REP-July.25

Cracking the Code

Navigating government healthcare contracts

Cracking the Code

The consumer electronics retailer has found success in healthcare partnerships.

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The WHO says hand hygiene is one of the most effective, affordable and universal tools we have to prevent the transmission of infections.

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UV Awareness Month, highlighting the health impacts of UV exposure and how to avoid them.

Life Is Too Fast

Recently, I attended the funeral of a very good friend, someone I expected to grow old with. He died of a massive heart attack. No warning. No time to prepare. One day he was here, texting jokes and sharing stories. The next, he was gone.

As we sat in the pews and listened to his loved ones share memories, one of the speakers made the comment we often say: “Life is too short.” But the truth is, life isn’t just short, life is too fast.

The days blur into weeks. The meetings stack up. The deadlines don’t stop. And before we know it, summer’s half over, the kids are back in school – or out of school and into their careers – and we’re wondering where the time went.

This Fourth of July, I hope you take a moment to hit pause.

Spend time with your family. Not just for the fireworks or the barbecue but for the quiet moments, the hugs, the inside jokes, the simple joy of being together. Tell your parents, your spouse, your kids that you love them. Tell your friends. Just being present without distraction is one of the greatest gifts you can give the people in your life.

And while we’re on the subject of giving, I want to talk about something we often forget to do for ourselves: getting an annual physical. You work in healthcare. You sell to physicians, health systems, surgery centers, and long-term care facilities. You spend your days making sure others have what they need to stay healthy. But when’s the last time you had a full check-up? When’s the last time your best friend, your brother, your work partner did? In his Hall of Fame acceptance speech (while incredibly too long) Brad Thompson of NDC challenged the audience to get their annual physical and screenings. I’d like to echo that challenge here.

We think we’re fine until we’re not. And too often, we don’t take action until it’s too late. Getting a physical isn’t just about catching problems early, it’s about peace of mind. It’s about showing up for the people who love you. It’s about being able to watch your kids grow up, to take that vacation you’ve been putting off, to grow old with your friends.

So this summer, take the time – for yourself and for your family. Let them know you love them. And just spend time with them.

Because life isn’t just short. Life is too fast.

Wishing you a joyful, healthy Fourth of July and still dedicated to the industry,

R. Scott Adams Publisher, Repertoire Magazine

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 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

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

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From Questions to Conversions

How discovery conversations fuel hematology sales.

By Jim Poggi, Principal, Tested Insights

 This month’s column will focus on selling hematology instruments. We have been down this path before, but owing to the importance of testing for complete blood counts when needed (often in the physician office) – as well as emerging healthcare issues including antibiotic stewardship, the growing incidence of sepsis and how fundamental hematology is to the successful physician office lab – I will provide a mix of some time-honored and some new information.

I want to address two elements of the hematology sale: first, some recommendations on how to set the stage for the sale, including the questions to ask to qualify the customer; and second, some insight on the importance of the white blood cell differential as a key reason to perform hematology tests in the physician office. There is a lot to know. The most important thing to understand is that this is a team sale involving you as the distribution account manager and your key hematology system manufacturer.

Setting the stage for a successful hematology instrument customer discussion

Experienced sales professionals use a variety of terms to describe the first critical phase of the sales process, which is learning about the customer’s current and past viewpoint on hematology and lab in general. I prefer “discovery” to describe this important element of the sales process. It seems less intrusive than some other terms and more about learning than about getting just enough positive customer responses to pounce and ask for the order.

No matter what you are selling in your business, discovery is the key stage. Done professionally, it is a relaxed process where both you and the customer understand that the objective is to uncover needs, issues, opinions and concerns about the product or service in question. There is no doubt that every seasoned distribution account manager knows this is true. But how many of us stop to plan our discovery meeting or to even suggest to a key customer that we are interested in having one? I always knew I should, but I did not always plan properly. One question about the entire process that always confounded me is should you offer a discovery conversation, or should you let it flow naturally? Here’s an analogy that should clear up the confusion: If you want to drive cross country, should you pick a destination and a route, or just hope the road you are on will get you there, wherever “there” is?

Once I announced my intention to hold discovery conversations with my key customers ahead of time, they were always more productive. Surprisingly, more often than not, my key customer would invite others to join us to round out the discussion. If you have not tried this approach, it is worth your time.

Ask questions and understand the customer’s situation

The questions you want to ask are all the classics in customer qualification, but I am including the ones I think are most pertinent and useful for your consideration.

Understand their environment:  What is their typical patient mix, age, acuity, actively engaged in their health, etc.

 What lab tests does the practice do now?

 Why do they do these tests? How did they select the ones they are doing now?

 Who makes that decision?

 What is the staff attitude toward lab testing?

History and background of their lab:

 What is their CLIA license?

 Specifically, how do they do hematology testing now? Why?

 When they have changed their attitude about lab testing in their practice in the past, what factors did they consider? Who made the final decision? How satisfied are they with their in-house testing choices and portfolio now? Why?

Working to establish the rationale for a hematology discussion:

 What is their attitude toward antibiotic stewardship?

 Are they taking any specific steps to understand the issue and participate in solutions?

 How does this issue fit into their practice? E.g. are they counseling patients that antibiotics are not for viral infections?

 Do they have patient information available on this topic?

 Do they presently use CBCs to understand viral vs. bacterial infections? If not, how do they do so?

 What tools do they have or would like to have to be confident in their initial diagnosis of bacterial or viral infection?

 What is their experience with sepsis? What are their concerns about sepsis?

Remember that your discovery process is intended to provide you with the data and information you need to hold a strategic conversation with the key lab manufacturer you select for follow up. In addition, your discovery mission should also give you permission to “sell the meeting” with your prospect and your key lab manufacturer. Whether you take this step at the end of the discovery conversation or during a follow-up call is up to you. I personally prefer during the discovery conversation, assuming

it goes well and I uncover needed information. No matter which approach you adopt, always remember that you are making sure you have a credible reason to have a next meeting.

Why the WBC differential is a tool your customers need

We often think of the white blood cell (WBC) differential as a key tool to differentiate between viral and bacterial infections. While it does differentiate between viral and bacterial infections, it provides much more information than

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that. I encourage you to spend time with your trusted hematology system provider to learn the facts and information you need to know at your own pace and to have the opportunity to ask questions to help you understand the complicated immune system defense mechanism represented by the WBCs. I will provide just enough information to help stimulate your thought process and get you in touch with your trusted hematology system manufacturer.

They target viruses, bacteria and toxins, but are especially well equipped to provide protection against viruses.

Monocytes, like lymphocytes, provide broad protection against a variety of pathogens. They also boost your immune system and help remove dead cells.

Eosinophils are involved in allergies and increase when an allergen is present. They also defend against parasites.

It turns out that following the WBC trends is a critically important element of understanding a wide range of patient conditions. Get some quality time with your hematology manufacturer, bring a list of your best prospects, including some that have been tough to work with and develop a plan of action.

Information about WBCs and whether they are normal or abnormal provides the clinician with a window to your entire immune system. This is powerful data since each of the five types of WBC cells has a specific task, and if abnormal, they indicate an underlying disease state that needs further evaluation.

Neutrophils are the most common WBC. Thay are the first line of defense against bacterial infections. Consequently, an abnormally high neutrophil count is indicative of a bacterial infection.

Lymphocytes include both B cells and T cells. B cells produce antibodies against invaders, while T cells destroy infected calls and also stimulate the immune system.

Basophils produce histamine and other enzymes in response to allergens, parasites and pathogens.

Typically, lymphocyte levels rise in viral infections. So, one way to determine whether an infection is bacterial or viral is for the clinician to evaluate the differential and look for increases in neutrophils (typically signal bacterial infections) or elevations in lymphocytes (typically elevated in viral infections).

Needless to say, vital signs including temperature, skin color and temperature, and listening to the lungs help secure the diagnosis. There is a lot more to know but the purpose of this information is to give you the familiarity you need to speak with your key hematology

vendor, discuss prospects and develop a sales plan.

Learn more about WBC differentials from your trusted hematology supplier There is so much more to know as a seasoned distribution account manager seeks to effectively sell hematology solutions. This column is intended to give you a little information and to encourage you to deepen your relationship with both your customers regarding their thoughts and ideas about managing patient conditions related to hematology as well as your expert, your trusted hematology manufacturer.

Want to know more about WBC differentials and other applications, such as cancer and HIV follow up? There is also a lot more to know about allergy and differential testing. It turns out that following the WBC trends is a critically important element of understanding a wide range of patient conditions. Get some quality time with your hematology manufacturer, bring a list of your best prospects, including some that have been tough to work with and develop a plan of action.

Your role needs to be owner of the customer relationship, expert in the customer situation and dynamics and the person most qualified to “sell the meeting” between the customer and the product expert. Holding discovery meetings, paying careful attention to the cues your customer gives you and using this information to develop a customer-focused conversation to present the best hematology solution that fits their needs is the path to success.

Identify risks early with pediatric lipid testing at the point of care (POC).

Two key questions to ask providers:

• What percentage of their 9 to 11 and 17 to 21-year-old patients are getting their lipids screened?

• How do they screen for lipids?

Universally screening all children between the ages of 9 and 11 and 17 and 21 per NIH guidelines enables providers to better manage CVD risk factors.

Benefi ts of POC lipid testing

Scan to watch our video or contact your Abbott Cardiometabolic Account Executive to learn more about selling the Cholestech LDX TM to pediatric providers.

minutes

“Better Together”

IMCO 2025 Convention showcases power of partnership in healthcare distribution.

Courtesy of IMCO

 The IMCO Convention continues to be the premier event for bringing together the best of healthcare distribution, and the 2025 gathering illustrated exactly why. Over three impactful days, Members and Vendor Partners came together to share ideas, build relationships, and drive the industry forward through collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to excellence.

This year’s theme, “Better Together”, couldn’t have been more fitting. It captured the spirit of collaboration and connection that defines both IMCO and the healthcare distribution industry at large. Bill McLaughlin noted in his welcome remarks: “It captures the strength that grows from partnership, the vital ties that drive success throughout our industry. We don’t do this alone. More than ever, we rely on one another. Relationships, support, and lasting bonds – between distributors, manufacturers, and IMCO itself – are at the core of all we do.”

Mary Rundle, Healthcare Sales Director at GOJO, called the IMCO Convention the: “Best show in the industry! It provides a space to connect with Vendors and Distributors, learn what is happening in the healthcare industry, and most importantly, build valuable relationships.”

We were thrilled to welcome five new Members and 11 new Vendor Partners since the 2024 Convention, a clear sign of the growing strength and relevance of the IMCO community.

Convention highlights Monday kicked off with a powerful keynote address by Ken Schmidt, renowned for his role in revitalizing Harley-Davidson. His

IMCO’s rough-and-ready crew is geared up for the Full Throttle Finale on Tuesday night!

Bill McLaughlin onstage during IMCO’s welcoming session.

Bill and Ashleigh McLaughlin awarding donations to Provision Packs Owner and Founder Carrie Torres 2025 Trade Show Floor

talk, “Make Some Noise,” energized the audience and provided inspiring insight on transforming your customers from “folks who buy from us,” into “loyal friends who recommend us without being asked.”

New this year was the IMCO Exchange, a collaborative space for in-depth conversations. Attendees connected directly with breakout speakers and IMCO team experts. It was a valuable forum for asking questions, discussing relevant topics, and gaining additional insights.

Other educational highlights:

 Finding the Balance: Inventory Turns and Customer Service

Jason Bader, The Distribution Team

 The Three Disciplines of Ultra-High Performers

Beth Maynard, Sales Gravy, Inc.

 Building Trust Through Better Communication Moderated by Jason Bader, The Distribution Team

 Harnessing AI for Business Success

Antonio Piraino and Jan Beery, Worlds View Solutions

 HIDA Government and Regulatory Update

Christina Lavoie, Healthcare Industry Distribution Association (HIDA)

Following a full day of professional development, Monday afternoon brought back the crowd-favorite Pentathlon – and it did not disappoint! “Gladiator” teams went head-to-head in five wildly entertaining games featuring

ping pong balls, balloons, tactical belts, Tic Tacs, and plenty of laughter. The energy was high, the competition fierce, and the fun contagious as attendees cheered on their favorite teams. Best of all, the event raised $5,565 for

Provision Packs Pantry, supporting local children and families in need. Congratulations to our champions, the Angry Apples, for taking home the win, and to Marty Mansfield, Omni International for winning the 50/50 Pentathlon Raffle!

