REP-Jan.25

vol.34 n o.1 • Ja n u a r y 2 026

repertoiremag.com

What’s Next in Healthcare

Could these ideas catch on and lead to lasting change in the industry?

Confidence inspired by quality.

Our mission is to improve the health of all people, by working with you and your providers to deliver high quality, accessible diagnostics.

Our broad line of fast, accurate, reliable rapid tests for family and women’s health have extra features and value that sets us, and you, apart.

Simple procedure, fast results, made in the USA and added benefits like our QC Inside® feature.

Awesome........yes, OSOM.

Contact your rep to learn how we can help at 800-332-1042 and visit us at osomtests.com BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS • COVID-19 • FLU A&B • COVID-19/FLU COMBO • HCG • H. PYLORI • IFOB • MONO • RSV • STREP A • TRICHOMONAS

© 2025 SEKISUI Diagnostics, LLC. All rights reserved. OSOM® and QC Inside® are registered trademark of SEKISUI Diagnostics, LLC. Because every result matters™ is a trademark of SEKISUI Diagnostics, LLC. QC Inside® feature is not available on all products.

CONTENTS JANUARY 2026 • VOLUME 34 • ISSUE 1

What’s Next in Healthcare Could these ideas catch on and lead to lasting change in the industry?

 p. 38

40 Redesigning Primary Care Around Relationships

How the Stanford Coordinated Care model improved outcomes, reduced costs, and restored joy in medicine.

46 Dave deBronkart: “Let Patients Help” After surviving a terminal cancer diagnosis, Dave deBronkart turned his experience into a global call for partnership between patients and providers.

48 Addressing Rising Employer Healthcare Costs :

The Healthcare Transformation Alliance formed in 2015 to address increasing healthcare costs for private employers.

` PUBLISHER’S LETTER

2

Setting the Pace for a Purposeful and Prosperous 2026

` PHYSICIAN OFFICE LAB

4

Hitting the Reset Button on Your Lab Sales Process

Even experienced sales professionals can drift from proven principles.

Learn a simple, repeatable process to refocus on customers, maximize efficiency, and grow revenue. ` DISTRIBUTION

11

Unident/Unimed USA: Building Trust and Value in Independent Distribution

14 Building Resilience in Motion

Ben Brinker on how Cardinal Health’s Global Supply Chain stays ready for adverse events, disruptions and uncertainty.

18 Lessons from the Field: Veteran Reps Share Their Wisdom

Rich Bilz of Henry Schein and Todd Matthews of McKesson reflect on decades in distribution, offering insights on persistence, partnerships, training, and mentorship for the next generation.

24 CME Corp. Strengthens Partnerships, Expands Sales Organization at 2025 National Sales Meeting ` SALES

26 Why the Best Story Always Wins

A blend of field-trip training, deep listening, and relentless curiosity has helped Jim Niekamp turn unmet needs into breakthrough innovations, and transform reps into advisors customers can’t live without.

32 The Courage to Ask

Most reps don’t fail because of product or price. They fail because they dodge the one moment that matters most: asking the courageous question.

` LEADERSHIP

35 The Power of the Pen

Embracing handwritten communication in a digital world.

` INFECTION PREVENTION

52 2026 Outlook: Infection Prevention What you need to know for the year ahead.

` ASCs

54 ASC Product Spotlight: Improving Airway Management with the McGRATH MAC Video Laryngoscope

` IDN INSIGHTS

60 Ever Vigilant

Roper St. Francis’ formula for resiliency includes fostering collaboration with both suppliers and nearby health systems.

62 IDN News ` HEALTH

64 A Critical Need

The clinical importance of sustaining the nation’s blood supply.

` HIDA

67 Building Resilience at Home Balancing domestic production with global sourcing is key to protecting patients and ensuring supply chain stability.

` NEWS

68 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 2026 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 Suwanee, GA and at additional mailing offices.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

Subscribe/renew @ www.repertoiremag.com : click subscribe

1

Publisher’s Letter

Setting the Pace for a Purposeful and Prosperous 2026 There’s something powerful about turning the page to a new year. It offers a clean slate, a fresh start, and an invitation to define who we want to be in the months ahead. For those of us in medical distribution, where every call and relationship matters, this season is more than hopeful – it’s strategic.

One of the most consistent traits I see in top-performing sales professionals is their commitment to intentional goal setting. Not just annual goals on a whiteboard, but clear, realistic, measurable quarterly goals that drive momentum. Annual targets can feel intimidating as one giant mountain. But when you break that mountain into four achievable climbs, the summit doesn’t feel so far away.

editorial staff editor

Graham Garrison 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

As always, one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal is partnership. Our manufacturing partners remain the heartbeat of innovation, education, and support. Lean into these relationships. They can provide insights on positioning, clinical value, and upcoming launches that give you a competitive edge. Make 2026 the year you strengthen those connections: schedule joint calls, attend trainings, co-create opportunities, communicate openly.

This year will reward those who plan with intention and execute with consistency. Greatness is built quarter by quarter, win by win, relationship by relationship.

Here’s to a year of purpose, progress, and partnership. Let’s make 2026 your most successful year yet.

Repertoire is published monthly by Share Moving Media 350 Town Center Ave, Ste 201 Suwanee, GA 30024-6914 Phone: (800) 536-5312, FAX: (770) 709-5432; e-mail: info@sharemovingmedia.com; www.sharemovingmedia.com

January 2026

This year, think about your 2026 goals in three layers: 1 Your Yearly Vision. Ask yourself: What does success look like on December 31? Not just in numbers, but in your confidence, relationships, and professionalism. Defining this vision creates a north star that guides every decision.

2 Your Quarterly Wins. Quarterly goals are where real progress happens. Break your annual goal into four strategic segments that align with your business seasonality. Identify target accounts, new products to introduce, and education opportunities that build value. Quarterly goals keep you nimble and adaptable.

3 Your Weekly Habits. Consistency beats intensity every time. Simple weekly habits – scheduled outreach, pipeline reviews, product training, and proactive communication – will carry you farther than sporadic bursts of activity.

Dedicated to the Industry, R. Scott Adams Publisher

2

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Aili Casey

acasey@sharemovingmedia.com (404) 625-9156 publisher

Scott Adams sadams@sharemovingmedia.com (800) 536.5312 x5256 founder

Brian Taylor btaylor@sharemovingmedia.com

Subscriptions

www.repertoiremag.com/subscribe or (800) 536-5312 x5259

VITROS Certified Analyzers ™

Confidence you can count on At a smarter value Power up your lab with the built-in intelligence and efficiency of our VITROS Systems, designed to make it easier to do more with less.

VITROS Systems complete the analytical process the first time without intervention or repeat testing for 96.5 percent of tests conducted.1

The certified advantage Every certified analyzer undergoes a rigorous certification process to ensure like-new quality and performance.

Count on reliable performance Keep your lab powered up and ready when you are with high-performance systems and industry-leading uptime.2

Drive operational efficiency Power your lowest total cost of ownership with purposefully designed solutions.

Learn more about VITROS Systems by scanning the QR code or contacting QuidelOrtho today.

Certified and shipped in the USA 1. Data on file.

2. Uptime claim based on publicly available data for select competitive systems.

New QuidelOrtho branding may not be available in all markets, subject to country-specific regulatory approval. Please confirm with your local commercial team.

© 2025 QuidelOrtho Corporation PR-109246-NA-EN-US-v1

Ensure high-quality results Trust the results of every test, every day with intelligent technologies and patient-focused design that deliver the highest quality and precision.

Flex to enable what's next Expect consistent quality results across your network with flexible, scalable and connected solutions.

Physician Office Lab

Hitting the Reset Button on Your Lab Sales Process Even experienced sales professionals can drift from proven principles.

Learn a simple, repeatable process to refocus on customers, maximize efficiency, and grow revenue. Â We have all been to sales training conferences or received sales process coaching

January 2026

from our managers and peers, and most of us have read a sales text or two. But how often do we wake up on Monday and make sure we are following the steps we’ve learned? Are we staying true to the principles that made us successful?

Are we making sure every customer feels special? Do we ask for referrals from our satisfied customers?

4

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

By Jim Poggi

customers and getting the most out of my sales territory?”

If we are honest, I doubt we spend enough time reevaluating our sales process and customer expectations to be more successful. It is true that daily life offers any number of distractions, but in my experience, it is also a bit uncomfortable to realize how far off base we have sometimes

Sometimes the competition has put up formidable barriers and sometimes there is a relationship you just cannot displace now.

Knowing that can save you a lot of time.

drifted and to deliberately pull ourselves back and analyze what we need to do rather than what we are doing.

I intend to help you hit the “reset button” and review the sales process you should be using to get back on track. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge to realign. Consider this column that little nudge.

A tried-and-true process Depending on how you were trained as a sales professional and the type of coaching you’ve received in your career, it is likely that you have been exposed to a myriad of sales processes. Some work pretty well and others seem like a good idea until you put them in practice in real life.

I plan to share a simple sales process that has worked well for me in many situations, whether I was pursuing a capital sale or trying to sell a strong suite of lab consumables to round out an outstanding customer POL lab.

Like the best products, the best practices tend to be simple and easily repeatable.

Let’s review my favorite sales process together. Give me a few minutes today, consider how you can implement this process in your territory and give it a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how well it works and how well it can insulate you from some of the daily distractions so you’re zeroed in on what you need to do rather than trying to solve and control every distraction that comes your way.

I will focus on lab examples, but this process works well for other equipment and medical surgical products.

Before we review the sales process, the first thing we need Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

In the rush to follow up on customer questions, get reports back to those who asked for them, check for back orders and set up travel time with key suppliers, it’s rare that we stop to look at the big picture and asked ourselves: “Am I really following the best sales processes? Can I follow a better process to be more efficient? Am I providing the most value to my

5

Physician Office Lab

January 2026

to do is understand the role of distractions in our professional lives and how we manage them.

I was always guilty of trying to answer every text and email almost immediately, solve every problem before sunset and own every issue in my territory. Are you this kind of sales professional?

6

If you are, take the advice it took me years to accept and follow – stop. Always focus on the customer, but as you do, ask yourself some important questions: ` Is this situation truly urgent, or is it just a new request? ` If it is urgent, am I in the best position to solve it? Can I delegate it to someone more likely to be able to solve it quickly and correctly? ` I often found myself taking on product availability issues that customer service was far better equipped to handle than I was. ` What is the right timing for a solution? Is it really today? ` My most trusted coach advised me several times: “Know which problems will solve themselves if you let them sit for a day or two.” Difficult advice for many of us to follow but, trust me, it works.

Never ignore a serious customer issue, but know which ones need immediate action and which do not.

This requires practice and confidence, but it’s a cornerstone of being a customer champion and an efficient sales professional.

Now, let’s look at the sales process.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Step No. 1: Identify the customer If you have a new territory, this one may seem overwhelming. If you have an established territory, you may be tempted to think you have already done that successfully. Give it a chance. There are a couple levels to identifying the customer.

Is their practice size and CLIA status appropriate? Do they have the right patient mix? Are they using a competitive product or would this product solution be new to them? Does my focus product give me real world advantages I can communicate with the customer?

Level 1: Customer Acquisition –

Step No. 2: Qualify the customer

Is this a customer I can successfully service, and one I want in my territory? Do my products meet their needs? Are they part of a larger purchasing organization I have access to (and maybe even preferred status)? Can I get access to the decision makers? What are the barriers to entry for this customer and can I overcome them?

Do they have a view of in-office lab testing I can leverage or turn around? What is their experience with my company? Do I know someone who can give me a warm introduction to them?

It’s time for that next customer meeting. Be sure to start by asking questions, not flooding the customer with information.

If it is a new customer, get the basics. What do they expect from their distributors? Who makes the decision? When was the last time they added a new distributor or stopped doing business with an old one? Why? If for lab, learn their CLIA status, get to know the folks in the lab, see what they are using and ask about their satisfaction level. They will be able to

Probe to make sure your manufacturer gets questions clear enough to provide an actionable answer. “We expect good results” does not get the job done. Ask follow-up questions until you get a better understanding of what “good” is.

Sometimes the competition has put up formidable barriers and sometimes there is a relationship you just cannot displace now.

Knowing that can save you a lot of time.

Level 2: Selling More to an Established Customer – Who are

the customers that are candidates for the lab (or other) products I am being asked to focus on now?

answer questions about clinical and workflow value.

Focus there but understand that to get answers they will need to trust you. This is unlikely to happen in a single call unless they have a serious problem that needs an immediate solution. With this understanding, I would then try to find an entry point for my specific product. Understand whether there is a specific need you can

TWO TRUSTED PRODUCTS. ONE CONVENIENT WAY TO ORDER AND SAVE. Influenza and COVID-19 share overlapping symptoms and seasonal trends, making preparedness essential. Order both tests under one SKU to simplify ordering and enjoy built-in cost savings.

COST SAVINGS

FLEXIBLE ORDERING

AVAILABLE YEAR-ROUND

Enjoy cost advantages when purchasing both products via the Test Pack

Select the Test Pack or individual kits to align with customers’ operational strategies

Access the Test Pack throughout the year for savings, regardless of the season

ID NOW™ RAPID MOLECUL AR PL ATFORM

a trusted molecular solution for fast and reliable results.

WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR CUSTOMERS. REACH OUT TO YOUR ABBOTT REPRESENTATIVE TODAY. © 2025 Abbott. All rights reserved. All trademarks referenced are trademarks of either the Abbott group of companies or their respective owners. Any photos displayed are for illustrative purposes only. RDx-25004699-01 12/25

Physician Office Lab

January 2026

solve. Is it economic, product availability or product quality?

Knowing that will help you gear your discussion to a solution they are more likely to accept. “If I could show you how we could provide a larger product portfolio geared to your needs, would you give me a first step to try me for a product or two?” Customer qualification goes hand in hand with relationship development.

This process, especially for capital products or new customer acquisition, may take several calls.

Know that every new customer has not been waiting breathlessly for you to come to their rescue.

You will hear “no” often. Be smart and consider it “not now” and frame your comments to the customer in that fashion. “I understand I may not be able to help you now, but I have provided valuable solutions to other customers in the area. Here is my card. I hope to have you consider me in the future.”

8

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Leave on a positive note and thank them for their time. If you hear “yes,” please sell the meeting with the right lab product manufacturer (or a higher level of management of your company).

Get dates and a specific list of deliverables to provide in your next meeting. For every “yes,” be sure to set the stage for the next meeting. This assures access and informs the customer that you care and are prepared to discuss a specific solution.

Step No. 3: Propose a solution This is the first step where you are likely to need one of your valued lab suppliers. Set up time to review the customers you believe are prospects and develop a tailored solution for each of them. An example I learned the hard way: if you are proposing a lease for new lab capital equipment, come prepared to the next meeting with a solution and your

paperwork ready. Do not offer multiple types of leases.

Ask in advance questions like: “for a lease, is monthly cost most important to you”? If so, you have two sensible choices: ask for a downpayment or go for a longer duration lease. I can’t tell you the number of times I accidentally confused the customer by offering too many financial choices.

When in doubt, ask what kind of lease they have now and how they like it.

Other than financial acquisition, be sure to understand how they view the three elements of value: financial, workflow and clinical. Before you bring in your lab manufacturer, test for this understanding. Ask how important it is to get results quickly or during the patient visit. Understand clinical value. Ask “what questions about product performance should I have my manufacturer be prepared to answer?”

Probe to make sure your manufacturer gets questions clear enough to provide an actionable answer. “We expect good results” does not get the job done. Ask follow-up questions until you get a better understanding of what “good” is. I also recommend talking to the lab team to ask what is working well with their current solution and what could be better.

In a smooth-running practice, the financial buyer’s answers and those of the lab personnel should match. If not, try to understand why not.

Finally, be absolutely sure to know which other solutions they may be considering and why. If you do not know, be prepared for a blind side when you walk into the lab and see a shiny new instrument in use. I have been

1 CBC/Day or 10,000 CBC/Day XN-330™ Automated Hematology Analyzer

XN-9100™ Automated Hematology System

Sysmex has the most reliable hematology solution for any lab.

3,000+ 26 XN-L placements in the U.S.

years Sysmex has rated highest for System Reliability.*

1

hematology solution for all your customers.

*2025 IMV ServiceTrak™ Annual Survey for Hematology ©2026 Sysmex America, Inc.

Physician Office Lab

there and you need to avoid that situation to understand the acquisition landscape.

Step No. 4: Demonstrate the solution This does not always mean a “roll in” demonstration of lab capital gear. Sometimes, it means providing white papers and references from other users. In can include walking through the instructions for use (IFU). If you go this way, underline the areas of the IFU that answer your customer’s questions. It can mean visiting a customer who already uses the solution you are proposing.

will you be prepared to move forward?” A “no” answer sends you back to understand why not and reevaluate your customer qualifying steps.

Step No. 5: Close the deal You should already know who is empowered to make the decision, what they like about the product, whether there is budget for the product and the preferred acquisition method.

If possible, the decision makers should all be in the meeting or demonstration of the product. I recommend doing mul-

Leaving paperwork behind is a step to be avoided at all costs. If you do, based on how much information they need to review, be sure to get a commitment to proposal review and a date for you to return to discuss their findings.

January 2026

Pro tip: if you go this way be sure

to coach your current customer with the prospect’s questions and coach the right answers. If you are planning a roll in demonstration, survey the location with your manufacturer to make sure the location is suitable. Everything from power to ability to have space available makes a roll in demo successful or painfully awkward. I have had both experiences and strongly recommend being sure the site will accommodate the product you want to demonstrate ahead of time. You will be glad you did.

Additionally, never perform a roll in without asking: “If we can demonstrate that the product meets your needs (list key ones)

10

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

tiple trial closes, but smoothly and non-confrontationally.

