Repertoire May 2024

Medical Distribution Hall of Fame

Mark Seitz, Chairman, NDC

Doug Harper, Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor, MTMC

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` PUBLISHER’S LETTER

2 Friends, Mentors, and Hall of Famers

` PHYSICIAN OFFICE LAB

4 Building a Better Foundation of Care

Why CMP and BMP should be part of every annual physical.

` DISTRIBUTION

10 Henry Schein Medical Hosts 2024 National Sales Meeting Meeting brought together more than 1,200 Team Schein Members, Supplier Partners, and Exhibitors to discuss the importance of ‘Reinforcing Relationships’

` NEXTGEN SALES

12 Positive Vibes

Henry Schein Medical’s Lindi Mueller believes a supportive work environment can make all the difference for today’s field reps.

16 Bridging the Gap

Cardinal Health’s Mitun Patel shares advice on how to adapt professionally within a changing healthcare environment.

Medical Distribution Hall of Fame

Honoring Mark Seitz and Doug Harper ` p. 38

` LEADERSHIP

20 Moving the Needle

How B. Braun’s Joe Grispo has championed the unique partnership between distributors and manufacturers.

24 A Meaningful Impact

Lynn Medical’s Ryan Milke shares his experience moving from sales rep to Senior Sales Consultant.

` INFECTION PREVENTION

26 Understanding the Hand Hygiene Market

Facts, figures, data and statistics on a critical product segment for distributor reps.

` SALES

28 The Burnout Fix

Fighting for resilience and understanding the warning signs.

` MARKETING MINUTE

31 The Benefits of Outsourcing Content Marketing: Why Your Company Needs an Expert

` SALES

32 Beyond ‘Bad Days’ A blueprint for building unbreakable mental toughness.

35 Learning to Love Rejection

TRENDS

If you persevere through rejection, your audience (and success) will emerge. ` HIDA 48 Progress On Fast Pass

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50 Healthcare’s Shangri-La?

Value-based payment remains a dream.

` IDN INSIGHTS

54 Drones and Prescription Drugs

Cleveland Clinic to use Zipline’s P2 to deliver medications to patients at home.

` BY THE NUMBERS

56 Skin Cancer Awareness

Skin Cancer Awareness Month is recognized annually in May to highlight disease risk factors and prevention strategies.

` NEWS

58 Addressing Supply Disruptions

FDA seeks billons in funding for medical product safety and supply chain resiliency.

59 Industry News

` THE CURE

60 Finding Time to Rest

Tim Richardson shares ways to navigate mental blocks.

Friends, Mentors, and Hall of Famers

Each year when we publish the Medical Distribution Hall of Fame feature stories, I look forward to writing the Publisher’s Letter for this issue. Usually, it is about how deserving the inductees are and what they have given of themselves to the industry. While this year’s inductees embody both of those things, they are also personal friends and mentors to me.

As a young sales rep working for HealthLink in the mid-1990s, Doug Harper (who was the VP of Sales for PSS in the Northeast) always took time to speak to me and coach me when I would run into him. During that time my territory had 13 PSS branches in Doug’s geography. Each branch held monthly sales meetings where several manufacturers would give a 15-minute dog and pony show. Part of my job was to get invited to these meetings as often as possible.

One night after I spoke to the PSS Philly branch, I offered Doug a ride to his hotel. On that ride he did two things. He impressed upon me the importance of understanding how the reps were incentivized and paid. He also ensured that I got in on every branch meeting I could attend. This is who Doug is – no matter who you are in an organization, if he can help you, he does, without question. I ended up writing a PSS plan for the sales organization at Sempermed explaining their pay plan to the rest of my team. That document got me promoted to national accounts and changed the course of my career. I will forever be grateful to Doug.

Mark Seitz is a mentor, friend, and incredible human. I was fortunate enough in my career to work for Mark. While it was only two years, he made a huge impact on me and showed me how to lead with compassion and sincerity. You never felt like you worked for Mark; you always felt like you worked with Mark. A couple times a week Mark would walk around the office and sit with everyone for a few minutes. He called this practice “watering the plants”. During these sit downs he was able to take the temperature of the organization, ask great questions about projects and initiatives, and at the same time get to know the people he worked with.

Mark made us feel like no huge decision was ever made without him talking through it with the organization. The reality was he knew the decision he was going to make, but he made us feel like we were steering the ship with him. Fifteen years later, Mark still checks in with me. His first question is always, “How are things with you and your family?” He’s still watering the plants even in retirement.

These two individuals are so deserving of their induction into the Hall of Fame. Congratulations Doug and Mark, and thank you for all you have done for me and my career.

Dedicated to the Industry, R. Scott Adams

editorial staff

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managing editor

Graham Garrison ggarrison@sharemovingmedia.com editor-in-chief, Dail-eNews

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art director

Brent Cashman bcashman@sharemovingmedia.com

circulation

Laura Gantert lgantert@sharemovingmedia.com

senior sales executive

Amy Cochran (West Coast) acochran@sharemovingmedia.com

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Aili Casey (East Coast) acasey@sharemovingmedia.com (404) 625-9156

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Repertoire is published monthly by Share Moving Media 350 Town Center Ave, Ste 201 Suwanee, GA 30024-6914

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Building a Better Foundation of Care

Why CMP and BMP should be part of every annual physical.

 Every once in a while, it pays to consider how certain wellestablished primary care medical procedures are conducted and, looking through the lens of how point of care lab testing can make a difference, ask ourselves “Can we do better than this? Can lab testing make a difference for the patient and the healthcare system?”

Take, for example, the annual patient physical. Imagine the following typical annual physical for an adult, whether they have known risk factors for diabetes, heart disease or other leading causes of death or not.

The patient checks in and waits to be called to the exam room. The medical assistant takes a weight before escorting the patient to the exam room. Once in the exam room, the medical assistant or nurse asks about any

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changes in medication, health concerns or life habits with associated health risks (falls, alcohol use, smoking, etc.). The assistant checks blood pressure, pulse, temperature and usually respiration. The information is recorded into the EMR. Once the physician, NP or PA comes in, they greet the patient, scan the information in the EMR and complete the vital signs assessment by listening to the patient’s heart and lungs and give the patient an overall visual assessment. They are looking for any signs of diseases or changes from the last physical.

provide the needed information for the caregiver and patient to understand not just the patient’s obvious physical condition but their metabolic health as well.

Unfortunately, far too many annual physicals end without this information in hand. It is interesting to me that traditional signs and symptoms with centuries of tradition are followed without question, but lab tests that can and do give far more valuable information are not always part of the patient visit process. We see what we see, and miss what’s going on inside.

Understanding how annual physicals including CMP and BMP testing can benefit the practice and its patients is one fundamental step you can take to showcase your abilities as a valuable consultant.

This sequence has a history and tradition spanning centuries and with modest changes is taught in every medical school around the world. Can you imagine the physician asking “So, how are your alk phos doing? Notice any changes in your bilirubin we need to discuss? Any changes in your calcium since your last visit?”

Obviously, those questions make no sense and the typical patient encounter would likely end pretty quickly if the discussion took this turn. And yet, for millions of Americans, knowing the answers to these lab result questions, and many others, can lead to rapid diagnosis and treatment of the patient BEFORE obvious symptoms present themselves. Either a comprehensive or basic metabolic panel can

Sometimes the patient leaves with a lab request slip which may or may not be performed. Even if the tests are performed, there are any number of reasons why follow up is either not timely or simply does not take place.

From my perspective, to have a full picture of the patient’s health, a CMP or BMP should be part of every annual physical in addition to vital signs assessment, especially for patients with any pre-existing chronic condition related to diabetes, heart disease, lipid disorders or kidney disease. Knowing during the patient encounter leads to immediacy, better counseling potential and the ability to initiate or amend a treatment program immediately and prescribing medication as needed.

Which tests are we talking about?

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)

The comprehensive metabolic panel contains a total of 14 clinical chemistry tests. These tests include albumin, bilirubin, total calcium, carbon dioxide, chloride, creatinine, glucose, potassium, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, sodium, ALT, AST and BUN. Taken together they assess kidney function, liver function, diabetes, overall metabolic efficiency, and set baselines for important tests that can be tracked and trended over time. Abnormal electrolyte levels (sodium, potassium, chloride and carbon dioxide) are often associated with hypertension.

The CPT code for CMP is 80053 with and without the QW code. The QW code indicates that the test can be performed and billed using a CLIA-waived testing system. Current Medicare reimbursement for the CMP is $10.56. In 2016, Medicare paid for 41.6 million CMP tests, and CMP was the second most commonly performed lab test under the Clinical Lab Fee Schedule. Medicare payments for CMP that year totaled more than $470 million. A reasonable estimate of private pay for CMP would be close to $1 billion.

Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP)

The basic metabolic panel contains eight tests, total calcium, carbon dioxide, chloride, creatinine, glucose, potassium, sodium and BUN. This panel lacks the liver function tests of AST, ALT and alkaline phosphatase included in the CMP. The CPT code for the BMP is 80048 with and without the QW (CLIA waived) modifier. Medicare reimbursement is

$8.46. The BMP is intended to assess general metabolic health, kidney function, and test for diabetes. Abnormal electrolyte levels (sodium, potassium, chloride and carbon dioxide) are often associated with hypertension. In 2016, Medicare paid for 13.7 million BMP tests, and BMP was the number nine most commonly performed lab test under the Clinical Lab Fee Schedule. Medicare payments for BMP that year totaled more than $133 million. A reasonable estimate of private pay for BMP would be close to $250 million.

Who could benefit from this information?

The list of Americans subject to chronic diseases including diabetes (30 million diagnosed and another 98 million prediabetics) is compelling all by itself. Add to it the number of Americans at risk for heart disease (47% of all Americans bear risk, or about 157 million Americans) and the number of U.S. hypertensives (120 million) and the overall numbers become overwhelming. Granted, these numbers are NOT additive since many Americans are at risk for multiple serious chronic illnesses.

Even if you take the smallest number, 120 million hypertensives, the number of Americans under risk is no less than 36% of all Americans. The CDC estimates that 90% of the U.S. healthcare spending ($4.1 trillion) is for chronic diseases. Taken together the CDC estimates direct costs and loss of productivity due to diabetes and heart disease costs $543 billion annually. Those are big numbers and represent over 13% of total U.S. healthcare spending. Prevention and early

detection can effectively reduce these costs, increase life expectancy and improve quality of life.

What can you do?

As a distributor account manager, you are a vital link to the products, services and information your key customers need to provide the best possible medical care. Your ability to help starts with staying current with the latest information about products for patient care, point-of-care lab testing and maintaining ongoing dialogue with your key suppliers to develop strategies and a compelling customer value proposition that can make a difference in improving patient care. Understanding how annual physicals including CMP and BMP testing can benefit the practice and its patients is one fundamental step you can take to showcase your abilities as a valuable consultant.

meet the needs of the majority of your customers.

Once you understand the range of options you have available, it is always best to begin your customer dialogue by asking questions and carefully listening to their responses. The number of tests sent out and their viewpoint on point of care testing overall set the stage for your value proposition. But you also need to understand the practice dynamics: who makes the decisions? How does the staff feel about adding point of care testing? Have they done it before and abandoned it? If so, why? Thoughtful and comprehensive probing will provide you with the information you need to proceed with a proposed solution, seek more customer or supplier information or to decide the time is just not right for this particular practice.

The number of tests sent out and their viewpoint on point of care testing overall set the stage for your value proposition. But you also need to understand the practice dynamics: who makes the decisions?

An approach that produces the best results begins with dialogue and discussion with your key lab suppliers and strategy development before engaging in customer level discussions. You will find that depending on the number of CMP and BMP tests your customers send out, their current CLIA license and sensitivity to capital and operating budget costs, you will need to work with a fairly wide range of suppliers to

The more you know, the easier it is to get past a “no” and develop a compelling presentation in the best interests of your customers and their patients. Your business will grow, and your customer satisfaction will also grow. More consulting opportunities are on the horizon for the distributor account manager who can make point-of-care testing a positive and meaningful element of their customers’ practice.

Cepheid’s Xpert® Xpress MVP test delivers results within 60 minutes for vaginitis and vaginosis

The on-demand PCR test has received FDA clearance with a CLIA waiver

Cepheid’s Xpert ® Xpress MVP test has received FDA clearance with a CLIA waiver. Launched over a year ago, the multiplex vaginal panel (MVP) can now be performed in near-patient settings for results within 60 minutes from a single specimen for bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and trichomoniasis (TV).

Vaginitis and vaginosis are responsible for over 10 million visits per year to physician offices by women in the U.S., making it the most common gynecologic diagnosis in primary care.1

The on-demand PCR test runs on Cepheid’s GeneXpert Xpress instruments and is now approved for people 14 and older. Cepheid launched its

Xpert® Xpress MVP test in the moderately complex category in November 2022 and received CLIA waiver in January 2024.

“With the addition of the CLIA waiver for MVP in our growing women’s health portfolio, physicians can quickly and accurately identify their patient’s infection and prescribe the correct treatment regimen, with the goal of avoiding multiple office visits associated with therapeutic failure,” said David Persing, M.D., Ph.D, EVP and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for Sunnyvale,California.based Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics company.