2025 Booth of the Year Winner Vanguard Safety decorated with toys that were donated to the Guardian ad Litem foundation.

Member Michael Jefferson from the Hospital Equipment Company getting tatted at our biker-themed Full Throttle Finale

Beth Maynard of Sales Gravy led an impactful morning session on powerful techniques and insights for sales reps at every level to excel.

IMCO’s 2024 Vendor of the Year: Dynarex.

What Attendees are Saying

“Great schedule – dedicated time with strategic member distributors is always valuable. The entire event was professionally run.” – Lawrence Kernis, Director of National Accounts for Nestle Health Sciences

“It was a fantastic experience – seamless, wellorganized, and refreshingly intimate. The event felt more like a 48-hour social mixer than the typical grind of a large convention.”

– Cole Brantley, Manager of Sales and Distributor Relations for Sri Trang USA (Ventyv)

“It was great to meet everyone and catch up on what’s going on in our industry. What truly sets IMCO apart is its unwavering dedication to independent medical distributors. The Convention created an environment where meaningful relationships were formed and strengthened – through structured networking activities and enjoyable social events. These connections are invaluable as we continue our mission to improve patient safety through effective simulation education.”

– Anthony Battaglia, Founder and CEO, Pocket Nurse

Celebrating our Member and Vendor Partners

Dynarex was named IMCO 2024 Vendor of the Year! Members recognized their commitment to understanding the evolving needs of the industry, providing customized inventory solutions, delivering excellent field support, and offering superior customer service. Congratulations to the Dynarex team!

The 2025 Steve Dennison Scholarship winners, recognized for their exceptional sales performance and operational support of IMCO programs and EPIC/SEL Vendors, were:

 Kierston Hardin, MERCO Biomedical

 Kim Cook, MedSTAT

 Austin Roebuck, TwinMed –Grove Medical Division

IMCO’s Equipment Performance

Incentive Contest (EPIC) is a yearlong equipment contest in which Members earn points for selling participating EPIC Vendors’ qualifying equipment. Points may also be earned through participation in webinars, Vendor ride days, and Vendor sales meetings/training. The 2024 winners were:

 10th Chuck Elazary, Dealmed Medical Supplies, LLC

 9th Denise Coulombe, Surgo Surgical Supply

 8th David Ellis, Atlantic Medical Solutions

 7th Kristina Pacheco, Canada Medical Ltd.

 6th Ricky Bustamante, American Medical Supplies & Equipment

 5th Derek Shirley, Tagg Industries

 4th Adam Shiffman, Cornell Surgical Co.

 3rd Victor Amat III, American Medical Supplies & Equipment

 2nd Angi Muse, Booth Medical Equipment

 1st Aaron Polonsky, MedStock, Inc.

Trade Show

The IMCO Trade Show remains a cornerstone of the Convention, providing a premier platform for inperson connections, strategic conversations, and new business opportunities. This year, 94 booths showcased Vendor products and services. Willa Moats, owner of Willcare Associates, praised, “As always, the BEST networking trade show in our industry.”

MIP (Member Incentive Program) participants were especially active, with nearly $1 million distributed during the Convention. Congratulations to the 92% of IMCO Members who earned dollars through this program in 2024.

We at IMCO are truly grateful for the opportunity to come together with friends old and new to map a plan for success in the year ahead. Kim Cook of MedSTAT Supply said, “I truly enjoy the convention as I get to see, touch, and ask questions with the manufacturers about their new products. It’s a great experience every year.”

As we look to the future, IMCO remains committed to strengthening partnerships and creating new opportunities for growth. The 2025 Convention reminded us that we truly are Better Together – and together, we’ll continue to shape the future of healthcare distribution.

The McLaughlin Family greeting guests at the Welcome Reception!

Better Health Better Future

Eddie Garro: Encouragement Champion

Encouragement and education fuel a legacy of development for Henry Schein’s Eddie Garro.

 Henry Schein’s Eddie Garro is a big believer in lifting others up. That’s why he has embraced the moniker of “Encouragement Champion.”

“I think we all need to be encouraged regardless of our role and years of service,” said Garro. “We all need to have a champion who says, ‘You know what? I see you. You’re doing a great job. You are making change happen.’”

Garro, MHRD, Sales Onboarding and Training Manager for Henry Schein’s Distribution Group in North America, recently celebrated 24 years with the company. Over the years, he’s been fortunate to witness individuals flourish within the company, progressing from training programs at entry-level positions to successful territory managers and even senior leadership roles.

Now, more than ever, Garro wants to deliver training resources that can help reps grow into, and beyond, their current roles. Indeed, training is critical for sales reps to take on a challenging marketplace.

“I think in a time when things are rapidly changing, education is key,” he said. “We want to make sure that our sales professionals have the knowledge needed to go to their accounts and talk to doctors – the people who are helping the communities. We also want to make sure that the manufacturers

Eddie Garro

The Value of Print

In a recent survey, Repertoire readers expressed a strong preference for the print edition of the magazine due to several recurring themes:

Screen Fatigue and Desire for a Break

Many readers are on computers all day for work and appreciate the print edition as a way to disconnect from screens and avoid blue light, email distractions, and digital overload.

Accessibility and Availability

Print magazines are accessible at any time, don’t require internet or setup, and serve as visual reminders to read. They’re also often kept for future reference or shelf use.

Tangible and Convenient Experience

The physical format allows for easy flipping, bookmarking, and sharing. Readers enjoy the tactile, “hands-on” experience of holding the magazine, turning pages, and carrying it with them — whether to read during travel, in waiting areas, or at home.

Preference for Traditional Media

A number of readers describe themselves as “old school,” appreciating the familiarity and comfort of traditional printed materials in a digital world.

Reference Tool

The print edition of Repertoire Magazine is also used by many reps as a reference tool during customer visits and helps readers quickly scan for new products or industry updates without needing to navigate multiple websites.

Overall, readers expressed they value the print format for its ease of use, freedom from digital distraction, and lasting, physical presence.

“I want to thank you and your team for the work you do with Repertoire. I actually sold a Wolf X-Ray machine last month due to seeing their ad in the magazine. Repertoire is our connection to the industry, and a way to learn about new products. Keep up the good work!”

– Charlie Fricker McKesson Medical

are pulled in and that we’re all on the same page with what’s going on, and how the machinery and products work. Education and training are vital. And thankfully, we work for an organization that acknowledges that.”

“Our Team Schein Members are the organization’s greatest asset,” Garro said. “If they’re not trained and comfortable with promoting, talking about and selling the services that we offer, then that’s something we need to look at internally.”

Training also solidifies the relationship with manufacturers and vendors. Indeed, these partners are entrusting distributors to sell and provide their services into the community.

“We owe it to the manufacturers and the vendors,” he said. “They’re relying on us to make sure that we have trained our sales reps to best represent their products. If we don’t have our reps trained in a manner in which they can confidently go in, talk about that product, talk to the decision

“ Newer reps are very adaptive to what the training team throws at them. Veterans are too, but often want to know the ‘why’ behind a training technique or program.”

maker, and then ultimately have the product available for the community, what are we doing?”

New platforms

Though many of the skills are the same, the methods in which sales reps are trained have changed over the years. When Garro started at Henry Schein, training was done in a conference room. Garro would sit beside a printer to create binders for each trainee. Today, the organization has blended training opportunities between the traditional classroom style, learning management systems, and online programs such as Education OnLine (EOL). “We encourage folks to do their research and participate in blended trainings, in-person and virtually. We conduct webinars where we train Team Schein Members on how to implement the applications that they’re going to use to sell virtually.”

“Newer reps are very adaptive to what the training team throws at them. Veterans are too, but often want to know the ‘why’ behind a training technique or program,” Garro said. “What I find works best is explaining why they need to know it, why they need to understand it, and then connecting it to the end result. It’s magical.”

Data dumps, though, are not. Ineffective training usually happens when a lot of content is thrown at the trainee with little to no explanation of its importance. “Here’s a 45-page PDF – let me know if you have any questions –that doesn’t work,” Garro said. “I know for me personally; I don’t learn well that way because now I’m just reading stuff that I don’t know how I would apply it.”

Henry Schein’s trainers want to explain the ‘why.’ This is why you need to understand how to use the tools that we have. “If you explain the ‘why’ and how it’s going to benefit Team Schein, the customer, and the patient, then it’s a classroom full of excitement.”

Sense of belonging

Henry Schein’s success in internal development is no accident. An emphasis on training has always come from the top. Garro said Brad Connett, Henry Schein’s Senior Advisor and former CEO of the North America Distribution Group, has been one of the training team’s greatest champions over the years. “He’s been in the industry for years and knows what the need is,” Garro said.

both as a salesperson and a sales leader. “He’s a double threat,” Garro said. “He gets it.” The landscape in healthcare is changing. The business acumen is also changing every day with tariffs, inflation, and supply chain disruptions. Yet Ford maintains a level headedness through it all, Garro said. “He’s a resource and a great person to go to.”

Kristen Meszaros, Director, North American Sales Training and Development at Henry Schein, has been “a lifesaver” to Garro. He said he was at a point in his career a few years ago where he wasn’t sure whether to stay at Henry Schein or move on to something else. Meszaros allowed Garro to reinvent himself in his role.

“ It’s not always about a particular product, it’s how to talk to folks in the C-suite. It’s how to talk to the gatekeeper. It’s how to talk to your team members.”

Connett has also been something of a mentor and encourager to Garro, who first met Connett years ago when he relocated to Greenville, S.C. “[Connett] is very distinguished and one of the nicest people that you will ever meet,” Garro said. During their first meeting, Connett hugged Garro and welcomed him into the office, saying “I’m glad to be working with you.”

Ty Ford, Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Medical Sales at Henry Schein, has also made a lasting impact in Garro’s career. Ford has a sense of empathy and compassion. Plus, he’s motivated and understands sales

“She allowed me to tell my story,” Garro said. “She sees me. She gives me a complete sense of belonging. The company overall sees everybody, and everybody has a sense of belonging, which is wonderful. But when you have a leader who takes the time to speak to you, not at you, and understand what your journey was intended to be, what you want it to be, that reinvigorates you and then makes you want to log back in the next morning and do even better than you did the day before.”

A continual journey

Garro said for reps to get the most out of their training opportunities, it’s critical for them to

ask lots of questions. “I am a big believer in continuing education because to me, education is not something that anyone can ever take away from you,” he said. “I’m a big believer in EOL. We’re in the 95% range of compliance.”

He is also a big believer in doing your research and taking advantage of opportunities to self-improve. Personally, Garro does a lot of LinkedIn learning modules because he sees value in them. “It’s not always about a particular product, it’s how to talk to folks in the C-suite,” he said. “It’s how to talk to the gatekeeper. It’s how to talk to your team members.” He encourages people to sign up and take as many training modules as possible, because “if you’re not doing it for anyone else, you’re doing it for yourself.”

For instance, during COVID, Garro studied and earned a master’s degree in human resource development online from Clemson University. “No one told me to, but I thought, why not prepare myself to be as valuable as I can be to the teams that I support?”

In the coming weeks and months, Garro and his team will play a pivotal role in Henry Schein’s new website rollout. He is excited about the project and anticipates a lot of attention, raised hands, and questions from both his team and the organization as they work collaboratively. “What excites me about being involved with that is to be able to help as many people as I can to understand how to best use the application,” he said. “I think when you are a believer in servant leadership, the idea of helping people is your fuel. And to me, if I can help people, if I can encourage someone, if I can make them realize, ‘I can do it,’ then I’m in the right space.”

NDC Exhibition 2025

Celebrating Innovation, Insight, and Community in Nashville.

Courtesy of NDC, Inc.

 The NDC Exhibition 2025, held May 12–14 at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Nashville, celebrated the Power of Partnerships – a theme that resonated throughout three days of meaningful connections, shared strategies, and collaborative growth. The event brought together leaders from across the healthcare supply chain to strengthen relationships, explore new opportunities, and align on how to drive greater impact together. With a dynamic mix of strategic content, hands-on training, and immersive networking, the conference reinforced NDC’s continued commitment to building stronger partnerships across the supply chain.

The week kicked off with the festive Lu-WOW Opening Reception, setting the tone for a vibrant and energizing event. It was all fun at the Wheelers vs. Dealers duck races on the pool deck during the reception. The NDC distributor team gave it their all but couldn’t match the heat from the supplier squad – powered by sponsors B. Braun Medical and GOJO Industries.

Evenings were brought to life at the Tap House and Listening Lounge, where attendees gathered to unwind, enjoy live music, and continue conversations sparked throughout the day.

A strategic look forward

The Opening General Session featured Jack Stevens, NDC’s President and CEO, who shared insights into the company’s direction and efforts to strengthen partnerships within the healthcare supply chain, sponsored by Molnlycke Health Care.