For example: “now that you have

seen the product in action, let me know your thoughts on how it meets the needs you told me were important to you.” Or, “you informed us the product needed to have these characteristics (mention the top ones) to be considered. Have we met these criteria today?” If you have proposed a lease, have one leasing solution with you. You should already have the information you need to know which one is most suitable. Close for a signature. “Shall we move forward and implement the lease so we can prepare for installation and training?”

Leaving paperwork behind is a step to be avoided at all costs. If you do, based on how much information they need to review, be sure to get a commitment to proposal review and a date for you to return to discuss their findings. Let the customer know you are prepared to move forward and repeat the benefits of the solution you believe you have provided.

Ask for their agreement to these benefits to make sure they agree with the value of your solution. Get the date and who you will be speaking with on your follow-up visit.

Ask for a commitment to purchase if their review of the paperwork is successful and they are ready to move forward.

Ask to bring your manufacturer and leasing rep to make sure you can answer any questions they may have and make any needed changes to the proposal on the spot if possible.

Multiple return trips to discuss and modify the proposal indicate a customer who is most likely not going to buy, at least not now. Know when it’s time to suggest pausing the proposal. Be sure to offer that step to close out the process and keep relationships intact.

On paper, the five steps to the sales process look pretty simple. In reality, successfully performing them means relationship development with the customer, an understanding of the right time to offer the solution and patience as you and the customer work to develop the solution.

Like any other skill, this one takes practice to master. Performed successfully it will improve your customer satisfaction and help you grow your revenue.

Distribution

Unident/Unimed USA: Building Trust and Value in Independent Distribution  For more than a decade, Unident/Unimed USA has carved out a niche in California’s medical and

January 2026

dental supply landscape. Based in San Jose and led by owner David Gordon, Unident/Unimed exemplifies the spirit of the independent distributor: nimble, responsive, and relationshipdriven. The company provides a wide range of medical and dental supplies and equipment to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and other state agencies, as well as long-term care facilities, private physician practices, and medical and dental clinics.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

11

Distribution

Gordon, who purchased the business 14 years ago, runs a lean operation, wearing many hats from logistics and sales to invoicing and customer support. What keeps him energized, he said, is the freedom and fulfillment that come from running a small business. “As my father-in-law told me when I purchased the business, if you are even somewhat successful, you will never go back to working for someone again,” Gordon said. “I think that is true to this day and helps keep me going.”

“They ask him, ‘Why do you keep going back to Unident/ Unimed and David Gordon all the time when there are so many small business vendors to choose from?’ His response is always the same: He continues to work with us because I always respond to emails, I pick up the phone when he calls me for an urgent request/ issue, and I communicate on a regular basis during a purchase order cycle, providing him with tracking information and updates.

He can rely on me to get him what he needs in a timely and efficient manner.”

That level of attentiveness has earned Unident/Unimed a loyal customer base within California’s state procurement system. Gordon’s commitment to

long-term relationship and not just a quick sale.”

Running Unident/Unimed means managing every facet of operations. Gordon typically starts his day by reviewing and responding to emails before an office meeting to set priorities. From there, he prepares shipments, conducts sales and marketing outreach, and handles invoicing and payment followups. Throughout the day, he stays available to address any major customer service issues that arise, ensuring smooth operations and quick responses to client needs.

Navigating the California small business landscape Unident/Unimed’s designation as a California-certified small

“ Private facilities are a different group altogether than state facilities. The main difference is that with private medical/ dental facilities, they don’t have to use more than one vendor if they don’t want to.”

David Gordon

January 2026

Customer service as a competitive edge In a competitive marketplace, Gordon believes Unident/ Unimed’s personal touch and responsiveness set it apart. His philosophy is simple: communicate openly, follow through, and treat every customer like a long-term partner rather than a one-time sale.

“One of my best state client procurement analysts, whom I have worked with since I purchased our business, tells me all the time that our company is brought up in his team management meetings,” Gordon said.

12

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

communication and accountability builds trust that’s hard to replicate. “I believe communication, openness and taking responsibility for any mistakes I make is key in building trust,” he said. “I let my clients know up front that we do our best to respond to emails/ voicemails within 24 hours and that they can reach out to me or my employee anytime for help with immediate requests or issues.

I tell them that I might not be the least expensive distributor, but they will get great customer service and better overall ‘value’ by working with my company because I am looking to build a

business has been central to its growth and customer base. For years, the state has reserved portions of its purchasing for small, registered businesses, giving Unident/Unimed opportunities to serve state medical facilities such as prisons, hospitals, and veterans’ homes. When Gordon first acquired the company, there were relatively few competitors in this niche, but the number of small distributors has grown significantly over time.

That increased competition, combined with changes in how the state manages procurement, has made the environment more

buying anything from disposable items, such as bandages, to large equipment such as hospital beds and vital sign monitors.”

Beyond state contracts, Unimed also supplies privatesector clients. “Private facilities are a different group altogether than state facilities,” Gordon said.

“The main difference is that with private medical/dental facilities, they don’t have to use more than one vendor if they don’t want to.

They can just use one sole source distributor for all their needs and not necessarily work with the lowest priced vendor.”

He added, “Even though many private facilities might want the lowest price, they often are really looking for a ‘best value’ vendor, where the pricing might be a little higher, but they get

“ My goal is to keep diversifying our business by reaching out to various market segments, including other government medical facilities and private institutions.” and delay. “They have to continually go back to the medical personnel to make sure they are ordering the correct items and this takes time,” he said. “In addition, many of these warehouse purchasers have other duties, beside ordering supplies, so they are always busy and tough to get in touch with any questions.”

Still, the opportunities are significant. “The opportunities with CDCR are many since they do have about 30 prisons in the state and all of the prisoners are granted access to healthcare,” Gordon said. “Therefore, they are

better customer service and value added to their purchase.”

Diversification and growth Gordon encourages other independent distributors to stay flexible. “Diversify as much as possible, not only with your customer base but also with your vendors,” he said. “When I first took over the business, we focused primarily on California government facilities by selling medical and dental products to them. Now, I have expanded beyond that space into recovery centers, community colleges, long-term care facilities, veterinary hospitals, etc. In

addition, I have sold radios, TVs, IT components – just about any viable product that we can supply and make a good profit on.”

Looking ahead, he sees diversification as key to Unident/ Unimed’s continued success.

“My goal is to keep diversifying our business by reaching out to various market segments, including other government medical facilities and private institutions,” he said. “One of the ways I have been able to do this is by working with my manufacturer sales representatives who have provided me with new potential client referrals.

It also works both ways, as I can refer them business too.”

Gordon is also intrigued by emerging technologies. “I am always looking for new markets or technologies,” he said. “I would be interested in becoming a distributor for a medical robot company at some point and learning more about AI and how we can use that to help our growth in medical product sales.”

At the heart of Unident/ Unimed’s success is a simple principle: trust. “The most important value I add for my clients is that they can trust me as I believe in building long term relationships that last for years,” Gordon said. “Both my parents were small business owners and their customers did business with them because they trusted them.

My father was especially great at building relationships – it came naturally to him. I treat everyone with respect and want to get to know people so they can feel comfortable doing business with me. I instill that in my employees as well; if they don’t treat our clients well, then they will not be working for my company.”

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

challenging. California has shifted toward large, centralized contracts handled by major suppliers, which can make it harder for small businesses to compete.

Serving the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation presents its own complexities. “There are plenty of challenges when dealing with CDCR,” Gordon said. “First of all, you rarely get to speak with the end user at the facility who is actually using the products; instead you are dealing with a person in the warehouse who is in charge of ordering the supplies and equipment for the prison, but many times does not have the knowledge of what they are actually purchasing.”

This process, he explained, can add layers of communication

13

Distribution

Building Resilience in Motion Ben Brinker on how Cardinal Health’s Global Supply Chain stays ready for adverse events, disruptions and uncertainty.

 When you think of the medical supply chain, it’s easy to

January 2026

imagine an invisible network of trucks, warehouses and shipments humming in the background. But for Ben Brinker, President of Global Operations and Supply Chain for Cardinal Health’s Global Medical Products and Distribution, the work his team does is anything but invisible. It’s deeply human – and directly tied to patient care.

14

“I have the privilege of working with many talented and passionate supply chain professionals who are fiercely committed to our organization, our customers and their patients,” Brinker said. “Our team members have dedicated much of their time and careers serving the healthcare industry, understanding the complexities of the supply chain and navigating a constantly changing landscape.”

A customer-centric perspective is fundamental to the team

Ben Brinker

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

culture at Cardinal Health. “It’s critical everyone across our supply chain organization understands why we place such a strong emphasis on delivering the right product at the right place and at the right time,” he added.

A network built around patients At its core, Cardinal Health’s global operations and supply chain organization is designed to meet one simple but vital mission: ensuring healthcare providers have what they need, when they need it. But the scale of that mission is anything but simple.

“Our organization is designed to drive end-to-end operational and supply chain execution – which includes research and development, procurement, manufacturing, engineering, inventory planning, global trade and international logistics, and North American distribution operations (inclusive of distribution and replenishment centers) – to deliver high quality products to healthcare providers,” Brinker said.

The result is an interconnected global system capable of adapting to shifting demands, emerging technologies, and unprecedented challenges. “From product development to manufacturing, distribution, logistics and every team in between, our organization operates as an interconnected, end-to-end medical products supply chain to support continuous network flow, resiliency and patient care around the world,” Brinker said.

That holistic approach is bolstered by a modern infrastructure.

“We are constantly working to drive an effective supply chain in a number of ways, including optimizing our distribution footprint

“ I ’ M A B S O L U T E LY T W O -T H I R D S C O N F I D E N T.” NUTTEES LY TS “ I ’ MA N A TBISGOE L N F3I D CA S ETS. * T W O - T H I RMDI SS SC1OI N EN ” “ I ’ M A B S O L U T E LY T W O -T H I R D S C O N F I D E N T.” ANTIGEN TESTS MISS 1 IN 3 CASES* ANTIGEN TESTS MISS 1 IN 3 CASES*

Cepheid’s high-performing molecular test, Xpert® Xpress CoV-2 plus, with up to 99% PPA ^ leaves no room for doubt.

Experience diagnostic confidence Cepheid’s high-performing molecular test, Visitup cepheid.com Xpert® Xpress CoV-2 plus, with to 99% PPA ^ leaves no room for doubt.

Cepheid’s high-performing molecular test, Xpert® Xpress CoV-2 plus, with up confidence to 99% PPA ^ Experience diagnostic leaves no room for doubt.

Visit cepheid.com Experience diagnostic confidence © 2025 Cepheid.

IVD. In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device. May not be available in all countries.

Visit cepheid.com

* Smith-Jeffcoat SE, Mellis AM, Grijalva CG, et al. SARS-CoV-2 Viral Shedding and Rapid Antigen Test Performance — Respiratory Virus Transmission Network, November 2022–May 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:365–371. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7316a2 ^ Xpert Xpress CoV-2 plus is 99.3% for anterior nasal swab specimen for PPA

© 2025 Cepheid.

IVD. In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device. May not be available in all countries. * Smith-Jeffcoat SE, Mellis AM, Grijalva CG, et al. SARS-CoV-2 Viral Shedding and Rapid Antigen Test Performance — Respiratory Virus Transmission Network, November 2022–May 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:365–371. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7316a2 ^ Xpert Xpress CoV-2 plus is 99.3% for anterior nasal swab specimen for PPA © 2025 Cepheid.

IVD. In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device. May not be available in all countries. * Smith-Jeffcoat SE, Mellis AM, Grijalva CG, et al. SARS-CoV-2 Viral Shedding and Rapid Antigen Test Performance — Respiratory Virus Transmission Network, November 2022–May 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:365–371. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7316a2 ^ Xpert Xpress CoV-2 plus is 99.3% for anterior nasal swab specimen for PPA

Distribution

with modern, state-of-the-art facilities and expanded capacity,” he explained. “Our facilities feature advancements in technology and automation, such as enhanced software capabilities and goodsto-person robotics to improve operational effectiveness.”

Cardinal Health recently achieved the 2025 Transparency Partner Badge from the Healthcare Industry Resilience Collaborative (HIRC) and was previously honored with the HIRC Resiliency Badge at the Diamond level, the highest award possible – recognizing “outperforming” scores in key areas critical to supply chain resilience and transparency.

“We were the first distributor to be recognized by HIRC for both supply chain resiliency and transparency,” Brinker said.

“Maintaining a focus on transparency with our provider customers is critical for our collaboration and ability to mitigate risk across the healthcare supply chain.”

January 2026

Every link in the chain matters For Brinker, supply chain work isn’t just about moving boxes or optimizing routes – it’s about connection and purpose.

“Every team member within our Cardinal Health supply chain organization is in some way connected to patient care,” he said.

“Whether an employee is running a manufacturing site, driving a forklift in a distribution center, sourcing a raw material, developing a product, or working with global customs – each area of activity is critical to our resilience and ability to meet the commitments we’ve made to our customers.”

That sense of shared mission is something he reinforces

16

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

regularly. “When I talk to our employees, I emphasize how important their work is to our supply chain and remind them what they do truly matters – to our team, customers and patients,” he added.

Prepared for the unpredictable Few industries are as vulnerable to disruption as healthcare, where every delay or shortage can have real consequences. Weather events, geopolitical tension, and global trade dynamics can all strain even the strongest systems.

For Cardinal Health, preparedness is a cultural mindset.

“Before, during and after weather events, our teams collaborate to share real-time information on storm paths, potential impacts and critical deliveries,” Brinker said. “We fine tune our emergency preparedness processes via scenario planning and risk modeling to test network agility.”

That planning extends to customers, too.

“We also provide customers with a preparedness checklist that addresses key considerations like special delivery instructions for priority departments, off-hour dock and hallway access and designated supply storage for increased product inventory,” he said. “We work with customers in at-risk regions to assess needs, anticipate challenges and develop action plans.”

Inventory positioning plays a major role. “This includes increasing inventory levels of critical care product categories and staging supplies closer to areas likely to be affected by inclement weather,” Brinker explained.

Cardinal Health’s North American distribution network is purpose-built for this kind of adaptability. “It’s strategically designed with replenishment centers and forward distribution centers that are all vital to our agility,” Brinker said. “Our interconnected ‘hub and spoke’ system is purpose-built to adapt to shifting demand, withstand disruptions and maintain supply continuity during weather events.”

The scale is staggering: The company’s replenishment centers – which provide more than 13 million square feet of medical/surgical Cardinal Health Brand product distribution capacity (equivalent to over 225 football fields) – receive deliveries for the entire network before breaking them down into smaller, customized orders for the forward distribution centers. Cardinal Health’s approach to inventory management across its network helps drive efficiencies and a consistent pipeline of products.

As the healthcare industry navigates unprecedented global challenges, Brinker said that Cardinal Health’s operations and supply chain teams will continue to work with speed, accuracy and flexibility to mitigate risk.

Consistent communication with teams and customers is a top priority. “We are committed to working with transparency to ensure our customers have the information they need and receive the right products when and where they need them,” Brinker said.

Inject. Retract. Protect.

SurTract™ Safety Syringes and Needles.

Safety you can see, innovation you can trust.

You shouldn’t have to choose between clinical precision and safety.

With Terumo’s innovative SurTract™ hypodermic line, you don’t have to.

Engineered with an automatic retraction mechanism.

The needle withdraws inside the syringe barrel the moment the injection is complete – reducing the risk of needlestick injuries.*

Call your Terumo representative at: 1.800.888.3786 or visit www.TerumoTMP.com

Available Now! *Data on file These products have no components made of natural rubber latex. RX ONLY. The advertisement is directed to physicians only, and not to consumers. Refer to product labels and packaging insert for complete warnings, precautions, potential complications, and instructions for use. , TERUMO and SURTRACT are trademarks owned by Terumo Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, and they are registered with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. © 2025 Terumo Medical Corporation. All rights reserved. All brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

PM-10064

Distribution

Lessons from the Field: Veteran Reps Share Their Wisdom Rich Bilz of Henry Schein and Todd Matthews of McKesson reflect on decades in distribution, offering insights on persistence, partnerships, training, and mentorship for the next generation. Â In the fast-paced

world of med/surg distribution, seasoned sales representatives carry a wealth of knowledge shaped by years in the field, mentorship, and firsthand experience navigating an ever-changing industry.

In two recent Repertoire Magazine podcasts, publisher Scott Adams sat down with longtime distribution veterans Rich Bilz of Henry Schein and Todd Matthews of McKesson Medical-Surgical to hear their stories, insights, and advice for the next generation of reps.

January 2026

From career highlights to lessons learned on the road, both Bilz and Matthews share what it takes to succeed, the mentors who shaped their paths, and the memorable moments that make a career in sales both challenging and rewarding.

The following were some key takeaways from those conversations.

18

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Show Up, Follow Through, Succeed

In an industry reshaped by consolidation, digital outreach, and tighter hospital formularies, one thing remains constant for distributor sales reps: relationships matter.

For Rich Bilz, a veteran Henry Schein rep who’s been in the field since the early 1990s, the connections he’s built with manufacturers aren’t just a part of his career – they’re the foundation of it.

From learning firsthand through a close family member, also a manufacturer rep, to navigating a landscape where physician practices are absorbed into hospital systems, Bilz has seen the industry evolve.

Through it all, he’s learned that persistence, follow-through,

and adding value beyond price are what turn routine transactions into lasting partnerships.

In the following story, Bilz shares insights and lessons for young reps entering the field – and for anyone seeking to understand why personal relationships still drive success in healthcare sales.

Power in partnerships For Bilz, the relationships built with manufacturers over decades have been foundational to his career.

“Knowing the reps and having that relationship is huge,” Bilz told Repertoire Magazine.