Co-infections of BV, VVC and TV, which all present with similar symptoms, are common. This complicates diagnosis and the guidance of appropriate treatment.2,3

“Misdiagnosis of the specific underlying causes of vaginitis and vaginosis often lead to inappropriate and ineffective treatments

and, in some cases, an increased risk of developing serious complications and antibiotic resistant organisms,” Dr. Persing said.

The Xpert® Xpress MVP test delivers single-test confidence aiding clinicians in diagnosing three distinct conditions from one sample. This test introduces an algorithm for organisms associated with BV, combined with the detection of Candida species associated with VVC and TV.

The easy-to-use multiplex, real-time PCR panel test takes less than one minute hands-on-time with objective PCR results within 60 minutes. The test is designed to enable appropriate treatment the first time and the test is approved for use in CLIA-waived practices enabling molecular results at the point of care, significantly narrowing the test-to-treatment gap and better supporting patient outcomes.

Cepheid’s GeneXpert systems and Xpert tests automate highly complex and time-consuming manual procedures for institutions of any size to perform best-in-class PCR testing.

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1 Brown H, et al. Improving the Diagnosis of Vulvovaginitis: Perspectives to Align Practice, Guidelines, and Awareness. Population Health Management 2020 23:S1, S-3-S-12

2 Gaydos CA, et al. Clinical Validation of a Test for the Diagnosis of Vaginitis. Obstetrics & Gynecology: July 2017 - Volume 130 - Issue 1 - p 181-189 doi: 10.1097/ AOG.0000000000002090

3 Schwebke J, et al. Clinical Validation of the Aptima Bacterial Vaginosis and Aptima Candida/Trichomonas Vaginitis Assays: Results from a Prospective Multicenter Clinical Study. J Clin Microbiol 58:e01643-19.

Henry Schein Medical Hosts 2024 National Sales Meeting

Meeting brought together more than 1,200 Team Schein Members, Supplier Partners, and Exhibitors to discuss the importance of ‘Reinforcing Relationships’

 Henry Schein Medical, the U.S. medical business of Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC), recently hosted its 2024 National Sales Meeting, bringing together more than 1,200 attendees, including Team Schein Members (TSMs) and supplier partners, under the theme “Reinforcing Relationships.” The meeting underscored the significance of fortifying connections with customers, suppliers, investors, and communities. Conversations delved into the value of relationships and highlighted how trust, communication, and mutual understanding play an important role in enhancing these connections.

Held at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, the National Sales Meeting featured presentations from Henry Schein’s leadership team, including Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, Brad Connett, Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein’s North America Distribution Group, Dirk Benson, Chief Commercial Officer of Henry Schein’s North America Distribution Group, Ty Ford, Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Medical Sales, and many more.

“Gathering together for our National Sales Meeting ignited a renewed sense of teamwork and collaboration that will help propel us forward towards even greater achievements,” said Ford. “It allowed us to strengthen our business strategies and, more importantly, reinforce the bonds of camaraderie and relationshipbuilding that are essential to our collective success.”

Throughout the Meeting, sessions focused on Team Schein culture, managing change in an evolving world, and continuing to progress on the company’s BOLD+1 Strategic Plan. Management leaders discussed breakthrough technologies and innovations, and recognized top sales representatives during the meeting’s annual awards ceremony. Suppliers also exhibited products and solutions to the sales team.

Henry Schein Medical TSMs also participated in the We Care Global Challenge, a companywide initiative in which TSMs

at 14 company locations in six countries assemble oral health and hygiene kits for individuals staying at Ronald McDonald House Charities. At the Henry Schein Medical National Sales Meeting, 2,500 kits were assembled. Partnering with Heart to Heart International – to handle the logistics of the We Care Global Challenge kitbuilding events and management of all shipments of the completed kits – the Challenge embodies the Henry Schein Cares mission to “help health happen” for people living in underserved, at-risk, and remote communities.

Brad Connett

Bruce Penning

Stanley Bergman

Ty Ford

Dirk Benson

Nancy Lanni Sanchia Patrick

Positive Vibes

Henry Schein Medical’s Lindi Mueller believes a supportive work environment can make all the difference for today’s field reps.

 Lindi Mueller’s sales career began about 16 years ago in a different industry. While she loved building relationships and being tasked with a different job every day, she wasn’t very fulfilled in the role. She knew she wanted to stay in sales, but felt like she needed to represent a product or service that would be more beneficial to her customers.

So in 2019, she made the switch to the med/surg industry, starting as a physician account executive for a major commercial laboratory. Yet even in that time, her ultimate goal was to join the team at Henry Schein Medical once a position became available.

“I had a friend who worked for Henry Schein for a few years and could not say enough good things about the culture here,” she said. “So, I was lucky to be provided that opportunity in 2021 when I started my career as a field sales consultant.”

Mueller hasn’t been disappointed. “Everybody here is looking to build you up,” she said. Despite the size of the company, there is zero intimidation, she said. Whether it’s somebody from operations, a leader, or a fellow field sales consultant, Mueller believes every Team Schein Member is looking to help each other and make each other’s day run as smoothly as possible.

“Since I started here at Henry Schein, I always felt lucky to work in such a positive environment,” she said. “They make sure that our achievements are recognized. Since work is such a huge part of all our lives, it’s so important to be part of a culture where everyone feels like an asset, which is beneficial to everyone’s happiness. Also, a work-life balance here is taken very seriously, so it’s possible to be able to raise two kids while working.”

Post-pandemic

In today’s marketplace, reps must realize that what worked for customers pre-COVID-19 may just not work as well now. Each account has its own rules and expectations, and it’s important to listen to how they choose to

Lindi Mueller

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operate. Because of busy schedules and time restraints, some non-acute and ASC accounts still prefer to meet virtually, “which is fine,” Mueller said. “I’ll take whatever 1-on-1 time I can get, even though I do feel like in-person is probably the most effective. But again, it just makes it easier to make those appointments with customers if they really don’t have that much time on their hands.”

Mueller said the most important thing is to put an emphasis on follow-up and follow-through in a timely manner. The requests that she gets are often timesensitive, so she makes it a point to get a clear timeline and expectations from her customers. “Even though I would prefer to be able to give them the answer right away, I will still provide an update to let them know I’m working on it, and I did not forget that I need to get back to them with an answer.”

Accessibility is the name of the game. Customers want to know that they have an open channel with their reps when something comes up.

Mueller said the easiest way to navigate time management in her role is to consistently check emails when windows present themselves, especially when she’s not in the field. “You want to fit that in wherever possible, because when you’re in the field during the day, your emails build up, and the tasks build up. So, it’s important just to fit that in any time possible.”

In distribution, reps aren’t going to be able to approach each day with a concrete routine in mind. “You just never know which days more problems are going to come about or when

there’s going to be big orders that your accounts need to place that they need assistance with, especially if it’s a big equipment order for a new office or exam room,” she said. “So, you really have to be flexible with your schedule.”

her success. “As someone who is fairly new to Henry Schein, I believe that the leadership here has been an asset in accelerating my success.”

Collaboration with manufacturer reps has also helped

Accessibility is the name of the game. Customers want to know that they have an open channel with their reps when something comes up.

Everyday growth

Mueller said she is fortunate to work with a very tenured team and colleagues who have called on physician offices, independent delivery networks, and ambulatory surgery centers for over 30 years. “I consider myself very lucky to have such an experienced team who are always willing to help and answer questions,” she said. “It makes it so much easier to ask for advice and talk strategy. Chances are what I’m going through and experiencing or trying to figure out a solution to, they’ve already gone through this previously and can guide me on the best way to approach a situation.

Mueller said it’s important to be open to constructive criticism from leadership and teammates, and to push herself out of her comfort zone so that she can learn more lessons in sales and how to better call on accounts.

Mueller performs her best in an uplifting environment. Leaders who make her feel comfortable that she can ask any question and work with her to find a solution are imperative to

in her development. Mueller has noticed that the more she reaches out to manufacturer reps, the more she learns, and the more opportunities are uncovered. “We have a lot of manufacturers, so I think it can get overwhelming at times, but being open to building those relationships and working with them has been essential to my success so far.”

For at least the next five years, Mueller wants to continue building her territory. From there, the possibilities are nearly endless. The exciting thing about distribution is that the growth is unlimited, she said. You have control over your success in your territory, and it’s fulfilling to see your hard work pay off. “Working towards a leadership position is not out of the question in the next five to 10 years, but for right now, I’m definitely focused on strengthening my product knowledge,” she said. “We have a huge portfolio, so I’m still learning something new every day, even two years in, I just want to continue growing my territory right now.”

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Bridging the Gap

Cardinal Health’s Mitun Patel shares advice on how to adapt professionally within a changing healthcare environment.

 Mitun Patel’s interest in the intersection of healthcare and business began early, in school. His degrees in biochemistry and economics, and a passion for contributing to patient well-being within the healthcare sector led Patel to a career path in healthcare.

“My academic background and interests led me to a career where I could bridge the gap between medical solutions and effective sales strategies,” said Patel, a Supply Chain Sales Executive at Cardinal Health. “The opportunity to impact patient care positively through the provision of essential medical supplies, and partnering with hospitals to solve challenging business problems, resonated deeply with my professional aspirations.”

The opportunity to make a positive contribution in patient’s lives is what leads many individuals to pursue a career in the healthcare industry. For Patel, the opportunity to build new relationships and participate in both sales and business, while making a difference, is what made him confident he would stay with the career trajectory once he began.

Many industries changed greatly because of the pandemic, and so did the marketplace for medical sales reps, as Patel quickly had to learn. Sales reps who were used to in-person interactions, demonstrations, and personalized experiences had to adapt their roles to the virtual world.

Medical sales reps have recently had to find new, engaging ways to sell to their customers,

Mitun Patel

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such as adapting to remote interactions, which requires innovative strategies to ensure clients receive the same level of attention and support, said Patel. “It involves harnessing technology for virtual meetings, personalized follow-ups, and understanding the changing landscape of our clients’ needs.”

Medical sales reps especially must exhibit resiliency in the dynamic industry, as, according to Patel, “flexibility, creativity, and agility are key for me in maintaining strong client relationships in the midst of pandemic changes.”

and engage frequently with remote clients to be successful.

A large aspect of sales reps creating ongoing relationships with customers comes from personalized and continuous support from within their companies.

Cardinal Health’s emphasis on company culture assists sales reps throughout their career journey.

“Cardinal Health’s culture emphasizes inclusivity, innovation, and accountability. The dedication to fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued aligns with my values,” said Patel. “A positive culture not only attracts and

“Flexibility, creativity, and agility are key for me in maintaining strong client relationships in the midst of pandemic changes.”

Advice to new sales reps

So, how do new sales reps entering the industry succeed in their roles, considering all the recent, widespread changes?

According to Patel, establishing and nurturing relationships in a remote setting requires a different approach than before. “It involves proactive communication, empathetic listening, and leveraging technology to maintain strong connections. I prioritize consistent and transparent communication, ensuring that client needs are understood and addressed promptly.”

The healthcare industry has changed, but the need for trust between businesses and sales reps remains. Despite the setting, sales reps should continue to build trust with clients, offer customers individualized, tailored solutions

drives retention of top talent but also enhances productivity and overall satisfaction. Retention helps long-term sustainability towards a company’s strategic vision and priorities.”

Company culture is a very important aspect of healthcare sales reps’ success, as it ultimately drives workplace performance. A positive company culture includes constructive and

empowering leaders, employee engagement, and a space where employees feel heard.

Going forward in healthcare sales

At Cardinal Health, there are ample opportunities for sales reps at the company to continually improve within their roles, Patel said. Within sales, Patel is continually trying to learn and improve his techniques.

“I actively participate in consultative selling training programs, whether it be Spin Selling, Richardson Selling, or The Challenger Sale,” he said. “I also frequently attend industry-specific workshops, engage in mentorship opportunities, and read numerous sales skills books.”

Patel said that physicians are continuing to face challenges within the industry, including “evolving healthcare policies, technological advancements, and changing patient care models.” To adapt requires the integration of new technologies, compliance with evolving regulations, maintaining quality care while managing increasing administrative burdens, and adjusting to patient-centric care models.

Sales reps must understand what physicians are experiencing within the industry and leverage it to find dynamic solutions. To stay ahead of the game and deliver solutions, Patel said, “Sales reps should stay updated with market trends, analyze industry reports, and seek insights from experienced professionals. These are all integral parts of my own learning process, and over the next five years, I aim to take on more significant leadership responsibilities within sales.”

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` Less waste with 30% less plastic per refill and simplified recycling

` More smart solutions to help customize hand hygiene plans through flexible data collection options

` More ways to impress with consistent dispensing and modern finishes

The PURELL® ES10 TouchFree Dispenser offers a quick and efficient solution in high-use healthcare spaces and less maintenance promotes health and safety.