“The NDC Power of Partnerships Conference was a celebration of the strength and success of our distributor and manufacturer partners,” Stevens shared. “It was an inspiring reflection of what we can achieve together –and a clear expression of our mission to fuel growth and efficiency across the healthcare supply chain.”

Pamela Barnum, a former undercover police officer and federal prosecutor, delivered an impactful keynote “Lead with Confidence ”, sponsored by Smith & Nephew and Midmark Corporation. Drawing from her 20 years in criminal justice, she emphasized that building trust hinges not only on what is said, but how it’s said – a timely and valuable message for leaders navigating today’s healthcare challenges.

Highlights

From Manufacturer Hall meetings and walk-ups to immersive Product Training Sales Rotations, attendees engaged directly with supplier partners to deepen product knowledge and explore growth opportunities. These hands-on sessions enabled teams to sharpen their sales approach while staying up to date on product innovations.

This year also included a Physical Rehab Vendor Showcase , which highlighted innovation and solutions from key supplier partners in the rehabilitation space.

The Awards Luncheon celebrated outstanding achievements within the NDC community. This gathering underscored the excellence and commitment shared by our partners across the industry,

sponsored by PDI. Congratulations to this year’s winners:

NDC Member of the Year

 Lynn Medical

NDC Distributor Fast Track Awards

 Mercy Supply Collaborative

 Westnet, Inc.

NDC Distributor

Trendsetter Award

 Ford Medical Supplies

NuEdge Distributor of the Year

 Circle A Medical

NuEdge Supplier of the Year

 Medegen Medical Products

NDC Outstanding Performance

Supplier Awards

 Medegen Medical Products

 B. Braun Medical

 Gebauer Company

 Solventum

Marketing Excellence Award

 Dukal Corporation

Marketing Omni-Channel Award

 B. Braun Medical

“Big Kahuna” winners

 Maury Goldstein from Advantage Medical Supply

 Israel Cywiak from 4MD

Medical Solutions

Physical Rehab Manufacturer of the Year

 Matrix Fitness

Physical Rehab Member of the Year

 Superior Medical Equipment

Fresh perspectives and interactive learning

New to this year’s agenda were two standout workshops designed to inspire and inform:

 Confidence Through Comedy with Lisa Sundstedt offered attendees a creative way to build presence and clarity in communication.

 Entrepreneur’s Master Class: Little “Music City,” Big Dreams featured a powerful conversation with Deana Ivey, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp, and Sean Lyons, local restaurateur and entrepreneur. Their stories of risk, growth, and success offered valuable takeaways for businesses of all sizes.

A Nashville Finale

With a signature cowbell welcome, the conference closed in style at Justin Timberlake’s Twelve Thirty Club. This venue, with its vibrant energy and sophisticated flair, provided the perfect backdrop for one final evening of networking and celebration.

“We always value our time at the Annual NDC Exhibition. For the past 15 years we have leveraged the opportunity to reward our top sales representatives by attending and getting a strategic view of our industry. A highlight of our Annual Business Plan for the sales team is finding out how to “WIN” a trip to the show! Thank you NDC for providing a track to educate our sales reps.

Attending the NDC show is always a highlight for me. I love meeting with manufacturers and strategizing on new ways to grow sales – every year I come back with actionable ideas. Jack Stephens’ talk was especially impactful this year, and it’s clear NDC is continuing to invest in resources that

help independent distributors thrive. Connecting with other distributors also brings valuable perspective and reassurance that the challenges we face are shared across the industry” – Brandon Fagnani, Director of Business Development at Lynn Medical

“Attending the NDC show this year was an inspiring and energizing experience. I had the opportunity to learn how other distributors like us are navigating the ongoing challenges around tariffs, which sparked some valuable ideas and conversations. The event was a great mix of innovation, networking, and practical takeaways for our business.”

– Glenn Espiritu, Vice President, Medical/Surgical Division at Neil Medical

“The NDC convention never disappoints regardless of what space you operate in. It gives everyone a chance to reconnect and share information critical to everyone’s ultimate mission, patient and customer

care. Lastly, when the meetings are over and things are winding down, NDC knows how to throw and party and show appreciation to their membership.” –Steve Rogers, President & CEO at Shared Service Systems Inc.

“We find tremendous value in attending the NDC conference, as it has evolved to be the preeminent venue for manufacturer relationship building. There is incredible energy in the manufacturer hall, which leads to increased business opportunities. Highly recommended!”

– Doriah Zaret, CEO at Ford Medical, LLC

NDC Exhibition 2025 was a powerful reminder of the impact of community, connection, and shared purpose in advancing independent healthcare distribution. With a focus on innovation, learning, and collaboration, attendees left with renewed energy and actionable strategies to carry forward.

Save the Dates

We’re already looking ahead to next year! Mark your calendars –NDC Exhibition 2026 will return to the Grand Hyatt Nashville, April 6-8, 2026.

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Text Like a Pro

How top medical sales reps win deals with 160 characters or less (even without a cell number).

By Brian Sullivan

 Let’s start with a simple truth: If your last text to a client said, “Just checking in,” you owe your CRM an apology. And if you’re not texting your prospects at all? You’re leaving sales on the table.

In an industry where medical decision-makers are busier than ever, short and well-timed texts might just be your most powerful (and underused) weapon. But here’s the catch: You have to earn the right to

text, and once you have it, you better use it like a pro.

Why texting works in medical sales

Hospital administrators, office managers, and yes, even clinicians

are drowning in emails, dodging cold calls, and skipping meetings like it’s an Olympic sport. But they do check their phones. A well-written text gets read. A bad one gets ignored – or worse, blocks future access.

Let me tell you about Lauren. She sells surgical equipment into hospital ORs. After months of polite email follow-ups and unanswered voicemails with one of her top prospects – a busy OR manager named Jake – she finally worked her way into a 10-minute in-person meeting. At the end of it, instead of asking, “Should I follow up by email?”, she simply said: “Text or email – what’s easier for you when I send that comparison sheet?”

He didn’t hesitate: “Text me.”

She sent a crisp, no-fluff message the next day: “Jake – attached the comparison. Let me know if you want to review before EOM. Units may backorder again.” He responded within five minutes. That deal closed two weeks later. And that text thread? It’s still their go-to way of communicating.

How to earn the number

Here’s the deal: Most reps don’t have the cell numbers of their buyers because they never ask. Let’s fix that.

 At the end of a meeting: “Would it be OK if I text you the follow-up info too, in case email gets buried?”

 Via gatekeepers: “Can you let [Name] know I’ll send a brief followup? Happy to text it if that’s easier. What’s the best number?”

 During conversation: “A lot of my clients prefer text over email – is that true for you too?”

Texting isn’t a right. It’s a privilege you earn through professionalism and value.

What to text

(and what never to text)

Let’s make one thing painfully clear: Don’t send:

 “Just following up.”

 “Touching base again.”

 “Hope you’re well!”

Those are textual Ambien. You’re better off saying nothing.

Do send:

 “Dr. Lee, here’s the link to that clinical study you asked about. Let me know if you’d like me to walk your team through it.”

 “Good timing: another cardiology group just switched to this platform last week. Can I send you the 2-min overview?”

 “We’ve got units hitting backorder again. Want me to reserve one for you before Thursday?”

Short. Useful. Personal. That’s the holy trinity.

When to text

Texting is a scalpel, not a sledgehammer. Use it:

 After a meeting: Send a quick recap or a resource.

 Before a meeting: Confirm the time and reduce no-shows.

 When you’re ghosted: A friendly nudge works better than a 6-paragraph email.

 To share urgent or exclusive info: Timing is everything.

There’s a difference between being helpful and being annoying. Helpful reps deliver value with minimal friction. Annoying reps create more noise. The best know

when to text, when to call, and when to simply wait.

Templates that work

Here’s your starter pack:

 Meeting reminder: “Looking forward to our 2:30 today. I’ll keep it short and valuable. Let me know if you need to reschedule.”

 Post-meeting follow-up:

“Great meeting today, Dr. Patel. Here’s the link to the ROI calculator we discussed: [link]”

 Re-engagement ping: “Hey Sam – quick Q: Would this be useful for your team before Q3 planning?”

 Urgency text: “Quick heads up: allocation’s almost gone on this SKU. Want me to set one aside for you?”

 Soft ask: “Let me know if you’d like a quick call this week to review next steps – I can keep it under 10.”

These aren’t scripts to memorize. They’re prompts to help you sound like a confident human who’s worth replying to.

Final Word: Respect the channel

The best reps don’t abuse texting. They master it. They know how to:

 Personalize without being creepy

 Follow up without sounding desperate

 Ask for the meeting without sounding like a bot

If used right, texting is how you stay top of mind, reduce noshows, earn faster responses, and close deals faster.

So yes, texting in medical sales works, but only if you do it right. Start earning the number. Then start earning the business.

Brian Sullivan, CSP, is the founder of PRECISE Selling and a leading voice in the world of medical sales training. He believes salespeople should stop apologizing for being in sales and start mastering the small skills that lead to big wins. Learn more at preciseselling.com

Selling Confidence

How Detecto’s Certified Accuracy and Domestic Production Set It Apart

For distributor sales representatives, especially those working with healthcare scales, understanding what truly differentiates products in a crowded marketplace is key. At the forefront of this differentiation is NTEP certification—a critical marker of trust and accuracy—and the enduring value of U.S.-based manufacturing. Detecto, a family-owned medical manufacturer, leads on both fronts, offering not only certified precision but also unmatched domestic quality and supply chain resilience.

NTEP and Why It Matters

NTEP (National Type Evaluation Program) certification signifies that a medical-scale meets strict standards set by the National Conference on Weights and Measures. These standards test performance under real-world environmental conditions— fluctuating temperatures, high humidity, and routine clinical use. In hospitals and clinics, where even minor inaccuracies in weight can have serious implications for medication dosing, NTEP certification becomes far more than a technical checkbox. “Accuracy in body weight measurement is not just a matter of record—it’s a cornerstone of safe patient care,” said Matt Stovern, President of Detecto.

Medications for infants, children, and critically ill patients are often dosed by weight (mg/kg). A slight discrepancy in measurement

can lead to underdosing or overdosing, with potentially lifethreatening consequences. NTEPapproved scales ensure clinicians have the confidence needed for precise, safe dosing. Detecto is currently the only medical-scale manufacturer offering NTEPcertified models, giving it a major edge over uncertified competitors.

The MedPro Partnership

The Detecto-MedPro partnership brings significant value to reps and their clients. MedPro’s expertise empowers sales teams with regional intelligence, strong healthcare relationships, and targeted strategies.

MedPro representatives are “hands on” and work either directly

Domestic production allows for tight quality control, faster lead times, and greater responsiveness to customer needs.

Another Competitive Advantage: Domestic Manufacturing

DETECTO’s commitment to manufacturing in the U.S. has been unwavering since 1900. This isn’t just about national pride—it’s a strategic advantage. Domestic production allows for tight quality control, faster lead times, and greater responsiveness to customer needs. During COVID-19 when global supply chains faltered, Detecto’s U.S.-based operations helped maintain reliable delivery timelines and service continuity. Additionally, being a “Made in the USA” brand enables Detecto to offer customized solutions with shorter turnaround times, something overseas manufacturers struggle to match. For reps, this is a unique selling point that resonates with clients looking for reliability, compliance, and adaptability in an ever-evolving healthcare environment.

with end users or in concordance with authorized distribution partners. “Our representatives will facilitate every step of the process from identifying the correct product to suit their needs, to evaluations, quotation process, ordering, and the final delivery,” said Geri Lamano, Director of Equipment Sales, MedPro. “MedPro reps are trained with Detecto products and work in conjunction with Detecto’s management team to ensure a smooth process for our customers.”

For reps in the field, this partnership means shorter sales cycles, deeper trust with clients, and stronger account retention. For clients, it means a seamless experience backed by proven performance, education, and service.

In today’s healthcare landscape, certified accuracy, domestic manufacturing, and experienced support aren’t just perks—they’re essentials. Detecto and MedPro deliver on all three.

Born in the USA, Quality Every Day

Vertically-Integrated Manufacturing

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NTEP Certified Scales

DETECTO is the only medical scale manufacturer with US compliant scales held to NTEP weights and measures standards. This NTEP accreditation means DETECTO scales have been subjected to 100,000 weighing cycles and maintained strict accuracy in a variety of testing temperatures.

Local Economic Benefits

USA Manufacturing jobs retained in the nation’s heartland, meaning your customers’ dollars stay close to home.

MedPro has the history, market knowledge, sales experience and handshakes to positively impact your business in all major healthcare markets. MedPro is a national leader in contracted sales for medical manufacturers across all healthcare markets. Through longstanding relationships and collaborations between the sales team and national, regional, and local distributors, the MedPro focus is on in-servicing and building hands-on connections with the end-user.

