017, the US Access Board released standards for accessible medical equipment, but one key area – low seat height – remained flexible, allowing a range from 17 to 19 inches. The federal agency’s 2024 ruling finalized this by setting the low seat height requirement to 17 inches or lower. Scan the QR code to listen to the podcast.
The Joint Commission and Coalition for Health AI join forces to scale the responsible use of AI in delivering healthcare The Joint Commission, and the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), a nonprofit organization founded by clinicians to advance responsible health AI, announced a new partnership to accelerate the development and adoption of AI best practices and guidance across the U.S. healthcare system. Together, the organizations will use their scale and expertise to co-develop a suite of AI playbooks, tools, and a new certification program rooted in The Joint Commission’s platform
for evidence-based standards, and CHAI’s consensus-based best practices for health AI. Adoption of AI in healthcare, from patient monitoring to drug approvals, is rapidly increasing. According to 2024 research, 46% of US healthcare organizations are in initial implementation of generative AI, and that number is only expected to grow. While the industry is embracing uses for AI, guidance on implementation is needed for all organizations to protect their staff, patients and operations. To meet this demand, this partnership will be the first to issue AI guidance for over 80 percent of healthcare organizations and programs in the U.S.
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Rx Only. For safe and proper use of the product mentioned herein, please refer to the appropriate Operator’s Manual or Instructions for Use. Baxter, Hillrom and Welch Allyn are trademarks of Baxter International Inc. or its subsidiaries. US-FLC45-240041 (v2.0) 06/2025