“Number one for training reasons, number two, for respect – for their job and ours. It also

helps from a lead standpoint. But I’ve always tried to understand the position they’re in.”

That perspective comes from experience – and even from home. Bilz’s family member works as a manufacturer rep, giving him a firsthand look at the balancing act they face. “She gets torn between distributors. She’s got to be politically correct, play fair in the sandbox with everybody. I understand their jobs, and I’ll be the first one to back out if it’s a competitive situation.”

The sales landscape has changed dramatically since Bilz started in the early 1990s. Consolidation has reshaped territories, with hospital systems absorbing once-independent physician Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

Henry Schein’s Rich Bilz explains why face-to-face interaction, persistence, and adding value matter more than ever in today’s healthcare sales landscape.

19

Distribution

practices. As a result, opportunities to sell directly to practices have shrunk. “Now the number of accounts we can place in is fewer and farther between,” he said. “You’ve got to scratch a little deeper.”

That’s where manufacturer partnerships become critical.

Working with trusted reps opens doors, provides insights into hospital formularies, and ensures distributors stay positioned for future opportunities.

For young reps, Bilz has clear advice: “They’ve got to know them all – the major players, the ones you’re selling every time.

Because once these manufacturers get on a hospital formulary, you’ve got to be in the know.

You’ve got to help them.”

Persistence pays off For distributor reps just starting out, success doesn’t come from shortcuts. According to Bilz, the keys are persistence, consistency, and an unwavering commitment to customer relationships.

“They’ve got to be persistent in what they do,” Bilz said.

“Nobody knows you’re out there when you’re young. You’ve got to get out there and knock on doors.”

While more business is being conducted online, Bilz argues face-to-face interaction still matters – often more than ever. Meeting with lab technicians, office managers, and physicians in person builds familiarity and trust. “They’re going to remember you,” he said. “When they need something, they’ll say, ‘Call Scott. He’s our rep.’”

January 2026

“ If you beat your competition on price, you’re going to lose them on price.

Be the differentiating factor that makes the doctor want to buy from you.”

20

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

For Bilz, being visible is only half the equation. Adding value beyond price is what separates lasting partnerships from transactional ones. “If you beat your competition on price, you’re going to lose them on price,” he explained. “Be the differentiating factor that makes the doctor want to buy from you.”

That means responding quickly, no matter how small the request. “If a nurse calls saying she’s out of toilet paper, that’s her emergency. If you don’t call her back, she won’t call you back on the strep test or flu test either.”

Follow-through is equally critical. Rather than sending out quotes and hoping for the best, Bilz advises giving customers clear next steps. “Say, ‘Here’s the quote. I’ll follow up next Monday.’

That keeps the process moving and prevents competitors from stepping in.”

The personal touch also makes reps stand out in a crowded digital world. “Think about social media – you scroll past endless ads,” Bilz said. “If all you’re doing is online outreach, you become another ad. Face-toface is different. Make it fun. Get to know your customers.”

Bilz recalls a lesson from Repertoire Magazine co-founder and former manufacturer rep Brian Taylor, who once introduced the then-new thermoscan thermometer during a casual office visit. “He made it fun, showed how it worked, and we couldn’t believe it. I sold hundreds of those. It stuck because he brought value and excitement.”

For young reps today, the formula hasn’t changed: show up, follow through, bring value, and make it personal. Persistence and presence, Bilz insists, will always open doors.

Innovation that moves at the speed of care.

Now activating across U.S. distribution with a growing portfolio of rapid LFA diagnostics.

PHASE Scientific is expanding its footprint across the distribution landscape—bringing a robust and

Our portfolio includes:

rapidly growing lateral flow assay (LFA) portfolio to

→ Respiratory testing

the partners who keep point-of-care moving.

→ Infectious disease detection

From respiratory and infectious disease to GI health and toxicology, our diagnostic solutions are built for accuracy, speed and ease of adoption. And we’re just getting started. Our innovation pipeline is stacked with next-generation assays designed

→ Gastrointestinal health screening → Women’s and men’s health solutions → Toxicology testing → Emerging pipeline innovations

With more coming soon.

to help distributors win more business and deliver more value to their customers.

If you’re looking for a diagnostics partner built for momentum, scalability and long-term growth— meet PHASE Scientific Americas.

Partner with PHASE Explore our portfolio and what’s coming next

MKT-MC-0094 v.1.1

phasescientificamericas.com

Distribution

From Warehouse Floors to Physician Offices: A Sales Veteran’s Guide McKesson Medical-Surgical’s Todd Matthews recalls the hands-on lessons, mentors, and manufacturer partnerships that shaped his approach to client success.

Todd Matthews, a veteran sales representative with McKesson Medical-Surgical, has spent decades navigating the med/surg industry, learning its nuances, and building relationships that last.

From the early days of handson warehouse training to modern digital onboarding, Matthews has seen firsthand how effective sales training shapes reps into trusted partners for physician offices.

In his career, he has collected lessons that go beyond product catalogs, from the value of mentorship to the importance of strong manufacturer relationships.

He recently shared with Repertoire Magazine insights on what it takes to thrive in healthcare sales – not just to sell products, but to deliver solutions that make a real difference for customers.

January 2026

Hands-on learning Sales training has always been about more than memorizing product catalogs. It equips representatives with the tools, confidence, and real-world skills needed to deliver value to physician offices.

Matthews remembers his early days in the industry when onboarding looked very different. New hires were not just trained in classrooms. They were immersed in the warehouse, pulling orders, memorizing product

22

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

numbers, and learning which manufacturer made what. “We learned product numbers, memorized product numbers, memorized the manufacturers who made Band-Aids,” Matthews said.

The work was hands-on, intense, and fast-paced, but it forced newer reps to develop a foundation of product knowledge and adaptability that would serve them in front of customers.

Training did not stop at logistics. Reps studied stacks of literature in the evenings, preparing

for tests and role-playing difficult customer objections. This environment helped them think on their feet, building the resilience and problem-solving abilities they would need when speaking with busy physicians. As Matthews put it, “They were going to throw objections on you that you would never dream about, that you were able to listen to, handle and make mistakes. And that is going to happen in this industry.”

Today’s training looks different with the help of digital

Mentors make a difference Mentorship plays a critical role in shaping distributor sales representatives, giving them the skills and knowledge to make a real difference for their clients. Matthews reflected on two mentors who had a lasting impact on his career and approach to serving customers.

His first sales leader at Med-Surg taught him how to turn even the most challenging tasks, like cold calling, into opportunities to help clients. “If you go in there with a playful attitude that you’re just there to help fill the need, it becomes different,” Matthews said. The leader emphasized consistency, reliability, and perseverance. He encouraged him to always follow through on promises, whether returning calls or delivering a price list, and to maintain a steady, professional approach that built trust with clients.

Another influential mentor demonstrated the power of putting the customer first. Matthews recalled how that leader would go to great lengths to solve client problems, sometimes

personally delivering products to ensure immediate needs were met. This hands-on dedication taught him that client relationships go beyond transactions – they are about responsiveness, accountability, and prioritizing the customer’s success.

Through these mentors, Matthews gained more than sales techniques; he learned mindset and approach. The lessons in perseverance, creativity, reliability, and client commitment became the foundation for his ability to add value in physician offices.

By passing on these principles to newer reps, experienced mentors ensure that each representative is equipped to not just sell, but to make a meaningful impact for the clients they serve.

networks. Still, the principles of collaboration endure. Spending time with manufacturers – whether riding along on calls, sharing lunches, or picking their brains – gives reps insights they can’t get from manuals or emails.

Newer reps, he said, should listen closely to manufacturer pitches, mimic effective techniques, and understand how products are best positioned to meet customer needs.

These interactions build more than product knowledge; they cultivate trust and rapport.

When a client has a unique question or a last-minute challenge, a rep who has nurtured strong manufacturer relationships can quickly access answers and solutions. Matthews noted that

Reps must be prepared not just to sell, but to add value. By grounding them in product knowledge, teaching them to navigate challenges, and instilling a customer-first mindset, training ensures that reps can walk into a physician’s office and be seen as a trusted partner.

Ride-days Manufacturer ride days remain a cornerstone of building strong distributor relationships, even in today’s fast-paced healthcare environment. Matthews emphasized that partnering with knowledgeable, responsive manufacturer reps is critical to delivering value to clients.

“Years ago, they were always in your territory,” Matthews said, noting that the landscape has shifted, with many manufacturers now part of independent

manufacturers often turn to reps they trust to follow through on opportunities, creating a competitive advantage for those willing to invest in the partnership.

In short, manufacturer ride days are about learning, observing, and building credibility. They equip distributor reps with the tools and confidence to serve physician offices efficiently, respond to questions with authority, and stand out as trusted partners in a crowded marketplace.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

tools, but the principle remains the same. Reps must be prepared not just to sell, but to add value.

By grounding them in product knowledge, teaching them to navigate challenges, and instilling a customer-first mindset, training ensures that reps can walk into a physician’s office and be seen as a trusted partner.

Ultimately, sales training is about preparation, helping reps understand that their job is not only to deliver products but also to deliver solutions that make a physician’s day easier and their patient care stronger.

23

Distribution

CME Corp. Strengthens Partnerships, Expands Sales Organization at 2025 National Sales Meeting  CME Corp. brought together its nationwide sales force, key vendor partners, and leading equipment planners at its annual National Sales Meeting (NSM), held once again at the Marriott in Newport, Rhode Island. The event drew remarkable engagement across all sectors of the organization, reflecting CME’s ongoing growth and evolving role in the healthcare equipment space.

In total, over 150 CME team members attended the multi-day gathering, along with more than 60 manufacturing partners. The event generated 700 business exchange conversations – an alltime high – and concluded with an awards dinner for more than 225 attendees.

A major highlight of the meeting was a panel discussion featuring seven equipment planners from four prominent firms

– Adams Management Services Corporation, Criterion Systems Inc., Hoefer Welker Architecture, and Shen Milsom & Wilke. For CME, whose work is built on collaboration with planning firms and healthcare providers, the panel underscored the evolving needs of project partners across the country.

“Our equipment planning partners are among the most strategic relationships we maintain as a company,” said Keith Olson,

VP Regional Sales, who spoke with Repertoire Magazine following the event. “CME’s business model was designed around supporting both these planning firms and the mutual end users we serve together on large-scale projects.”

Olson added that the panel discussion offered meaningful visibility into how planners’ workflows and priorities are changing. “The panel discussion – with seven equipment planners representing four leading firms – was an invaluable opportunity for our sales team to gain insight into their evolving processes, priorities, and challenges. Staying aligned with their needs allows us to adapt quickly and continue delivering meaningful value to both planners and customers alike.”

A year of major sales organization growth

January 2026

The event also provided the opportunity to spotlight CME’s rapidly expanding sales organization. Over the past year, CME has significantly strengthened and diversified its sales infrastructure to support growing demand across healthcare and life sciences customers.

“Our sales organization has undergone significant growth and

24

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Vendor collaboration remains central With 700 structured business exchange conversations taking place over the course of the event, vendor engagement remained a core theme of the NSM. According to Olson, these interactions play a direct role in CME’s ability to deliver value to healthcare systems.

“Our manufacturing partners are just as vital to CME’s success as our end customers, and ongoing collaboration is key to mutual growth,” he said. “Through these conversations, our team reaffirmed the importance of constant, proactive communication with vendors to identify new ways to work together on equipment needs and project solutions that benefit healthcare facilities nationwide.”

Face-to-face access was also a differentiating factor this year. “The meeting provided our account managers with the

opportunity to meet face-to-face with 25 of our most strategic vendor partners,” Olson said.

“These conversations produced actionable next steps by territory, giving our teams clear direction and momentum to follow up on new initiatives immediately.”

He emphasized the long-term value of these interactions: “We fully expect these connections and commitments to drive growth and strengthen partnerships well into the coming year – helping CME continue to deliver exceptional results and customer value across our national footprint.”

Building culture through team connection Beyond meetings and business sessions, CME carved out time for team building at Newport Vineyards, where attendees enjoyed vineyard tours, a corn hole tournament, and trivia. The relaxed setting, Olson said, helped strengthen the sense of unity that defines CME’s culture.

“CME’s executive team leads by example when it comes to balancing professional development with fostering our collaborative culture,” Olson noted. “They understand that while training and education are essential, the spirit

of teamwork and connection is what truly sets CME apart.”

Collaboration, he added, is embedded in the sales team’s dayto-day work. “Our sales organization thrives on collaboration and peer support – team members regularly help each other tackle complex customer challenges. Events like our gathering at Newport Vineyards help reinforce those bonds, ensuring that collaboration remains a core part of CME’s DNA.”

Looking ahead With new roles, new regions, and expanded market focus, CME’s sales team enters the coming year with ambitious goals.

“Our top priorities are continued growth and deeper partnerships,” Olson said. “That means expanding into new accounts while also strengthening existing relationships by finding fresh ways to bring value to customers nationwide.”

He emphasized that this will include outreach across broader areas within current customer organizations: “This includes building relationships with new departments within existing client organizations, engaging with new manufacturing partners, and developing even closer collaboration with our current vendors.”

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

evolution this past year,” Olson said. “We successfully integrated the Storage Systems Unlimited team into CME’s national sales organization, expanding both our expertise and customer reach. In addition, we’ve grown our commercial sales team considerably – adding new account managers and expanding from four sales regions to six to better support our rapidly growing healthcare customer base.”

He added that CME is investing even more deeply in specialized markets: “We’ve also made strategic investments in specialized sales roles, particularly focused on the life sciences market, which represents an exciting new area of opportunity and growth for CME.”

25

Sales

Why the Best Story Always Wins A blend of field-trip training, deep listening, and relentless curiosity has helped Jim Niekamp turn unmet needs into breakthrough innovations, and transform reps into advisors customers can’t live without

 “Owning the relationship,” is not a clever marketing phrase to Jim Niekamp. It’s a philosophy

he’s lived by for decades, one he learned from mentors, history, and even family. Don Kitzmiller, one of Niekamp’s early partners, used to quote Theodore Roosevelt: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” That quote became the foundation for what Jim and his colleagues call Owning the Relationship – going above and beyond a typical business connection to truly invest in a customer’s success.

January 2026

Niekamp recalls Scott Fanning, another partner and influential figure in his career, studying the history of companies, both in business and beyond. Examining military organizations, sports teams, and corporations that domi-

26

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

nated their fields, Fanning noticed a common thread: the ones that endured were the ones that built deep, invested relationships with the people they served. It wasn’t enough to have a relationship; to thrive long-term, you had to own it.

He illustrates the point with a story from outside his own industry. His father-in-law, a pioneer in robotics, had helped build companies like FANUC, Adept, and Motoman. But he didn’t measure success by his own achievements.

original Dow List are on the Dow Jones List today – the ones that last are those that make themselves indispensable, not by profit alone, but by caring enough to own the relationships that matter.

Reflecting on distributor reps Niekamp’s work with distributor sales representatives spans decades and reflects a deep commitment to elevating the role of the rep from a logistics-focused representative to a trusted consultant. In the early days of the industry, most reps came from warehouse backgrounds. Their primary focus was ensuring the right products reached doctors’ offices on time, with little proactive engagement in equipment sales. Capital equipment was generally sold only when a practice

credibility and trust from their customers. Doctors began to see them as knowledgeable partners capable of guiding decisions on labs, equipment, and broader operational improvements.

Niekamp emphasizes that the philosophy is akin to training a professional athlete: fundamentals matter. For sales reps, that means mastering every step of the sales process and knowing customers so well that they can creatively support their success.

While much of Niekamp’s later work with 95 Share shifted to corporate training, the foundation was always the same – investing in others, especially distributor reps, to enhance their skills, expand their influence, and ensure they became indispensable advisors to their customers.

By turning training into an adventure, Niekamp, and his partners have crafted a program that inspires curiosity, rewards observation, and instills a mindset where learning is never over. opened or expanded, and reps were valued primarily for their reliability in delivering products.

Seeing an opportunity to transform this model, Fanning and Kitzmiller developed programs to train reps on sales processes and product expertise. Using their own products as examples, they helped turn distribution reps into consultants who could lead with capital equipment, advise on practice expansions, and offer insights that went beyond mere fulfillment. Through initiatives like the Power Meeting program, reps sometimes doubled their monthly sales, gaining

Unforgettable lessons Niekamp has always believed that learning should be unforgettable.

He often recalls his own school days when the only classes that really captured his attention were gym and field trips. “I learned more on a field trip than I ever did sitting in that classroom,” he says. The excitement of getting out of the classroom, of seeing and experiencing something new, stuck with him. He carried that philosophy into his work at 95 Share, creating training programs that feel less like lectures and more like adult field trips designed to teach business principles in ways that stay with you forever.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

One day, he pulled Niekamp aside and said, “None of us are successful because of ourselves.

We’re successful because there’s a lot of other people that want us to be successful. Your job in life is to make as many people successful as possible, and you’ll be surprised at how hard they’ll work to make sure you are.”

That advice shaped Niekamp’s philosophy. In practice, owning a relationship means caring more about your customer’s success than your own. It means constantly finding ways to make them more efficient, more effective, and more innovative.

Sometimes that comes from your product; more often, it comes from your knowledge. A great representative shares insights gleaned from other customers, offering suggestions and guidance that make a real difference.

Niekamp remembers the reps who excelled most – they were welcomed into every account, invited to share ideas, and trusted with critical conversations. They didn’t just sell; they became indispensable, like an unpaid extension of the customer’s own team. That kind of relationship, Niekamp says, is the fair advantage in business.

It’s a philosophy he carried from Midmark to 95% Share and beyond. “If you hear us talk about owning the relationship,” Niekamp says, “this is what we mean: an extreme focus on helping our customers succeed, building trust, adding value, and ensuring that we are not just a vendor but a true partner in their success.”