Contact your local MedPro representative today!

Cracking the Code

Navigating government healthcare contracts

By Daniel Beaird

Government contracts can be big and bulky, and the processes can be lengthy. But the product is pretty much the same as it is in the commercial healthcare equipment marketplace.

“And people are people,” said Bob Charron, vice president, government and contractor sales, CME Corp. “They all have different angles about how they buy and why they want to buy, but the biggest challenge of the federal marketplace, specifically, is the contracting rules and regulations.”

The sales cycle is longer because there’s more administrative work to be done and rules to follow. But the VA is a lot like other hospital systems. All healthcare providers want to buy a product that’s going to work for their patients, their staff and bring them good overall value.

“If you can get in front of a customer, you’ve got a much better shot at selling something in the VA space than if you don’t get in front of a customer, just like in a commercial hospital system,” he said.

Like a commercial health system, there’s consistent engagement between the sectors involved on the needs and wants in every department.

“Physicians and nurses communicate with their civilian counterparts on best practices to search for solutions to patient problems,” said Parker Bigley, executive vice president, Optimal and MedPro Associates. “And that doesn’t come in a vacuum.”

The federal government’s spend on medical supplies was $8.2 billion in fiscal year 2021 and $5.5 billion in fiscal year 2022. Nearly 98% of that falls within four departments – Defense (DoD), Veterans Affairs (VA), Health and Human Services (HHS) and Homeland Security (DHS).

“There are some similar structures to commercial hospitals with value groups and clinicians involved,” Bigley said. “But once

a decision is made that a product is as good or equal to what’s being sought out and it fits a certain pricing criteria, it becomes about how to move it through the system.”

Getting in the system

“You have a price that gets you in the game,” Bigley said. “When they do large volume purchases, they are

Bob Charron

Parker Bigley

very keen on pricing and it’s very important. But there are contracting rules around how you set prices with the federal government.”

The VA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) establishes longterm government-wide contracts that allow VA facilities and other government agencies to acquire a vast array of medical equipment, supplies, services and pharmaceuticals directly from commercial suppliers.

VA Schedules are indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity type contracts awarded to pre-approved vendors using full and open competition. The FSS negotiates firm-fixed pricing based on a commercial “most favored customer” pricing concept, including an option for economic price adjustments.

With approximately $19 billion in annual sales, the FSS provides federal customers with access to over 1 million commercial products and services.

Entities like the Small Business Association’s (SBA) socioeconomic classifications for business have set asides for doing business with the federal government. For example, an opportunity might arise for a service-disabled and veteran-owned small business where only those businesses can submit an offer to a particular request. So, there are many different things to consider.

“You must be detail oriented and understand the contract requirements to some degree,” Charron said. “You must understand what the federal acquisition regulation (FAR) is and what

Projects can be long and there can be a “hurry up and wait” factor but once the decision is made by the U.S. government to buy product or services then it’s just about finding a way to move through the system efficiently.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is a set of rules and procedures that govern how the government buys goods and services. It ensures uniformity and transparency in the acquisition process, aiming to provide the government with the best value for its money. The FAR is jointly issued and maintained by the DoD, the General Services Administration (GSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The full text of the FAR is available on the acquisition.gov website. It can also be found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

they’re looking for. Often, it’s more about best value, which could include technical, pricing and other considerations that may not be clearly stated.”

He says you need to understand how you can build an offer that brings the government value that’s more than just the lowest price. According to the VA, some important questions to consider before preparing a solicitation include:

 Do the products and/or services we offer fit under a VA Schedule solicitation?

 Can we compete with current Schedule contractors?

 Do we have the time and resources to dedicate towards submitting a package and administrating and marketing the contract after award?

 Are my products trade agreements clause compliant?

 Can we offer our best value to the government?

Factors considered for a best value determination include price, past performance record, trade-in considerations, delivery terms, socioeconomic status, special features of the supply/ service required for effective performance, quality of the proposed solutions and cost differentials, warranty policy, return goods policy and expertise of the offeror.

To qualify for a VA FSS contract, a firm should:

 Be able to demonstrate that your firm is responsible.

 Meet all the requirements of the solicitation.

 Be able to fulfill all contract obligations outlined in the solicitation.

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“If you’re doing things correctly with how you’re billing and how you’re working, the U.S. government is the best payer in the world,” Bigley said.

A great customer

They pay and they pay on time, according to Bigley. If they don’t have the funding for it, they can’t have a purchase order for it legally. “They’re a great customer once you figure out how to navigate it,” he said. “Whatever they’re committed to, they’re consistent with it.”

Projects can be long and there can be a “hurry up and wait” factor but once the decision is made by the U.S. government to buy product or services then it’s just about finding a way to move through the system efficiently.

But being a VA Schedule contractor doesn’t guarantee sales. Awarded contractors are expected to market their company and Schedule contract to the federal marketplace while competing with other Schedule contractors for requirements issued by ordering activities.

“There are contracting rules around how you set prices with the federal government,” Bigley said. “And that has to be organized and compliant with the federal acquisition regulation.”

MedPro actively sells into the DoD, VA, Indian Health Service and Federal Bureau of Prisons for its manufacturer partners. They are able to provide elevated product awareness at both the nationwide and end user levels. They have security requirements to access facilities and the ability to move new products through committees.

Executive Order and the FAR

President Trump signed an executive order in April pertaining to federal procurement arguing “the FAR has swelled to more than 2,000 pages of regulations, evolving into an excessive and overcomplicated regulatory framework and resulting in an onerous bureaucracy.” It sets to reform the FAR within 180 days of the executive order that was signed on April 15, 2025. The order includes:

 Within 15 days of the order, each agency exercising procurement authority pursuant to the FAR shall designate a senior acquisition or procurement official to work with the Administrator and the FAR Council to ensure agency alignment with FAR reform and to provide recommendations regarding any agency-specific supplemental regulations to the FAR.

 Within 20 days, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Administrator, shall issue a memorandum to agencies that provides guidance regarding the implementation of this order.

 The memorandum shall propose new agency supplemental regulations and internal guidance that promote expedited and streamlined acquisitions.

 The Administrator and the FAR Council shall issue deviation and interim guidance, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, until final rules reforming the FAR are published.

“You have to navigate the contracting structure and at the same time, cultivate clinical acceptance and thought to have your products in position to be considered.”

Navigating protocols

Bigley says his connections in the federal government are often in touch with him seeking different data points from different healthcare suppliers to determine how they want to propose an RFP when they’re researching a new area.

“You have to navigate the contracting structure and at the same time, cultivate clinical acceptance and thought to have your products in position to be considered,” he said.

“There are a lot of similarities to calling on the commercial

healthcare sector once you get in front of the customer,” he added. “But there’s a protocol on how to get on a military base, for example.”

That involves being registered and credentialed and having an appointment, and depending on the base or facility, having limited access to certain areas.

“You can’t just drive by and show up,” Bigley said. “You have to plan out your call and coordinate with somebody inside the facility to get in and then present your opportunity.”

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From Pandemic Lessons to Policy

How FAST PASS became law, and how it could shape future legislative efforts.

 The celebration was well-earned. In December 2024, a major piece of legislation crossed the finish line when Congress approved FAST PASS legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. The legislation passed by a vote of 281-140 in the House of Representatives and 85-14 in the Senate.

“This is a bipartisan victory for the medical supply chain,” HIDA President and CEO Matthew J. Rowan said at the time. “During the pandemic and the subsequent supply chain delays, healthcare distributors worked closely with ports and shippers to get critical medical products to patients and providers. We are eager to share best practices with the government that can be applied to supply chain bottlenecks in the future.”

The passage marked the culmination of three years of HIDA legislative advocacy to address shipping delays for medical products.

Repertoire Magazine reached out to several stakeholders who contributed to the legislation’s creation to better understand the conversations, obstacles, and framework, and what future med/ surg related legislative efforts could look like in the future.

Identifying the problem

skepticism in Congress about revisiting COVID-era supply chain policies. “Our best argument for FAST PASS was ‘We’ve done it before,’” said DiBitetto.

HIDA has worked with the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to identify cargoes of medical products and expedite them through the port to the patients and providers that needed them. “What we were asking Congress to do is study whether this effort could be scaled up into a national program during a future public health emergency.”

A winding path

For three years, HIDA advocated for legislation that would help to expedite the flow of critical medical cargo through American ports. FAST PASS was initially

FAST PASS directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on the transportation of PPE through vessels and ports onto trucks or rail, and the role played by the Department of Transportation and other relevant federal agencies to expedite the transportation of PPE.

Transportation is ultimately a healthcare issue, said Kathryn DiBitetto, vice president of government affairs, HIDA. “During the pandemic and the subsequent supply chain delays, healthcare distributors worked closely with ports and shippers to get critical medical products to patients and providers,” she said. “But patients and providers still suffered from delays.”

A HIDA study of the medical supply chain found that during the West Coast port backlog of 2021-22, approximately 31,00046,000 containers of critical medical supplies were delayed an average of 29 days throughout the transportation system.

Something needed to be done at the national level, yet after the pandemic, there was a lot of

introduced by Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS) and John Garamendi (D-CA) as H.R. 6140, the Facilitate Access to Swiftly Transport Goods during a Publicly Announced State of Emergency Situation (FAST PASS) Act.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw firsthand how fragile our supply chains can be. Port congestion can be a matter of life-and-death, especially when it comes to emergency medical

supplies,” Rep. Garamendi said. “As a major proponent of the U.S. maritime industry, I decided it was worth investigating how to avoid this problem in the future.”

The bill was introduced in November 2023. In March 2024, it was passed unanimously by the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, but it was not considered on the House floor. In an effort to expedite passage of the bill, the House Armed Services Committee included FAST PASS as a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This passed the House in June 2024. FAST PASS was included in the final text of the NDAA that became law in December 2024.

“As you know, the process of passing a bill is rarely simple. It requires working with interested parties, like the Health Industry Distributors Association, and working across the aisle when possible,” Rep. Garamendi said. “Congressman Ezell was a great partner in this. And it involves working in creative ways. For instance, FAST PASS passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which I am a senior member of, by a bipartisan vote. But the bill never made it to a full floor vote in the House.

But since FAST PASS is about being able to access critical supplies in an emergency, which

is vital for our national security,” Rep. Garamendi continued, “I pushed for its inclusion in the annual defense spending bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, which is ultimately how the bill became law. All this to say, the process of legislating rarely follows a straight line.”

From the med/surg community, DiBitetto said HIDA members were the industry’s strongest and best advocates for FAST PASS. “Members of our Shipping & Logistics Working Group provided persuasive evidence of cargo delays and the impact they had on patients and providers. Key members of the HIDA Board of Directors met at critical moments with key staff on committees of jurisdiction. And dozens of HIDA members have had hundreds of meetings with Congressional staffers at HIDA Washington fly-ins for three consecutive years.” HIDA especially wanted to commend:

 Shipping Work Group Co-Chairs, Patrick Halloran of Cardinal Health and Jon Archer of McKesson.

FAST PASS was a memberled initiative of the Shipping Work Group created to manage transportation bottlenecks during COVID. “Patrick and Jon were key subject matter experts on healthcare logistics. Patrick personally lobbied Congressman Garamendi at HIDA’s 2023 Fly-In and convinced him to introduce the bill.”

 Lisa Hohman of Concordance Healthcare Solutions. “We needed the Chairman of the House Transportation Committee – Congressman Sam Graves of Missouri – to

Prioritizing medical supplies

“The healthcare supply chain relies on reliable and consistent global transportation systems. In 2021, significant port delays directly contributed to longer lead times, affecting patient care nationwide. Commercial organizations across the supply chain collaborated with public agencies at the state and federal levels to prioritize medical supplies. This solution, implemented on the West Coast, became the foundation for a future nationwide response. In September 2023, I was honored to meet with Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) and Transportation & Infrastructure Committee staff to advocate for his support for this critical legislation on behalf of the distribution industry. His approval was crucial to advancing the FAST PASS legislation. By working with federal agencies and legislators, such as Chairman Graves, FAST PASS ensures that medical supplies will be prioritized in times of need.”

-- Lisa Hohman, CEO, Concordance Healthcare Solutions and HIDA Chair

approve of FAST PASS so that his committee would consider it,” said DiBitetto. “Thanks to Concordance’s facilities and customers in Missouri, Lisa was able to get us a key meeting with legislative staff for Chairman Graves.”

