First Material Manager’s Retreat Hit the Mark!

Keynote John O’Leary visits with Dave Christensen

Creating a brand new opportunity that needs to be relevant, worthwhile and beneficial is no easy task. But when a focus group was formed to determine a substantial avenue for Material Manager’s to learn how to elevate their position in their facility, bows were loaded and aimed directly at the target.

Over 70% of our hospital members participated in the 2 day retreat held at Lied Lodge in Nebraska City. A variety of speakers were lined up to share their expertise on a variety of topics, all aimed at providing tools to reach personal and professional goals.

The keynote, John O’Leary, gave an inspirational talk on overcoming personal challenges and rising above it all. John was burned over 100% of his body at age 9. Given a 5% chance of surviving, he dealt with incredible pain and physical challenges to beat those odds and now is a husband, father and successful businessman, sharing his story with others. What struck the group most of all was his genuine personality, the fact that he really cares about others and wants to see them succeed. Read more about John at http://www.rising-above.com.

Stephanie Morris, Ethics and Compliance Specialist for Premier, spoke on professional ethics. She explained the difference between an idealist, a pragmatist and a guardian. Examples were given and attendees were asked to determine which of the provided solutions they would choose. Additional discussion focused on situations where right versus wrong are clear, but there may also be situations where it is more a question of right versus right. An intriguing presentation which gave the attendees a lot to think about.

Chris Lindahl, Director with Premier Consulting Solutions, presented on best practices in value analysis. Many facilities do not have a value analysis policy in place, yet it is critical to have such a process as it will improve quality and safety, encourages good stewardship of resources, eliminate unnecessary costs, and assist in reviewing expenditures. For many attendees this was their first introduction to the concept. An outlined approach to creating the process and implementation steps was given along with team structure. Providing this type of information was one of many areas focused upon to provide new ideas and solutions for the attendees.

Friday morning was kicked off with a presentation by Dan Schonlau, CFO of Memorial Community Hospital in Blair, Nebraska. He focused on the financial aspect of Critical Access Hospitals, which happens to be the majority of Prairie Health Ventures members. Cost reimbursement was the focus, including suppliers using this as a selling point in that the cost can always be gotten back from Medicare. Attendees were impressed with the program content and many comments were received that this was not an area they had ever known anything about, and really appreciated Dan’s knowledge on the subject.

Medical capital equipment acquisition is a costly and time consuming process. Kevin Hodges and Rod Faulkner gave a presentation on what MD Buyline can do for the hospitals to assist them. From the first step of determining equipment specifications, facility needs, and potential vendors, to cost, negotiation, vendor ratings, total cost of ownership, recalls and market outlook – it’s all available and an invaluable resource for Material Manager’s.. By using MDB, they become an integral part of the process and thus more valuable to their facility.

The retreat was capped off by a motivational speech by Ron Brown, Tight End coach for the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Ron is passionate about his beliefs and this comes across in his talk. His main message was to be who you are – whatever that is – and stick to it. Don’t flutter in the wind and go back and forth. Stand on your convictions and go through life with head held high. He gave many examples in his life where he was tested and he always remained true to himself and he’s a better person for it. Truly a motivational speaker and a great way to end the retreat. Read about Ron’s commitment to others at http://www.missionnebraska.org.

Dave Christensen, Bobbie Connolly, and Ron Brown

In addition to these speakers, attendees had the opportunity to listen to vendors speak on their products and programs available through Premier and Prairie Health Ventures. This included Interline, Midland Medical and Cardinal. It was a more direct, personal approach in a relaxed setting than our previous vendor shows and we appreciate the time they took to come to Nebraska City to share their information with everyone.

There was a social aspect to the retreat as well, with a private dinner and entertainment by comedian Dan McGowan. Although many of the hospitals have been members for years, the opportunity has not been readily available for networking and just getting to know peers. With the retreat, that hurdle was overcome and many new friendships were made. This was such a success Prairie Health Ventures has decided to make it a yearly event. Thank you to everyone who helped in all capacities. It was fun and we’re already looking forward to next year.

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Lincoln, Nebraska 68508-2245

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