In a world where businesses come and go – for example, not one of the 13 companies on the

27

Sales

January 2026

On the very first day, participants might find themselves at the Field Museum in Chicago, far from the bustling crowds on the main floors. Niekamp leads them to the third floor, a restricted area where millions of artifacts are stored, most of which are never seen by the public. As participants wander among ancient relics and rare specimens, Niekamp ties each object to lessons about capturing and keeping customers for life.

One stop always leaves a lasting impression. The flesh-eating beetle room is both fascinating and slightly unsettling. The beetles, used since the time of Aristotle, are the most efficient way to clean meat from bones for research. Niekamp points out, “It’s the most efficient, most effective, most innovative way, and it’s free.” He pauses as participants observe the process, noting that humans could safely put their hands in the aquaria without danger. “They only care about dead,

28

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

long since dead meat,” he adds with a smile.

Niekamp draws the connection to business. Companies and teams must always look for the most efficient, most effective, and most innovative ways to work.

Sometimes that means discovering something new, and sometimes it means revisiting ideas that have stood the test of time.

Unlike traditional training where binders gather dust and most lessons are quickly forgotten, these experiences stay with participants.

“It’s not a scenario where I don’t know what to do, it’s “am I going to implement it?” he says.

By turning training into an adventure, Niekamp, and his partners have crafted a program that inspires curiosity, rewards observation, and instills a mindset where learning is never over.

Participants leave the museum with lessons they cannot forget, and a vision for how to bring innovation and efficiency into

every aspect of their work and their careers.

Stories stay with you Niekamp has spent decades in sales and leadership, but the core of his philosophy is surprisingly simple: the best story always wins. It’s not about the flashiest product, the lowest price, or the most aggressive pitch. It’s about understanding the customer’s world so deeply that you can see the pain points they don’t even articulate – and then crafting a solution and a story about how your product or service can make their life easier, better, and more successful.

He often references Steve Jobs for inspiration. “There’s a misnomer out there,” Niekamp says, recounting Jobs’ philosophy. “Everybody thinks you’re supposed to develop some kind of neat new technology and then figure out a creative way to market it. It’s all wrong. You have to find the unmet needs, the pain points, and then develop the technology to fulfill those needs.

That’s when you have something that’s truly successful.”

That mindset became the foundation for 95 Share’s principles behind Best Story Always Wins. Niekamp and his colleagues studied what truly differentiates clients and how sales representatives could translate those stories into daily outreach. It’s about digging beneath the surface, observing behaviors, and understanding the friction points that frustrate customers the most.

He recalls a particularly striking example from his time at Midmark. The company had previously introduced several successful products: box style tables,

ONE SWAB THREE RESULTS BinaxNOW™ COVID-19/Flu A&B

Provides results in just 15 minutes, enabling clinicians to diagnose and treat patients in a single visit

One swab for COVID-19, influenza A and influenza B

Simple test procedure designed for decentralized testing – no instrument required

ANTIGEN TESTS IN THE BINAXNOW™ PRODUCT FAMILY

COV I D -19 I F LU A&B I R S V I S . P N E U M O N I A E I L E G I O N E L L A

WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR CUSTOMERS. REACH OUT TO YOUR ABBOTT REPRESENTATIVE TODAY.

Abbott. BinaxNOW COVID-19/Flu A&B IFU. ISC03411 © 2025. All rights reserved. All trademarks referenced are trademarks of their respective owners. Any photos displayed are for illustrative purposes only.

RDx-25004899 12/25

Sales

power tables, and tabletop sterilizers. The results were remarkable.

The box style tables went from less than 10% to over 95% market share in about a decade, and the power tables reached the same dominance in about half that time. When it came to tabletop sterilizers, they entered a market with four entrenched competitors and captured 50% of the market in a short period of time, eventually approaching 95% share.

But Niekamp and his team knew that success was not just about developing products. “We

had to open the door to let residual steam escape, or the paper-wrapped instruments would remain damp. It was a small task, but at the end of a long day, it became too tedious.

Staff would be chained to the sterilizer, waiting 45 minutes for the sterilizing to finish before they could open the door to allow the drying cycle to start. Some even had to arrive early the next morning to ensure instruments were ready for the first procedure. “Doctor, I’m not staying late. I promised my son I’d be at the ball game,” one staff member explained.

January 2026

By observing, asking, and listening, sales reps learn to identify the unmet needs that matter most and then craft a solution and a story that demonstrates not just product features, but tangible relief from the frustrations and inefficiencies that plague daily work. weren’t hitting anything that was really exciting the marketplace,” he recalls. Distribution reps weren’t enthusiastic, and users weren’t raving. They needed a process to understand unmet needs. They found a book called Customer Visits by Edward MacQuarrie, which suggested cross-functional teams observe and interview ideal customers to uncover inefficiencies and frustrations. Niekamp and his colleagues applied this approach to sterilizers, despite having never developed one before.

They conducted 30 interviews with medical and dental practices across the country. One of those interviews revealed a pain point that changed everything. An office manager described how, every time a sterilization cycle finished, they

30

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

This qualitative insight became the seed for an innovation: an automatic door opener that allowed staff to release steam at the touch of a button, letting the sterilizer complete its cycle without tying anyone down. Suddenly, the sterilizer wasn’t just a tool; it was a solution that addressed a critical, previously overlooked frustration. Sales reps could now tell a story that resonated with every staff member, not just the doctor. The story had real weight, because it reflected the daily reality of their audience.

Niekamp points out that competitors, even long-established companies like Pelton and Crane, missed this insight. “They weren’t in the office. They didn’t ask,” he says. “You have to be in the trenches to understand your customers better than they understand

themselves.” This approach embodies the Best Story Always Wins principle. By observing, asking, and listening, sales reps learn to identify the unmet needs that matter most and then craft a solution and a story that demonstrates not just product features, but tangible relief from the frustrations and inefficiencies that plague daily work.

He compares it to Starbucks, which transformed a 50-cent cup of coffee into a $6 experience.

It wasn’t the coffee itself that captivated customers, but the entire story and experience built around it. “It’s more than just the product,” Niekamp explains. “It’s all these other things that you incorporate to help make life significantly better for the customer.”

For sales representatives, the lesson is clear: find the pain points, observe the workflow, and understand what truly matters to the customer. Then, craft a story that makes them see your product or service as the solution they didn’t realize they needed.

By doing so, reps become trusted consultants, not just vendors, and customers become advocates.

Niekamp concludes with a guiding principle that underpins everything: “If you don’t have a process for understanding your customers better than they understand themselves, you’re going to miss opportunities. True best stories come from observing, listening, and uncovering those unmet needs. That’s how you win, consistently and sustainably.”

Through this philosophy, Niekamp has reshaped how sales teams approach the market. The lesson is timeless: technology and products are important, but the story that resonates with the customer always wins.

It Takes an Innovator and a Leader To Pack This Many Features Into an Apron Want the utmost in safety and efficacy for your customers?

Only Wolf delivers with the broadest line of aprons and accessories that exceed radiation requirements of your hospital, clinic and practice customers... while providing the most professional look to their patients.

` Available in standard lead, lightweight lead and lead-free

` All sizes, from pediatric and small to XX large ` Collars, apronettes, lumbar support belt, and scoliosis stole also available

` Convenient breast pocket for pens, papers, clips, etc. ` Custom sizes available upon request ` Custom embroidery and logos available ` Available in a host of colors and patterns

Wolf X-Ray Corporation 133 Wolf Road • Battleboro, NC 27809 • info@wolfxray.com 631.242.9729 • 800.356.9729 • Fax: 631.242.1001 www.wolfxray.com

Sales

The Courage to Ask Most reps don’t fail because of product or price.

They fail because they dodge the one moment that matters most: asking the courageous question.

By Brian Sullivan

 It happened in a tiny conference room that smelled like burnt January 2026

coffee and old carpet – the kind of place where either deals go to die or great reps are born.

I was shadowing a young rep named Marcus. Smart kid. Talented.

Funny. The kind of guy who could charm the security guard, the receptionist, and the office fish tank on the way in.

32

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

We were meeting with a longterm care administrator – a nononsense type with a jawline that said, “Don’t waste my time.”

Marcus opened strong. Built rapport. Rolled through the product. He was humming like a rep who’d practiced.

And then … the administrator hesitated.

Just a flicker. A moment where her expression shifted – not rejection, not approval, just … something.

You know the look. The “there’s more here but I’m not offering it” look.

Marcus saw it. I saw it.

And instead of asking the obvious question, he froze. He filled the silence.

He talked, explained, and PowerPointed her to the brink of escape.

She nodded politely and said the five words every rep dreads: “Let me think about it.”

We walked out.

“She just wasn’t ready,” Marcus said.

“No,” I told him. “You weren’t.”

Because all he had to do – the only thing he had to do – was pause, breathe, lean in, and ask: “I saw your reaction there. What’s on your mind?”

One brave question.

One moment of courage.

One second of discomfort.

He didn’t ask it. And because of that, he lost the truth – and the deal.

Most reps don’t lose because the product is wrong, or the budget is tight. They lose because they avoid the question that needs to be asked.

This is the year that changes.

This is the year we reclaim the most underrated, career-defining skill in selling: The courage to ask.

TODAY’S COMPREHENSIVE DRUG TESTING ANSWERS

Trusted solutions for your drug detection and monitoring needs, including point of care devices, laboratory reagents and instrumentation.

iSCREEN™ URINE TEST DX DRUG SCREEN SQUARE CUP

iSCREEN™ ORAL FLUID TEST DRUG SCREEN SWAB

IMMTOX 270 BENCHTOP SCREENING ANALYZER

TO ORDER, CONTACT ABBOTT CLINICAL L AB SOLUTIONS 855-425-9428 | CLS_SALES@ABBOTT.COM iScreen is for professional in vitro diagnostic use only. © 2024 Abbott. All rights reserved. All trademarks referenced are trademarks of either the Abbott group of companies or their respective owners.

Any photos displayed are for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in such photos is a model. COL-26359 v1 10/24

UP TO 25 URINE HEIA™ TOXICOLOGY SCREENING REAGENTS

Sales

The questions that change everything Most reps ask questions – until the real moment comes.

The client hesitates, the tone shifts, or the expression changes.

That’s when reps retreat into safety.

And that’s when courageous questions separate the elite from the exhausted.

Courage is asking: ` “What’s the real challenge here?” ` “Who else signs off ?” ` “What went wrong the last time you tried this?” ` “Why now?” ` “What are you worried about?”

Clarity demands action.

Clarity removes the illusions we hide behind.

But clarity is the only path to control.

You can’t influence what you don’t understand.

Courage isn’t confrontation – it’s care Courageous questions aren’t aggressive – they’re respectful.

They tell the customer: “I care enough to get to the real issue.”

Clients don’t want a perfect rep.

They want an honest one.

A human one.

Someone willing to say, “Let’s talk about what’s really going on.”

Courageous questions make your stomach tighten – because the answers might complicate things. They might add friction or expose a truth you hoped wasn’t there.

These questions don’t just uncover information.

They uncover honesty.

And selling begins where honesty begins.

Why we avoid asking

January 2026

Courageous questions make your stomach tighten – because the answers might complicate things.

They might add friction or expose a truth you hoped wasn’t there.

Reps don’t fear rejection.

They fear clarity.

Because clarity demands responsibility.

34

The one-question-deeper rule Most reps ask one good question.

Great reps ask one more.

Customer: “Our team is too over-

whelmed to switch.”

Average rep: “Totally understand

– let’s reconnect later.”

Courageous rep:

` “What’s overwhelming them?” ` “For how long?” ` “What’s the cost of that?” ` “What’s the ripple effect?” ` “Who else feels it?”

The first answer is never the real answer.

Courage lives one layer deeper.

Comfort is the enemy Comfort kills more deals than competitors ever will.

Comfort says: “Don’t ask that –

you’ll look pushy” or “Don’t ask that – they’ll think you’re inexperienced.”

Courage says: “Ask it. The truth is the only thing that moves this forward.”

You want shorter sales cycles?

Cleaner pipelines?

More closable opportunities?

Ask the brave questions.

This year, choose courage Courageous reps win not because they talk better or pitch better – they win because they’re willing to hear the truth.

They step into the moment most reps avoid.

They lean into tension instead of dodging it.

They ask the question that changes the temperature of the room.

This year, be that rep.

Be the rep who digs deeper.

Be the rep who brings clarity.

Be the rep who asks boldly, bravely, and courageously.

Because clarity creates confidence.

Confidence creates momentum.

Momentum closes deals.

And momentum starts with one thing: The courage to ask.

Brian Sullivan, CSP, is the Founder of PRECISE Selling, and founder of The PRECISE Selling and PRECISE Performers, helping companies train, coach, and outsource top-tier sales talent. Learn more at www.preciseselling.com.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Leadership

The Power of the Pen Embracing handwritten communication in a digital world.

By Pete Mercer

 There’s something powerful about receiving a handwritten letter in the mail. This seemingly

small act of kindness feels like a seismic shift in a digital world – in an era of digital convenience where the entire world is only a phone call, text, or FaceTime away, someone has taken the time to write a note by hand and send it to you in the mail. Not so long ago, this was a common occurrence. Now, this is reserved for special occasions, and even then, people will typically default to digital communication.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s hard to replicate the intentionality that goes into writing a letter to someone.

Rod Gray, a seasoned sales expert currently serving as the national corporate account director at Drylock Technologies, Ltd., and speaker, author, and recipient of the Repertoire/HIDA Excellence in Sales Award in 2006, has just written a book about the unique power of receiving handwritten letters in today’s environment. INK: Discover the Power of the Pen in a Digital World is Gray’s invitation to rediscover and embrace the lost art of handwritten communication. Repertoire Magazine sat down with Gray to discuss his new book, what makes handwritten communication so effective, and why it’s so difficult to build connections in a digital world.

Rod Gray

What is it about handwritten notes that convey a deeper meaning? For Gray, it’s all about the unique charm and emotional resonance that digital communications can’t fully replicate. Even as tools like artificial intelligence continue Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

The power of handwritten communication

35

Leadership

to grow and learn, they still can’t match the personalization or even the humanity found in handwritten communication.

“One of the key elements is the personal touch that handwriting offers,” he said. “When someone takes the time to write a note or letter by hand, it reflects their effort and intention, making the message feel more sincere and heartfelt. This physical representation of one’s thoughts carries an authenticity that can be felt by the recipient, establishing a deeper connection.”

or family member – whoever I’m sending it to – they will always recognize it and they always say how much that meant to them.”

Building connections in a digital world

January 2026

“ By taking the time to express genuine thoughts and gratitude, medical sales professionals can create memorable experiences that resonate beyond typical digital interactions such as emails and texts. This not only enhances customer loyalty, but also humanizes the sales process, reminding clients of the personal touch that a handwritten message brings, even in an increasingly digital world.”

Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, helped to instill the traditional Southern value of writing “thank you” notes for everything (something that he gratefully attributes to his mother), which Gray carried into his business. The truth is that while writing notes and letters for loved ones is a meaningful way to communicate, it’s also a powerful business practice.

After meeting with a customer, Gray will follow up with a note on his customized stationery to thank them for their time.

Some of these sales cycles can last a long time, so Gray would

36

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

also include something creative like giving them a piggy bank with some money in it, representing the money that they would save by becoming one of his customers. The follow-up in sales is critical to close deals, but leveraging a creative decision with the followup might be that extra step that seals the deal.

“There’s not a time, and I’m not being braggadocios, but there’s not a time here when I have done those types of things that it hasn’t worked. Almost every time that I send a handwritten correspondent to a prospective or current customer, friend

One of the rising challenges in this digital landscape is building connections with the people around us. Culturally, we are more connected through digital means, yet somehow more divided than ever before. Handwritten letters and notes build a sort of bridge between people during a time when it’s more difficult than ever to connect.

Gray said, “Digital communication often lacks the depth and emotional nuance that come with face-to-face interaction or handwritten messages, making it harder to establish genuine connections.” Digital platforms can easily build barriers around people, leaving them to say things that they wouldn’t usually say in person, or even allowing them to avoid vulnerability with each other. Gray argues that this can prevent deeper relationships from forming, creating a sense of fatigue or disengagement with other people that is detrimental to building relationships.

Because digital communication and AI tend to favor speed and convenience, it often results in a less thoughtful exchange that can lack emotional depth. In fact, AI is seen by a lot of people as an emerging threat, especially as it continues to take in information. While it can be a powerful tool to simplify work processes, it’s no replacement for human connection.

“The act of handwriting engages a different cognitive and emotional process. Writing

Applying these principles in the real world Because he comes from a sales background, Gray encourages medical sales reps to apply the principles from INK to help them navigate the many challenges that come from selling in the medical field. The importance of personalized communication and relationship-building cannot be ignored in the digital age.

Incorporating an old-fashioned approach to a fast-paced, modern sales environment is critical to setting yourself apart from the rest of your competition. With so many products, tools, devices, and technology that perform the same tasks at roughly the same level, your ability to

set yourself apart in this kind of environment will determine whether potential customers will remember you or not.

Just by looking at Gray’s creative approaches to capturing his customer’s attention (i.e. the piggy bank coupled with the personalized stationery and business cards), you can get a bigger picture of just how to implement some of these principles in your own work. These extra steps go a long way to developing a sense of trust and a baseline relationship with your customers, helping them to feel valued and appreciated.

“By taking the time to express genuine thoughts and gratitude, medical sales professionals can create memorable experiences that resonate beyond typical digital interactions such as emails and texts. This not only enhances customer loyalty, but also humanizes the sales process, reminding clients of the personal touch that a handwritten message brings, even in an increasingly digital world,” Gray said.