 Dennis Clock of Clock Medical. “Dennis met with Congressman Ezell during the 2023 HIDA fly-in, because of Clock Medical’s distribution facility in Mississippi,” said DiBitetto. “We met with a very informed and engaged staffer – Allie Cameron – who led the charge for FAST PASS on Capitol Hill.”

FAST PASS has had the encouragement and support of trade associations such as AdvaMed, and healthcare distributors such as Cardinal Health. “This is a bipartisan victory for the medical supply chain, and a recognition of the hard work healthcare distributors

accomplished during both the COVID pandemic of 2020 and the West Coast port delays of 2021,” DiBitetto said.

Only the beginning

Rep. Garamendi said FAST PASS is a first step in a longer process. “We have a long way to go towards ensuring every American has access to plentiful, affordable, world class healthcare. And I will continue working to make this a reality. But ensuring that hospitals can access critical supplies during an emergency is basic. FAST PASS will help ensure that our hospital shelves stay stocked in a crisis.”

DiBitetto believes FAST PASS will have a positive impact on the efficiency and reliability of the healthcare supply chain moving forward. FAST PASS directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on the

transportation of PPE through vessels and ports onto trucks or rail, and the role played by the Department of Transportation and other relevant federal agencies to expedite the transportation of PPE. The study will look at ways to improve the coordination among relevant federal agencies to expedite the transportation of PPE, and the impact (if any) that this might have on the transportation of other goods. The GAO study must be conducted within one year of enactment, and report back to Congress by the end of 2026.

“It is now the job of everyone in the medical supply chain to help the GAO research their report, by telling the story of how we overcame multiple transportation obstacles in order to better serve our customers,” DiBitetto said. “We are eager to share best practices with the government that can be applied to supply chain bottlenecks in the future.”

FAST PASS proves the necessity of good public-private partnerships in healthcare distribution. “The work we did with West Coast ports to expedite medical cargo was a useful case study and proof of concept for FAST PASS,” DiBitetto said. It is also important to emphasize persistence and creativity when it comes to lawmaking. FAST PASS legislation took a number of twists and turns on its way to becoming law. “The medical supply chain is linked across the continuum of care,” DiBitetto said, “and it needs to work together to make sure our interests are properly represented in Congress.”

Driving Excellence in Ambulatory Surgery Centers

A

conversation with ASCQC Executive Director Nina Goins.

 As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are playing an increasingly vital role in delivering high-quality, cost-effective care across the country. At the forefront of championing safety and performance in this sector is the ASC Quality Collaboration (ASCQC), a leading organization committed to developing and advancing quality measures tailored specifically for ASCs, collaborating with industry stakeholders, and serving as a quality and safety resource center.

Repertoire Magazine asked Nina Goins, the newly appointed Executive Director of ASCQC, to discuss the organization’s 2025 priorities, including the launch of the ASC Safety & Quality Assessment and its ongoing efforts to empower surgery centers through benchmarking, education, and practical tools for improvement. With a strong background in ASC leadership and a passion for quality care, Goins shares insights on how the Collaboration supports centers in addressing key challenges.

Advancing safe, high-quality care

One of the ASCQC’s top priorities for 2025 is the rollout of their new ASC Safety & Quality Assessment. This initiative invites ASCs to submit data on critical areas such as patient safety, patient experience, admissions and transfers, infection prevention and control, medication management and governance. The goal is to help ASCs benchmark

themselves against essential attributes that define a safe, highquality ambulatory surgical care environment, Goins said.

The assessment period ran from early February through midMarch, with more than 400 surgery centers participating. “We are now in the process of developing benchmarking reports for participants,” Goins said. Each center will receive a personalized report featuring both individual results and aggregate findings from all participating ASCs.

These insights can help centers demonstrate their quality to patients, payers, prospective physicians, employers and their communities. Additionally, the reports serve as a tool for continuous improvement, reinforce a center’s commitment to safe, high-quality care, and support the broader ASC industry’s value narrative.

Through ASCQC’s mission to advance safe, high-quality care in ASCs, they are building additional resources for improvement such as toolkits (e.g., fall prevention, wrong-site surgery prevention) and raising awareness through speaking engagements, media interviews (like this one) and growing the audience for their LinkedIn page linkedin.com/company/ascquality-collaboration . “Additionally, we are working to expand our new Supporter program, which enables suppliers and vendors serving the ASC community to engage with and show their support for ASCQC’s mission.”

Standardized quality measures

To understand how the ASCQC defines and measures quality in ambulatory surgery centers, Goins

“ We currently collect and analyze safetyand quality-related care data from more than 2,000 ASCs nationwide through our benchmarking and assessment resources. Our clinical quality benchmarking assesses more than 2 million ASC encounters per quarter submitted through our members.”

Another goal was the transition to a new executive director. “I was honored to step into this role in March, succeeding Kathy Wilson, who served as ASCQC’s executive director since 2021,” Goins said. “Having previously served as the chairperson of ASCQC’s Board of Directors, I am deeply familiar with the organization and its mission. I am excited to take on this expanded role and responsibility.”

said it’s helpful to know the history of the Collaboration. It was established in 2006 to create and promote standardized quality measures tailored to ASCs, with measures designed to be within an ASC’s control and meaningful to key stakeholders. The initial efforts focused on universally applicable aspects of care, but over time, the approach has expanded to address gaps identified by national policy organizations.

Once the first set of measures was finalized through a diligent development process, ASCQC members began submitting data, leading to the development of publicly available quarterly benchmarking reports and now the new ASC Safety & Quality Assessment.

“We currently collect and analyze safety- and quality-related care data from more than 2,000 ASCs nationwide through our benchmarking and assessment resources,” said Goins. “Our clinical quality benchmarking assesses more than 2 million ASC encounters per quarter submitted through our members.”

“We also provide input and work collaboratively with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other federal agencies on the ASC Quality Reporting Program.”

For the benchmarking reports, ASCQC collects performance data for the following ASC facility-level quality measures developed by the organization:

 Patient Fall in the ASC

 Patient Burn

 All Cause Hospital Transfer/Admission

 Wrong Site, Side, Patient, Procedure, Implant

 Prophylactic IV Antibiotic Timing

 Appropriate Surgical Site

Hair Removal

 Normothermia

 Unplanned Anterior Vitrectomy

 Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome (TASS)

 All Cause Emergency Department Visit Within One Day of Discharge

 All Cause Unplanned Hospital Admission Within One Day of Discharge

“Questions in our ASC Safety & Quality Assessment were related to patient experience, patient safety, hospital visits, admissions and transfers, culture of safety, infection control and prevention, medication management, quality and performance improvement, governance and human resources,” Goins said.

Participating ASCs can leverage benchmarking data in several valuable ways. First, they gain insight into how their performance compares to similar facilities as well as to their own historical trends. This helps identify areas of strength to build upon and celebrate while flagging operational aspects that may benefit from targeted improvement.

Over time, benchmarking enables ASCs to track the impact of their improvement initiatives, validating whether efforts are delivering the desired results. Additionally, benchmarking can serve as an early warning system, revealing potential downward trends and developments before they escalate into more serious quality and safety issues.

Key challenges in maintaining high-quality standards

As ASCQC’s benchmarking data reveals, ASCs generally do an excellent job of delivering safe,

Toolkits

high-quality care and maintaining high-quality standards, Goins said. But there are certainly challenges surgery centers must be aware of to help ensure they continue their success in these areas.

and engage with the media to share guidance and best practices,” Goins said. “We also host meetings and conference calls that foster collaboration and create valuable networking opportuni-

“Through the development, maintenance and public reporting of standardized quality measures tailored to ASCs, we will continue to shine a spotlight on safety and quality, highlight the exceptional work surgery centers perform in ensuring excellence, and identify areas ASCs must prioritize to achieve optimal patient outcomes.

“Challenges facing ASCs today include staff turnover and burnout as well as the introduction of new, more complex procedures and rising patient acuity,” she said. Quality-specific challenges could include complacency in low-adverse event environments, inconsistent data capture and reporting, and gaps in staff training and engagement.

ASCQC provides ASCs with quality improvement tools and resources aligned with the measures and benchmarking data, empowering surgery centers to identify areas for improvement. “We regularly speak at conferences

In addition to the newest toolkit on preventing wrong-site surgery, ASCQC offers toolkits on important quality and safety areas like endoscope reprocessing, hand hygiene, patient falls, safe injection practices, and sterilization and high-level disinfection. These toolkits include ASC-focused resources, such as guidelines, assessment tools, training materials and monitoring tools. For more information, visit ascquality.org/toolkits

ties to support ongoing quality improvement efforts.”

Thinking long-term

ASCQC envisions continuing to serve as a trusted partner and resource dedicated to advancing quality and patient safety in ASCs, Goins said. “Through the development, maintenance and public reporting of standardized quality measures tailored to ASCs, we will continue to shine a spotlight on safety and quality, highlight the exceptional work surgery centers perform in ensuring excellence, and identify areas ASCs must prioritize to achieve optimal patient outcomes.

“In addition, our ongoing commitment to fostering collaboration among ASC industry stakeholders – including associations like ASCA and AORN, state associations, management companies, accrediting bodies, technology vendors and other product and service providers – will further support the adoption of best practices and drive continuous improvement efforts and initiatives across the ASC community.”

ASC News

Cleveland Clinic to partner with Regent Surgical for ASCs

Cleveland Clinic announced a partnership with Regent Surgical to develop ambulatory surgery centers that enhance access, streamline care delivery, and provide support for physicians and care teams.

Regent works with health systems to develop, manage and operate surgery center partnerships with a focus on increasing access to high-quality care. Cleveland Clinic and Regent will work together to develop future ASC locations in U.S. markets. Cleveland Clinic is the majority owner of the joint venture and will have branding on all ASCs.

Founded in 2001, Regent Surgical has established itself as a leader in outpatient care delivery. The company operates and manages ASC locations in partnership with leading health systems across 13 states, focusing on enhancing care quality, improving patient experience, and driving operational excellence.

Premier Anesthesia partners with Holzer Health System to enhance anesthesia services across Southeast Ohio

Premier Anesthesia, one of the nation’s oldest and largest privately held, single-specialty anesthesia practice management companies, announced its new partnership with four key facilities in the Holzer Health System: Holzer Gallipolis, Holzer Gallipolis Surgery Center, Holzer

Jackson and Holzer Athens Surgery Center.

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) on the Holzer anesthesia team will be employed with the health system, and Premier Anesthesia will work as the hospital’s practice management partner to grow the number of clinical providers to support coverage needs across all four locations and bring best practices for clinical care, practice management and patient service. The group plans to recruit additional CRNAs and physician anesthesiologists to support coverage needs across the four facilities and will operate care models that vary based on each facility’s needs. Surgical services include a diverse case mix – from obstetrics and endoscopy, to ophthalmology, orthopedics and more.

Holzer Gallipolis, a 266-bed, Joint Commission-accredited hospital and designated Rural Referral Center, has been serving the Southeast Ohio River Valley since 1909 with a focus on advanced care and community service. The hospital includes the dedicated Holzer Gallipolis Surgery Center that supports a broad range of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures. Holzer Jackson is a modern outpatient facility offering primary and specialty care, imaging and lab services with a strong emphasis on accessibility and quality. Holzer Athens Surgery Center delivers advanced surgical care across a wide range

of specialties in a state-of-theart outpatient setting.

Graystone Eye awards Prime Vendor agreement to Medline Medline announced its Prime Vendor agreement with Graystone Eye in Hickory, N.C. With 13 board-certified ophthalmologists, one optometrist and additional staff totaling more than 300 in four locations – Hickory, Lenoir, Lincolnton and Boone – Graystone Eye provides comprehensive ophthalmic care to patients in western North Carolina and neighboring counties.

Under the terms of the Prime Vendor agreement, Graystone Eye’s physician offices and surgery center have access to Medline’s medical-surgical portfolio and supply chain expertise, which is expected to support standardization and drive operational efficiency. With advanced analytics platforms from Medline, Graystone also can monitor key metrics across its locations, including item utilization, contract compliance, price accuracy and spend by product categories.

Graystone’s sub-specialties include cataract, refractive, cornea, retina, pediatric, glaucoma, oculoplastic and optometry services and procedures. The organization also recently launched a new Chronic Care Management program, designed to provide a holistic approach to Medicareenrolled patients with multiple chronic conditions.

Where The Healthcare Supply Chain Picks Up Speed

Join us in Indianapolis for the 2025 Streamlining Healthcare Expo & Business Exchange

Grow your distribution sales at the one event that brings together more than 750 supply chain decision-makers, including distributors, manufacturers and group purchasing organizations.

Whether you’re seeking new distributors or suppliers, or looking to accelerate sales with current partners, you’ll get it all done at Streamlining Healthcare.