Easy refills without changing batteries

Patented Energy-on-the-Refill technology allows users to never change or buy batteries and an AA battery included on every refill

eliminates battery expense and inventory. Transparent refills take less time and labor than cabinets or small sight windows and help users check multiple dispensers at once. Refills are easy to match and drop into place, and a simple locking option helps prevent tampering.

Suite of technologies and services

Downtime and workflow disruptions are reduced through smart and simple management capabilities. For example, users can customize hand hygiene plans, save time and improve outcomes with the PURELL SMARTLINK Hand Hygiene System. This comprehensive set of tools also includes on-going clinical guidance, to help facilities make sense of the data throughout the life of your cus-

tomers’ SMARTLINK service.

From the complimentary DISPENSER ADVISOR app that helps identify usage patterns in smaller facilities or more remote dispenser locations, to PURELL SMARTLINK Service Alerts, which provides real-time alerts 24/7 on refills and dispenser maintenance needs across a fleet of dispensers –only PURELL offers the right technology options to ensure product is ready whenever its needed.

Sustainable practices

The PURELL® ES10 Touch-Free Dispenser also reduces product waste and helps protect the earth. The refill bottle and plastic components are easy to recycle, and the collar and alkaline AA batteries are easy to pull apart. The dispenser’s Cradle to Cradle Certified™ soap and sanitizer formulas validate that safe ingredients are chosen and prioritize sustainable practices. There is 30% less plastic per refill and 38% lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Sleek, modern designs for healthcare facilities

The PURELL® ES10 Touch-Free Dispenser offers modern finishes, including graphite, white and chrome. It fits in tight spaces and is ADA compliant for wall protrusion. It is exceptionally quiet when dispensing the perfect amount of gentle foam, ensuring healthcare workers get an efficacious dose every time while soothing hands, even with frequent use.

Whether its patient rooms, study halls or high-traffic areas, the PURELL® ES10 Touch-Free Dispenser fits in all critical spaces. Its lineup includes the PURELL® ES10 Floor Stand, PURELL® ES10 Hand Sanitizer Dispenser and PURELL® ES10 Hand Soap Dispenser.

Moving the Needle

How B. Braun’s Joe Grispo has championed the unique partnership between distributors and manufacturers.

By Pete Mercer

 Leaders aren’t born, they’re made. That is to say that anyone can be a leader – the potential for leadership is within all of us – but it requires an incredible amount of work and commitment to get to where you can be effective as a leader.

Repertoire Magazine recently spoke to Joe Grispo, Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer for B. Braun Medical Inc., about his leadership journey at B. Braun, winning the 2023 John F. Sasen Leadership Award, and what it takes to be a leader in today’s dynamic and challenging business environment.

Better together

During Grispo’s nearly 30-year career in the medical/surgery

Joe Grispo

industry, he’s seen repeated examples of how distribution partners (both distributors and manufacturers) are better together when finding solutions for our nation’s caregivers. “In the end, we’re jointly trying to serve the same customers, and at the end of the customer line are the patients,” he said. “They’re the most important. Our distributor partnerships have been good for us – they provide duplicity of our

capacity of products. So, we carry our own inventories. They also carry an additional inventory, and they have the inventory out there closest to where the customer is.”

This strength in numbers became even more evident amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost overnight, an already weakened and vulnerable supply chain was hit hardest when it was needed most, making it more difficult to get medical products where they needed to be. Without these distributor partnerships, it would have been even more challenging to provide these very much needed supplies to B. Braun’s customers.

“We provided each other with a view of what was going on,” Grispo said. “We were constantly talking, whether it was one-onone with the distributors or as a group, trying to provide a sense of clarity. I think we collectively found ourselves in a position where we have never been through this, and we needed to figure it out together.”

Part of the opportunity that the pandemic provided distribution reps and national account executives is a new avenue of communication. Pre-pandemic, everything was done in a face-toface setting. Once the pandemic hit, it forced all professional communications to go virtual. While it may never replace the face-to-face dynamic, Grispo said that virtual communication allows a different level of communication and many more touchpoints than there would normally be.

He said, “I think it’s actually made our communication link stronger, and it allows us to have more dialogue in our negotiations. It’s opened up the line of communications transparency.”

Industry efforts and recognition

In September 2023, Grispo was awarded the 2023 John F. Sasen Leadership Award by HIDA. This award recognizes those who demonstrate exemplary leadership, commitment and service to the medical distribution industry and HIDA.

Having served on the HIDA Educational Foundation Board of Directors since 2010, his experience and leadership has played a huge role in the success of the Educational Foundation. In a media release, HIDA President and CEO Matthew J. Rowan said, “Joe is an all-in leader who has played a pivotal role in championing the role of distributors in the medical marketplace. He stays exceptionally close to the customer and has in-depth knowledge of how partners collaborate to create real value for providers.”

initiative, Grispo said, “I think we moved the needle quite a bit going through that project and being able to shine a light on what they do, why they are so important, and how we can work together to make sure that we’re providing product to the caregivers that are delivering care when they need it, where they need it.”

Transitioning from rep to leader

Part of the challenge of transitioning from a sales rep to a leadership role is undergoing the journey along the way. For many, it’s plagued with uncertainty and a lack of clarity for what the next step should be. Grispo’s advice for those who may be in the field as reps and looking for a leadership position in the future is to take charge and not wait around for someone to give you a hand up. He said, “If you’re going to

“ Our organization is only as good as the people that are coming up to take over next. I firmly believe in leaving an organization better than I found it, and the best way to do that is to pour into the people that are coming up.”

Named after industry stalwart John Sasen, this award highlights people that exemplify the same passion and dedication to the industry.

The Educational Foundation Board is a non-profit education and research organization that works to continuously improve the healthcare supply channel. One recent project of the Board was to highlight the value of distribution to hospitals. Describing the

wait around for someone to bring you an opportunity or help you do something, you’re probably not going to progress. As an individual, you’ve got to take charge of your career.”

Finding a mentor to help you make the right decisions along the way is a key component to this journey. Insights from someone who has gone from rep to leader are an invaluable resource and

Leadership

should not be ignored. Grispo said that it’s hard work to progress in any career, but if you focus on working hard and learning from successes and mistakes, you can climb the ranks in an organization.

As a leader, Grispo finds himself over a group of people who are looking for that sense of mentorship that he experienced. He said, “Our organization is only as good as the people that are coming up to take over next. I firmly believe in leaving an organization better than I found it, and the best way to do that is to pour into the people that are coming up.”

He believes that people in roles like his are responsible for

From Grispo’s perspective, 2024 will continue to see a shift in patients from the hospital to the outpatient market –things like ambulatory surgery centers and oncology suites are significant reasons for this.

putting together programs that allow those who are looking to advance their careers the opportunity to grow and develop professionally. Building development programs can put potential leaders through a sort of ringer that assesses the talent and leadership skills that are needed for the role.

The kinds of people that Grispo is looking for need to have a track record of success, proving time and time again that they can deliver the results needed. “I like to find those people that are really just relentless in their pursuit of excellence,” he said. “They aren’t happy with the status quo or being just okay at what they do.

They want to be great, and they want the company to be great.” While good leadership can be built from within, servant leadership is a totally different approach to the leadership game. Servant leadership is a people-first approach that emphasizes the potential seen in others rather than taking power for themselves. “You can’t be trained to be a servant leader,” Grispo said. “Either you are or you aren’t. Those are the people that are constantly pouring in the people around you. Even at the rep level, you can see when they are constantly helping and pouring into the people around them.”

The increase in home care for the outpatient market

The industry is constantly in a state of change as innovations emerge and processes improve

for providing care to patients in need. From Grispo’s perspective, 2024 will continue to see a shift in patients from the hospital to the outpatient market – things like ambulatory surgery centers and oncology suites are significant reasons for this. Home care has become a significant contender recently as well, adding another layer of complexity to the whole dynamic.

As the patient population continues to shift, it’s important to note how and where the shift is happening. He said, “The outpatient market has grown into the double digits. Where are those patients going? For manufacturers and distributors, we now have to focus on how our products and services are delivered in the outpatient locations because they are vastly different.”

As home care continues to grow, so do the different types of caregivers – the caregiver may be a husband, wife, or child. Grispo pointed out that baby boomers, a larger generational component of the population, are rapidly approaching the age where they will need more healthcare. The drop in nursing homes and caregivers working in those nursing homes is going to significantly impact the standard of care that this population is going to receive.

It seems as if the shift in the healthcare market is going to continue to trend towards meeting patients and caregivers where they are at, especially in a home-care setting. How can all the technology, processes, and training shift towards where the patient and caregivers are going? “Anything we can do to save them time allows them to see more patients and raise the level of care,” Grispo said.

A Meaningful Impact

Lynn Medical’s Ryan Milke shares his experience moving from sales rep to Senior Sales Consultant.

By Jenna Hughes

 Ryan Milke has always had a passion for helping others. Early on in his career, that passion drew him to the healthcare industry. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, Milke began work as an exercise physiologist and stress technician.

With a natural talent for negotiation, a goal-focused personality, and exposure to medical products as an exercise physiologist, Milke soon discovered an interest in medical supply sales and decided to switch career paths.

Now years later in his role as a Senior Sales Consultant for Lynn Medical, Milke manages a growing territory, builds client relationships, develops sales strategies, networks with manufacturing partners – and is a

mentor to other sales reps in the company.

“My career at Lynn Medical aligns well with my background, interests, skills, and values. It allows me to make a meaningful impact in the healthcare field while also pursuing personal and professional fulfillment,” said Milke.

Sales rep to leader

When Milke was first promoted to a senior leadership role at Lynn Medical, he was asked to assist team members who were struggling to meet performance expectations. Right away, he decided to take a coaching approach to those conversations, providing his teammates with constructive feedback, mentorship, and daily support to help. Effective leadership is not just about achieving results, but also

about supporting and empowering others to reach their full potential, he said. “The experiences that come with mentorship reinforce the importance of empathy, patience, and investing in the growth and development of team members in sales.”

Transitioning into a more senior role with the organization required a mindset shift from personal performance to strategizing for and supporting team members.

“My new role required adaptation, growth, and a commitment to helping the team,” Milke said. “While it initially posed its challenges, it also provided opportunities for learning, development, and making a positive impact on my team and organization.”

Milke believes a rep’s success in the field is tied to the preparation he or she puts into product knowledge and expertise. Sales reps, he says, must understand the features, benefits, and applications of each product in a portfolio, while also serving as a resource to clients who may have questions or concerns.

“Being a medical sales representative requires continuous learning and development,” he said.

Advice to aspiring medical sales reps

When hiring or promoting new team members, Milke values individuals with a passion for healthcare, a self-motivated personality, and a willingness to learn.

When it comes to developing successful, high-performing teams, Milke says some of the keys to being a successful sales rep include empowering other team members, providing feedback, remaining flexible and adaptable, and striving for continuous improvement.

Milke believes that proactive communication is one quality that stands out as a key asset in enhancing the customer experience in today’s marketplace.

“Despite challenges such as back orders or delays, success lies in providing customers with accurate information and viable alternatives while always ensuring their satisfaction,” said Milke.

to meet specific customer needs is so important. Effective communication remains vital for maintaining strong relationships and exceeding customer expectations.”

Staying agile

Of course, medical industry reps continue to face numerous other challenges, including ongoing supply chain disruptions, pricing pressures, market competition,

When it comes to developing successful, high-performing teams, Milke says some of the keys to being a successful sales rep include empowering other team members, providing feedback, remaining flexible and adaptable, and striving for continuous improvement.

Healthcare supply chain disruptions have caused product delays for healthcare providers, and it has been the responsibility of sales reps to remain resilient and provide alternatives to ease physician stress.

Milke says, “flexibility is crucial in our industry, and ongoing innovation to find more effective ways

and technological integration, just to name a few.

“Addressing industry challenges requires strategic planning, innovation, and collaboration with stakeholders across the industry. By staying agile, responsive, and customer-focused, we can navigate these challenges effectively and continue to thrive in the dynamic healthcare industry,” said Milke.

He advises that sales reps navigate an ever-changing healthcare industry by staying passionate, always pursuing personal and professional goals, and being willing to step outside of their comfort zone.

Milke says that what helped him personally on his career journey has included “embracing learning new things, always looking for ways to improve, staying resilient and keeping one’s integrity.”

Ryan Milke

Understanding the Hand Hygiene Market

Facts, figures, data and statistics on a critical product segment for distributor reps.

By Paul Girouard

 Here’s a quick look at the whys, what’s and where’s of the hand hygiene product segment – and what makes this an important part of your business.

The numbers – In-demand with customers

The hand hygiene market exploded in 2020 and has since settled down to normal. Demand has currently grown double-digits above pre-pandemic levels.

500 million

ounces of alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) were sold into the healthcare market in 2023

80 %

of ABHR sold in 2023 was for dispensers – Good news, dispensers help protect your business!

BASED ON OVER 1 billion DATA POINTS

in a variety of acute healthcare facilities over a 10-year period, 85% of usage tied to alcoholbased hand rub (ABHR), remaining 15% liquid soap

The healthcare hand hygiene market is driven by Acute Care, which represents

68% of sales for the category.