A changing industry In 2006, Gray won the Repertoire/ HIDA Excellence in Sales Award, the industry’s most prestigious award that goes to a top-performing distributor sales representative and manufacturer sales representative. Throughout his 30-plus year career, Gray has seen the industry go through significant changes, ranging from the rise of online ordering to navigating a global pandemic.

Gray’s mission statement is even more important considering he’s seen how the rise of digital communication has impacted the industry, both for good and bad.

He argues that the reliance on emails, text messages, and even AI for communication, coupled with online ordering and the consolidation of companies across the industry, pushed the industry into a transactional business model. Through this book, he emphasizes that incorporating the personal touch of handwritten communication can enhance relationships and create meaningful connections in what has become a transactional environment. Genuine, thoughtful interactions still have value.

He said, “As a result of the pandemic, new communication technologies like Teams and Zoom calls were rapidly introduced, further diminishing the frequency of personal interactions, face-to-face meetings, and joint sales calls that were once foundational to relationshipbuilding in the medical industry.”

This transformation is one of the foundational reasons why Gray wrote INK in the first place.

His goal is not to advocate against or even remove these tools from a rep’s toolbox, but to instead embrace a personalized approach to communicating with each other. The two mindsets – digital and analog – can work together in concert to make us better at what we do, but we have to be willing to take that extra step when it matters most.

Copies of INK: Discover the Power of the Pen in a Digital World can be purchased at inkpowerofthepen.com or Amazon. Rod Gray is available for speaking engagements and coaching workshops through his website. If you have firsthand experience with the power of handwritten communication, you can share your story at inkpowerofthepen.com by clicking on the Share Your Story button at the top of the page.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

by hand requires more time and attention, allowing the writer to reflect on their thoughts and feelings as they translate them onto paper. This intentionality results in messages that are often more thoughtful and meaningful,” Gray said.

In addition to being a thoughtful exchange, handwritten notes and letters are tangible, tactile items that the recipient can hold onto and cherish, unlike digital messages that pile up in your email inbox. Just like family Christmas cards and wedding invitations are often put on the fridge in your home, handwritten notes can be kept and revisited as a comforting memory. “The ability to preserve and revisit a handwritten message adds to its significance,” Gray said.

37

What’s Next in Healthcare Could these ideas catch on and lead to lasting change in the industry?

January 2026

A

s healthcare strains under rising costs, clinician burnout, and systems built around volume instead of value, a wave of innovators is challenging the status quo with bold, people-centered solutions. From a primary care model that replaces transactions with relationships, to a patient advocate redefining what it means to be an active partner in care, to employers uniting to reshape how healthcare is purchased and delivered, the following approaches point to a system in transition. The question now is whether these ideas represent incremental progress, or the foundation of lasting change in how care is experienced, financed, and delivered.

38

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026 Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

39

What’s Next in Healthcare

Redesigning Primary Care Around Relationships

January 2026

How the Stanford Coordinated Care model improved outcomes, reduced costs, and restored joy in medicine.

Early in his career, Dr. Alan Glaseroff and his wife Dr. Ann Lindsay – his longtime medical and professional partner – saw firsthand the evolution of primary care from an independent, community-based model to one increasingly burdened by administrative complexity.

“When we started in the early 1980s, our overhead was about 25% of revenue,” he said. “By the time we left for Stanford, it was

40

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Dr. Alan Glaseroff

up to 65%,” driven by growing documentation requirements and insurance denials that added layers of work to patient care.

During his time practicing primary care in Humboldt County, Dr. Glaseroff led a landmark community-wide effort to improve diabetes outcomes.

With support from the California Health Care Foundation, his team built a shared registry of 8,300 patients – representing 95% of

and tend to overlook the complex needs of patients with multiple chronic conditions.

The Stanford model centered on transforming medical assistants into care coordinators – also known as community health workers – who help patients navigate appointments, medications, and daily health challenges.

“They go by different names,” he said, “but it’s the same essential job: helping people manage their lives so they don’t keep ending up in the hospital.”

Launching the program required navigating Stanford’s intricate ecosystem of hospitals, health plans, and academic departments. The clinic’s initial focus was on the top 5% of patients predicted to account for 50% of healthcare spending.

These patients often had multiple illnesses and high utilization rates, making them ideal candidates for intensive, coordinated care.

First steps The Stanford Coordinated Care program is rooted in one deceptively simple step: listening.

Before the clinic even opened, they interviewed potential patients from across Northern California – people who had received care through Stanford, Kaiser, Sutter Health, or private practices – and asked what wasn’t working in their healthcare experiences. The responses shaped everything that followed.

What they heard was frustration. Patients felt unseen, unheard, and overwhelmed by a fragmented system that treated their illnesses but rarely addressed their lives. “We started by asking, ‘What’s bad about the care you’re getting?’”

Dr. Glaseroff recalled. “And we built from there.”

At the time, Stanford University had only about 15 primary care physicians for its 33,000

The SCC model was structured on the belief that patients can take control of their own health. Instead of simply prescribing changes, care coordinators helped patients define goals and take small, achievable steps.

By spring 2012, the Stanford Coordinated Care clinic opened its doors. Supported by senior hospital leadership, the program became a test case for how academic medical centers could deliver compassionate, cost-effective care. “The U.S. spends twice as much on healthcare as any other country,” Dr. Glaseroff said. “Our mission was to prove that focusing on the people who need the most help could actually make the whole system work better.”

employees. The Glaseroffs needed to create a new model – one that could deliver deep, personal care, especially for patients with multiple chronic conditions.

Instead of hiring typical medical assistants, they sought out individuals who had shown a desire to go above and beyond for patients.

These medical assistants – renamed care coordinators – were drawn to healthcare by a desire to Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

all residents with diabetes in the county. Over eight years, the initiative reduced deaths from diabetes by 29% in Humboldt, while across California there was no reduction in deaths over the same period.

That success caught the attention of Dr. Arnold “Arnie” Milstein of Stanford University’s Clinical Excellence Research Center, and a national leader in high-value care. Dr. Milstein recruited Dr. Glaseroff and his wife to help build on those lessons through a new model of coordinated, team-based primary care. Dr. Glaseroff ’s work began in Humboldt as “Priority Care,” evolving into what would become Stanford Coordinated Care, a program designed to support patients with complex chronic conditions while reducing costs and improving quality – a continuation of Dr. Glaseroff ’s lifelong mission to make healthcare both compassionate and sustainable.

When Drs Lindsay and Glaseroff arrived at Stanford University in 2011, they were tasked with designing an entirely new kind of primary care program – one that would challenge traditional incentives and focus on patients with the greatest health needs. The primary goals were to improve outcomes and reduce costs for Stanford’s own employees, a diverse population that ranged from groundskeepers and custodians to professors and Nobel laureates.

“The key challenge,” Dr. Glaseroff said, “was the payment model. Misaligned incentives make it hard to do the kind of work that really helps patients.”

Traditional fee-for-service systems reward volume, not coordination,

41

What’s Next in Healthcare

help others. But in traditional settings, their compassion was often considered time-consuming and inefficient. At SCC, that empathy became their greatest asset. Care coordinators received special training in behavioral health, motivational interviewing, and patient coaching. They sat in on visits, scribed notes into electronic records, and built genuine relationships with patients.

“Half their day was spent seeing patients; the other half was spent checking in on everyone else – calling, texting, finding out how people were doing,” Dr. Glaseroff explained. “Because what happens between visits matters more than what happens during them.”

Designing care around patients’ lives

The SCC model was structured

January 2026

Patient participation in their own health care

42

Dr. Alan Glaseroff emphasizes that patient participation is central to effective primary care. He points to the work of Kate Lorig, a nurse and Ph.D. who developed the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program at Stanford. This program empowers patients to manage their own health through peer-led group visits, rather than relying solely on healthcare professionals. Dr. Lorig’s approach demonstrates that patients can take an active role in their care when given the right tools and support.

Complementing this, Judith Hibbard, an emeritus professor at Oregon Health Sciences School of Medicine, developed the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), a validated tool that assesses a patient’s ability and confidence to manage their own health. PAM scores provide a clear way to predict which patients are likely to succeed in managing their conditions and which may need more intensive support. By combining Lorig’s strategies with PAM measurement, primary care teams can systematically improve patient activation, enabling individuals to take control of their health outcomes.

The foundation of these approaches lies in the psychological concept of self-efficacy, introduced at Stanford by psychologist Albert Bandura. Self-efficacy asks: can a person organize their life to manage their health effectively? By measuring and improving self-efficacy and measured through PAM, patients can progress from feeling helpless to confidently managing their conditions — even amid significant life challenges.

Dr. Glaseroff stresses that this focus on behavioral change is the core of primary care and the main driver of healthcare costs.

Yet, he notes a major barrier: the U.S. fee-for-service payment system, with short, underpaid visits, makes it nearly impossible to provide the time and support patients need to truly activate themselves. For Dr. Glaseroff, empowering patients is a measurable, replicable strategy that improves outcomes and reduces costs when implemented effectively.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

on the belief that patients can take control of their own health.

Instead of simply prescribing changes, care coordinators helped patients define goals and take small, achievable steps. A patient who wanted to start exercising, for example, would leave the visit with a concrete plan – what day, what time, and with whom – and a follow-up call to check progress.

This approach helped transform healthcare from a series of disconnected appointments into a continuous, supportive relationship. Patients were encouraged to explore how their past experiences affected their health. Every new patient was asked a single, open-ended question: “How was your childhood?”

That one question opened doors. Many revealed experiences of trauma, neglect, or abuse – factors now known to significantly influence adult health through the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) framework. About 40% of patients ultimately received behavioral health therapy at the clinic, often for trauma-related issues, depression, or anxiety.

Physicians, therapists, pharmacists, and care coordinators all worked together in one open space. “We called it Extreme Team Care,” said Dr. Glaseroff.

“Everyone was in the same room – 12 workstations around the walls, tables in the center. If I had a question about a patient, I could just turn around and ask.”

The clinic included a behavioral health specialist, a clinical pharmacist (especially valuable since 58% of patients had diabetes), and physical and occupational therapists. This integrated approach eliminated silos and allowed for rapid collaboration.

High HighThroughput ThroughputHematology Hematology Seamlessly SeamlesslyAutomated Automated

High Throughput Hematology Seamlessly Automated HORIBA HORIBA HORIBA& &&CellaVision CellaVision CellaVisionDeliver Deliver Deliverthe the theTotal Total TotalSolution Solution Solution Unmatched Unmatched UnmatchedSample Sample SampleThroughput Throughput Throughput

120 120 120samples/hour, samples/hour, samples/hour,CBC CBC CBCwith with with6-part 6-part 6-partdifferential. differential. differential.Reticulocyte Reticulocyte Reticulocytepanel panel panelwith with with five parameters and body fluid testing capability with 2-part differential. five fiveparameters parametersand andbody bodyfluid fluidtesting testingcapability capabilitywith with2-part 2-partdifferential. differential.

HORIBA & CellaVision Deliver the Total Solution AI-Driven AI-Driven AI-DrivenAccuracy Accuracy Accuracy Unmatched Sample Throughput

Leveraging Leveraging LeveragingAI-powered AI-powered AI-poweredYumizen Yumizen YumizenH2500 H2500 H2500analysis analysis analysiswith with with 120 samples/hour, CBC with 6-part differential.

Reticulocyte panel with CellaVision digital imaging for faster, more precise CellaVision CellaVisiondigital digitalimaging imagingforforfaster, faster,more moreprecise preciseresults. results. results.

five parameters and body fluid testing capability with 2-part differential.

Superior Superior Superior360° 360° 360°Mixing Mixing MixingAdvantage Advantage Advantage

AI-Driven Accuracy Achieve unmatched sample homogeneity, eliminating manual

Achieve Achieveunmatched unmatchedsample samplehomogeneity, homogeneity,eliminating eliminatingmanual manual pre-mixing—ensuring consistent, reproducible first run results.

Leveraging AI-powered Yumizen H2500 analysis with pre-mixing—ensuring pre-mixing—ensuring consistent, consistent, reproducible reproducible first firstrun run results. results.

CellaVision digital imaging for faster, more precise results.

Intelligent Intelligent IntelligentFlagging Flagging Flaggingfor for forConfidence Confidence Confidence

Advanced identify reducing Superior 360° Mixing Advantage Advanced Advancedalgorithms algorithms algorithms identify identifyanomalies, anomalies, anomalies, reducing reducingrerun, rerun, rerun,manual manual manual

reflex and confident clinical decisions. reflex reflextesting testing testing and andsupporting supporting supporting confident confident clinical clinical decisions. decisions. manual Achieve unmatched sample homogeneity, eliminating

MED-ADV-13460 MED-ADV-13460 MED-ADV-13460

pre-mixing—ensuring consistent, reproducible first run results.

Upgrade Upgrade UpgradeYour Your YourLife: Life: Life:Pair Pair Pairthe the theYumizen Yumizen YumizenH2500 H2500 H2500in ininan anan enhanced enhanced enhancedpartnership partnership partnershipwith with withCellaVision CellaVision CellaVisionDigital Digital DigitalImaging Imaging Imaging Intelligent Flagging for Confidence for for forSeamless Seamless SeamlessHematology Hematology HematologyWorkflow Workflow Workflow— —— Advanced algorithms identify anomalies, reducing rerun, manual Scan Scan Scanthe the theQR QR QRCode Code Codeto totocontact contact contactHORIBA HORIBA HORIBAtoday! today! today! reflex testing and supporting confident clinical decisions. © 2025 HORIBA, Ltd. All rights reserved. © 2025 © 2025 HORIBA, HORIBA, Ltd. Ltd. AllAll rights rights reserved. reserved.

888-903-5001 888-903-5001 888-903-5001

What’s Next in Healthcare

The clinic also applied Lean methodology, inspired by the Toyota Production System, to continuously improve processes. Each staff member was empowered to identify inefficiencies and propose solutions. “It was the most joyous place I’ve ever worked,” Dr. Glaseroff said. “Everyone loved it. And we had near-zero turnover – unheard of for medical assistants.”

January 2026

Data transparency and accountability

To track progress, the team developed a risk registry for patients – an interactive dashboard with roughly 50 indicators such as blood pressure, glucose control, and medication adherence.

Patients could see their results coded in red, yellow, and green. The visual simplicity inspired accountability.

“When we showed patients their charts, they’d say, ‘What’s all this red? I don’t like it,’” Dr. Glaseroff said. “We’d tell them, ‘That’s where you’re in danger.’ And they’d say, ‘I want to get the red out.’ We called it the Visine Moment.”

By making data visible and empowering patients to act, the clinic fostered a sense of ownership rarely seen in primary care.

Half of each day was intentionally left unscheduled, allowing same-day or urgent appointments. If a patient called in distress, they could see their care coordinator or provider immediately – often the same person they knew and trusted.

This eliminated much of the frustration that drives patients to emergency rooms.

44

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

The barrier, Dr. Glaseroff explained, isn’t clinical—it’s financial. “We live in a fee-forservice environment where there’s almost no incentive for primary care,” he said. In that system, long visits, monthly touchpoints, and home calls are considered inefficiencies, even when they keep patients healthier.

As a result, the clinic achieved extraordinary outcomes: ` ER visits dropped to near zero. ` Hospital admissions declined by more than 50%. ` Patient satisfaction reached the 99th percentile nationally, as measured by Press Ganey surveys.

For five consecutive years, Stanford Coordinated Care maintained top-tier rankings in both

quality and experience. Patients described feeling cared for as human beings, not just as cases or diagnoses.

A new vision for primary care

The clinic’s model reflected principles of human-centered design.

Every feature from appointment structure to team layout was shaped by real patient feedback.

“We gave people what they told

said, “where everyone – the staff and the patients – wanted to be.”

Spreading the model Dr. Glaseroff doesn’t just believe the Stanford Coordinated Care model can be replicated – he’s seen it happen.

One of the clearest examples, he said, was at Bellin Health in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where physician burnout had reached a breaking point. Doctors were threatening early retirement, disillusioned by long hours, paperwork, and the emotional toll of fragmented care. “They said, ‘Can you fix that?’” Dr. Glaseroff recalled.

Bellin leaders came to Stanford for intensive training, learned the coordinated care model, and brought it back home. “Once it got implemented, the doctors rescinded their retirement letters,” he said. “It was the most joyous place to work I have ever been.”

The model wasn’t just about happier doctors – it created better teams and stronger patient relationships. Dr. Glaseroff described how every member of the care team, from physicians to medical assistants, had a shared purpose rooted in listening, empathy, and patient activation. He recalled how

About the program Drs. Alan Glaseroff and Ann Lindsay launched Stanford Coordinated Care (SCC) in 2012 to provide comprehensive care to high-risk, high-cost employees and dependents of Stanford University. As a service of the self-insured health plan, SCC aims to reduce hospital and emergency room use, improve care quality, and enhance patient health and satisfaction. All Stanford employees and their dependents, from support staff to faculty, are eligible to participate.

one patient, after recovering from a life-threatening condition, told him, “You saved my life. I love you. Can I give you a hug?” But what moved Dr. Glaseroff most was what came next: the patient asked, “Will Delilah still be here?” referring to his care coordinator.

“That mattered as much to him as me,” he said. “That’s team care.”

Over several years, Stanford’s Coordinated Care Center became a training ground for others – 15 organizations came to learn its methods. The results were consistent: less burnout, higher satisfaction, and more meaningful patient outcomes. Still, scaling the model nationwide remains difficult. The barrier, Dr. Glaseroff explained, isn’t clinical – it’s financial. “We live in a fee-for-service environment where there’s almost no incentive for primary care,” he said. In that system, long visits, monthly touchpoints, and home calls are considered inefficiencies, even when they keep patients healthier.

Dr. Glaseroff contrasted that reality with Medicare Advantage, where he said the profit motive often undermines patient-centered innovation. “The way to control costs is to have people do better,” he said. “And it’s by focusing on the top 5% who drive half the spending each year.”

