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Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership salutes 2 in its Future Famers Class of 2023 for October honors

SCHAUMBURG, IL (June 23, 2023) — Bellwether League Foundation's Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership will recognize and welcome two professionals into the Future Famers Class of 2023 this fall. They join 37 earlier recipients of this notable honor.

The Hall of Fame's Future Famers recognition honors supply chain professionals making significant contributions to their organizations and industry during the first decade or so (up to 12 years) of their careers.

The Future Famers Class of 2023 includes the following professionals: Rachel K. Anderson, Corporate Director, Supply Chain, Baptist Health, Montgomery, AL; and Jesse L. Stanton, Director, Supply Chain Integration, Parkview Health, Fort Wayne, IN. Stanton recently earned a promotion to Vice President, Supply Chain, at Parkview Health.

Both represent examples of the next-generation supply chain leader with deep ties in the clinical and information technology realms that motivate colleagues to unite around a common mission and vision during crises and day-to-day operations.

The Future Famers Class of 2023 will be recognized at the 16th Annual Bellwether League Foundation Induction & Recognition Event (BLFIRE), scheduled for Monday, October 2, at Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI.

"Bellwether League Foundation launched its "Future Famers" designation eight years ago to recognize healthcare supply chain professionals who not only have excelled in their roles but contributed to the profession in their first decade through innovative strategies and effective programming within their organizations and at a professional level," said Barbara Strain, BLF Board Chairman. "As have past Future Famers classes, the 2023 class not only drew on the foundations of healthcare supply chain but reimagined how today and tomorrow can operate in the new healthcare landscape. The future of healthcare supply chain is in good hands as we congratulate this year's recipients."

Future Famers Class of 2023

Rachel K. Anderson began her healthcare supply chain career right out of college specializing in value analysis and writing the organization's functional manual before migrating to health technology assessment and then earning a promotion to assistant director of supply chain all within six years. The operational firehose known as the COVID-19 pandemic gave her little time to settle in before she started facing product and service backorders and supply shortages. Within a month or two of the pandemic-induced business shutdowns and quarantines, Anderson worked in tandem with her Vice President of Supply Chain to set up an off-site bulk logistics warehouse and acquired a box truck. Together, they sourced and secured hundreds of critical items and set up an internal distribution route to ensure product deliveries to facilities within the multihospital system to maintain just-in-time, low-unit-of-measure expectations. Their supply chain team then expanded the operation to include equipment, such as beds and stretchers, as well as establishing an internal repair service for them. Alongside these efforts Anderson has been expanding supply chain's service reach into areas not previously supported as well as spearheading an information technology upgrade for point-of-use, revenue cycle and workflow improvement. She maintains close ties to the clinical leaders and other specialists within her organization, integrating them within product and service discussions, thereby earning the reputation of a trusted and respectable departmental leader and clinical partner.

Jesse L. Stanton emerged in healthcare supply chain from the clinical trenches both on the front lines and the back office. With his military background and paramedic training, Stanton initially worked face-to-face with patients as a phlebotomist before transitioning to certified cytogenetic technologist in the genetics department. His rather unique background next saw him promoting his organization's laboratory operation before Supply Chain recruited him for contracting, environmental services and purchased services where he led successful product standardization processes and performance improvement initiatives rooted in Lean Six Sigma. He also helped to generate more than $65 million in contract savings and cost avoidance projects within the last five years. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit supply chain operations, Stanton ensured that critical products and services were accessible to frontline clinical teams via vetted local and non-traditional vendors as well as international vendors to the point that the organization consistently maintained accessible inventory levels and never once ran out of stock. He also developed a "conversion specialist" role within Supply Chain to manage substitute products secured to offset backorders and minimize waste. As the organization's departmental director, Stanton has successfully overseen a challenging information technology transition and has implemented a variety of rounding and teamwork exercises to reinforce customer service and departmental reliability, teamwork and trust. Under Stanton's watch his organization also earned "Silver Chain" departmental recognition from Healthcare Purchasing News, a specialized business trade publication.

About Bellwether League Foundation

Bellwether League Foundation comprises two operating divisions that educate, endow and evaluate professionals in healthcare supply chain performance excellence: The Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership and Bellwether Philanthropy.

The Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership evaluates and validates professionals submitted for consideration in its three award programs: Bellwether Honorees, Future Famers and Ammer Honorees. The Hall of Fame also offers educational and professional development content via the Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership Forum and its "Leaders & Luminaries" multimedia of online and printed content.

The Board selects deceased, retired and currently active professionals with a minimum of 25 years of exemplary service and leadership performance in supply chain operations that meet its criteria to be recognized publicly as Bellwether Class Honorees.

Future Famers represent supply chain professionals early in their healthcare careers who do not yet qualify for Bellwether consideration but have contributed meaningfully to the profession and industry.

Honorees who receive the "Dean S. Ammer Award for Healthcare Supply Chain Performance Excellence" represent noteworthy executives and professionals in the middle of their careers who, through their innovative leadership and influential project management experience, best exemplify the practice and spirit of healthcare supply chain performance excellence.

To date, The Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership has honored 137 innovators, leaders and pioneers in healthcare supply chain management in five distinct categories: Education & Media, Supply Chain Management (Provider), Group Purchasing, Supplier and Consulting Services. Bellwether League Foundation also has recognized 39 Future Famers, and two Ammer Honorees.

Bellwether Philanthropy offers grants, scholarships and capstone educational and developmental projects to college-bound high school students who plan to study supply chain curricula, current collegiate students who major in supply chain-related careers and professionals who pursue continuing education through associations and universities.

Launched in late July 2007 by a group of influential veterans in the healthcare supply chain industry, Bellwether League Foundation began as a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation that upgraded to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in January 2021.

Bellwether League Foundation currently is funded by six Founding and Platinum Sustaining Sponsors — GHX, HealthTrust, Owens & Minor, Premier, Vizient and Wingfoot Media — and a host of additional sustaining sponsors at multiple levels. For more information, visit Bellwether League Foundation's website at www.bellwetherleague.org.