Balance of economics and skin health

Cost is often cited as an important consideration for choosing a hand hygiene product, but if you think about how many times healthcare workers clean their hands, the most important consideration for them is how the product feels when applied and how it impacts their skin. The people responsible for a hand hygiene program are often asked to balance efficacy, sensory perception, skin health and cost.

THE MARKET

The good and bad post pandemic

Fun Fact No. 1

If the average healthcare worker cleans their hands 12 times per hour in a 12-hour shift, and they work three shifts per week, over the course a 30-year career, they will have cleaned their hands over 650,000 times. That’s a lot of hand hygiene!

The pandemic made hand hygiene a globally understood method of preventing the spread of illness causing germs. But that intense focus also has made people tired of hearing about it. We need to ensure we effectively combat “hand hygiene fatigue” to help keep all healthcare facilities, staff, and the patients they care for safe. Prioritizing hand hygiene at the highest leadership levels and making it a priority for managers of frontline healthcare workers and employing a multi-modal approach like the one outlined by the World Health Organization will help healthcare facilities build a successful compliance program over time.

Fun Fact No. 2

Research has found that you spread more germs by shaking someone’s hand than you do by kissing

The Burnout Fix

Fighting for resilience and understanding the warning signs.

By Pete Mercer

 There are few things more corrosive to the morale and productivity of your team than burnout. Individuals struggling with burnout are facing three interrelated symptoms of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. While it’s certainly not a new subject of attention for those in high-stress environments, it has become a focal point of discussion for people like Dr. Jacinta Jiménez.

Repertoire Magazine recently spoke to Dr. Jiménez, the awardwinning author of The Burnout Fix, psychologist, and leadership coach, about the challenges of working in an environment that creates burnout, how to identify symptoms of burnout and what it takes to improve resilience in the workplace.

Mental health is such a critical component to the success of individuals in high-stress jobs, which is why burnout is so prevalent in fields like healthcare and sales. When it comes to understanding and diagnosing burnout, Dr. Jiménez said, “It’s important to highlight that burnout is not a clinical syndrome. In May 2019, The World Health Organization recognized burnout in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

What causes burnout?

Burnout is not a new concept, but it has grown in prevalence and notoriety in a post-COVID world. The pandemic put people in situations of unprecedented grief, disconnection, and uncertainty, completely derailing our day-today processes and environments. Even now, we are still feeling the aftershock of the pandemic. As a result, burnout is on the rise.

Dr. Jiménez said, “A 2023 study by Aflac has revealed that employee burnout rates in the United States are now higher than at the peak of the pandemic, with over half (59%) of American workers experiencing moderate to high burnout. On top of the challenges introduced by the pandemic, employees are facing

high-productivity expectations and economic pressures. These combined factors contribute to a growing incidence of burnout, impacting mental health and wellbeing significantly.”

There are many contributing factors to burnout, and it certainly would not look the same for everyone. From an employment perspective, Dr. Jiménez provided six examples of how people can experience burnout from their workplace, saying, “Individuals who have a significant mismatch in one or more of these areas are going to find themselves more susceptible to burnout.”

1. Work overload – High-stress jobs and inadequate resources are huge triggers for burnout, especially mid- and post-COVID.

2. Lack of control – Without the appropriate levels of responsibility or resources to complete the job, many people can feel like they have no control over their role at work.

3. Insufficient reward – The lack of regular acknowledgement, as well as financial, social or other rewards for their work effort, impacting their engagement and incentive to work.

4. Breakdown in community –

This breakdown is the result of high levels of conflict within the workplace and low levels of interpersonal trust.

5. Lack of fairness – Inequity and unfairness in workload and pay, mishandlings of evaluations, and improper conflict resolution processes can negatively impact the morale of an employee.

6. Values misaligned – When the values and goals of the individual don’t match up with the organization, it can feel like mismatched puzzle pieces that are being forced together.

Understand the warning signs

At some point, we have all experienced some level of burnout or stress, but we may not understand what it looks like. The first step to reducing burnout is to understand and identify the warning signs when they make themselves known. The challenge with burnout is that it can look different for everyone – the same goes for the causes of burnout, no two situations are the same for everyone. Dr. Jiménez said, “The difficult thing about burnout is that it can’t simply be reduced to burnout or not burned out – it’s not an ‘on and off’ switch. Burnout is far more insidious; it is like corrosive drips of stress, which en masse, take a toll on our personal and professional functioning.”

While burnout can affect everyone differently, there are some consistent warning signs. Dr. Jiménez provided five examples to look for:

1. Emotional changes – You may experience an increase in worry, exhaustion, irritability, and edginess.

2. Psychological and behavioral changes – These include difficulty with focus, making mistakes, and having a hard time keeping up with demands and responsibilities.

3. Personal and professional relationships – Personal and professional relationships may suffer, which could result in failed interactions at work and home.

4. Physical symptoms – Burnout can manifest with physical symptoms where people experience prolonged levels of exhaustion, headaches, and other stress-related issues.

5. Decrease job satisfaction and performance – Ultimately, burnout can lead to decreased job satisfaction, negative work attitude, and impaired professional performance.

Just like anything else, confronting these symptoms head on is the best way to navigate the challenges of burnout. We should be actively tracking our mental health stability, just like we track our physical well-being – it’s just as important.

She said, “You cannot detect something if you’re not actively monitoring it,” she said. “It’s

Dr. Jacinta Jiménez

important that both people leaders and employees actively monitor for burnout. The sooner you can detect burnout, the more opportunity you have to course-correct early on. I recommend setting aside a weekly 15–20-minute hold on your calendar each Friday to actively check in with yourself.”

Fighting for resilience

Fighting for resilience can be a frustrating and challenging uphill battle. It never ends, which makes the outcome even more important. Resilience isn’t just about getting back up after you’ve been knocked down – it’s about navigating these issues before you have even reached them. Resilience requires consistency. Just by adopting short, frequent activities into your day to mentally recharge and focus for a few minutes, you can make enormous strides towards a healthier balance.

On the topic of resilience, Dr. Jimenez uses the metaphor of a seesaw. “On one side, you have adversity – the challenges and stressors of life. These could be personal setbacks, professional challenges, health issues, and so forth. On the other side are protective factors – these are the resources, both internal and external, that help us cope with these challenges. The fulcrum on which the seesaw rests represents our genetic set point for resilience.”

She argues that while some people may be genetically predisposed to resilience, an inherent ability to push through adversity, it’s still a dynamic process that needs to be cultivated and stretched to ensure that you

can still shift the balance of the seesaw in your favor. The more work you put in, the more manageable the challenges will feel on the other side.

What it takes to win

Aside from these micro-resilience practices, employees need the support of their leadership teams and organizations to be truly resilient in challenging work environments. Dr. Jiménez said, “An organizational culture that does not guard against these six person-job mismatches is perpetuating a work environment in which the most resilient individual will eventually find themselves struggling.”

and many leaders inadvertently weaken the pulse of their people and teams by imposing demands, while also removing their sense of control. Leaders need to effectively communicate expectations and ensure that the working environment is reasonable.

Benevolence goes a long way to facilitating trust, fairness, and acknowledgement for an organization’s employees. Dr. Jiménez said, “No matter how prestigious your company is or how many rewards you offer, if an employee finds himself or herself on a team or in an organization that does not foster goodwill, those perks will not go very far.”

One of the leading causes of burnout is unrealistic work demands, and many leaders inadvertently weaken the pulse of their people and teams by imposing demands, while also removing their sense of control.

If we truly want to address this burnout epidemic, we need resilient people, teams and organizational processes – Dr. Jiménez said that the resilience of an organization “depends on the interconnection of the individual, team and organizational levels.” To do that, leaders can set up conditions, practices, and policies that promote what she calls the “ABCs of Steady-Pulse Teams and Organizations”: agency, benevolence, and community.

Agency, or the capacity to act, is a critical piece of the equation. One of the leading causes of burnout is unrealistic work demands,

Community fosters connection. These interpersonal interactions between the people in your organization play a major role in their experience at the organization. When elements of the community are fragmented and fractured, the resilience of your people, your teams, and your organization will ultimately weaken.

Dr. Jiménez said, “We are human beings, not machines –when company cultures ask their people to deny their humanity for the sake of overwork and productivity, they are creating an environment that is ripe for burnout. Our capacities as humans must be recognized and honored.”

The Benefits of Outsourcing Content Marketing: Why Your Company Needs an Expert

By Jenna Hughes

 Having a solid marketing strategy is key to successfully promoting and selling products. All companies in the medical supply chain industry should be spending time and effort on marketing to increase brand awareness and customer following.

While marketing is a critical component to a business’ success, there is no doubt that content creation can be time consuming and requires expertise to properly master. That’s where outsourcing content marketing comes in – your company doesn’t have to produce its marketing content all by itself. By outsourcing marketing, your team can focus its time on what it does best.

The goal of your company should be to make a profit, maximize sales, and make lasting, trustworthy connections with customers, not to get sidetracked by marketing. Read on to learn more about how your business can outsourcing marketing:

What is marketing outsourcing?

Marketing outsourcing is delegating a company’s marketing tasks to external professionals. Outsourced marketing professionals will assist a company in creating campaigns, content, marketing strategy, determining a target audience, and more. Outsourcing allows companies to focus on its day-to-day operations while hired professionals take charge of marketing responsibilities.

According to a study from Sagefrog, a marketing agency, 59% of companies decide to outsource marketing. The primary reason is that

outsourcing is more cost effective, and because marketing professionals can assist companies in implementing new, innovative strategies.

What are the benefits of outsourcing?

1.

Trusted experts

External marketing professionals/agencies are well-versed in the nuances of the industry. They thoroughly understand industry trends and how to best utilize new technologies. They can also come up with more successful tactics and navigate any potential changes or challenges. External marketing professionals, with extensive experience, are much better equipped to give your brand a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Outsourcing, therefore, allows employees to spend time and resources elsewhere while professionals take care of marketing efforts.

2. New perspective

Outsourcing offers a company a new marketing perspective. Businesses that conduct their own marketing campaigns often fall into routines and run the risk of reusing lackluster campaigns. Marketing agencies are experienced with what it takes to create successful campaign tactics, and can bring

new ideas, innovative strategies, and a fresh perspective to the table to better promote your company.

3. Cost reduction

Outsourcing can produce results similar to hiring in-house, but it may be more cost effective for your company to outsource its marketing. Outsourcing allows a company to reduce training costs and save time by not hiring new employees. Your business can instead allocate resources where they are most needed, saving time and money in the long run.

If your company in the medical supply industry could benefit from outsourcing its marketing efforts, look no further than Share Moving Media. With over 30 years of experience in the medical supply chain industry, our team of experienced staff have extensive knowledge of industry trends, changes and challenges, terminology, strategies that work best, and more. We can assist you with marketing responsibilities, from determining a successful campaign strategy to helping your team with content creation. Contact Scott Adams today at sadams@sharemovingmedia.com to set up a brief meeting to discuss the benefits of outsourcing your company’s marketing.

Beyond ‘Bad Days’

A blueprint for building unbreakable mental toughness.

By Brian Sullivan

 Alright, let’s dive into a bit of truth that’s often misconstrued or outright dismissed by folks across the board. You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it: “I’m having a bad day.”

Now, doesn’t that just sound like a neatly packaged excuse for when things aren’t going your way? But here’s the kicker: saying you’re having a bad day is pretty much like saying, “Hey, I’m letting everything and everyone else dictate how I feel.” And let’s be clear – that’s a no-go in the playbook of mental toughness.

Flipping the script on this whole “bad day” narrative isn’t just recommended; it’s essential. The day ahead of you is like a blank canvas, and you’re the artist. You can either splash it with grays of gloom based on what’s happening around you, or you can paint it with the vibrant colors of optimism. Make no mistake, the brush is in your hands.

Let’s break down the real deal behind fostering a winning attitude, slicing through the fog with 7 PRECISE insights:

No. 1: Start with the bedrock

Our life is a reflection of our core beliefs. If your foundation is shaky, don’t expect the house to stand firm. It all starts with what’s under the surface – your philosophy. That

Sales philosophy shapes your attitude, your attitude drives your actions, and your actions pave the road to your results. And those results? They’re the bricks building the life you live. If there’s a crack in the foundation, it’s time for some serious self-reflection and repair work.

No. 2: Embrace the power of ‘yes’

There’s a fine line between having a positive attitude and embodying a ‘yes’ attitude, but oh, what a difference that line marks. A ‘yes’ attitude isn’t just about being agreeable; it’s about being open to a ton of possibilities that each day offers. It’s a signal to the world – and more importantly, to yourself – that you’re a force of positivity, ready to transform challenges into opportunities.

No. 4: Knowledge ain’t power till it’s applied

We’ve all met the know-it-alls, the ones who can recite every sales technique chapter and verse. But knowing isn’t enough; doing is where the game changes. The bridge between knowledge and action is where many falter, but not you. You’re going to cross

Continuous learning is the fuel for continuous growth. But here’s the twist: learn not just for the sake of gathering information but for the purpose of applying it, of living it.