For Dr. Glaseroff, who has lived with type 1 diabetes since early in his career, the lesson is deeply personal. “I understood what it was like to be a patient,” he said. That experience shaped his conviction that activating and empowering patients – through listening, empathy, and peer support – is the key to better care.

“Stop scaring people,” he often tells clinicians. “Start helping them believe they can succeed.”

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

us they wanted,” Dr. Glaseroff said. “That’s the secret.”

The program’s success drew national attention. The LindsayGlaseroffs were invited to present at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), where they led “learning laboratories” for hundreds of participants eager to replicate the model. Working with the Pacific Business Group on Health, they secured a $19 million federal grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to expand the approach to 23 medical organizations across five states.

At its core, Stanford Coordinated Care proved that redesigning primary care around empathy, teamwork, and patient empowerment could dramatically improve outcomes, and joy in practice, without increasing costs.

“The U.S. healthcare system is built around transactions,” Dr. Glaseroff reflected. “We built ours around relationships. Once patients know they’ve been heard, they trust you. And when they trust you, they get better.”

For Dr. Glaseroff and his team, success wasn’t just about lowering hospital admissions or achieving top patient scores – it was about restoring meaning to medicine. “We created a place,” he

45

What’s Next in Healthcare

Dave deBronkart: “Let Patients Help”

January 2026

After surviving a terminal cancer diagnosis, Dave deBronkart turned his experience into a global call for partnership between patients and providers.

In January 2007, Dave deBronkart was diagnosed with stage IV, grade 4 renal cell carcinoma, with a median survival estimate of only 24 weeks. Rather than passively accepting the prognosis, he immersed himself in patient communities online, researched treatment options, and accepted a clinical trial of high-dose interleukin-2, which ultimately led to a long-term remission.

During his process of care, he discovered that patients could play a far more active role in their health journey by being informed, involved and proactive – not just passive recipients of care. He connected with the “e-patient” movement (patients who are empowered, engaged, equipped and enabled) originally articulated by Dr. Tom Ferguson, and embraced that role himself. In 2009 and onward he emerged as a global keynote speaker on patient engagement and participatory medicine.

Today, deBronkart – often known by his online handle “e-Patient Dave” – is a prominent patient advocate, speaker and writer whose personal journey transformed into a mission for patient empowerment: the idea that patients should have access to their data, the ability to understand and ask meaningful questions, and the opportunity to participate as partners in their

46

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Dave deBronkart

care rather than simply follow orders. He champions transparent health-care data, open access to medical records, and a shift from a paternalistic model toward a collaborative model (“Let Patients Help”).

He emphasizes that being an “e-patient” isn’t about replacing doctors or rejecting their expertise – rather, it is about joining forces with clinicians, so that the patient becomes a valuable resource in the health-care system rather than an under-used one.

In the following interview, deBronkart discussed the keys to patient empowerment in the U.S. healthcare system.

Repertoire: What role should health systems and clinicians play to support patient empowerment – and where should they step back? deBronkart: Recognize that

although you’re a business, it’s the patient who has the most at stake, and has the most to lose

Repertoire: How do you think policy or regulation (e.g. around data access, interoperability, privacy) needs to change to make real patient empowerment feasible at scale? deBronkart: Empowerment has

many dimensions, but I’ll just talk here about empowerment in the sense of the patient being fully informed. For that, we need real dashboards that summarize the thousands and thousands of data points. And to feed a dashboard, we need data that flows freely to the point of need.

Today that’s far from reality: very few providers have fully enabled automatically sending a patient’s data anywhere, on demand. This keeps patients (and their other providers) in the dark.

Repertoire: How should we think about equity in empowerment – ensuring that marginalized or less-resourced patients aren’t left further behind? deBronkart: Well, there’s no

“ensuring” for anything cultural and especially not for anything involving resources. What we can do is firmly state our values – and strive. To strive for equity. What we can do is make it as practical and simple as possible for people to get at their medical information, so it’s not just such a damn struggle. We can act like we actually want them to have it, so they can help themselves.

Repertoire: Do you have stories or evidence where empowered patients have driven innovation,

policy change, or quality improvements in care? deBronkart: Well heck, the whole

data access policy change was driven by empowered patients!

There’s me hollering “Gimme my damn data” in my TED Talk and in speeches, there’s Regina Holliday grieving her husband Fred, and more.

Repertoire: Looking ahead 5-10 years, what would an ideal “patient-empowered” health ecosystem look like? deBronkart: When patients have

full power, they’ll be able to pursue things autonomously if they want. Doctors and nurses will still be plenty busy, but the burden on them will be less, and patients will be able to do more themselves, especially with the help of better and better chatbots.

Repertoire: How do you see the role of artificial intelligence or machine learning in helping (or harming) patient autonomy and decision-making? deBronkart: It’s the natural

next step. The Web and digital health tools have vastly increased how much information we can have, but it’s been hard to know what it all means. For that, generative AI is a profound transformation.

Repertoire: How do you foresee the relationship between patients and clinicians changing in a more empowered model of care? deBronkart: Everyone’s talking

about the new triad of care, and they’re right. AI will be a third partner. It won’t replace doctors, but it will sure offload a lot of the gruntwork.

Triad of Care A new triad of care refers to a model in healthcare where patient care is increasingly managed by three key partners instead of the traditional two (doctor + patient). In this context: 1. The doctor (or clinician) – the medically trained professional, often the driver of most decisions.

2. T he patient (or family/caregivers) – sometimes passive, but increasingly often an active participant in preferences and priorities.

3. G enerative AI (artificial intelligence) – the new third partner - the first automated tool ever that has clinical reasoning and access to vast literature. Used by both clinicians and patients, its roles can range from intake interviews to data analysis to triage to fact checking - though the AI itself must be fact-checked too.

AI isn’t there to replace physicians but to complement them.

By offloading both “grunt work” and initial patient interactions, AI makes care more efficient, provides timely support to patients, and allows doctors to focus on critical thinking, patient interaction, and complex decision-making.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

if all does not work out well.

Some patients WANT to be taken care of passively. Others want to understand what’s going on.

47

What’s Next in Healthcare

Addressing Rising Employer Healthcare Costs The Healthcare Transformation Alliance formed in 2015 to address increasing healthcare costs for private employers.

January 2026

By Jenna Hughes

While private insurance covers many working Americans, public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid account for the majority of healthcare utilization in the U.S. In contrast, employerprovided health plans represent a significant share of healthcare spending and revenue for insurers, meaning employers often subsidize the healthcare system without directly benefiting, even as their costs continue to rise.

48

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

To address rising healthcare costs for employers, the Healthcare Transformation Alliance was formed in response to a 2015 Call to Action by the American Health Policy Institute, which indicated that employers were ready for a new approach to securing better health coverage for their employees. That year, four founding members came together to create a cooperative, establishing an alliance focused

on developing an employer-centric healthcare model.

“Formed 10 years ago by four companies including American Express, Macy’s, Caterpillar, and Verizon after sharing the view that they were paying too much for healthcare and not getting the quality they were looking for; the Alliance negotiates high-value care at favorable terms,” said Robert Andrews, CEO of the Healthcare Transformation Alliance (HTA).

healthcare status quo to drive better health outcomes for employees and their families covered by selfinsured employer health plans,” said Andrews.

Data driven healthcare Hospitals and supply chains have an inherent conflict of interest in sharing market information publicly, said Andrews, which has for many years resulted in the healthcare sector lacking the kind of market information necessary for employers to make informed decisions.

the healthcare industry where employers should get this crucial market information,” said Andrews. “So, what HTA is trying to do is find a way that our consumers, the patients, are able to have better insight into the healthcare market.”

HTA has gathered over 5 million lives worth of data, with numbers going as far back as five years in the HTA data aggregate – a tool that the organization uses to determine and identify highvalue care versus low-value care.

Now, a cooperative of more than 75 large U.S. companies with self-insured health plans, HTA represents more than 5 million people in the U.S. “These companies felt that by coalescing their bargaining power and their data and growing into a larger Co-Op, they’d be able to make a change,” said Andrews.

“Our most active members have seen a trend over the last five years of about two and a half percent in a market where the trend had been eight, nine or ten percent.”

A decade after its formation, HTA continues to work to negotiate the rising cost of healthcare, a top concern among employers and employees by targeting existing practices in the supply chain so healthcare costs for employers don’t spiral further out of control.

“With members across the U.S., we are disrupting the

“Imagine if you were in the market to buy the best used car, and you didn't know how a Honda stacks up next to a Toyota, but you also didn't have a convenient service such as Kelly’s Blue Book to see what used cars are really selling for. Or imagine the real estate market without Zillow.com,” said Andrews.

“In these cases, the consumer wouldn’t be able to do a very good job buying a high value used car or a house.”

Harnessing the power of data is essential to fixing a broken healthcare system, according to HTA. Combined data from each HTA member company provides insights into the fluctuating value of health insurance far beyond what a single company can produce on its own.

“Without the HTA data platform, it’s not really clear in

“The Healthcare Transformation Alliance collects data from our members and then negotiates agreements with providers to supply high value care at favorable terms and conditions because of our size,” said Andrews. “Active members have achieved better results, lower costs and reduced readmission rates, and have done so at a significantly lower cost.”

HTA’s unique, aggregated data tracking provides immediate, actionable insights to optimize its self-insured employer benefits strategy.

“HTA Members’ healthcare benefits are more effective and affordable because we improve the quality and efficiency of care for their employees and their families through data,” said Andrews.

“Every employer shares the goal of wanting the best care at a fair price. You can’t define either one Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

“ When you combine consolidation of hospitals and insurers with the expansion of public programs, it results in more cost shifting toward non-government payers like employers and commercial health plans.”

49

What’s Next in Healthcare

of those if you don’t know the market, and you don’t know the market without data.”

Healthcare insurers and innovation The U.S. healthcare landscape has undoubtedly shifted in the past decade, especially for employers. As time has gone on, there has been a greater call for transparency from insurers and healthcare providers.

“As public programs expand, the troubling shift in the past decade has been that more costs are being passed through to commercial payers and as a result there is less competition among providers,” said Andrews. “When

you combine consolidation of hospitals and insurers with the expansion of public programs, it results in more cost shifting toward non-government payers like employers and commercial health plans.”

At the same time, Andrews said that a positive shift for employers looking for more affordable healthcare options is the pace of innovation within healthcare.

“Out of every problem comes an innovation – because there is the problem with rising cost and stagnant quality, you get innovators that come along and try to address these needs with effective, thoughtful solutions in the marketplace to address

issues in diabetes management, behavioral health, drug adherence, musculoskeletal health and much more,” said Andrews.

In fact, HTA reported a 21% lower total cost of care for highly engaged members versus the HTA risk-adjusted benchmark, as well as 25% fewer readmissions and 6% fewer complications for highly engaged members versus other HTA cohorts.

Therefore, a collaborative model between employers not only enhances market-related data collection but also serves to further accelerate ongoing healthcare innovation.

“The simple answer as to why a cooperative model between employers works is scale. There are innovators who have come along that do a good job of advising patients, such as steering patients away from unnecessary surgery, for example,” said Andrews. “We are market makers for the innovators, because we aggregate lives and revenue opportunities, and if they’re good, and they do in fact deliver high value care, then we contract them.”

Data improves health outcomes

January 2026

HTA has reported notable and significant improvements and success stories for its member employers that have meaningfully improved their employees’ health outcomes.

“A very large financial services company asked us to look at how they were doing on cancer care and total remission rates,” said Andrews. “For example, typical rates across our market show that total remission for cancer occurs about 40% to

50

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

and mental health professionals to reduce the wait time from six to seven weeks to five or six days for non-emergency behavioral health cases.”

When HTA looked further into data on the patients that utilize the new behavioral health system, the instances of patients needing emergency room visits or being checked into hospitals for behavioral health related claims were considerably lower.

“So, there’s a success story in behavioral health for us in that people who are depressed, anxious or otherwise in distress got seen earlier by competent, well-trained professionals,” said Andrews.

With ongoing consolidation among both health systems and insurers, it is necessary for employers to stay current in their understanding of technology innovation and market changes to maintain their negotiating power.

“Even if a company has a lot of negotiating power, if there is not a general understanding of the market, employers won’t know if they are getting a good deal or not,” said Andrews. “If employers believe $5,000 for a procedure to be a good price, but the rest of the market is paying $3,500, then they did not actually get a good deal, so keeping up with the changing market is important.”

“ I think there’s an opportunity going forward for employers to spend less money through the intelligent, ethical use of AI to achieve better health outcomes.”

Technology and emerging health models Andrews said that the biggest opportunity for employers to continue to meaningfully improve their employees’ health outcomes is through the implementation of emerging technology.

“We’re on the verge of a revolution in the way healthcare is delivered because of AI. I see healthcare evolving in a way where getting information about your healthcare and making choices will become more organic and native,” said Andrews. “I think there’s an opportunity going forward for employers to spend less money through the intelligent, ethical use of AI to achieve better health outcomes.”

When employers come together to negotiate, they are more successful than when they do not – collective negotiation allows employers to share data and leverage best outcomes going forward.

“With growing consolidation among healthcare providers, it is more important than ever for employers to coalesce.

There is power in numbers,” said Andrews. “Where there is oligarchy or monopoly within the healthcare system, employers must look for alternatives, and technology has the power to introduce competition where it otherwise might not have existed because of market condition.”

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

60% of the time. This specific company, however, had a 62% total remission rate.”

HTA looked at the financial services company’s market for spending, and found that they were in the 50th percentile, meaning that they were not necessarily spending more funds than others on cancer care.

“The way they achieved this number was by replacing their carrier with what’s called a third-party administrator, which is a cooperative to help them innovate,” said Andrews. “Working together, their innovations largely focused on patients getting screened for cancer earlier and more often, as early screening is the key to detection and remission.”

“Imagine saying at this moment, which this particular financial services company can say – that if you work for us, and God forbid you get a malignancy, you’re about 50% more likely to survive,” said Andrews. “They did it without spending a lot more money.”

Another example of HTA improving health outcomes with the use of data aggregation was in behavioral health – patient concern about behavioral health have been shown to have increased among patients in recent years and has been exacerbated by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite an increasing need for behavioral healthcare, for many patients, it can take up to seven weeks to be seen by a provider.

“With the issue of long wait times to be seen by a behavioral healthcare provider in mind, we were able to work with a partner of ours to build a network of 6,000 psychologists, psychiatrists,

51

Infection Prevention

global gloves market is trending upward. According to Grand View Research this product segment is growing at an estimated 8.5%. Comfort and quality matter.

Remember that your customers spend a great deal of time wearing gloves; they notice and are vocal on what works for them.

Hand hygiene: If you’re skipping

2026 Outlook: Infection Prevention What you need to know for the year ahead.

By Paul Girouard

January 2026

As we look ahead to 2026, the infection prevention category remains one of the most vital and resilient segments in the medicalsurgical market. From gloves and hand hygiene to vaccines and sterilization systems, these products are essential across every care setting. With continued growth projected and a steady stream of innovation, infection prevention is no longer viewed as just a cost of doing business – it’s a strategic investment in safety, quality, and operational efficiency. For new sales reps, this category presents an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact while building strong, solution-driven relationships with customers.

52

Why this category matters in 2026

` Healthcare acquired infections

(HAIs) continue to cost hospitals Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

serious money, both in patient outcomes and regulatory risk.

` More care is happening in

outpatient, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and home health

settings, so IP opportunities are found throughout healthcare.

` Innovation is accelerating:

think antimicrobial coatings, more advanced sterilization technology, single use instruments, smarter PPE.

` Sustainability and supply

chain resilience are now buyer priorities: fewer vendors just

selling bundles, more selling value and reliability.

Category by category snapshot Gloves: They represent the largest

piece of the category. And thanks to rising procedure volumes and broader IP awareness, the

this, you’re missing a conversational entry point. Hand hygiene is the foundation of most infection prevention programs. The best reps tie hygiene products to compliance, cost avoidance, patient safety and workflow.

Surface disinfection and instrument sterilization: As care

expands into non traditional settings, so does the need for robust cleaning protocols and sterilization workflows. Surface wipes continue to improve with new formulations, killing more pathogens, more quickly.

PPE and face masks: Respiratory

risk, procedure risk, and evolving pathogens mean PPE remains a high priority. “General PPE” market data also supports strong growth. According to one study it was estimated to be a $91.5 billion market in 2025.

Safety needles/syringes: Less

flashy maybe, but crucial. Sharps injury prevention, regulatory mandates, and growing outpatient/injection volume make this segment relevant.

Vaccines: Often treated sepa-

rately, but from an IP lens they’re foundational. Reps who align their product story with vaccine support add value.

What this means for a distribution sales representative You’re not just moving boxes, you’re solving problems. Here’s how to step up: ` Speak outcomes: Instead of “Here are gloves,” say “Here’s how you reduce cross contamination, protect staff and avoid cost of infection.” ` Bundle smart: Offer a combination of gloves + hand hygiene + surface disinfection to become a partner, not just a vendor. ` Use data and stories: Point to market growth and compliance pressure when you talk to buyers. ` Bring training and service: Be the rep who offers an in-service,

a refresher for staff, a checklist for hand hygiene compliance.

` Stay ahead of technology and

regulation: Know what’s chang-

ing (e.g., regulations, sustainability mandates, outpatient care expansion).

What to keep an eye on in 2026 ` New regulatory guidance around

infection prevention in outpatient/ ASC settings and home health. ` Procurement shifts toward value and outcomes. Buyers want more than price, they want reliability, service, and measurable results. ` Outbreak readiness and emerging pathogen risk will keep IP

spending relevant beyond routine procurement. ` Sustainability will become a selling point – not a nice to have – so eco friendly materials, recyclable packaging and supply chain transparency will matter.