Your Fastest Route To Strategic Partnerships

Connections that go the distance.

At #StreamliningHealthcare25, networking isn’t left to chance. From scheduled one-on-one meetings to walk-up access with key distributor executives, every interaction is designed to help you make real progress.

Reverse Expo & Lounge

80+ leaders from healthcare distributors, group purchasing organizations, regional purchasing coalitions, and integrated delivery networks will be available to discuss potential partnerships.

Solutions Expo

Explore the Solutions Expo & Lounge to discover new vendors, check out products, and reconnect with current partners on the show floor.

Partner Meetings

Executive Business Exchange:

Meet face-to-face with current and prospective partners in targeted 20-minute meetings, matched through a unique algorithm. (Manufacturer participation open to HEF Associates only)

Gold Key Club:

For companies planning a few flexible meetings, with private space available in half-hour blocks.

Private Meeting Rooms:

Book your team and partner meetings by reserving a meeting room onsite.

NEW THIS YEAR!

The Meeting & Networking Hub:

Open Wednesday and Thursday—a perfect pit stop for one-on-one meetings, casual chats, and quick breaks between sessions.

On Track For Growth

Education Designed For Distributors And Manufacturers

Educational Sessions:

Learn about emerging trends, including the increasing complexity of the healthcare supply chain and the importance of strong, strategic partnerships.

Independent Distributors Summit:

Explore partnerships between independent distributors and government agencies for public health responses.

Federal Procurement Summit:

Gain insights from federal procurement leaders and explore strategies for building diverse supplier partnerships—tools to help you grow your government business and navigate federal contracting complexities.

Distributor Q&A Sessions:

Hear directly from distributor executive leadership teams about their challenges and priorities.

PWH Luncheon & Leadership Workshop:

Gain leadership insights empowered through technology, featuring industry executives sharing individual experiences.

When it comes to education and access to distribution partners, this is one of the most valuable events you will attend all year.

16

Solutions Expo & Welcome Reception 5:30–7:00pm CT

September 17

Networking Breakfast 7:00–8:00am CT

Solutions Expo & Lounge Networking Lunch 11:45am–2:00pm CT

Solutions Expo & Happy Hour 5:00–6:30pm CT After Party 9:00–11:00pm CT

September 18

Reverse Expo & Breakfast

Where Healthcare Distribution Sets Its Course for 2025 and Beyond

THREE REASONS TO TAKE THE LEAD AT

1 2 3

STREAMLINING:

Strategic Meetings That Shift Your Business Into High Gear

Connect directly with key decision-makers ready to collaborate and drive results.

Powerful Networking That Builds Momentum

Fuel lasting partnerships with executives who share your vision and priorities.

Timely Insights That Keep You In The Fast Lane

Gain forward-looking strategies and market intelligence to stay ahead of industry curves.

hida.org/streamlining-healthcare/companies #StreamliningHealthcare25

Post-Acute Care Infection Prevention

How healthcare providers can implement practices that address HAIs in post-acute care.

medical care,” said Dr. David P. Calfee, director of the Healthcare-Associated Infections Division, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). “HAIs that are among the most common in longterm care facilities include urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, influenza and other respiratory virus infections, and skin and soft tissue infections.”

HAIs can spread through person-to-person contact, hand transmission, contaminated medical equipment and treatment environments, and more. Effective infection prevention practices are critical to protecting vulnerable patient populations in post-acute care settings.

“Infection prevention is important in all healthcare settings,” said Dr. Calfee. “Residents and patients in long-term care and other post-acute care facilities frequently have medical conditions that place them at higher risk of infection and of poor outcomes from any infection that develops.”

HAIs in post-acute care settings

 One of the major challenges faced by post-acute care providers is the prevention and management of infections acquired in healthcare settings.

Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are a substantial issue across the healthcare industry that delay patient recovery, reduce favorable patient outcomes and pose risks to healthcare staff. In long-term care (LTC) facilities, including long-term acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and skilled nursing facilities, where individuals are being treated or work in

proximity, the risk of spreading HAIs increases significantly.

On any given day, about one in 31 hospital patients has at least one HAI, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with 1 in 43 nursing home residents contracting at least one infection associated with their healthcare.

“HAIs are infections that develop during the receipt of

HAIs are a serious threat to the safety of patients, residents, and LTC physicians and staff. Patients can become infected with HAIs while receiving or soon after treatment, according to the CDC. Certain healthcare procedures can expose a patient to bacteria and viruses that cause HAIs that can then spread between patients, providers, staff and visitors through unclean hands or improper use (or reuse) of medical equipment.

AHRQ has compiled a resource and a review of standard precautions for LTC physicians

in “A Unit Guide to Infection Prevention for Long-Term Care Staff,” calling healthcare providers to be aware of the signs and symptoms of infection, consistently ask patients how they are feeling, become familiar with what is and isn’t normal for a patient, and report any symptoms of infection immediately.

“Symptoms and signs at the site of infection are often present in patients,” said Dr. Calfee. “These include symptoms such as dysuria in residents with urinary tract infections; cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and/ or nasal congestion in respiratory tract infections; and pain, redness, swelling, and/or drainage in skin and soft tissue infections.”

HAIs can be caused by a variety of different microbes and include central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), surgical site infections (SSI), ventilator-associated pneumonia, and more. Other types of common infections in LTC include respiratory infections such as pneumonia and COVID19, gastrointestinal infections, and skin infections such as bedsores.

“Non-localizing symptoms and signs, such as fever, hypothermia, hypotension (low blood pressure), hyperglycemia, and delirium, may be present in residents with infections, but these findings can also be due to non-infectious processes,” said Dr. Calfee. “Thus, when these are identified, evaluation for both infectious and noninfectious causes is warranted.”

According to the AHRQ guide, physicians should break the chain of infections by detecting, diagnosing and treating infections quickly, not rushing to use antibiotics, as they

could cause antibiotic-resistant infections, and carefully following facility policies on infection prevention.

Prevention of HAIs in LTC

Healthcare staff can reduce the risk of infection to themselves and other patients by practicing proper hand hygiene, wearing gloves and other personal protective equipment, keeping the healthcare environment clean, properly disinfecting surfaces and medical equipment and handling waste safely.

“Strategies that may be helpful in implementing and sustaining effective infection prevention practices include

or health system’s infection prevention program,” said Dr. Calfee.

AHRQ’s Comprehensive UnitBased Safety Program (CUSP) and Team Strategies & Tools to Enhance Performance & Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) program can help facilities pursue such improvements, says Dr. Calfee.

The Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) is a method that can help clinical teams make care safer by combining improved teamwork, clinical best practices, and the science of safety. The Core CUSP toolkit gives clinical teams the training resources and tools to apply

On any given day, about one in 31 hospital patients has at least one HAI, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with 1 in 43 nursing home residents contracting at least one infection associated with their healthcare.

periodic education and training, observations of infection preventionrelated practices when indicated, and environmental cleaning and disinfection with feedback to frontline staff, and identification and resolution of barriers to implementation of recommended practices,” said Dr. Calfee.

Patients and visitors should also be involved in the prevention of infections, according to the AHRQ guide. Patients and visitors play a role in increasing the safety of the entire facility by practicing infection prevention themselves, and in supporting healthcare teams in prevention practices.

“Efforts to build a strong culture of safety and to optimize communication among staff, residents, and residents’ family and visitors can strengthen a hospital

the CUSP method and build their capacity to address safety issues.

TeamSTEPPS is an evidencebased set of teamwork tools, aimed at optimizing patient outcomes by improving communication and teamwork skills among healthcare teams, including patients and family caregivers.

Ultimately, reducing the incidence of HAIs depends on the commitment of post-acute care providers implementing a variety of strategies and procedures across the facility.

“Improving teamwork, communication, and safety culture may help to improve infection prevention, other aspects of care, staff engagement, and staff satisfaction in post-acute care facilities,” said Dr. Calfee.

Best Buy Health Banks on Hospital-at-Home Model

The consumer electronics retailer has found success in healthcare partnerships.

By Daniel Beaird

 Best Buy Health and Mass General Brigham first collaborated in November 2023 to support a new model of healthcare delivery – Mass General Brigham’s Home Hospital, one of the largest acute homebased care models in the country. Research shows hospital-at-home programs have been successful.

A 2024 study assessed the outcomes of nearly 6,000 Americans nationwide who received care for a serious medical condition in their home instead of at a hospital. The findings validated the safety and effectiveness of receiving acute care at home. Less than 1% of patients died and fewer than 7% had their care escalated into a 24-hour hospital stay, according to Mass General Brigham.

Home hospitals admit patients for an acute condition that traditionally requires a bed in either the ICU or a hospital ward. Those that enter the Mass General Brigham Home Hospital receive visits from a nurse or paramedic at least twice a day, continuous monitoring of vital signs, diagnostic testing when needed, access to therapeutics traditionally provided in a hospital,

and 24-hour access to members of a care team for questions or concerns at the touch of a button from a tablet.

Current Health, Best Buy Health’s care at home platform, connects patients to nurses, paramedics and advanced practitioners, and Best Buy Health’s emergency response device called Lively Mobile Plus can detect falls and enable patients to call for help.

Model of success

Best Buy Health has found success with the hospital-at-home model when other retailers have pulled back their healthcare offerings. The Minnesota-based consumer electronics retailer relied on partnerships with health systems across the country to help push the model into new healthcare services and products.

Partnerships with Mass General Brigham, OSF Healthcare, Geisinger, Mount Sinai Health System and NYU Langone Health all stemmed from Best Buy’s $400 million acquisition of remote patient monitoring company Current Health in 2021. Its partnership with Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health (now Advocate

Health) connects it to one of the largest health systems in the country after Atrium established its hospital-at-home program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These health systems connected with Best Buy Health to use the retailer’s technology for in-home care to help lessen emergency room visits, treat chronic conditions and remotely monitor patients. Its Current Health platform enables deep insights into patient health and supports provider experiences through continuous and intermittent monitoring. It can provide real-time remote patient monitoring and care coordination using its clinical dashboard integrated with a health system’s EHR where providers receive alerts based on customizable parameters for common care scenarios and individual patient requirements. Its configurable clinical escalation pathways can help mitigate risk and reduce readmissions.

Expansion and benefits

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) passed the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver in November 2020 due to the sudden demand for hospital beds during the COVID-19 pandemic. It allowed certain hospitals to treat patients with an inpatient level of care in their homes if those hospitals’ offerings met certain federally required parameters. The waiver suspended the requirement of a 24/7 on-site availability of a registered nurse and allowed hospitals to deliver care remotely.

CMS requires participating hospitals to report safety and care outcomes of home patients, and Mass General Brigham

Current Best Buy Health stats

 A 6.9% 30-day readmission rate at NYU Langone.

 $2.3 million in cost savings in its first year with the U.S. Military Health System.

 5,000 bed days saved at Wrightington, Wigan Leigh NHS Foundation Trust in the U.K.

researchers found compelling evidence for the success of the model nationwide. Many patients reported a better experience at home due to reduced risk of infections, more independence, social determinants of health and discharge procedures.

Caregivers benefited too because hospital-at-home programs lighten their load. Health aides help patients go to the bathroom, bathe and eat so that job doesn’t go to a spouse, parent or child.

The AHCaH waiver has been extended multiple times and most recently through a continuing resolution passed by Congress, extending the program through Sept. 30, 2025.

Eligibility

Federal requirements direct patients to visit a brick-and-mortar hospital for evaluation before hospitalization at home. Evaluations can occur in emergency departments or for patients with planned surgeries or procedures.

The most common acute conditions for Mass General Brigham Home Hospital include:

 Respiratory including COPD, asthma, influenza, pneumonia and COVID-19.

 Cardiac, including heart failure, atrial fibrillation and hypertensive urgency.

 Endocrine, including severe hyperglycemia.

 Infections, including cellulitis, complicated urinary tract infections and other infections.

 Gastrointestinal, including inflammatory bowel disease flare ups, diverticulitis and pancreatitis.

 Bladder and kidneys, including chronic kidney disease and too little cortisol produced by the kidneys.

 Liver, including acute hepatitis and cirrhosis.

Patients must consent before joining the program. They can also request to return to a traditional hospital at any time.

Mass General Brigham wants to move one of every 10 patients receiving inpatient care into a home-based environment.

This goal requires expanding its Home Hospital even further.

Advancing technology

To accomplish that goal, Mass General Brigham and Best Buy Health are developing a care orchestration platform set to go live in one of Mass General Brigham’s regions this spring with another region to go live this summer.

An app to coordinate logistics between technology, medical supplies and staffing can help drive hospital-at-home programs to deliver inpatient levels of treatment. If these logistics can be unified, the hospital-at-home model could be set to really take off.