No. 3: Cherish the grind

Here’s where many get it twisted. It’s easy to celebrate the win, but what about the hustle it took to get there? The real magic is in valuing the effort, the late nights, the extra cold call, the relentless pursuit. That’s where character is built and where true victory lies. Recognizing the hard yards is what sets apart the contenders from the pretenders.

that bridge with the confidence of someone who not only knows the path but walks it, every single day.

No. 5: Time management is self-management

Let’s get real about time management. It’s not about color-coded schedules or fancy apps; it’s about managing your actions, your procrastinations, your fears. It’s about facing the tasks you’ve

been dodging and embracing them head-on. This isn’t time management; it’s self-management, and it’s a game-changer.

No. 6: Learn like your life depends on it

Continuous learning is the fuel for continuous growth. But here’s the twist: learn not just for the sake of gathering information but for the purpose of applying it, of living it. Make learning a journey of self-improvement, a path that constantly challenges you to be better, do better, and ultimately, to live better.

No. 7: Self-first for the win

Now, this might sound a tad selfish at first glance, but hear me out. To give your best to the world, to your job, to your family, you first need to be the best version of yourself. This isn’t about ego; it’s about ensuring you’re fully charged, fully equipped, and fully committed to excellence, starting with yourself.

Crafting a positive attitude isn’t just about wearing rosecolored glasses; it’s about actively shaping the narrative of your day, your career, and your life. It’s about painting that canvas with bold strokes of resilience, optimism, and relentless pursuit of excellence. So, the next time you catch yourself on the brink of declaring a “bad day,” remember: the only thing truly having a bad day is that excuse, as you leave it in the dust.

Brian Sullivan, CSP, is the founder of PRECISE Selling and a leading voice in the field of sales training and development. He believes in the potential of every salesperson to achieve their best and continually challenges sales professionals to reach new heights. To have Brian Sullivan or one of his stable of trainers and coaches help your team get to the top, visit him at www.preciseselling.com

Learning to Love Rejection

If you persevere through rejection, your audience (and success) will emerge.

“I really wish I was less of a thinking man and more of a fool not afraid of rejection.” – Billy Joel

I am a keynote speaker and author. I am a sales professional. I am a human.

I have an intimate relationship with rejection.

Growing up I was a sensitive kid. I wanted everyone to like me. Even when I played Little League baseball. I wanted the other team to like me. The umpires too. If I was called out, I took it personally.

My dad, an old sailor, used to tell me I needed to have thicker skin.

He would say, “Toughen up, kid. If everyone likes you, you’re playing it safe. Stop hitting singles and start swinging for the fences.”

The older I get the smarter my father is. He was right. Not everyone is going to like you.

Playing it safe is not a great strategy. Playing it safe is choosing to be ordinary. We weren’t created for that.

I was listening to my friend Dan Clark the other day. Dan is a hall-of-fame speaker, author, and singer/songwriter. He was talking about selling a million records. Going platinum.

He said, “There are 300 million people in this country. You can piss off 299 million of them and still have a platinum record.”

What a great perspective. More people are going to reject your ideas than accept them. More people will ignore you than acknowledge you. Most people won’t give one thought about what you did, said, sang, or wrote.

So what?

Who cares?

Your truth, your voice, your ideas, and your contributions weren’t for them. You sing your song. You write your book. You paint your masterpiece.

Your audience will emerge. They will tune into your frequency. They will buy what you’re selling. You don’t need to win them all. Just the ones you are here for.

Stop playing it safe. Step up to the plate and swing for the fences. Not everyone will cheer as you’re rounding third, headed for home.

But the ones who matter will.

Here are three things to focus on when it comes to handling rejection.

1. Ignore it: Who cares if someone doesn’t like you or want what you’re selling? Their loss. As we say in sales, NEXT! Time to move on.

2. Be True to You: Far too many people play it safe and live their lives by comparing themselves to others. They look for what’s popular and try to fit themselves into it. The great ones blaze their own trail and go where others cannot even see a path.

3. It’s a Numbers Game: Every rejection, every closed door, every no, gets you one step closer to victory.

Most people quit when they are on the doorstep of their greatest breakthrough. Put your head down and keep striding toward home. You are almost there.

By Kevin Brown

Stopping the Spread

How Rapid Testing Can Control the Syphilis Epidemic

Although, 20 years ago syphilis was thought to be a disease of the past, a syphilis epidemic is occurring. In the United States alone, 203,500 cases were reported in 2022 1 , nearly double the reported cases of 2018. Most of the increase in syphilis cases has been among men who have sex with men. However, there has been an alarming increase of cases in women and in babies born with congenital syphilis.

The syphilis epidemic requires novel testing and prevention approaches. The Diagnostics Direct Syphilis Health CheckTM test is a lateral flow immunochromatographic rapid test that detects treponemal antibodies. In a CLIA-waived setting, the test can be performed on fingerstick whole blood to deliver results in just 10 minutes.

MedPro is working with OraSure Technologies to introduce the Diagnostics Direct Syphilis Health Check test across all major healthcare markets to increase awareness and facilitate sales. MedPro is a national independent sales group that represents leading medical manufacturers, like OraSure, in diverse acute, government, and nonacute healthcare markets.

References:

Below are some of the test’s features representatives should highlight in conversations with customers:

Results in 10 Minutes

Results are obtained at the point of care (POC) in 10 minutes, providing immediate insight that can inform treatment decisions. Healthcare providers can discuss results and provide resources for care in one visit. Rapid results facilitate more immediate partner notification efforts as well.

Early Detection

Syphilis is a multistage disease that is easily treatable with antibiotics in the beginning stages, but early detection is critical2. Among the benefits of a treponemal test, like the FDAapproved Diagnostics Direct Syphilis Health Check test, is detection of primary infection at a slightly earlier stage than a nontreponemal test3

Improved Neonatal Care

Studies have verified the test’s accuracy at all stages of infection, which provides the ability to detect infection in pregnant people for the identification of potential congenital syphilis at every trimester.

30-Month Shelf Life

The Diagnostics Direct Syphilis Health Check test is easy

to perform and requires minimal training. The test has a shelf life of 30 months.

Capturing Coinfections

The Diagnostics Direct Syphilis Health Check test complements OraSure’s suite of products, like the OraQuick® Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test and the OraQuick® HCV Rapid Antibody Test, to capture coinfections. All OraSure POC kits offer easy, flexible, and accurate testing options for providers across diverse settings to capture coinfections. (Please visit orasure.com/ products-infectious/index.html.)

With nearly 20 years of sales experience, MedPro helps medical manufacturers grow by driving sales around enhanced diagnostic offerings. MedPro’s team consists of 65 clinically trained and credentialed nationwide sales representatives that cover all major healthcare facilities and markets. The Diagnostics Direct Syphilis Health Check test is a perfect complement to OraSure’s portfolio of POC testing products available from MedPro, which is actively bringing the test to all major healthcare markets in the United States. Please contact MedPro Associates for further details on how we can help your organization.

1 Papp JR, Park IU, Fakile Y, Pereira L, Pillay A, Bolan GA. CDC Laboratory Recommendations for Syphilis Testing, United States, 2024. MMWR Recomm Rep 2024;73(No. RR-1):1–32. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.rr7301a1.

2 Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

3 Soreng, K., Levy, R. & Fakile, Y. Serologic Testing for Syphilis: Benefits and Challenges of a Reverse Algorithm. Clin. Microbiol. Newsl. 36, 195–202 (2014).

OraQuick is a registered trademark of OraSure Technologies, Inc. Syphilis Health Check is a trademark of Diagnostics Direct, LLC, used under license by OraSure Technologies, Inc. The Syphilis Health Check products are manufactured by Diagnostics Direct, LLC and distributed by OraSure Technologies, Inc.

In over 40 years of service to the healthcare industry, Doug Harper has accomplished much. For example, he founded a med/surg distribution company in the 1980s. He was president of Physician Sales & Service (now McKesson Medical-Surgical) from 1999 to 2002. He served as president of NDC Homecare, group vice president of North America for Invacare, and is currently executive vice president and senior advisor for MTMC, the outsourced healthcare sales organization.

But it’s never been about the CV.

“Doug has constantly connected his industry friends for the greater good,” says MTMC Managing Partner Jack Moran. “He connects friends with job opportunities. He mentors friends and connects them with other mentors. He connects suppliers and distributors for initiatives that impact both. The overall industry has benefited so many times because of Doug’s selflessness and willingness to connect his network for the greater good.”

“I believe as we look back with a little perspective, Doug’s biggest contribution may be that he proved you can be a genuinely nice person guided by principles and reach the highest levels of success,” says Gary Corless, former CEO and board member of PSS World Medical.

“Doug Harper is perhaps the most respected person in the industry,” says Mark Seitz, chairman of NDC. “He earned that respect by combining a professional life of incredible achievement with an innate ability to have literally everyone share in his success. There are hundreds of individuals serving at all levels and capacities in our industry who attribute their personal and professional success to Doug Harper.”

“When you dealt with Doug, you well realized he also had your long-term goals in mind,” says John Moran, retired national sales

manager for Welch Allyn. “His focus on the long-term success for both parties built stronger ties and better performance. This was true for his own sales and marketing teams as well as his suppliers.”

‘Have you thought about selling something?’

As a young man, Harper considered making a career out of golf. He got the bug in his early teens while growing up in South Hadley, Massachusetts. He caddied and participated in junior events in high school and continued to play competitively in college. After college, he participated in regional and state opens and became one of two professionals at the Country Club of New Seabury on Cape Cod.

“So Meyer said to me, ‘Have you thought about selling something? Why don’t you come to my office on Monday in Boston?’” Harper did, started training in October and receiving a territory in January. “I got an order my very first call –for a $3.50 alcohol dispenser,” he recalls. “My first thought was, ‘This business is easy.’ My second thought was, ‘How can I support myself selling $3.50 alcohol dispensers?’

“As I grew into the role of a salesman, it was the relationships with customers, vendor partners and coworkers that energized me.” His first boss in the business – John Stutz – was an important influence. “He understood more about what physicians needed

‘ When you dealt with Doug, you well realized he also had your long-term goals in mind.’

In the summer of 1974, he found himself teaching golf to the children of Meyer Cyker, the CEO of Healthco, which at the time was the largest dental distributor in North America.

“Around September or October, he asked me, ‘Hey kid, what are you going to do the rest of your life?’” recalled Harper in a 2004 interview with Repertoire. “In fact, being a golf professional in New England was a seasonal job, and I had no plans for that winter.

than they did. And if he got his arms around a physician, he wouldn’t let him go until he got the order.”

As physicians inspected office equipment in the Healthco showroom, Stutz had his own agenda. “He would usher them into his office, where he had his planning table, and ask, ‘Doctor, what are you trying to do? Tell me about the complexion of your practice.’” He would avoid quoting a price for individual pieces

of equipment. “Instead, he’d say, ‘Doctor, we’ll give you this turnkey for $40,000, or whatever it was, including design, furniture, EKG, scales.’”

Stutz was a visionary in that he challenged physicians to think like marketers, added Harper. “He’d say to them, ‘You don’t want to look like the worst-equipped physician in the medical building. Your patients’ first impression is critical. Don’t you want your office to reflect your capabilities?’”

A frequent visitor to the showroom was John Sasen, who at the time was with Clay Adams (now part of BD), and who later became executive vice president and chief marketing officer for PSS World Medical and a close colleague of Harper’s.

whom he served as Northeastern regional manager. In 1995, Taylor was acquired by PSS, and Harper became vice president of the company’s Northern region. In 1997, he left New England to move to PSS’s headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, to become senior vice president of sales and marketing. He was named president in 1999.

“My years at PSS were filled with many challenges, but they were outweighed by the excitement of working with an extraordinary sales team and the leadership of John Sasen and [PSS Founder] Pat Kelly. In 1996, we signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Abbott Labs, which represented over $100M of new revenue for PSS. Abbott had great market share and an innovative pregnancy and strep test,

‘ He earned respect by combining a professional life of incredible achievement with an innate ability to have literally everyone share in his success.’

‘Terrifying, exciting and rewarding’

Healthco was subsequently acquired by Foster Medical, and Harper was promoted to sales manager and then general manager. In 1981, he started his own physician distribution company – Medco Systems – on Cape Cod.

“It was a very exciting time of growth of our industry. Starting our own company was terrifying, exciting and rewarding.” In 1987, Medco acquired its largest competitor – Quincy Medical Supply of Quincy, Massachusetts.

Three years later, he sold his company to Taylor Medical, for

and having the first in-office PSA testing instrument (IMX) opened many accounts to PSS.” The deal was pivotal in PSS’s overall strategy to become the market leader in in-office diagnostics.

“John and I enjoyed some nice wine that night!” he recalls.

Course change

In 2003 Harper and his wife, Cathy, decided to move back to New England, where their son, Doug, lived. “I always had in the back of my mind that owning a golf course would be a good way to end any career that I was going to have,” he told Repertoire .

“I thought it would be great to be around something that was not only my avocation, but my passion. So my wife and I set some goals. Cathy loves the game too.”