Bottom line The infection prevention category for 2026 offers you a strong runway. If you sell it like it matters and help your customers, see how it does – you’ll win more calls, build deeper relationships, and position yourself as a trusted partner in safer care. That’s how you move from tactical to strategic solution selling.

Wash your hands.

NE V ER C H A NG E B AT T E R I E S * Maintenance Made Easy Saving time and money has never been easier.

PURELL® ES10 dispensers come with a fresh battery on every refill, making maintenance oh-so-simple.

Make Life Easier for Your Customers with Built in Batteries

Easy Starts Here!

GOJO.com/ES10 *Under normal usage conditions. ©2025 GOJO Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. | 343750 (12/2025)

ASC Product Spotlight

ASC Product Spotlight:

Improving Airway Management with the McGRATH MAC Video Laryngoscope

By Pete Mercer

January 2026

 Airway management is a significant source of anxiety for anesthesiologists working in an

54

ambulatory surgery center. Finding ways to reduce that anxiety is critical for the mental wellbeing and productivity of practitioners in these facilities. In a recent episode of the Medtronic ASC Insights podcast, host Saul Marquez spoke to Dr. Adam Thaler, Medical Director at Summit Health, about the value of using video laryngoscopy to improve airway management protocols in ambulatory surgery centers.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Your intubation Your intubation routine – reimagined. routine – reimagined.

Six reasons to reach for the ™ video McGRATH Six reasonsMAC to reach forlaryngoscope. the ™ McGRATH MAC video laryngoscope.

Performance: Performance:

attempt your best†1

attempt your best†1

Minimal material use:

disposable madeuse: with less Minimalblades material than 16g of transparent medical disposable blades made with less grade polymer than 16g of transparent medical grade polymer

Affordability: cost-effective for routine use, offering Affordability: cost-effective for routine use, offering and other VL devices§,5,6 and other VL devices§,5,6

Ergonomics: familiar, balanced design for intuitive Ergonomics: ease of use; VL may support a more familiar,and balanced design for intuitive upright relaxed intubation position‡,2 ease of use; VL may support a more upright and relaxed intubation position‡,2

Clinician safety:

VL supports safety: an upright intubation Clinician position‡,2 that creates distance between VL supports an upright intubation clinician ‡,2 and patient, helping reduce position that creates distance between clinician exposure to pathogens3,4 clinician and patient, helping reduce clinician exposure to pathogens3,4

Portability: handheld, cable-free, and durable Portability: ◊ with a simple power source handheld, cable-free, and durable with a simple power source◊

Discover why you should reach for the McGRATH™ MAC ™ video laryngoscope as partreach of your routine - for Discover why you should forintubation the McGRATH MAC pediatric to adult patients and routine to difficult airways: video laryngoscope as part of your intubation routine - for pediatric to adult patients and routine to difficult airways:

† Compared to direct laryngoscopy ‡ Compared to a more tense and stooped position associated with DL. † Compared to direct laryngoscopy §Direct laryngoscope (DL) and video laryngoscope (VL), as compared to the GlideScope VL. ‡ Compared to a more tense and stooped position associated with DL. ◊Based on REP352 Drop Test (Hand Held) of McGRATH™ MAC Video Laryngoscope (001-015-000 revision) §Direct laryngoscope (DL) and video laryngoscope (VL), as compared to the GlideScope VL. 1. Kriege M, Noppens R, Turkstra T, et al. A multicentre randomised controlled trial of the McGrath MAC videolaryngoscope versus conventional laryngoscopy. ◊Based on REP352 Drop Test (Hand Held) of McGRATH™ MAC Video Laryngoscope (001-015-000 revision) Anaesthesia. 2023;78(6):722-729. 2. Leifer S, Choi SW, AsanatiK, YentisSM. Upper limb disorders in anaesthetists-a survey of Association of Anaesthetists 1.

Kriege M, Noppens R, Turkstra T, et al.

A multicentre randomised controlled the McGrath videolaryngoscope versus conventional laryngoscopy. members. Anaesthesia. 2019;74(3):285-291. 3. Foley LJ, Urdaneta F, Berkow L, ettrial al. of Difficult airway MAC management in adult COVID-19 patients: statement by the Anaesthesia.

2. Analg.

Leifer S,2021;133(4):876-890.

Choi SW, AsanatiK, YentisSM. limb disorders in anaesthetists-a survey Association society of airway2023;78(6):722-729. management. Anesth 4. CookUpper TM, El-Boghdadly K, McGuire B, McNarry AF, of Patel A, Higgs of A. Anaesthetists Consensus guidelines members.

Anaesthesia.

2019;74(3):285-291.

3.

Foley LJ, Urdaneta F, Berkow L, et al.

Difficult airway management in adult COVID-19 patients: statement by for managing the airway in patients with COVID-19: Guidelines from the Difficult Airway Society, the Association of Anaesthetists the Intensive Care Society,the the society of airway Care management.

Analg.

4. Cook TM, El-Boghdadly K, McGuire B,5.

McNarry AF,Mohamod Patel A, Higgs A. Consensus guidelines Faculty of Intensive MedicineAnesth and the Royal2021;133(4):876-890.

College of Anaesthetists.

Anaesthesia.

2020;75(6):785–799.

Thaler A, D, Toron A, Torjman MC. Cost for managing the airway in patients with COVID-19: Guidelines from the Difficult Airway Society, the Association of Anaesthetists the Intensive Care Society, the comparison of 2 video laryngoscopes in a large academic center. JCOM. 2021;28(4):174-179. 6. Zhang J, Jiang W, Urdaneta F. Economic analysis of the use of Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine and the Royal College of Anaesthetists. Anaesthesia. 2020;75(6):785–799. 5. Thaler A, Mohamod D, Toron A, Torjman MC. Cost video laryngoscopy versus direct laryngoscopy in the surgical setting. J CER. 2021;10(10):831-844. comparison of 2 video laryngoscopes in a large academic center. JCOM. 2021;28(4):174-179. 6. Zhang J, Jiang W, Urdaneta F. Economic analysis of the use of ©2024 Medtronic.

Medtronic, Medtronic logo, andinEngineering the extraordinary are trademarks of Medtronic. All other brands are trademarks of a Medtronic video laryngoscopy versus direct laryngoscopy the surgical setting.

J CER. 2021;10(10):831-844. company. 05/2024 – US-RE-2400235 – [WF#11678976] ©2024 Medtronic. Medtronic, Medtronic logo, and Engineering the extraordinary are trademarks of Medtronic. All other brands are trademarks of a Medtronic company. 05/2024 – US-RE-2400235 – [WF#11678976]

ASC Product Spotlight

The difference between direct and video laryngoscopy Part of the challenge in today’s market is making the decision between direct laryngoscopy or video laryngoscopy; while both approaches might work, it’s important to look at the benefits of using video laryngoscopy to improve patient safety.1 Due to the development of video laryngoscopy, Dr. Thaler argues that intubation is much more accessible to clinicians than it was 10 to 15 years ago.

“I had an older colleague ask how to decide if they want a direct laryngoscope or video laryngoscope. Every facility can have a video laryngoscope now.

It’s commonplace, economical, and it makes sense. But what if your team needs to learn anatomy? You learn more by having an attending watch with a video camera of what they’re seeing with the arytenoids, vocal cords, and the epiglottis – they can learn from everything they’re seeing.”

January 2026

If you have a patient on the table and the clinical team is having trouble intubating, it wastes valuable time and resources that some ASCs just don’t have.

Essentially, the first attempt at intubation should be the very best attempt.1 Anything other than that is likely to increase airway management challenges during the procedure, threatening the health and safety of the patient. With a video laryngoscope, clinicians can create active learning opportunities for their less experienced colleagues.1 When looking for a video laryngoscopy solution,

56

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Dr. Thaler needed something that was easy to use, improved clinical outcomes with peerreviewed data,1 economically viable,1,2 portable, and reliable. This tool needed to be immediately accessible for less experienced practitioners,1 while relieving any anxiety over airway management for everyone in the facility.

Making the right decision Because of the high patient

turnover rate, the ASC setting requires clinicians to be quick on their feet. A key part of efficiency in these scenarios is leading with the right decisions about the right tools – it needs to fit the workflow and the needs of the clinicians that are using it.

Airway management is a critical part of the surgical process, ensuring that patients have an open and protected pathway for oxygen to enter the lungs and carbon dioxide to leave the body. Getting this right is crucial to improving patient outcomes.

This is especially important in ASCs because they don’t have the same resources as a hospital – there’s no safety net or backup team for support when something goes wrong.

Every time a patient goes under anesthesia for surgery, there’s a risk of failure. After witnessing a failed intubation at his previous job in a hospital setting, Dr. Thaler learned about the dangers of inadequate airway management. While the patient survived, it resulted in a complicated and costly ICU stay.3 He found that the entire situation could have been avoided by using video laryngoscopy.

He said, “If I’m not able to be successful, then unfortunately, the patient is not going to do well.”

Because of that experience, Dr. Thaler made video laryngoscopy one of his requirements for working with patients once he started working at Summit Health. His mandate required that every OR at Summit Health was equipped with video laryngoscopy and that every procedure used it for airway management.

“It was a requirement, not an ask or a want. It was a need that

Breakthrough isn’t just about shattering barriers—it’s about transforming challenges into opportunities for growth. At the 2026 PWH® Leadership Summit, we’ll explore how resilience and transformation shape true leadership, embracing setbacks as stepping stones to becoming stronger, more impactful, and more valuable. Together, we’ll celebrate the beauty in imperfection and reframe breakthroughs—not simply as moments of breaking through, but as experiences of mending, evolving, and emerging better than before.

Agenda At-A-Glance Monday, May 18th 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm

New Member / New Attendee Meet & Greet

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Opening Keynote: Kindra Hall

4:45 pm – 6:00 pm

Welcome Reception

6:30 pm

Dine Around West Palm Beach* - Intimate Networking Opportunity *Pay on your own

Tuesday, May 19th 6:00 am – 7:00 am

Morning Mindfulness

8:30 am – 10:45 am

Welcome, Leadership Insights & Awards

11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Programming

12:00 – 1:00 pm

Lunch

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Programming

4:15 pm – 5:15 pm

Speed Networking

6:30 – 9:00 pm

Networking Dinner

The content of the PWH Leadership Summit was relevant, instantly actionable, and inspiring!

The connections made are valuable to me personally and to my organization.

—First Time Summit Attendee, 2025

Wednesday, May 20th 8:15 am – 9:15 am

Leadership Panel

9:30 am – 11:00 am

Closing Keynote: Velera Wilson

11:00 am

Closing Remarks

Early Bird Pricing Ending 1/31/26 Register today to attend the industry’s only conference completely dedicated to inclusive leadership development.

Registration at mypwh.org/summit

Member

Non-Member

Early Bird

$845

$945

Regular

$945

$1,145

SAVE UP TO $200

Early bird rates valid until 1/31/26

ASC Product Spotlight

I would have a video laryngoscope, and the one that I preferred was the McGRATH MAC,” Dr. Thaler said.

The McGRATH MAC Dr. Thaler uses the McGRATH MAC video laryngoscope, because he needed something that was economical2 and safe1 for his ASC. The McGRATH MAC video laryngoscope is a portable, affordable,1 and ergonomic device that is designed with the clinician and the patient in mind. It improves first-pass intubation success rates for both experienced and inexperienced clinicians1, reduces the overall intubation times,4 and lessens negative complications from failed intubations.1 Not only can the clinicians count on a smoother intubation process with video laryngoscopy, but surgeries can also start sooner because the process is faster.5 If you have a patient on the table and the clinical team is having trouble intubating, it wastes valuable time and resources that some ASCs just don’t have. If the facility is going to be productive, the team needs to invest in a tool like the McGRATH MAC, according to Dr. Thaler Dr. Thaler found that the McGRATH MAC has a lower overall cost compared to some of the other video laryngoscopes2 on the market as well as lower costs than disposable direct laryngoscope blades when factoring in

Designed for the needs of an ASC Due to the size of the facilities and the number of patients that come through the door, ASCs have to be fairly lean and conservative with the decisions they make.

“I want to make sure that I have the best chance for success,” Dr. Thaler said. “It needs to be the best for my patients. It’s going to keep them safe and limit complications. So, for every intubation, we use a McGRATH MAC.” Dr. Thaler’s time carrying the device on call around Summit Health helped to eliminate his airway anxiety by working consistently with each new intubated patient.

One of the biggest deciding factors for Dr. Thaler came when he learned that patients who were VIP got the “special treatment” of video laryngoscopy for surgical procedures, in order to avoid damaging their teeth or injuring their lips. They got the best treatment because they were considered more important than other patients.

That didn’t’ sit well with Dr. Thaler, who then decided to incorporate the McGRATH MAC because it would improve the equity of care across his ASC. He wasn’t going to treat any patients better than others, so he picked the tool that can help him do that.

“Why wouldn’t you treat everyone that way? I want to treat all my patients the way that I want to be treated, the way that VIP is treated. I give all my patients the same care as if they were a family member.”

For trained personnel only.

For specific indications and instructions for use, please refer to the product manual.

Case study resource Are your customers looking for a video laryngoscope that is accessible, reliable, and portable? Share this article about the McGRATH MAC with your customers to help them find a solution that meets their needs: www.outcomesrocket.com/ascinsights.

January 2026

References

the entire cost structure.1 Additionally, incorporating video laryngoscopy into the surgical process creates indirect cost savings opportunities by streamlining and simplifying the intubation protocols1 – when the clinical team is intubating correctly the first time,1 there are much fewer mistakes across the board.

1. Kriege M, Noppens RR, Turkstra T, et al; EMMA Trial Investigators Group. A multicentre randomised controlled trial of the McGrath™ Mac video laryngoscope versus conventional laryngoscopy. Anaesthesia. 2023 Jun;78(6):722-729.

2. Thaler A, Mohamod D, Toron A, Torjman MC. Cost comparison of 2 video laryngoscopes in a large academic center. Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management. 2021 July;28(4):174-179 3. Moucharite MA, et al. Factors and economic outcomes associated with documented difficult intubation in the United States. Clinicoecon Outcomes Res. 2021;13:227–239.

4. Alvis BD, Hester D, Watson D, Higgins M, St Jacques P. Randomized controlled trial comparing the McGRATH™ MAC video laryngoscope with the King Vision video laryngoscope in adult patients. Minerva Anestesiol. 2016;82(1):30–35.

58

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Discover opportunities for the New Year— let’s create more success stories together.

If you’re organization isn’t working with us we would love an opportunity to help you in 2026!

Contact Aili Casey: 404-625-9156 acasey@sharemovingmedia.com

IDN Insights

Ever Vigilant Roper St. Francis’ formula for resiliency includes fostering collaboration with both suppliers and nearby health systems.

 When Doug Robertson reflects on his 23-year career at Charleston, S.C.-based Roper St. Francis,

one theme stands out: evolution. What began as a straightforward purchasing role has expanded into a dynamic leadership position overseeing purchasing, contracting, and supply services across four acute hospitals, multiple surgery centers, and more than 100 physician practices. Today, as director of Supply Chain, Robertson is responsible for ensuring that the health system’s 680 beds remain supported by a steady flow of supplies, a task that has grown increasingly complex in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing global uncertainty.

“We’ve always had the responsibility to make sure products are available at the right price and in the right place,” Robertson said. “But over the years, supply chain has been asked to take a much broader role. It’s not just about surgical packs or gloves anymore; it’s waste management, landscaping, courier services, etc.

We’re engaged in making sure every service agreement delivers quality and value.”

January 2026

Beyond single-sourcing One of the most significant lessons learned from the pandemic was the danger of depending too heavily on a single supplier. Before COVID, healthcare organizations often relied on primary vendor relationships to drive cost efficiency.

But when supply lines fractured, hospitals were left scrambling.

Robertson has intentionally shifted his strategy toward diversification. “We saw how critical it was to have formal relationships beyond our primary distributor,” he said. “We always had good informal ties, but now those are formalized. We’ve signed contracts, we do quarterly business

60

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Doug Robertson

reviews, and we’re engaging more deeply. That gives us options when disruptions hit.”

This new approach reflects a broader cultural shift, moving away from an exclusive costdriven mindset toward a more holistic view that values reliability, proximity, and resilience.

Robertson points to a Texasbased mask manufacturer that kept his hospitals supplied during the pandemic. “We saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by having that domestic partner,” he explained. “Sometimes the cheapest product isn’t the best choice if it leaves you vulnerable.”

Resiliency isn’t only about contracts – community matters too.

Robertson sits on the board of the South Carolina Society of Healthcare and Supply Chain, a network that began meeting during the pandemic. The group convenes supply chain leaders from across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia, along with national organizations and distribution partners.

“We wanted to make sure everyone had a voice,” Robertson said. “We brought in professors, national leaders, distributors, anyone who could help us understand what was happening and what we could do about it.”

The group paused temporarily but reconvened after Hurricane Helene devastated Baxter’s North Cove facility in North Carolina, which produces 60% of the nation’s IV solutions. “That was a wake-up call,” Robertson said.

“It reminded us how fragile the system still is.”

Since then, regular meetings have continued, offering a space for hospitals to share strategies, best practices, and early warning signs. “It’s been a great success and a great way for all the supply chain leaders across the state to touch base and just ensure we’re all engaged.”

Preparing for the unknown When asked about the greatest threats to supply continuity, Robertson doesn’t hesitate. “Geopolitical threats,” he said. “Tariffs, trade restrictions, and environmental disasters are what keep me up at night. The danger is that critical items, low volume but high acuity supplies like perfusion or dialysis fluids, get held up at

the border or cut off entirely. If that happens, hospitals don’t just struggle. They could be forced to shut down services.”

To mitigate risks, Roper St. Francis relies on constant vigilance.