5 Moments for Hand Hygiene

The WHO says hand hygiene is one of the most effective, affordable and universal tools we have to prevent the transmission of infections.

 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are five key moments for hand hygiene:

1. Before touching a patient

2. Before a clean/aseptic procedure

3. After body fluid exposure risk

4. After touching a patient

5. After touching patient surroundings

The WHO’s “5 moments for hand hygiene” were highlighted during World Hand Hygiene Day, celebrated annually on May 5 and now in its 17th year. WHHD aims to promote optimal hand hygiene practices (using the appropriate technique and according to the WHO 5 Moments) and the times for appropriate glove use within the health care workflow.

“Hand hygiene is one of the most effective, affordable and universal tools we have to prevent the transmission of infections and provide high-quality, clean and safe medical care,” the WHO noted. “While medical gloves serve a vital role in preventing transmission of infection, for example when there is risk of exposure to blood and body fluids, they are not a substitute for cleaning hands at the right time.”

The WHO urged national policymakers and the health community to take the following actions to improve rational use of gloves and hand hygiene in healthcare settings:

 Establish hand hygiene compliance as a national health system performance indicator by 2026

in line with the Global action plan and monitoring framework on infection prevention and control (IPC), 2024-2030;

 Align national efforts on hand hygiene with the WHO guidelines on hand hygiene in health care;

 Train health workers on appropriate use of gloves and the WHO guidance called the 5 moments for hand hygiene;

 Focus on reducing unnecessary glove use to minimize health care waste; provide the necessary resources to enable hand hygiene to be practiced at the point of care; and

 Prevent glove misuse by keeping enough good-quality gloves accessible.

“Regardless of whether gloves are worn, hand hygiene at the right times and in the right way is still one of the most important measures to protect patients and health workers in healthcare,” the WHO noted on

its website. By 2026, hand hygiene compliance monitoring and feedback should be established as a key national indicator, at the very least in all reference hospitals. Currently 68% of countries report they are doing this. Appropriate glove use and hand hygiene can help minimize this waste. Using gloves when not indicated wastes resources and does not necessarily reduce transmission of germs. An average university hospital generates 1,634 tons of health care waste each year and this number is increasing 2-3% per year (especially since COVID-19); wealthier countries generate more waste, WHO noted.

IPC interventions such as hand hygiene, and ensuring access to high-quality water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services can reduce the risk of health careassociated infections (HAIs) by up to 70% and have a high economic return on investment.

SCAN ME

UV Awareness and Skin Health

July is UV Awareness Month, highlighting the health impacts of UV exposure and how to avoid them.

 As we approach the dog days of summer this July, long days outside in the sun are a given. Though sun tanning and outdoor activities are a great way to relax in the summer, it is important to recognize that the sun’s rays emit natural ultraviolet radiation (UV), which can be harmful to your health.

UV radiation is classified into three primary types: ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB), and ultraviolet C (UVC), based on their wavelengths. “Exposure to UVB and UVA rays, measured in nanometers (nm), each one-billionth of a meter, causes damage that can lead to skin cancer,” said Dr. Elizabeth K. Hale, senior vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation, and clinical associate professor of Dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center.

UVB rays (light in the 290–320 nm part of the solar spectrum) are responsible for sunburns, and UVA rays (light in the 320–400 nm part of the solar spectrum) are the major contributor to photoaging, characterized by fine and coarse wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and loss of elasticity, said Dr. Hale.

UVA and UVB radiation both impact health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but UVA penetrates deeper into the skin and remains constant throughout the year.

“Both UVA and UVB radiation cause the majority of skin cancers that people experience today,” said Dr. Hale. “In contrast to UVB, UVA is not filtered significantly by the ozone layer, and more than 95% of the UV radiation that reaches the earth’s surface is in the UVA region. The amount of UVA radiation is consistent throughout the year because it is not as strongly affected by weather conditions or sun angle.”

Harmful effect of UV radiation

The risk of harmful health impacts from UV radiation increases in people who spend a lot of time in the sun, have been sunburned previously, have light skin tones, have a family member diagnosed with skin cancer, are over the age of 50, or for those that take certain types of medications, according to the CDC.

“There is a public misconception that people with darker skin tones don’t need to worry about skin cancer. That is simply not true,” said Dr. Hale. “People with darker skin tones do have

lower skin cancer incidence rates, but they still get skin cancer. And, partly due to this misconception, many of them are diagnosed with skin cancer at later stages, when the disease is more difficult to treat.”

Throughout a person’s lifetime, having five or more sunburns doubles the risk of developing melanoma, a skin cancer that typically starts on skin that is exposed to the sun often, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

“UV radiation is a proven human carcinogen,” said Dr. Hale. “Unprotected exposure to UVA

UV safety

Nearly one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. The incidence of skin cancer is rising, and misinformation on social media that encourages skipping sun protection is also increasing, said Dr. Hale.

“The majority of skin cancers are completely avoidable with proper sun protection habits,” said Dr. Hale. “We can absolutely lower our skin cancer incidence by simply protecting our skin from UV exposure.”

“ The majority of skin cancers are completely avoidable with proper sun protection habits. We can absolutely lower our skin cancer incidence by simply protecting our skin from UV exposure.”

and UVB damages the DNA in skin cells, producing genetic defects, or mutations, that can lead to skin cancer and premature aging.”

Skin cancer related to UV exposure is cumulative, said Dr. Hale, and everyone should be concerned about sun protection regardless of their age. The damage done to skin as a young adult can show up as skin cancer later in life.

“While your body can repair some of the DNA damage in skin cells, it can’t repair all of it,” said Dr. Hale. “The unrepaired damage builds up over time and triggers mutations that cause skin cells to multiply rapidly. That can lead to cancerous tumors.”

To protect from the harmful effects of UV radiation, individuals should wear clothes that cover the arms and legs, and a hat that covers the head and neck when outside, stay in the shade outdoors (especially in the middle of the day), use sunscreen SPF 15 or higher, and avoid using indoor tanning beds.

“Since its inception in 1979, the Skin Cancer Foundation has recommended following a complete sun protection strategy that includes seeking shade, using sunscreen daily and covering up with clothing, hats and sunglasses,” said Dr. Hale.

Sunscreen is an important part of an effective sun protection strategy and works to prevent UV damage, said Dr. Hale,

through its physical ingredients (including titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) as well as chemical filters (like avobenzone, octisalate and octocrylene) before they can harm your skin.

“The Skin Cancer Foundation Photobiology Committee just increased its Seal of Recommendation criteria for sunscreen to SPF 30 for Daily Use products and SPF 50 for Active products,” said Dr. Hale. “The committee also

increased the broad-spectrum protection for sunscreens that carry the Seal of Recommendation to a critical wavelength of 373 nm.”

Healthcare providers and UV awareness

Healthcare providers play an important role in patient education on UV Awareness, emphasizing the link between sun exposure and skin cancer and the need for practicing sun safety.

Survey: Gen Z less informed about sun’s harmful rays

A recent American Academy of Dermatology survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults reveals a troubling reality – many Americans are unwittingly increasing their skin cancer risk due to a lack of sun protection knowledge. Gen Z is the most at risk, the ADA said.

Gen Z adults are less informed about how to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays and also more likely to believe myths and misconceptions that put them at further risk, according to the survey. In fact, nearly a quarter of all Gen Z survey respondents get a grade of “D” or “F” when surveyed on their knowledge of skin protection facts.

“Unlike previous generations who have seen firsthand the effects of sun damage, younger adults may not fully grasp these dangers – especially with the influence of social media trends that promote tanning,” said Veena Vanchinathan, MD, FAAD, a boardcertified dermatologist in San Jose, Calif. “It’s crucial that these young adults learn about proper sun protection, and that regular skin checks can make all the difference in diagnosing skin cancer early, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.”

Unprotected exposure to the sun’s harmful rays is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the United States that affects nearly 1 in 5 people during their lifetime. However, it is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer and is highly treatable when detected early, the ADA noted.

“The healthcare community, including dermatologists and other healthcare providers, can help the public a good deal by recommending that everyone follow a complete sun protection strategy,” said Dr. Hale.

“The Skin Cancer Foundation also supports physicians’ efforts to educate their patients, online and in print, with brochures like Your Daily Sun Protection Guide,” said Dr. Hale. “This medically reviewed brochure gives patients everything they need to know to be able to start their own basic sun protection strategy.”

The Guidelines for School Programs to Prevent Skin Cancer, from the CDC, were specifically designed to provide schools with a comprehensive approach to spreading UV awareness and preventing skin cancer among adolescents and young people. Additionally, the 2025 Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer calls on organizations in prevention from various sectors across the nation to address skin cancer as a major public health problem.

“Public institutions must continue to take a more active role in educating the public over the next five to ten years to promote skin health and UV awareness,” said Dr. Hale. “The Skin Cancer Foundation can be a great resource for institutions that are looking for information or collateral to share with their communities.”

“The Foundation was able to reach millions with this potentially lifesaving message in 2024, but we can only go so far alone,” said Dr. Hale. “We need our health care and community partners to help us change behaviors and save lives.”

Six Things You Might Not Know About the Tariff Issue

By Elizabeth Hilla

 Many healthcare industry leaders say the uncertainty caused by tariffs now rivals the disruptions experienced during the pandemic. While the news changes on a daily basis, there are a few underlying points likely to remain the same.

Medical manufacturers are boosting resilience by moving out of China. A key lesson from the pandemic was that the resilience of the medical supply chain requires sourcing products from a variety of domestic, nearshore and global sources. HIDA surveyed medical manufacturers in February 2025 and found that 88% of respondents had seen manufacturing move out of China. Medical manufacturing is moving to locations in Southeast Asia, nearshore locations like Mexico, and reshoring to the United States. That said, manufacturing locations are primarily driven by economic factors, such as access to raw materials and labor. China’s large working-age population of 773 million – more than twice that of the U.S., Mexico, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia combined – means that China will be a major source of medical product manufacturing for the foreseeable future.

Tariffs are paid in the United States by American companies. Any tariff due is paid by the U.S. company that is the importer of record, not the exporting country. Products are manufactured in locations around the globe and shipped to the United States. At the port of entry, U.S. Customs determines if the product is subject to tariffs. Once the tariff is paid by the U.S. importer, the goods are cleared into the United States for distribution.

Tariffs are cumulative. A variety of tariffs are levied on medical products from a variety of legal authorities. Some are pre-existing tariffs on unfair trade practices, some are emergency tariffs levied to restrict the flow

of fentanyl, and a third category consists of reciprocal and retaliatory tariffs levied by President Trump on April 2. The April tariffs were paused through early July and China tariffs were modified on May 12. These tariffs are cumulative – or “stackable.” Each tariff stacks on top of the other to create a large aggregate tariff. For example, medical products such as syringes, needles, and medical gloves imported from China are subject to three different tariffs, with cumulative rates at one point as high as 245%.

Narrow margins make tariffs difficult to absorb. Every stakeholder across the continuum of care faces financial challenges and shrinking margins. The median operating margins for health systems in the United States hover between 1% to 2%. For publicly-traded healthcare distributors, the figure is about 3%. The tariffs under consideration are many orders of magnitude larger than the margins on which we operate.

Distributors can help providers with tariffs. Distributors and GPOs are working to help their customers respond to tariffs, identifying alternative sources for products when they are available and working to mitigate costs through supply chain efficiencies.

Tariffs are HIDA’s top priority in government affairs. Our priorities are to promote resilience by ensuring product availability, and encourage tariff relief for critical medical products. HIDA continues to advocate on behalf of the medical supply chain with the Trump administration and Congress.

Alyssa Shull, Director, Business Operations –Supply Chain

Corewell Health Supply Chain

Please tell us about your role and responsibilities at

Corewell Health

My role involves a lot of different components. I manage the operational excellence and products implementation teams within supply chain. Our OPEX team is focused on project management and process improvement within supply chain. And our product implementation team is very aptly named, but they help to coordinate the implementation of any sort of product change within our organization. This involves any new products that are being introduced to the system or any sort of standardization activity that’s happening, any sort of product change typically will run through that team. That team is new and growing, so we’re excited to get them up and running.

In addition to those things, any sort of integration activity falls to my team to manage from a supply chain perspective. When I say integration, I mean if there is another location joining the Corewell Health Network and Corewell Health is either acquiring or merging that location. We help integrate them into the overall system from a supply chain perspective.

We also manage the communication strategy related to our

Alyssa Shull

very large and diverse workforce that’s scattered across the system, either on site or within a corporate capacity.

