Rural hospitals are often the centers of their communities. In addition to caring for the residents, they are also typically one of the largest employers in the area. The presence of a hospital can be an incentive to bring in new business spurring job growth and providing an economic boost. The impact of losing a rural hospital to closure goes beyond access to medical care for the local residents but can impact the community in a far more significant way. Over the last nine years, we see the loss of rural hospitals in higher numbers for a multitude of reasons. Because of the far-reaching effects of these losses, efforts are being launched to reimagine and revitalize hospitals in rural areas to meet the needs of their local communities.

Leading organizations are actively pursuing a new approach to accounts receivables (AR), looking for ways to shorten days sales outstanding (DSO), reduce transaction fees and even strengthen customer relationships in the process. At our most recent Summit, Ben Heitner of DJO talked about implementing a new approach to AR, prioritizing efforts and setting strategic achievable goals.

What happens when things don’t go as expected? What happens if the schedule changes, a staff member calls in sick, or you are assigned a special project that must be done now and you already have a full plate? The best-laid plans have fallen apart on any number of things in our lives, for each and every one of us. Planning for the unexpected is what gets you through successfully. 

The healthcare industry increasingly is recognizing the critical value of collaboration across hospitals and health systems and their supplier organizations to achieve cost savings, strengthen business processes and most importantly, improve the quality of patient care. This year’s GHXcellence award winners represent some of the most innovative leaders and organizations in the industry. They are facing many new challenges as an opportunity to shape the future business of healthcare.

The cloud presents an enormous opportunity for procurement in healthcare to expedite transactions with efficiency and agility. A cloud-based platform eliminates many obstacles enabling a smoother process for transactions and shipments. Imagine the benefits, for example, of speeding the replenishment process, or eventually, a world in which replenishments refill automatically.

The healthcare industry is undergoing significant change. In response, supply chain has the potential to make forward progress in both new and old problems, but success in the new environment calls for a different approach. Where a traditional approach may feel more comfortable, the industry must embrace innovative thinking to tackle the challenges in this new era.