They scouted the area for a golf course to buy, and in 2003 purchased Hickory Ridge Country Club in Amherst, Massachusetts, about 10 minutes from the course where Harper had caddied as a high-schooler. Designed in 1969 by golf architect Geoffrey Cornish, the course sits in the Connecticut River Valley, in the Mount Holyoke Range. “I actually played the course when I was younger,” he said.

In his new role as golf club owner, he implemented many of the skills he had acquired in the medical industry.

“Marketing is a big part of the business,” he said. Benefit outings for groups and causes were big income opportunities, which led Harper to routinely call on local charities, join the Chamber of Commerce and attend Rotary Club meetings. Though the club had an advertising budget, “marketing also has to do with taking care of our members every time they’re here,” he said. “Getting to know them by name and recognizing their guests is important. After all, those guests could become members next year.” The Harpers owned Hickory Ridge until 2013, when they sold it.

“It’s hard to talk about Doug without mentioning the game of golf,” says Moran. “He is an outstanding player with countless rounds in the low 70s. In spite of his abilities on the course, it is a pleasure to play with him no matter how high one’s handicap might be. He never gets rattled or overly serious out there. He is fun to play with and treats everyone

the same regardless of ability. You can tell a lot about someone when you spend four to five hours with them on the golf course. This of course translates to his business leadership style.

“I have to mention his work ethic,” says Moran. “Doug has great vision and understands the big picture. However, he is also a day-to-day grinder. It would be very difficult to outwork him.”

Despite owning a golf course, Harper remained tied to the medical industry, serving as president of Brewer Medical and group vice president of North America and Latin America for Invacare. In 2017 he was named president

of NDC Homecare and in 2020 became executive vice president and senior advisor for MTMC.

Asked recently about the most satisfying aspect of his career, he says, “Without a doubt it was the many friendships that developed through our industry and the pride that I have received watching so many of them grow both professionally and personally. I hope that in some small way I have helped. I am also so very proud of the fact that my son, Doug, is enjoying a great career with NDC in an industry that was so very rewarding for me.”

“Doug has a ton of experience, works hard and is very smart,

Doug Harper’s ‘Necessary items for success in leadership & life’

Doug Harper has shared this list of “necessary items” with new reps and leaders over the years. “I am amazed how many have told me they still use it with others,” he says.

` You need mentors to listen and learn from.

` You need to be a mentor.

` Hire people who can be your boss someday.

` Be honest/direct with people who are in the wrong roles.

` Remove problem employees. The rest of the team is watching.

` Spend more time with employees who are struggling.

` Listen and focus on the person in front of you.

` Treat all with respect.

` Never compromise your integrity.

` Run from unethical people.

` Only say things as if your mother were in the room.

` Protect your name.

` Always bring a solution to a problem.

` Treat/value existing customers as you do a prospect.

` Make news, don’t just report it.

` Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”

` Drive down private roads.

“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, every time you can.” – John Wesley

but it’s his character that makes him special,” says Brad Hilton, senior vice president product strategy and supplier partnerships, McKesson Medical-Surgical. “He is kind, has high integrity and genuinely cares about everyone that he interacts with. In addition, he is a true professional. He stays current with key trends and he puts in the effort to learn new businesses, verticals and leaders. He is persistent and never drops the ball.

“I first met Doug when I was 23 and he has been a great boss, mentor and friend ever since,” he continues. “He never misses the opportunity to wish me happy holidays, check in on me and my family and offer his time, counsel and wisdom. He is a class act and great role model.”

MTMC’s Jack Moran says, “Doug always puts himself in the shoes of whoever he is interacting with. His empathy and the way he treats everyone like a customer is why he is such a successful leader. He always does the right thing and never lets a potential result get in the way of making the right ethical decision.”

Adds Mark Seitz, “Doug’s successful career in leadership roles is inextricably intertwined with his character. While Doug undoubtedly learned from many others throughout his career, Doug came to the table with an abundance of attributes that made for both an effective leader and an amazing friend. He is ethical, talented, compassionate, generous, genuine, and kind; but he is also appropriately competitive. How fortunate I am to have crossed paths with such an amazing man, and how fortunate is our industry that Doug Harper decided to make a career in healthcare distribution.”

Mark Seitz: Servant leader

He listened to people

As president and CEO of NDC, Mark Seitz guided the company through change, challenges and growth. He did so by studying the medical industry, learning from the people in it and keeping their needs uppermost in his mind.

“Mark’s leadership style is very much servant leadership,” says Repertoire Publisher Scott Adams, who called on Seitz as a customer, worked for him during Adams’ tenure there, and followed his career for the magazine. “Once or twice a week he would walk the entire office to talk to everyone. He called this practice ‘watering the plants.’ It made you feel like you were part of something, and your opinion mattered. He genuinely cared for all his employees and made each one feel like the most important person in the room.”

“Mark has a unique talent,” says Bill Sparks, founder of independent rep firms MedTech (now MTMC) and MedPro. “He’s not afraid to talk to others and ask for advice. Many times we’ve had conversations, and he’ll ask me what I think about this and that –even though he probably knows the answer.”

Legal background

Prior to succeeding Jim Stover as president and CEO of NDC in 2005, Seitz spent more than 20 years practicing law. He was an active member of the healthcare section of the Nashvillebased law firm Miller & Martin, PLLC, and he served NDC as outside legal counsel following the relocation of ABCO Dealers Inc. to Nashville in 1993. He assisted the organization in its acquisitions of StarLine Dealers and Central Independent Dealers Association (CIDA) in 1996 and

1998, respectively. Seitz served as lead counsel and advisor when National Distribution & Contracting was formed in 1998 as a holding company for distribution cooperatives, contracting and logistics functions and master distribution. The company acquired dental groups American Dental Cooperative (ADC) in 1999 and United Dental Dealers (UDD) in 2003.

He stepped into his leadership role at NDC in 2005 wellprepared, he told Repertoire at the time. “Jim brought me into the fold as lawyer and counselor. I participated in strategic planning sessions, and that made my relationship with the company solid and special. I felt I was part of it.”

Still, taking the leadership role at NDC following 20 years as an attorney was an adjustment. “As an attorney, you guide a transaction or consult on a tax matter or something similar, then move on to your next project,” he said. “There was a beginning, a middle and an end to the work. You were marketing yourself and your individual capabilities and your experience as a professional.”

But in medical distribution, one’s body of work is never over, he said. “If you’re leading a company, whether it’s a manufacturer or distributor, it’s a constant evolution of experience. It’s really a marathon.”

“Where I witnessed his growth was how quickly he engulfed himself in the industry,” says Adams. “Within a year you

felt like Mark had been around for 20 years. He is one of the best people persons I have been around, and his ability to ask questions to get to the heart of an issue is second to none.”

Seitz offered NDC members tremendous loyalty and respect, and he led them in ways to become better and stronger as businesses, Adams says. “The year we went from three co-ops to NDC was one of the most challenging in the group’s history. Mark never wavered or shied away from taking the hard phone calls from emotional members who loved their groups and their brands. If Mark hadn’t pushed us and the members through that exercise, I’m not sure NDC would have survived and thrived as it does today.”

“CIDA, Starline and ABCO were all divisions of NDC,” notes Doug Harper, who served as president of NDC Homecare from 2017 to 2020. “However, the members of these groups were all competitors. Mark’s confident leadership, vision and the trust the members had in him resulted in the unified NDC we see today.”

“Mark’s success in handling the transition was an early indicator of the remarkable success he achieved for NDC,” says Ted Almon of Claflin Co., who served as NDC board chair from the time Stover was hired in 1993 until the sale of NDC in 2016 to private equity firm Court Square Capital Partners.

Recapitalization

In February 2010, private equity firm Silver Oak Services Partner LLC led a leveraged recapitalization of NDC in partnership with management, certain existing

NDC shareholders and coinvestors. In a statement at the time, Seitz said, “This transaction provides liquidity to certain shareholders while providing the company access to capital and a value-added partner.” At the time, NDC was stocking over 20,000 SKUs from approximately 160 manufacturing partners servicing over 600 distributor customers throughout North America.

During Silver Oak’s ownership, NDC completed two acquisitions: MOtion 1 in April 2012, a buying group of distributors serving the physical therapy and rehabilitation market; and Main Street Vaccines in April 2015, a vaccine buying group for physicians. In February 2016, Silver Oak completed the sale of NDC to Court Square Capital Partners. By then, NDC was serving more than 1,400 distributors and nearly 400 healthcare manufacturers, with over 180 employees. Court Square exited NDC in 2021, as it was sold to Platinum Equity.

serving exclusive territories, was fast becoming obsolete. He was able to convince his Board and a sufficient number of members that the equity structure of the company as well as the profile of its membership needed to change.

“The surviving member companies weren’t the biggest, but rather, they were those who found sustainable niches in a market dominated by mammoth, vertically integrated firms with access to public markets. He was able to swiftly adapt NDC’s product and service offering to match the changing customer focus and not only survive but enjoy vigorous growth under the ownership of investors rather than customers.”

Rebranding

In 2012 Seitz began a strategic planning initiative for NDC. “We decided we wanted to have a hand on the tiller of our own destiny, as opposed to just reacting to changes,” he told

‘ Ultimately, the responsibility of any leader of a business is to create jobs, support families, and support the trading partners that count on them.’

Says Almon, “All businesses evolve with the times and external circumstances, and any company’s ability to survive and grow depends upon its ability to adapt to changing conditions. Mark was able to discern changes in the market and to adapt NDC’s offering to the changing needs of the customers. He was aware that the original co-op business model,

Repertoire in 2015. The result was a rebranding initiative, which was completed in 2015. The key lay in the organization’s new tagline: “Delivering Efficiency to Healthcare.”

Responding to demands in the market, NDC explored new ways to produce efficiencies not only for its traditional distributor members, but for all key constituencies, i.e., distributors,

‘ For me, it is the way we treat people and build relationships every day. It’s integrity and consistency.’

manufacturers, GPOs and, by extension, healthcare providers. NDC intended to transform itself into a healthcare supply chain company providing customized solutions to all players in the supply chain.

“You cannot purposefully go anywhere without knowing where you want to go and identifying a means to get there,” he says today. “To me, that is the essence of strategic planning. To the best of its ability, a business needs to be intentional about its performance as opposed to reactive. Disciplined strategic planning gives you the best chance to be intentional.”

COVID

Seitz’s industry acumen, confidence and strong leadership was never more evident than during the COVID pandemic, says Doug Harper. He quotes one NDC team member who said, “I will always be grateful to Mark for his ‘checking in’ calls and emails during the pandemic. Knowing that our CEO cared enough to check on me personally meant more than he will ever know."

Speaking with Repertoire one year after COVID struck, Seitz noted that despite widespread fear, “at the height of the pandemic, I had people beating down the door of our

distribution centers to come to work and do their job, to serve our customers. It was really something to see.

“We had another mission too. Besides just supporting healthcare, our model supports many small businesses, and they all have employees and families and customers who depend on them to stay open. It was gratifying to fulfill our duty to the best of our ability under the circumstances, including allocations and shortages.

“Just going through the pandemic and having to make real-time decisions in unknown territory has shown me how much I depend on my team,” he said at

the time. “NDC team members come from diverse backgrounds and diverse professional experiences. I’ve got experience capital from all these wonderful people that I’ve had a chance to work with at NDC and in the industry. I make sure that I don’t ever get in a place where I think I know the answer to anything or everything. I wake up every day determined to listen.”

Independent distribution: A culture

“Mark’s unwavering commitment to fostering a spirit of collaboration and support within the industry truly sets him apart,” says NDC President and CEO Jack Stephens. “He was never simply a CEO; he was a mentor, a confidant, and a genuine friend to all who knew him. His door was always open, his advice freely given, and his willingness to help boundless.

“Mark's passion for the independent channel is infectious,” he continues. “He championed the unique strengths and values that independently owned specialty distributors bring to the table, advocating tirelessly for their continued success. He understood the vital role they play in ensuring a healthy and competitive marketplace, and

he dedicated himself to empowering them to thrive.

“He leaves behind a community of inspired leaders, all carrying forward the passion for collaboration, mentorship, and unwavering passion for healthcare distribution. We are all richer for having known him, and his spirit will continue to guide us as we navigate the future of our industry.”

secondary suppliers, to ultimately strengthen our supply chain and to protect their relevance in the industry.”

“You cannot have a good culture unless you’re successful, and you cannot be successful unless you have a good culture,” he told Scott Adams in 2021. “For me, it is the way we treat people and build relationships every day. It’s integrity and consistency.

‘ You cannot have a good culture unless you’re successful, and you cannot be successful unless you have a good culture.’

