Latest / Becker’s Healthcare Podcast / Supply Chain Transformation and Growth at Grady Health System with Kevin Gordon

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Supply Chain Transformation and Growth at Grady Health System with Kevin Gordon · Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

• 0:02
  - There's a small circle of people who truly
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  - understand what it takes to lead a health
• 0:05
  - system right now. The decisions are enormous.
• 0:08
  - The variables are constantly shifting, and the stakes
• 0:11
  - of getting a call wrong don't stay contained.
• 0:14
  - That's not a complaint. It's a structural reality.
• 0:17
  - And it's why the most effective c suite
• 0:19
  - leaders are deliberate about where they go to
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  - pressure test their thinking.
• 0:22
  - Becker's fourteenth annual CEO and CFO roundtable
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  - brings together more than 1,500
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  - executive level attendees
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  - and nearly 400 speakers for four days built
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  - around growth, financial sustainability,
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  - workforce strategy, and the leadership questions that don't
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  - have easy answers.
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  - Join us November second through the fifth in
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  - Chicago.
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  - For the agenda and event details,
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  - visit beckershospitalreview.com
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  - and click on the events tab in the
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  - upper right.
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  - This is Laura Dierdo with the Becker's Healthcare
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  - podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by
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  - Kevin Gordon, vice president of supply chain at
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  - Grady Health System. Kevin, it's a pleasure to
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  - have you on the podcast today.
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  - No. Thank you for having me. I'm actually
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  - excited to be here and can't wait to,
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  - to dive in.
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  - Absolutely. Well, we're excited to have you. I
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  - think it's such a transformational time in health
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  - care right now, and supply chain is critical
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  - to all health care organizations. And so to
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  - have this discussion today, I think, will be
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  - really beneficial for our listeners. But before we
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  - dive into the nuts and bolts of it,
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  - can you tell me a little bit more
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  - about yourself as well as Grady Health System?
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  - So with myself, I've been at Grady Health
• 1:27
  - System, coming up on four years.
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  - Prior to Grady, I I've been with, a
• 1:32
  - few other health systems within the industry,
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  - Ashland Health System,
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  - HCA in East Florida Division,
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  - and,
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  - Caremont Health in Gastonia, North Carolina right outside
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  - of Charlotte.
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  - And with that, you know, just a great
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  - deal. We have a lot of lot of
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  - things going on in supply chain. We're both
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  - in supply chain, but just overall in the
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  - health system.
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  - We're, you know, from a supply chain standpoint,
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  - still optimizing our supply chain, you know, going
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  - through our, pillars of supply chain, which is
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  - people, processes,
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  - finances, and technology.
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  - You know, have an amazing leadership team within,
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  - our supply chain division.
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  - Again, it's just a a number of things
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  - that are that are happening and going on,
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  - you know, within our division.
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  - Well, that's great to hear. And and definitely
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  - fascinating
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  - to think about all the different ways that
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  - supply chain connects the organization on the health
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  - care side and is truly,
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  - truly can make a big impact on how,
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  - clinical care delivery as well as the financial
• 2:28
  - health of an organization. So, I'm curious from
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  - your perspective right now, what are some of
• 2:33
  - the trends you're watching most closely? What's top
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  - of mind for you when you think about
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  - supply chain and how you're gonna use it
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  - to power the success of Grady Health System
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  - in the future?
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  - So with some of the trends,
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  - definitely looking at technology.
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  - That's been at the forefront for our entire
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  - organization, just not supply chain. We most recently
• 2:52
  - switched over to, Workday from PeopleSoft.
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  - And we're also in the the the process
• 2:57
  - of implementing,
• 2:58
  - Texas for our warehouse management system,
• 3:02
  - WMS for our consolidated service center. So I
• 3:05
  - would say those are definitely two areas,
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  - world technology, but those are the two softwares
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  - that we are,
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  - one in post stabilization, but then two for
• 3:15
  - the other one going live any day now.
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  - My second,
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  - area
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  - of focus, is definitely standardization.
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  - So as we are, you know, just going
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  - through the health system, partnering with different,
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  - service lines and or divisions,
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  - ensuring that we're able to standardize and then
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  - also use economies of scale,
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  - as we are are working with our internal
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  - customers and our colleagues. But, you know, standardization
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  - is definitely at the forefront.
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  - It's something that, you know, our value analysis
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  - team and our our director,
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  - Randy Lester, is is working hard to achieve.
