Why I Love Supply Chain

As many of you may recollect, before I took over as Editor-in-Chief of Healthcare Purchasing News, I worked on both of our sister publications, Healthcare Innovation and Medical Laboratory Observer. These two publications only touch on supply chain and I was thrilled when the opportunity to come over to the supply chain side was presented to me.

Why, you ask? Because of my dad.

My father has worked in purchasing and supply chain for his entire career. I grew up hearing him talk about how he “managed procurement cycles from requisition to payment” and “established and developed viable, sustainable relationships with suppliers.” He’s worked in various industries, including spending several years at PerkinElmer (probably why I was so interested in joining the laboratory magazine!).

But what really drew me to this publication and brand are the hardworking people like my dad. Although he wasn’t an engineer or a sales representative, he always knew how (and still knows how) important his job was for the organization. My dad actually got me my first job out of college as a technical writer at a company that designed and manufactured liquid level sensors. Seeing my dad in action when I was taking my first steps into the working world was something else—I’ve never seen his passion wane.

And this editorial is fitting because this month we’re featuring our 2024 Supply Chain Department of the Year. Every nomination, including the winning team (University of Utah Health), showed dedication and passion to supply chain in healthcare. It is truly the individuals working in these departments that make things happen and, therefore, improve patient safety and satisfaction.

So, congratulations to this year’s winner! If you organization missed the deadline or you have a story to share about why your supply chain department is crushing it, reach out to me directly at [email protected]. I’d love to feature your department in an upcoming editorial feature.