“I firmly believe that there is tremendous opportunity for independently owned/specialty distribution businesses, perhaps even more so now than in 2021,” Seitz says today. “The COVID pandemic exposed wide-ranging fragility in the healthcare supply chain. One of the responses to that fragility within the provider community was to diversify its supply chain partners to create security that comes from having multiple partners. Many specialty distributors are capitalizing on opportunities to serve as

NDC acquisitions in 2017 and 2018

2017: Dedicated Distribution (rolled up into Preferred Medical)

2017: Healthcare Supply Solutions (HSS) (rolled up into Preferred Medical)

2018: Preferred Medical

2018: Wolf Medical Supply (rolled up into Preferred Medical)

2018: National Physician Care (vaccine buying group)

Whenever I interview someone, I tell them that the biggest way to get on my bad side is not to speak to our receptionist when you are in our lobby. I know that sounds a little self-righteous, but it’s a metaphor for what’s important to me. It’s about mutual respect.

“Once you develop that culture, you must remember to live it. You must hire and fire by your culture. Unfortunately, I have sometimes fallen short of my own expectations. Nonetheless, you must treat your partners consistent with your culture, while also making sure that the culture contributes to financial success. Ultimately, the responsibility of any leader of a business is to create jobs, support families, and support the trading partners that count on them.

“With the help of many others on the team, NDC has evolved into a unique business that – with integrity – provides a genuine value to distributors, manufacturers, providers and patients on a national scale.”

Where Medical Product Distributors And Manufacturers Build Relationships

This is your opportunity to cultivate relationships, strategize for 2025, and increase medical products sales through new and current partnerships.

MEETINGS

Schedule private meetings with your strategic business partners.

NETWORKING

Connect with attendees through a variety of networking opportunities.

Register Now!

HIDAStreamlining.org

LEARNING

Understand the top-of-mind trends and issues impacting your customers.

SEPTEMBER 10–12, 2024 • DALLAS, TEXAS

Progress On Fast Pass

 Supply chain disruptions have been a regular occurrence in the news. We’ve seen the consequences of delay on grocery shelves … and at the doctor’s office. Over the last several years, transportation delays posed significant healthcare challenges. Research by HIDA revealed that 31,000-46,000 containers of critical medical supplies encountered delays averaging 29 days within the transportation system. These delays, amounting to tons of medical products, impacted providers and patients alike.

Fortunately, Congress has begun to act.

The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee recently approved H.R. 6140, the Facilitate Access to Swiftly Transport Goods during a Publicly Announced State of Emergency Situation (FAST PASS) Act. H.R. 6140 is a bipartisan bill introduced by Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS) and John Garamendi (D-CA). The FAST PASS Act directs the Secretary of Transportation to initiate a study to examine efforts to expedite the movement of critical cargo across all modes of transportation during emergencies.

Both members of Congress hailed the progress of this legislation:

“The FAST PASS Act will help our supply chains respond faster to emergencies like hurricanes and pandemics,” said Congressman Ezell. “I was proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Congressman Garamendi, and I am grateful to our colleagues on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for advancing it to the House floor.”

“Congestion and supply chain crunches at American ports for emergency supplies and other critical cargo can be a matter of life and death,” said Congressman Garamendi. “I am pleased to have co-authored the FAST PASS Act with Congressman Ezell to ensure the U.S. Department of Transportation can expedite delivery of critical cargo at our nation’s ports when American jobs and, even more importantly, lives are on the line.”

HIDA has been working on Fast Pass for several years. This effort first began

as a public-private partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic between healthcare distributors and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Thanks to Fast Pass, these ports saw an improvement in the flow of medical products. Shipping lines, terminal operators, dockworkers, and truckers all worked together to reduce the time of delivery of the much-needed medical supplies.

More remains to be done, but HIDA is optimistic that this bill will become law. We applaud Congress for acting in a bipartisan fashion to streamline the medical supply chain. The FAST PASS Act underscores our commitment to enhancing preparedness, and is crucial for bolstering resilience in times of crisis.

By Wyeth Ruthven, Director of Congressional Relations and Public Relations, Health Industry Distributors Association

Elevate Your Professional Game

A new podcast that is your go-to resource for reaching peak performance, whether you’re in sales, marketing, or part of a leadership team. Every episode, we sit down with some of the world’s most renowned authors, speakers, and experts across various fields, diving deep into a wealth of topics.

Our conversations are not just enlightening but also packed with actionable tips and strategies. We’re here to empower you with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in your professional journey.

Healthcare’s Shangri-La?

Value-based payment remains a dream.

 Today’s fee-for-service payment system, which pays healthcare providers on a per-service basis, is widely blamed for rising healthcare costs as well as physician burnout. But are the so-called valuebased payment systems any better? Not the way they’re set up today, according to many experts.

While policymakers tinker with solutions, your physician practice customers are left with one foot in the fee-for-service (FFS) world and the other in some type of value-based payment (VBP) plan, each with its own set of objectives, measurement tools and payment

methodologies. It’s tricky for just about everybody.

Though much lip service is paid to value-based payment, a 2022 survey of primary care physicians by The Commonwealth Fund showed that more primary care practitioners still receive more FFS payments than VBP.

Seventy-one percent reported that their practice was receiving some FFS payments, while fewer than half (46%) reported receiving any VBP.

Take a step back

Is fee-for-service as bad as many policy experts think?

“It’s not a great way to set up a payment system,” says Jeffrey Davis, health policy director for McDermott+Consulting. One reason FFS gets blamed for overutilization is the lack of transparency in pricing, he says. “You can shop for the best price for a cup of coffee, but it’s difficult to find the best price for a procedure. Instead, people routinely go to doctors who are in their network or whom they’ve seen before. Fee-for-service with no price transparency becomes fee-forservice gone wild.”

Fee-for-service encourages providers to deliver more services and see more patients, say Corinne Lewis, program officer, and Celli Horstman, senior research associate, Delivery System Reform, The Commonwealth Fund. “It can be like working on an assembly line, with less time – and less attention – for each patient. It is not only wasteful but leads to less optimal results for patients because it prevents providers from addressing their comprehensive needs.”

There is another problem with FFS, according to the authors of a 2021 report from the National Academies of Medicine: It discourages other team members who may not be able to bill for their services from providing care. It also disincentivizes the primary care team from focusing on non-billable services, outside of a brief office visit, which may have beneficial effects, such as identifying and educating people with chronic diseases.

How about value-based payment?

Millions of patients benefit from value-based care, including more

than 30 million who receive care from accountable care organizations, according to the National Survey of ACOs from The Dartmouth Institute. (Accountable care organizations are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers who come together voluntarily to give coordinated care to the Medicare patients they serve.) According to the survey, value-based care models have been shown to mitigate growth in healthcare costs. ACOs have generated more than $17 billion in gross savings.

But VBP has its share of skeptics.

“A decade of empirical evidence on the effects of pay-forperformance is not encouraging. Less charitably, it is damning,” writes J. Michael McWilliams, M.D., PhD, from Harvard Medical School in a December 2022 editorial in JAMA Network. “There have been some scattered gains, but studies of major programs have consistently found little to no improvement – even on targeted measures – and revealed plenty of cause for concern.

“Pay-for-performance incentives at the organization level routinely devolve into score-boosting tasks that distract and demoralize clinicians, and organizations can leverage scale to engage in more sophisticated gaming of the system. At some point, the slogans overtook the science, derailing a national conversation about quality improvement that will need to get back on track for progress to be made.”

How about MIPS?

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System, or MIPS, was created under the Medicare Access

and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and is the main quality performance program for physicians and other clinicians in Medicare. It is also the program with the most strident detractors. In fact, in 2018, the Medicare Payment Advisory Council, or MedPAC – an independent agency that advises the U.S. Congress on issues affecting the Medicare program – went so far as to recommend that Congress scrap MIPS and find an alternative approach.

MIPS includes four performance categories: Quality, Promoting Interoperability, Improvement Activities (e.g., enhanced care processes) and Cost. Performance on these four categories (which are weighted) rolls up into an overall score of 100 points. Depending on how they score, clinicians receive an upward, downward or neutral payment adjustment two years after the reporting period.

Though a supporter in theory of value-based payment, the American Medical Association has criticized MIPS, saying it is “divorced from achieving meaningful clinical outcomes.” AMA believes the program is administratively burdensome, exacerbates health inequities and hurts smaller, independent practices, which may lack the resources to invest in the move to value-based care.

According to Corinne Lewis and Celli Horstman at The Commonwealth Fund, “MACRA was a well-intentioned effort to push providers towards valuebased care, but in reality, it had many flaws in its design and as a result fell short of its potential. It has been incredibly complex, confusing, and burdensome

for providers to navigate given the multiple pathways, changing requirements and onerous reporting requirements. And the incentives in MACRA for providers to improve quality and to move providers to alternativepayment models were weak and poorly designed.”

Jeffrey Davis points to shortcomings in the Quality and Cost categories of MIPS to demonstrate why MIPS needs improving. For example, the program allows providers to select a handful of quality measures on which their points for quality will be calculated. Not surprisingly, most practices select those measures in which they perform best to maximize their

‘We need to make value-based-payment models less complex and less difficult for clinicians to navigate.’

Medicare payments and avoid penalties, even if those measures may not necessarily be associated with the greatest quality improvements in their practice.

Davis also questions the Cost category. “Practices don’t know what cost measures they will be assigned to, as CMS uses claims data on the back end. It’s a black box.” CMS is trying to make improvements in this category by creating more episode-based cost measures, which are targeted to individual practices’ specialties.

“Add to all this the fact that MIPS is for traditional Medicare only,” he says. “Today, more people are in a Medicare Advantage plan than regular Medicare, so you’re only talking about a certain population.” On top of that, each

Medicare Advantage plan may have its own value-based payment program in place. Then add commercial players to the mix, each with its own quality program.

“We need to work toward a global payment system, with aligned incentives,” he says. That means getting all payers – commercial, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and others – into one system, all applying the same incentives in their quality programs. “In order to move away from fee-for-service, everybody has to be on board, there has to be a unified approach.”

So what’s next?

Amidst the fits and starts of today’s value-based payment programs, there are some silver linings.

“The good news is that MACRA produced a lot of lessons around the challenges to designing and implementing value-based care, which can be applied going forward,” say Lewis and Horstman. “First and foremost, we need to make VBP models less complex and less difficult for clinicians to navigate, for instance by streamlining the quality measures providers are held accountable for and ensuring alignment across payers.

“We’ve also learned that for VBP to work and to engage more providers, it’s important to offer upfront financial support, particularly for smaller and independent practices, to help them get started and be successful. We also have to make sure these models advance health equity and tackle disparities by being intentional in their design, engaging patients and carefully evaluating the impact of models for underserved patients.”

A new program from CMS –MIPS value pathways, or MVPs – could mark a few steps toward greater simplicity, says Davis. MVPs offer a much more limited set of measures that are intended to be more meaningful than those in traditional MIPS, which offered “too many choices, too many options, too many variations year to year. However, MVPs still have to abide by the overarching MIPS requirements, so even they aren’t a perfect solution.”

Are hybrids the end game?

All payment methods have inherent incentives, both good and bad, that cannot be

eliminated even with optimal design, concluded the authors of the 2021 report from the National Academies of Medicine. “Their perverse effects can be attenuated to some extent through design, but even the most sophisticated mechanisms merely diminish the incentives for overtreatment, undertreatment, and other undesirable behaviors.

Blending the best attributes of fee-for-service and capitation may be the best approach, they say. (Capitation refers to payment models that provide a fixed amount of money per patient per unit of time paid in advance to

the physician for the delivery of healthcare services.)

According to Lewis and Horstman, “all signs point to value-based care being the future of health care payment, in part because it has to be. That said, experts increasingly agree that fee-for-service should continue to apply for those services that we want to incentivize greater volume of – those that are clinically essential but often underprovided, like immunizations. ‘Hybrid’ approaches that mix fee-forservice with value-based payment will also likely be important to help smooth the transition to fullfledged value-based payment.”

Breakthroughs in Strategic Selling. How can we support you?

Drones and Prescription Drugs

Cleveland Clinic to use Zipline’s P2 to deliver medications to patients at home.

 Zipline introduced its Platform 2 (P2) drone system in March 2023. It’s a next-generation aircraft designed to carry twice the weight of its Platform 1 system. The company’s drones have delivered whole blood, platelets, frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate along with medical products, including vaccines, infusions and common medical commodities for eight years while operating in seven countries.

Its P2 system is optimal for home deliveries and multiple U.S. health systems nationwide are taking advantage of localized delivery to patients for medications and medical devices. Cleveland Clinic recently announced its plans to begin using drones to deliver certain medications to patients’ homes starting in 2025

with Zipline’s P2 system, which can complete precise deliveries to dense urban areas and completes a 10-mile delivery in about 10 minutes.

Cleveland Clinic’s plan for drones, docks and loading portals

Docks for the drones and loading portals will be added at several of Cleveland Clinic’s facilities in Northeast Ohio. After a drone is loaded with a prescription, it will autonomously undock, fly at 300 feet to a patient’s home and deploy an autonomous delivery droid that steers to the correct location and drops off its package to areas as small as a patio table or the front steps of a home. The drone will then fly back and dock itself.

transportation resiliency and efficiency. It can also increase safety as newer aircraft are designed with redundancy in mind.