Robertson’s team monitors open orders daily, maintains open lines with distributors, and taps into tools a predictive analytics platform used by their distribution partner.

“It’s proactive inventory analysis,” he explained. “If utilization ticks up slightly, we see it right away and can plan. For example, when adding

the relationships to bring everyone together when there’s a back order or recall. Within hours, we can make adjustments and ensure there’s no gap in patient care.”

Strong local networks also make a difference. “Working with supply chain leaders throughout South Carolina has been invaluable. We’re fortunate to have such strong connections – not just to share supplies when needed, but to exchange best practices and rely on each other for guidance and support.”

“ We’re fortunate to have such strong connections – not just to share supplies when needed, but to exchange best practices and rely on each other for guidance and support.” new surgeons, we know to scale custom pack production four to eight weeks in advance. That keeps our 30-day supply steady and prevents surprises.”

The health system also participates in Vizient’s Reserve program, a safeguard that sets aside critical supplies for participating members. “We haven’t had to use it yet, but knowing it’s there helps me sleep better at night,” Robertson said. “Pharmacy uses it regularly to stay out of the gray market, and it’s reassuring to know we’ve got that protection.”

Even with predictive tools and formalized contracts, Robertson stresses that resiliency ultimately comes down to people.

His supply chain team includes an RN who works side by side with materials management. “That’s been a game changer,” he said.

“She has the clinical insight and

Looking ahead If Robertson could wave a magic wand, he would increase domestic manufacturing capacity. “That would be the simplest path to resiliency,” he said. “But realistically, it’s not possible for every category. Some supplies are too costly or environmentally difficult to produce here. It’s a catch-22.

The price we demand is part of what drives production overseas.”

Still, Robertson remains optimistic. By fostering deeper partnerships, leveraging technology, and maintaining open collaboration across hospitals and suppliers, he believes healthcare can weather the uncertainties ahead.

“We can’t purchase our way out of every situation,” he said.

“Resiliency comes from vigilance, relationships, and the ability to react quickly. If we keep building those strengths, we’ll be ready for whatever comes next.”

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

Collaboration across borders

61

IDN Insights

IDN News UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh opens second behavioral health walk-in clinic

UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook is making a major investment to bring specialized care closer to home. The hospital announced a 15,000-square-foot expansion that includes two cutting-edge catheterization laboratories, designed to enhance cardiac and cancer treatment capabilities for the Bolingbrook community.

The new facilities will enable faster response times for cardiac emergencies, such as STEMI heart attacks, and broaden access to interventional radiology procedures, including image-guided biopsies and minimally invasive cancer therapies. These advancements aim to improve outcomes for patients requiring complex cardiovascular and oncologic care.

Construction is expected to be completed by September 2026, with services launching in early 2027. This strategic investment underscores the hospital’s commitment to innovation and meeting the growing healthcare needs of the region.

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, in collaboration with UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, has opened a second pediatric behavioral health walk-in clinic where children and teens up to age 18 can be seen for a variety of behavioral health concerns.

UPMC Children’s South Pediatric Behavioral Health Walk-In Clinic, on the first floor of Children’s South, provides a safe and welcoming environment for children and teens with mental health concerns to receive expert care. UPMC Children’s also operates a pediatric behavioral health walk-in clinic at the main hospital in Lawrenceville.

Therapists and psychologists are available for behavioral health assessments from 5 to 9 p.m., Monday to Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Children and teens, accompanied by a parent or guardian, can walk in for same-day care without an appointment and receive a one-time intervention plus referrals to resources.

NewYork-Presbyterian launches “Hospital at Home” Program

Surgery Partners and Baylor Scott & White Health form joint venture to expand access to care

January 2026

UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook expands access to advanced heart and cancer care

NewYork-Presbyterian has introduced its Hospital at Home initiative, designed to deliver hospital-level care in the comfort of patients’ homes. The program aims to improve recovery by creating a familiar, supportive environment while maintaining the same quality standards as in-hospital treatment.

Eligible patients – those recommended by a physician and living within 30 minutes of NYP’s Manhattan campuses – will receive comprehensive services including remote monitoring, imaging, pharmacy support, daily telehealth consultations, and twice-daily in-person visits.

Patients are also provided with devices to track vital signs, ensuring continuous oversight by the care team.

The program is voluntary and covered by Medicare, and NYP ensures continuity of care after discharge through medication adjustments, follow-up appointments, and ongoing health monitoring. This initiative reflects a growing trend toward home-based healthcare, prioritizing patient comfort without compromising clinical excellence.

Surgery Partners, Inc. and Baylor Scott & White Health have announced a joint venture to jointly own and operate The Physicians Centre Hospital in Bryan, Texas. This 16-bed facility will now operate under the Baylor Scott & White name, integrating its surgical and specialty services with one of the region’s largest health systems.

For national accounts executives, this move signals a strategic consolidation in the Texas healthcare market. The hospital’s broad service mix – including orthopedic, bariatric, ophthalmologic, gastroenterological, urologic, plastic, reconstructive, and pain management services – will now benefit from Baylor Scott & White’s operational scale and continuum of care. Patients will continue to receive care from their existing providers, minimizing disruption while improving access and coordination.

The joint venture also reflects Baylor Scott & White’s commitment to meeting growing community health needs in the Brazos Valley region.

62

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

Better Health Better Future Driven by innovation and backed by uncompromising quality, our extensive product portfolio meets the highest regulatory standards—delivering excellence you can trust. >

Traditional Wound Care

>

Advanced Wound Care

Scan to view products

For over 30 years, we have transformed the standard of care—accelerating product evolution, mitigating risk, and delivering solutions that drive better outcomes.

Together, we're building a better health system and a healthier tomorrow.

> Learn more at dukal.com

Health

A Critical Need The clinical importance of sustaining the nation’s blood supply.

 Nearly every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, according to the National Institute of

January 2026

Health’s (NIH) National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Blood donation is critical to carrying out many vital medical procedures – helping patients survive traumatic injuries, chronic illness, surgery, cancer treatment, complications during childbirth and more.

To remind people of the importance of blood donation, January is designated National Blood Donor Month in the U.S. It also encourages people to donate blood and recognizes the individuals who make blood donations. January is an especially vital month for this campaign, as winter is a time of increased risk for blood shortages in the U.S.

64

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

“When National Blood Donor Month was first observed in 1970, January was chosen because blood donations often decrease during the holidays and winter months,” said Dr. Claudia Cohn, Chief Medical Officer for the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB). “This is typically attributed to busy schedules during the

holiday season, inclement weather and cold and flu season. Yet, patients depend on blood donations year-round.”

Anyone can support critical medical care Blood donation supports critical medical care, and is an essential, life-saving therapy – with no substitute. A single individual’s blood

standards, accreditation and education programs,” said Dr. Cohn. “AABB is dedicated to its mission of improving lives by making transfusion medicine and biotherapies safe, available and effective worldwide.”

A steady national blood supply Hospitals are in constant need of donated blood for use in medical procedures. According to AABB, without a safe, adequate and

“These times of year can be challenging for the blood community, and many centers participate in special initiatives during these times to try to encourage donations,” said Dr. Cohn.

Blood donation campaigns are increasingly targeting younger generations – recent data show that in general, individuals from older generations are more likely to be regular blood donors compared with those from younger generations. Moreover, during the

donation can save up to three lives, according to the NIH. “Blood is medicine, and is used in the treatment of many patients, including victims of accidents or trauma, patients with certain cancers, patients with sickle cell disease, women who may have lost excessive blood during childbirth, people undergoing routine or scheduled operations and many others,” said Dr. Cohn.

AABB recognizes the importance of blood donation throughout the year as an international, not-for-profit association representing individuals and institutions involved in the field of transfusion medicine and biotherapies.

“The Association works collaboratively to advance the field by developing and delivering

readily available blood supply, countless patients would not have optimal care, which could compromise their treatment and health.

“Blood is a vital part of health care. The need for blood is constant – and the blood community works tirelessly to encourage people to donate throughout the year,” said Dr. Cohn.

“The winter months often see a decrease in blood donations, as do the summer months.”

Winter shortages are often due to cold weather and holiday travel, and summer month shortages are due to high school and college summer break, traveling in May through August and an increased demand for blood for due to a higher incidence of traumatic injuries, according to America’s Blood Centers.

COVID-19 pandemic, there were often shortages and significant fluctuations in both the need and supply of blood.

America’s Blood Centers, ADRP and the Association of Blood Donor Professionals found that donations from 16- to 18-year-olds and adults under 25 declined 61% and 32% between 2019 and 2021, possibly related to pandemic-related school closures, while donations from adults age 25-64 and 65 or older increased 14% and 41%, according to a guide highlighting changes in U.S. blood donation and use.

The percentage of first-time donors also fell from 31% to 26% between 2019 and 2021. In fact, only 3% of overall age-eligible individuals in the U.S. give blood each year, according to the NIH. Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

There is a need for ongoing blood donations from younger and more diverse populations to ensure the nation’s blood supply remains resilient. More eligible donors of each blood type and age category trying to donate blood contributes to a steady blood supply while preventing future shortages.

65

Health

“Blood shortages during the pandemic led to several urgent calls for blood donations. Today, the situation has improved and, in general, the blood supply in the United States is more stable,” said Dr. Cohn. “However, at any given time, there is usually only a few days’ supply of blood available, and any fluctuations in the need or number of donations could have significant effects on patient care.”

weeks, must weigh at least 110 pounds, be at least 16 years old and be in good health and feeling well on the day of donation, according to the American Red Cross.

“It’s the blood already on the shelves that saves lives in an emergency,” said Dr. Cohn.

“Blood needs to be collected, tested, processed, transferred and stored before given to a patient, so regular blood donation

January 2026

To provide ongoing support for both healthcare professionals and the national blood supply, AABB encourages all eligible healthcare professionals, employers and community organizations to participate in more frequent blood donations.

There is a need for ongoing blood donations from younger and more diverse populations to ensure the nation’s blood supply remains resilient. More eligible donors of each blood type and age category trying to donate blood contributes to a steady blood supply while preventing future shortages.

“The blood community continues to encourage eligible individuals of all ages to donate blood – and donate regularly,” said Dr. Cohn. “Doing so will help maintain a stable and adequate blood supply so that blood is always available for patients in need.”

Many people are eligible to donate blood; and blood donation is most often a safe and simple procedure. Eligible blood donors must not have donated blood in the previous eight

66

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

ensures a blood supply is already available when the need arises.”

New initiatives encouraging donation Recently, AABB has been developing new initiatives to support health care advancements that decrease the time from blood donation to transfusion for trauma patients.

The Standards for Emergency Prehospital and Scheduled Outof-Hospital Transfusions maintain and enhance the quality and safety

of services provided by emergency medical service (EMS) and out-of-hospital transfusion services (including infusion centers, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, hospice or home care settings), and provide the basis for accreditation by AABB. “In 2025, AABB unveiled a new Prehospital Transfusion Standards and Accreditation program to advance quality and safety in this important step forward in patient care,” said Dr. Cohn.

“AABB is committed to supporting the growing number of emergency medical service professionals who are improving the rate of survival for accident victims by providing emergency transfusions at the site of injury and enroute to the hospital.”

To provide ongoing support for both healthcare professionals and the national blood supply, AABB encourages all eligible healthcare professionals, employers and community organizations to participate in more frequent blood donations.

“Blood donation is a simple and quick act of altruism that can make a profound difference in someone’s life,” said Dr. Cohn.

“AABB reminds people that you can never know when blood will be needed – and that anyone could be a patient in need of a blood transfusion someday.”

Learn More Find more information about additional requirements for blood donation by visiting www.aabb.org/donate, or find the nearest blood collection facility and make an appointment to donate now.

HIDA

Building Resilience at Home Balancing domestic production with global sourcing is key to protecting patients and ensuring supply chain stability.

By Kathryn DiBitetto, Vice President of Government Affairs

 The U.S. medical supply chain is undergoing a strategic transformation. Manufacturers are priori-

tizing domestic production as part of a globally-diversified supply chain. This rebalancing reflects lessons learned from global disruptions over the last five years, and is being reshaped by U.S. trade and tariff policies. HIDA continues to advocate for policies that encourage local investment, while opposing tariffs that impose new cost pressures on distributors and manufacturers.

These announcements represent more than isolated moves. This expansion represents a commitment to build resiliency into the supply chain and bring critical capabilities closer to U.S. patients.

According to HIDA’s October 2025 survey of medical manufacturers: ` Specific Expansion Plans: 52% plan to expand their U.S. footprint within two years.

` Raw Material Scarcity: Access

` Industry-Wide Reshoring Trends: 67% expect an overall increase in domestic manufacturing over the next five years.

` Multi-Modal Approach To

Domestic Production: Medi-

cal manufacturers are pursuing multiple strategies to expand their U.S. presence – expanding existing lines (65%), building or acquiring new plants (30%), reshoring current production (15%), and creating new products (25%).

Still, domestic production remains an expensive undertaking. Manufacturers face challenges:

to medical-grade raw materials remains limited, creating production bottlenecks. According to HIDA’s survey, 98% of medical manufacturers require global raw materials – either in whole or in part – for their domestic production needs. ` Punitive Tariffs: Inputs and components sourced overseas often face multiple layers of tariffs, increasing costs on materials that frequently have no domestic substitute.

A resilient supply chain is a diversified supply chain. Domestic manufacturing is one important component, but the country must maintain a strategic blend of global sourcing to be prepared for future disruptions or emergencies.

Even as U.S. manufacturing grows, domestic production cannot operate in isolation. If federal and state governments can pair industry momentum with smart incentives, the United States can build a stronger, more resilient medical supply chain.

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

January 2026

Momentum for U.S.-based production is building. A number of critical medical products are being made in America. ` January 2025: BD announced more than $30 million in investments to expand IV line production at its Utah plant, supporting growth in catheter solutions. ` May 2025: Siemens Healthineers began relocating production of Varian radiotherapy systems from Mexico to Palo Alto, adding 50 new manufacturing jobs. ` August 2025: Thermo Fisher Scientific opened a 375,000-squarefoot facility in Mebane, North Carolina, capable of producing 5,000 pipette assemblies per hour and creating 100 new jobs.

67

News

Industry News

January 2026

Abbott to acquire Exact Sciences Abbott and Exact Sciences announced a definitive agreement for Abbott to acquire Exact Sciences, which will enable it to enter and lead in fast-growing cancer diagnostics segments, serving millions more people. Under the terms of the agreement, Exact Sciences shareholders will receive $105 per common share, representing a total equity value of approximately $21 billion.

Together, the companies will accelerate innovation, expand access to life-changing diagnostics, and help more people detect and manage cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages.

Exact Sciences focuses on the early detection of cancer and supporting personalized treatments.

Exact Sciences’ comprehensive product offerings support patients and their healthcare providers before, during and after a cancer diagnosis. The company is a leader in cancer screening, precision oncology and genetic testing, helping to detect cancer earlier, guide treatment decisions and monitor for recurrence.

Its product offerings include the Cologuard® test, a marketleading noninvasive colorectal cancer screening option; Oncotype DX®, which informs personalized treatment decisions for patients with breast cancer; Oncodetect™, which identifies

68

Repertoire

www.repertoiremag.com

molecular residual disease (MRD) to help assess the risk of recurrence and guide follow-up care; and Cancerguard™, a multi-cancer early detection blood test.

CME Corp announces key operations executives elevated to vice president roles CME Corp. has promoted three senior operations leaders to Vice President positions, expanding the executive leadership team as part of the company’s ongoing growth strategy. The promotions include Kelli Bugbee (now Vice President, Administrative Operations),

Daniel Chevrette (Vice President, Service Solutions), and Wade Oliveira (Vice President, Distribution Operations). These appointments recognize their expanded responsibilities across administrative support, delivery/ biomedical services, and logistics/ distribution, reflecting CME’s commitment to operational excellence and customer service amid nationwide expansion. According to leadership, the changes align with CME’s strategic vision to enhance internal alignment and strengthen service delivery for healthcare and life-sciences clients across the U.S.

Cardinal Health certified as a Great Place to Work Cardinal Health has received Great Place to Work Certification in six countries, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, India, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Great Place to Work evaluates workplace culture and employee experience based on employees’ perspectives. The company works with tens of thousands of employers around the globe and uses employee data to identify and showcase top places to work.

The Great Place to Work Certification is based on a rigorously developed employee survey that is considered by leaders a standard for quantifying the return on investment of workplace culture. Its employee engagement survey gathers feedback focused on trust, respect and camaraderie. Employees’ real-life experiences at work determine whether a company earns the Great Place to Work Certification. Across the six countries we selected to be considered for the Certification, 85% of surveyed employees said that Cardinal Health is a great place to work.

Midmark® Digital ECG Now With DICOM Compatibility Help your customers improve efficiency and collaboration at the point of care with the Midmark Digital ECG. With optional DICOM compatibility, providers can securely share ECG data with cardiology specialists via their preferred CVIS—right from the EMR. For providers, this means fewer manual steps, faster turnaround and more accurate test results without disrupting workflow.

For you, it’s an opportunity to deliver value that meets today’s growing demand for connected care and better outcomes.

Find product info at: midmark.com/cardio

Scan to watch the 2-Minute Drill and access additional resources on RepConnect.

© 2025 Midmark Corporation, Versailles, Ohio USA

Let’s Connect On Welch Allyn Solutions FOR OUTPATIENT CARE SETTINGS We have more than 100 configurable Welch Allyn products across multiple categories.

Diagnostic Cardiology

Physical Exam Tools

Vision Screening

Vital Signs and Hypertension Screening

< Scan To View Our Current Promotions Baxter, Hillrom and Welch Allyn are trademarks of Baxter International Inc. or its subsidiaries.

US-FLC45-240041 (v3.0) 12/2025