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Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership welcomes new Board member and elects officers

SCHAUMBURG, IL (September 26, 2018) – Bellwether League Inc., the Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership welcomed a new executive to its Board of Directors that evaluate, validate and select professionals to be recognized and honored for their industry contributions, performance and vision.

Karen Conway, CMRP, joins Bellwether League’s Board to select Bellwether Class Honorees, Future Famers and Ammer-Level Supply Chain Organizations with a dedication to the profession’s history and a resolve to help professionals improve the industry by learning from its history.

“Bellwether League serves a critical mission by honoring those whose leadership and past achievements have laid the groundwork for the growing appreciation for the healthcare supply chain as a critical enabler in the move to value-based healthcare,” Conway said. “Too often, when change is occurring at an increasingly rapid rate, we neglect to consider the valuable lessons from history. Bellwether League ensures we never forget.

“Bellwether League also provides an environment in which we are not only learning from the past, but we are applying those lessons to envision the optimal future,” Conway continued. “By creating a continual learning system, Bellwether League had the foresight to expand its mission to identify and recognize our future leaders with the addition of the Future Famer awards and to expand educational opportunities for those attending the annual induction dinner event.”

Conway also applauded Bellwether League for expanding its recognition program to include organizations that are demonstrating supply chain excellence, “because as all things in healthcare, it takes a team, if not a village, to deliver the highest value to patients and populations.” Conway refers to Bellwether League’s Dean S. Ammer Award for Supply Chain Excellence, which recognizes and honors supply chain organizations for their performance.

Conway currently serves as Vice President, Healthcare Value, for GHX {Global Healthcare Exchange). In her current role, Conway works internationally with a variety of healthcare influencers, leaders, observers and organizations, including standards bodies, government agencies, industry analysts, academic researchers, trade associations, hospitals, healthcare systems and suppliers, with the goal improve clinical and business performance through supply chain excellence. These aims mirror those of Bellwether League’s history, mission and vision.

Conway is recognized as an expert speaker on the topic of unique device identification and the benefits that can be delivered across healthcare with data tracking on the performance of medical/surgical products and the capability to better source, procure and utilize products that improve both the cost and quality of patient care.

Conway is the immediate past Chair of the Board of the Association for Healthcare Resource and Materials Management (AHRMM). She is a member of the healthcare advisory board to CAPS Research, a partnership between the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) and Arizona State University and is active in the Medical Device Supply Chain Council and the Strategic Marketplace Initiative (SMI).

“I am honored to serve as a member of the board of directors of Bellwether League,” Conway said. “I am committed to devoting my time and passion to supporting Bellwether League as it delivers on its mission to identify and recognize individuals and organizations that have and continue to improve clinical and financial performance in healthcare through supply chain excellence. Specifically, I hope to support the expansion of educational programming.  Bellwether League’s important work ensures that excellence is not an exception but rather can be scaled for the benefit of all those who work in and are cared for by the healthcare system.”

Bellwether League Board Chairman Nick Gaich expressed his respect for Conway’s experience and his enthusiasm for Conway’s zeal to promote supply chain excellence.

“As Bellwether League enters our second decade of service we do so proudly knowing that our pledge to recognize and honor Supply Chain excellence serves as a forerunner for our continued growth and expansion,” Gaich said.  “As such, I am extremely pleased to welcome Karen Conway to the Bellwether League Board. Karen’s passion to advance Supply Chain excellence, her past Board level experiences and most importantly her lifetime pursuit of education and learning will enrich and further Bellwether League’s strategic mission to serve as our industry’s preeminent organization recognizing Supply Chain excellence among healthcare organizations.”

Officers elected

The Board of Directors re-elected Nick Gaich as a Board Member and Chairman to his second three-year term as well as Deborah Templeton, R.Ph., as a Board Member and Treasurer to her second three-year term. Their terms run through 2021. Board Members are term-limited to two consecutive three-year terms (or six years total), after which they must rotate off the Board for a minimum of one year.

Gaich (Bellwether Class of 2013) serves as CEO, Nick Gaich and Associates. Templeton serves as Chief, System Support Services, Geisinger Health System.

Nate Mickish (Future Famers Class of 2015) was elected Secretary. Mickish serves as Vice President, Sourcing, Supply Chain Management, Texas Health Resources.

About Bellwether League

Bellwether League’s Board of Directors, a veteran group of industry advocates, evaluates and validates professionals submitted for consideration in its three award programs: Bellwethers, Future Famers and Ammer-Level Supply Chain Organizations.

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 publicly recognized as Bellwether Class Honorees. Those honored demonstrate their qualifications by advancing the profession through work experience and performance and active participation in professional organizations and their communities.

Future Famers represent supply chain professionals early in their healthcare careers who do not yet qualify for Bellwether consideration, but have contributed to the healthcare supply chain profession in a meaningful way.

Departmental recipients of Bellwether League’s Dean S. Ammer Award for Supply Chain Excellence demonstrate superior performance achievement in their daily operations.

Bellwether League has honored 104 innovators, leaders and pioneers in healthcare supply chain management in five distinct categories: Education & Media, Supply Chain Management, Group Purchasing, Supplier and Consulting Services. Bellwether League also has recognized 21 Future Famers to date and two highly designated Ammer-Level organizations.

Launched in late July 2007 by a group of influential veterans in the healthcare supply chain industry, Bellwether League Inc., is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation that identifies and honors men and women who have demonstrated significant leadership in, influence on and contributions to the supply chain from healthcare providers, healthcare product manufacturers and distributors, group purchasing organizations, consulting firms, educational institutions and media outlets.

Bellwether League currently is funded by six Founding and Platinum Sponsors – Halyard Health, HealthTrust, Owens & Minor, Premier, Vizient and VIE Healthcare – and a host of additional sponsors.

For more information about Bellwether League, visit www.bellwetherleague.org.

At a glance:

Bellwether League’s 6th Annual Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership Forum
Topics: “What the Healthcare Supply Chain Does Right” and “Exploring the Impact of Provider-Payer Convergence on the Healthcare Supply Chain”
Date: Monday, October 1
Time: 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Executive Forum Amphitheater, The Westin-O’Hare, 6100 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL, 60018

Bellwether League’s 11th Annual Bellwether Induction Dinner Event (BIDE).
Date: Monday, October 1
Time: 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Location: LaSalle A-B-C, The Westin-O’Hare, 6100 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL, 60018

Contact:  Rick Dana Barlow
Wingfoot Media Inc.
E-mail:     rickdanabarlow@wingfootmedia.biz
Phone:     847-466-7425