The Ohio UAS Center collaborated with ODOT’s Research Program to study the state’s economic impact from advance air mobility. It concluded that Ohio could expect a $13 billion economic impact over 25 years by investing in air mobility infrastructure and technologies, including 15,000 new jobs, $2.5 billion in local, state and federal tax revenues, and 1.6% GDP growth through 2045.

“ We’ve targeted about 20 locations in Northeast Ohio that will have the capability to send out a drone. That will be the docking and charging stations on a hub and spoke network.”

– Geoff Gates, senior director of supply chain management for Cleveland Clinic

“This technology will help us achieve our goal to expand our pharmacy home delivery program and provide easier, quicker access to prescribed medications in our communities,” said Geoff Gates, senior director of supply chain management for Cleveland Clinic.

“We’ve targeted about 20 locations in Northeast Ohio that will have the capability to send out a drone,” he said. “That will be the docking and charging stations on a hub and spoke network. If a drone needs to go 30 to 40 miles away, it will stop at one of the designated locations to charge and then keep going on its trip before arriving at its final destination.”

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is being empowered around Cleveland and throughout the state of Ohio as it increases modality options, improving

Cleveland Clinic will begin work with government officials in 2024 to ensure compliance with all safety and technical requirements for drone delivery and will start to install the docks and loading portals for the drone system. The system and aircraft are designed with multiple layers of safety, including preflight inspections and real-time monitoring by operations teams.

Phase I focused on pharmacy delivery

Phase I of the drone program for Cleveland Clinic will be focused on pharmacy delivery in 2025.

Gates says there are opportunities to include other possibilities like food delivery from Cleveland Clinic’s Food as Medicine Project and opportunities to send products to patients from Cleveland

Clinic’s Sleep Disorders Center. Potential lab deliveries between the health system’s facilities and movement of medical supplies as needed is also being explored.

“We’re fine tuning what it will look like in our system with testing in 2024 and deployment in 2025,” he said. “As we get more comfortable with it and identify more use cases, we’ll roll into phases II and III in 2026.”

Cleveland Clinic thought Zipline’s experience with healthcare worldwide provided the best partnership and its next generation P2 drone system helped make the difference. “We felt their offerings and current platform delivering blood products in Ghana, as well as their work in the U.S., will help enable us to bring this to our patients,” Gates said. “We spent time with them developing and refining our use cases and our direct-to-patient home deliveries and some deliveries in between our facilities.”

At-home care a major driver

A major driver of drone usage in healthcare is the move to at-home care. “As we do more with patients there, the efficiency and timeliness of being able to take anything, whether it’s a prescription, lab test or any type of at-home care, and move it in a timely manner between locations or to a patient’s home is critical,” Gates said.

Gates says having a tool that allows Cleveland Clinic to rapidly deploy product is key to internal deliveries too. “We’re starting to aggregate inventory into single locations, so not having to worry about traffic and being able to better predict when something is arriving will help us be more strategic in our stock,” he said.

Skin Cancer Awareness

Skin Cancer Awareness Month is recognized annually in May to highlight disease risk factors and prevention strategies.

1 in 5

The incidence of skin cancer is increasing, with 1 in 5 Americans developing skin cancer by the age of 70, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation. Skin cancer is a disease associated with the abnormal growth of skin cells, noted the Mayo Clinic, and it develops most often when skin is exposed to the sun. Some patients also develop skin cancer in areas of the skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight.

9, 500 people

The American Academy of Dermatology Association estimates that approximately 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. An individual can reduce their risk of skin cancer by limiting or avoiding exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Frequently checking skin for new marks or changes can help detect skin cancer at its earliest stages.

$8.1 BILLION

About 4.9 million U.S. adults were treated for skin cancer each year from 2007 to 2011, for an average annual treatment cost of $8.1 billion, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. Half of melanomas are self-detected, but a dermatologist can make individual recommendations as to how often a person needs skin exams based on their personal risk factors.

The American Cancer Society recommends seeking shade and avoiding sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the day, covering the head, neck, and shoulders, and using Broad Spectrum Sunscreen of at least 30 to protect from exposure to UV Rays, a leading cause of skin cancer.

5 or more

If an individual has five or more sunburns in their lifetime, the risk for developing melanoma doubles, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation. There are three major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, according to Mayo Clinic. Basal and squamous cell skin cancers are linked to certain behaviors that put people outside in the sun, and melanoma is associated with previous sunburns, intermittent sun exposure, and sun damage to the skin, according to the American Cancer Society.

99%

Early detection of skin cancer gives a patient the greatest chance for successful skin cancer treatment. When detected early, the 5-year survival rate for melanoma is 99 percent, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation. Skin cancer warning signs include changes in the size, shape, or color of a mole, or spots on skin that are different from others, itching, or bleeding.

The AAD recommends everyone perform regular skin self-exams to check for signs of skin cancer.

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Addressing Supply Disruptions

FDA seeks billons in funding for medical product safety and supply chain resiliency.

New systems

Supply chain disruptions are caused by a variety of factors. Manufacturing and quality problems, geopolitical issues, natural disasters, public health emergencies, and discontinuations are some of the many reasons supply chain disruptions can occur, according to the FDA.

According to a Healthcare Ready supply chain threat assessment, supply chain disruptions are occurring due to drought, causing the Panama Canal to restrict the number of ships passing through daily, the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, and civil unrest in the Panama and Suez Canals.

Additionally, medical product safety includes analyses and recommendations for patients and health care providers about ongoing medical device safety issues, according to the FDA. When needed, the FDA alerts patients, healthcare providers, and the industry of adverse events related to medical products.

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in early March that it is requesting $7.2 billion as part of the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2025 proposed budget. Approximately $12.3 million of the funding will go directly toward addressing supply-chain disruptions, supporting supply chain resiliency, and advancing medical product safety, according to the FDA.

Supply chain disruptions are currently a far-reaching issue experienced throughout the medical distribution industry. According to ECRI, delays in patient care resulting from supply and equipment shortages are included in the Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for 2024.

To address supply chain disruptions, the FDA will allot funding to advance its capabilities to better prepare for, build resilience to, and respond to

supply delays and shortages. This will be done through improved analytics and regulatory approaches, the FDA said.

With the funding, the FDA also plans to hire additional investigators to carry out inspectional needs associated with supply chain disruptions and medical product shortages. The agency also plans to respond by continuing to promote manufacturing quality across the medical product and pharmaceutical industry.

Ultimately, the FDA’s goal with the proposed funding will be to develop and implement new and updated systems to respond to supply chain shortages and medical product safety alerts more quickly.

The rest of the funding outlined in the 2025 FY proposed budget is aimed at other ongoing national health initiatives, including enhancing food safety and nutrition, strengthening the agency’s public-health and mission-support capacity, and modernizing the FDA’s infrastructure and facilities.

According to the FDA, other notable legislative proposals, in addition to funding requests, include enhancing supply-chain resiliency with respect to addressing supply chain disruptions at the legislative level.

Industry News

Cardinal Health completes acquisition of Specialty Networks and its PPS Analytics platform

Cardinal Health recently announced that it has completed its acquisition of Specialty Networks. Specialty Networks creates clinical and economic value for independent specialty providers and partners across multiple specialty GPOs: UroGPO, Gastrologix and GastroGPO, and United Rheumatology. Specialty Networks’ PPS Analytics platform analyzes data from electronic medical records (EMR), practice management, imaging, and dispensing systems and transforms it into meaningful and actionable insights for providers and other stakeholders by using artificial intelligence and modern data analytics capabilities. The Specialty Networks team joins the Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions segment of Cardinal Health and Shailendra Sharma will continue to lead the business.

PWH announces

John Sasen Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Lindsay Shaffer, Director of Sales, UMF Medical, is the 2024 recipient of the John Sasen Memorial Scholarship. Recipient of the scholarship receives a complimentary year of PWH membership, airfare, hotel and attendance to the HIDA Executive Conference. These scholarships are an important element to helping women network and make connections during industry events.

BD collaborates with GOCC to combat sepsis in Poland

BD announced a collaboration with GOCC (The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity), the largest non-governmental nonprofit organization in Poland, to expand access to advanced testing for bloodstream infections (BSIs) and sepsis management at more than 150 Polish hospitals and clinics. The GOCC program includes the installation of state-of-the-art BD microbiology equipment across the country, including the BD™ Bruker MALDI Biotyper ® sirius IVD System for the identification of microorganisms and BD Phoenix™ M50 Systems for automatic bacterial identification and drugsusceptibility testing of microorganisms. These instruments can help enable clinicians to make critical patient management decisions with speed and accuracy.

BD survey reveals patients receive too many needlesticks

BD announced the results of a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll that reveals that many patients receive too many needlesticks in hospital procedures and amplifies misconceptions and lack of awareness from Americans on the risks of common medical procedures.

Needlesticks are an oftenoverlooked challenge but can be one of the most traumatic aspects of a patient’s hospital stay. More than half of Americans (51%) report some fear of needles, and of that group, a top reason is fear of needing multiple needle insertions (31%).

The survey findings reflect that this concern isn’t unwarranted: a shocking 11% of survey participants with recent hospital experience needed 10 or more sticks to obtain a single blood sample – and, more than half required multiple needlestick attempts for a single procedure (59% for IVs and 71% for blood draws). Moreover, 77% of patients are unaware that regardless of what conditions they may have, patients should expect no more than two needlestick attempts from one clinician.

Retail clinic utilization increased 202 percent nationally from 2021 to 2022

According to the Seventh Annual FAIR Health Report, retail clinic utilization increased 202% nationally from 2021 to 2022, and emergency room (ER) utilization increased 138%. Retail clinics and ERs had the greatest increases in utilization, with the study also including urgent care centers, telehealth and ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), as outlined in a new FAIR Health white paper containing the seventh annual edition of FH ® Healthcare Indicators and FH ® Medical Price Index.

Other key findings include ASC utilization increasing 88% nationally from 2021 to 2022, urgent care center utilization increasing 43%, and telehealth 8% in the same period, according to the report.

This year’s edition of FH Healthcare Indicators and FH Medical Price Index provides perspective for healthcare stakeholders in a rapidly changing industry.

Finding Time to Rest

Tim Richardson shares ways to navigate mental blocks.

By Pete Mercer

 Rest is an elusive need that many of us have trouble making time for, despite how badly we need it. When you aren’t getting enough rest, you can see the effects start to bleed into other areas of your life. Your relationships with friends and family can suffer, and it’s the enemy of productivity for anything work related. Sales in particular are vulnerable with a hustle and grind culture

In a recent episode of The Cure … with Scotty and Sully , Scott Adams and Brian Sullivan spoke with Tim Richardson about his experiences in helping sales reps to take the time to recharge and how to overcome mental blocks. Richardson has an upcoming series that focuses on his “Unlock the Block” programs, which is designed to help sales reps navigate the barriers that hold them back from selling success and deliver five-star service experiences.

Here are a few key takeaways:

Build time to recharge into your schedule

The advances in technology are beneficial in so many ways – we have access to everything we could ever want to know at the tip of our fingers. On the flip side, our

unplug from our phones and calendars to recharge and reset. Richardson experienced the toll that this sort of 24/7 access mentality can take on our personal lives and decided to unplug on the weekends.

“We have television 24/7. We can order stuff online 24/7. We can have conversations with people 24/7. I say to people, ‘Stop the madness.’ Turn off the phone, turn off the screen and have real, meaningful connections with the people around you. You will be a better salesperson, a better spouse, parent, sibling, friend, community member, volunteer – you’ll be better at whatever roles you have by simply taking time to stop.”

Navigating mental blocks

Sales reps in any industry face all sorts of literal and mental barriers that make it harder to close deals. It’s especially difficult if you’re in a rut or stuck to a certain order of operations mandated by your organization. Creativity will be your best friend in these situations.

communities are slowly fraying as people spend more time on their phones. For some, it can even be used to “wind down” from exterior stimuli and unplug from those around us.

With the busyness of our work schedules and daily lives constantly compounding, it’s important to build time to

“You have to give yourself permission to not do the things that you’ve always done in the past,” Richardson said. “I like to tell salespeople that the word ‘no’ really means ‘next option’. What’s the next option if we can’t get through or penetrate to our client? We have to be able to put ourselves out there multiple times.”

If you can’t reach your contact via email, try the phone. If that doesn’t work, try LinkedIn. “Resiliency is key here! Don’t be afraid to try something new and out of your comfort zone – it might just work.”

Tim Richardson

Choosing Cabinetry that Brings Value

Cabinetry design can determine the value and benefi t it brings to the clinical environment. Medical-grade cabinetry can have a signifi cant impact on effi ciency, safety and the healthcare experience. While lower cost alternatives may seem like a good option, there can be additional associated costs. Involving us earlier in the project can take the pressure off you and help ensure the cabinetry your customers choose provides lasting value while minimizing additional expenses.

See why lower cost isn’t always best at: midmark.com/cabinetrydesign

Scan to view the 2 Minute Drill on RepConnect.

And the heart health of patients. This Hypertension Awareness Month, see how your customers can save on our connected cardiology and patient monitoring solutions.

We’re here to help manage chronic conditions in the following areas:

HYPERTENSION

CARDIAC DISEASE