One of the last things is I partner frequently with other leaders to help develop our strategic direction. We are starting to lean more into the development of our talent strategy to help support team members and leaders in their growth and development at Corewell Health.

Those are a lot of different categories. That must keep you on your toes. Absolutely. And we’re a fairly new department with the teams that we have. I’ve only been in my role since July of last year. In that short amount of time, we have been trying to figure out what the long-term vision for the department looks like and building the plane as we fly it, so to speak.

What’s exciting – and challenging – with working on the ground floor of an initiative?

What’s exciting is number one, we get to support supply chain teams. We are the ones that can identify the gaps that we currently have in our overall structure and try to figure out if there’s a way our teams or my department can fill some of those gaps.

It’s also very exciting because you get to start new. While we’re not starting from a completely clean slate, we get to understand and develop what the overall strategy is going to look like. It’s more forwardthinking than maybe some other teams get to experience. But ultimately, those can be some of the disadvantages

to overcome. We’re trying to execute work while also trying to understand what the future vision looks like. So, my team members are incredibly resilient. They are hard-working and they know what they must accomplish here and now. They’re also sometimes okay with a little bit of ambiguity. I don’t think that my teams would be successful if they were not okay with that ambiguity. Of course, it can be a little bit challenging. That’s the biggest disadvantage – the unknown or the ambiguity associated with trying to stand up a new department.

How did you get started in supply chain?

To be completely honest, I didn’t know what supply chain was when I started my freshman year at Michigan State. I think just through some exposure via the business college, it became more and more attractive to me because you get a very unique view of the end-to-end business.

After a few internships in college within the area, I started my career in manufacturing. My time in manufacturing was focused on global sourcing, logistics, and continuous improvement. Those were incredibly invaluable experiences that I would not trade for anything because I was able to bring a lot of those skills that I learned from manufacturing and try to apply them to healthcare.

Back in 2018, I transitioned to what was Spectrum Health at the time. I started in our indirect sourcing space and then moved more into a project role. One of the very first projects I was able to lead was the implementation of a new ERP system, which was a

very challenging project, but I was also able to learn a lot. And from there, I think I just found my niche in being able to lead people and lead projects.

You mentioned a few facets of your position like process improvement, product changes, and standardization. Are there any success stories you’d like to share?

There are so many projects that my team is working on right now, but as far as successes that we have been able to celebrate, two immediately come to mind.

The first I wasn’t directly involved through the whole process. We had to manage a lot of the supply disruptions within our supply chain teams. This has been confusing at times, but we’re not alone in experiencing those disruptions. We’re one of many healthcare systems that have faced those. It was really encouraging to see so many people in groups come together to tackle a problem with the patient in mind.

And then the second one I’m particularly proud of is the reset and creation of an overall supply chain strategy for the year, and with shared metrics across the department. Being able to speak the same language and understand how each of our teams plays a role in each of the metrics or large projects is encouraging to see. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but once we’re able to get to a place where everyone is bought in, everyone truly understands what we’re striving for, it’s a lot easier to determine our focus and what we should be working on.

Where Are They Now: Nick Riordan

Catching up with QuidelOrtho’s Nick Riordan, 2015 Excellence in Sales Award Winner

 Nick Riordan has stayed active and engaged in his work since receiving the Excellence in Sales Award in 2015, taking on new responsibilities and continuing to build on his success.

When Riordan was first honored with the Excellence in Sales Award 10 years ago, he was working as sales representative for Welch Allyn. In 2016, Riordan and his wife Amy moved from Virginia back to Texas with their 11-month-old twins, Saylor and Cannon. At the time, Riordan had returned to his role at Welch Allyn as a local account manager; and later that year, the family welcomed their third child, Landry Mae.

In 2020, after completing 15 rewarding years with Welch Allyn, Riordan decided to expand his knowledge of the lab space, taking a leap in his career and joining Quidel as a channel sales manager.

Repertoire Magazine recently caught up with Riordan on key industry trends and challenges, his family, career, and more.

Understanding the lab business

Riordan’s former career at Welch Allyn was influential, shaping his professional development and providing a strong introduction to the expertise needed in the medical industry.

“I had the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented representatives and

managers in the business during my time working under the Allyn family’s leadership – each of whom played a role in shaping my growth,” said Riordan. “Innovative technology, along with the culture and people,

made the transition to the lab space a perfect fit for me.”

Professionally, Riordan’s focus has been on strengthening relationships with both QuidelOrtho’s distribution partners and his internal team.

“I now have the pleasure of working with one of my best friends, Ryan Credeur, and reporting to Saundra Savage, who taught me what it truly means to be a strategic liaison to our distribution partners,” said Riordan. “I’ve also been fortunate to learn from incredible colleagues like Mike Muschinsky, Scott Muller, and Anne McCarthy – who is now my coach – as I continue to grow my understanding of the lab side of the business.”

volume of testing. They’re looking for cost-saving solutions and new tests with strong reimbursement potential to help them regain the growth they experienced from 2020 to 2022. That’s why introducing solutions that directly impact those areas – cost and revenue – is a win-win for both the customer and the supplier.”

Customers in the lab space are now more informed consumers than ever because of technology

The lab space tackles pandemic urgency

Riordan began his career at Quidel during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, right as the company launched the first instrument-read SARS assay. The demand for respiratory testing significantly increased during the pandemic, with the lab industry seeing an unprecedented surge in new customers starting in early 2020. Supply and demand, noted Riordan, was an overlying theme across all medical manufacturing during the time.

“The pandemic era truly felt like the Wild West,” said Riordan. “Fast forward to 2025, and many customers are still trying to recapture that

such as AI, Google, Amazon, and the sheer speed of information, said Riordan. Manufacturers and distributors now must go beyond product pitches and find meaningful ways to add value – whether through cost savings, improved financial outcomes, time efficiency, or workflow optimization.

What hasn’t changed, however, is the importance of maintaining and nurturing industrywide relationships, said Riordan.

“In our business, relationships and transparent communication remain the golden rules – especially as manufacturers and distributors work to grow together,” he said. “Five years ago, I was part of a team focused

on building stronger, more meaningful relationships with our distribution partners. That strategy has been a catalyst for deeper collaboration and longterm growth across the channel.”

An evolving industry landscape

Riordan’s family eventually settled in Prosper, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, where they live today. He continues to view distribution partners as the lab’s primary customers, focusing on building strong, collaborative relationships with them.

“The industry is evolving at a pace we’ve never seen before, and with that comes a level of uncertainty for both manufacturers and distribution partners,” said Riordan. “There’s a major shift happening – particularly in distribution – with a wave of new faces and stillevolving compensation models.”

Riordan’s ongoing goal is to stand out in the industry and remain top of mind with customers – a mindset he calls the “koozie mentality,” focused on consistently amplifying reach and relevance with end-user audiences.

“One thing we know for sure: change is inevitable,” said Riordan. “And the way manufacturers and distributors collaborate is going to look very different moving forward. Staying ahead of these changes is key to continuing to deliver value to our customers.”

“Family is everything to my wife and I – we love spending time with friends and watching our kids thrive in their favorite sports,” said Riordan. “Saylor is into competitive cheer, Cannon plays baseball and football, and Landry is our little soccer star. Amy and I both enjoy coaching and embracing the chaos of this active chapter in our lives.”

Arrowhead Medical Supply

AMS is building partnerships across tribal health, federal agencies, and health systems to empower Native communities and redefine supplier standards.

Arrowhead Medical Supply (AMS) was founded by Wayne Montour, a proud advocate for Native representation in business, who saw both a need and an opportunity to increase Native American presence in the healthcare supply chain. Montour brought that vision to life by recruiting long-time medical distribution and manufacturing executives Gina Marchese and Scott Quilty to help launch the company. The result is a purposeful mix of cultural identity, business acumen, and operational expertise.

AMS operates with a clear mission to empower Native communities while serving as a reliable, forward-thinking partner to health systems. It offers a combination of Indigenous credentials and proven industry experience. With Native Americans owning less than one percent of all U.S. businesses, and only a small portion of those in healthcare, Arrowhead is focused on creating pathways for meaningful participation and leadership in the sector.

“This company represents more than a business venture,”

said Montour. “It’s about creating opportunity for Native-owned enterprises to be recognized as credible, strategic suppliers in a space where we have traditionally been underrepresented.”

Montour’s leadership is shaped by personal history. His father, Roy Montour, was a member of the Mohawks of Kahnawake, born in Buffalo, New York in 1925, and built a life rooted in resilience and self-reliance. After a long career with General Motors, Roy went on to launch his own business, Arrowhead Refrigeration,

serving the local hotel industry with hands-on skill and determination. That work ethic was passed down to Wayne, who first founded Green Arrow, a successful staffing firm, before turning his focus to AMS.

Connections and impact

Arrowhead Medical Supply works across three distinct areas of the healthcare landscape: tribal health networks, federal agencies, and Integrated Delivery Networks (IDNs).

The first priority is expanding partnerships with Indian Health Service and tribal communities, including the twelve federally recognized tribes in Michigan.

“There is tremendous opportunity here in Michigan to deliver real value to our Native communities,” said Montour, who is a member of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe based in Akwesasne, New York.

Wayne Montour

Gina Marchese

Scott Quilty

“And we see similar opportunities in New York and other states where we can build relationships that reflect the needs of each tribe and community we serve.”

Arrowhead is also engaging with federal institutions such as the Department of Defense and the Veterans Affairs health system. These agencies offer Indian incentive programs that create meaningful channels for certified Native-owned businesses to contribute.

Another focus is the IDN and non-acute care market, where healthcare systems are actively seeking ways to meet minority business enterprise (MBE) spend goals. “Many health systems have made bold commitments to increase their spend with MBE suppliers,” Montour said. “We are collaborating with organizations that see us not only as a way to meet those goals, but as a capable and dependable supplier who can scale with their needs.”

“We

understand what health systems are looking for. They want products they can trust, delivered on time, and backed by responsive support. Beyond that, we aim to provide lasting value and first-class service. That is the standard we hold ourselves to, and

it guides who we choose to work with.”

AMS has established a strong base of Class I medical products and sourcing partnerships that emphasize U.S.-based and near-shore manufacturing. These relationships are built with a strict eye on compliance, product performance, and long-term supply chain strength.

“Our sourcing strategy is built on consistency, accountability, and

the ability to grow alongside our customers,” said Gina Marchese, Senior Advisor for Operations. “We have aligned with suppliers who understand the realities of healthcare delivery and share our commitment to service and quality. That is what our customers deserve and expect.”

Montour added, “We understand what health systems are looking for. They want products they can trust, delivered on time, and backed by responsive support. Beyond that, we aim to provide lasting value and firstclass service. That is the standard we hold ourselves to, and it guides who we choose to work with.”

Roy Montour

Industry News

Owens & Minor assists in protecting iconic waterway Owens & Minor is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, where the James River, a 340-milelong waterway that cuts through the heart of downtown, and serves as a vital source of drinking water, recreation, and commerce for the community and the state. In alignment with its goal of helping to build healthier communities, The Owens & Minor Foundation has helped support JRA for the past three years through teammate volunteer opportunities as well as financial contributions to support JRA programming, which includes hands-on activities such as river cleanup, tree planting, education, and water quality monitoring. The Owens & Minor

Foundation is proud to partner with the nonprofit James River Association (JRA) to help

support their mission to protect the James River and connect people to it.

SEKISUI Diagnostics announces launch of the OSOM® RSV Test

SEKISUI Diagnostics has announced the launch of a new rapid diagnostic testing tool to detect Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in professional healthcare settings.

The OSOM ® RSV Test is a rapid immunochromatographic assay for the qualitative detection of RSV nucleoprotein antigen in anterior nasal swab specimens from patients with signs and symptoms of respiratory infections in just 15 minutes. It is CLIA-waived for use at the point-of-care and like most

of the other OSOM Rapid Tests, it is made in the USA and supported by a highly skilled technical support team of medical technologists/ professionals.

Unlike most rapid RSV antigen tests, the OSOM ® test is uniquely designed to serve a broader patient demographic that targets two high-risk groups for severe RSV infection. The test is cleared for use for children 6 months to 6 years old and adults ages 60 and older, providing healthcare professionals with a better diagnostic tool for these patient populations.

Report: Healthcare had most reported cyberthreats in 2024 Health care had more cyberthreats last year than any other critical infrastructure industry, according to the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report released April 23 and The American Hospital Association.

A total of 444 reported incidents impacted health care, comprised of 238 ransomware threats and 206 data breach incidents. Only critical manufacturing had more ransomware incidents, with 258, but fewer data breaches, with 71. The report also found that ransomware groups with the most FBI complaints in 2024 included Akira, LockBit and RansomHub.

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