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  - That makes a lot of sense on both
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  - fronts. I think the technology side truly, you
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  - know, has the ability to transform supply chain
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  - in a really meaningful way, but also a
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  - lot of things that you have to make
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  - sure are in place and truly, you know,
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  - put guardrails around to make sure things are
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  - successful there. And and then to your second
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  - point, standardization is never
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  - easy, but, you know, a necessary part of
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  - becoming an efficient and effective organization. So when
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  - you think of both of those elements,
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  - technology
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  - as well as standardization,
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  - what does it take to
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  - impact that change management on the people side
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  - of the organization,
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  - on the supply chain, as well as anybody
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  - else who's involved? How do you, you know,
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  - really
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  - set the strategy, bring in the technology, and
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  - then make sure it it's optimized?
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  - Well, first and foremost, I would say from
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  - a supply chain standpoint,
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  - just having the talent and then and the
• 4:36
  - leadership that is knowledgeable
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  - of the either technology or processes to then
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  - be able to go out and communicate to
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  - the masses. The biggest thing here is is
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  - is the change management piece as you mentioned.
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  - And really that that involves communication and just
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  - having those relationships,
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  - throughout the health system.
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  - I would say that, you know, with all
• 4:56
  - of my directors, it it's we definitely divide
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  - and conquer as our health system is growing.
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  - But while we divide and conquer, we ensure
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  - that it's the same message,
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  - also be able to provide that training or
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  - any additional information that is needed.
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  - As we all know, the change
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  - at times can become uncomfortable, but it's one
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  - of those, I'll say for our supply chain
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  - division,
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  - yes, it's uncomfortable, but it's a norm for
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  - us and something that we become comfortable with,
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  - and it doesn't surprise us. So with that,
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  - it's really trying to ease our our colleagues,
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  - be able to answer their questions, provide the
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  - communication,
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  - but just remain consistent with the new processes,
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  - and ensure that,
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  - we do not have,
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  - or there's not an opportunity
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  - to
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  - backdoor the system or or have shortcuts,
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  - you know, to get things accomplished.
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  - That makes a lot of sense and, you
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  - know, kinda touches on your my second point
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  - or question here around this is, looking at,
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  - obviously, the change management side and bringing in
• 5:53
  - the technology can be critical. But what are
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  - some of the risks that you are thinking
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  - about as you're bringing this in, especially when
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  - you're talking through AI and,
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  - more in in just trying to,
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  - keep the system safe and effective, while also
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  - pushing forward with the transformation in technology.
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  - So, yes, with AI,
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  - we are slowly but surely,
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  - bringing it into our environment.
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  - We are working with our IT team. I
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  - know we're top of list or top of
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  - the list,
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  - to have,
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  - assistance with AI
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  - being,
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  - added to our our contracting processes,
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  - to help just have another set of eyes,
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  - you know, reading through several, you know, hundreds
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  - or thousands of agreements.
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  - But at the same time, understanding that it
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  - needs to be tried and proven before we
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  - just, you know, go full blown with with
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  - AI.
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  - I would also say that as we're rolling
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  - up the technology, again, getting our end users
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  - comfortable with it, I would say some of
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  - the challenges is just the training,
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  - and make and, you know, making sure that
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  - we're able to reach, you know, all 10,000
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  - plus employees,
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  - within the health system to make sure that
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  - they're, you know, with Workday able to submit
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  - a requisition,
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  - you know, or anything around that that supply
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  - chain piece there,
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  - requesting supplies, equipment, things of that nature. So,
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  - really, it's that consistent message of the training,
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  - ensuring that everybody's doing it the same way.
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  - Again, you know, when you're training the trainer,
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  - sometimes it's training the trainer to then train
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  - another local trainer within a division or service
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  - line. So,
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  - just again, having the consistency.
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  - But again, with technology,
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  - another thing that's fearful is that sometimes when
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  - you turn on the switch for new technology,
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  - it may not always turn on. And it's
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  - not necessarily a result of, you know, the
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  - IT team or or the actual vendor.
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  - Sometimes it's just connectivity issues with the software
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  - and some things that might have been,
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  - unforeseen,
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  - but then are are troubleshooted and then, you
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  - know, quickly addressed and corrected.
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  - But, again, I I would say we always,
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  - prepare for the worst and pray for the
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  - best.
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  - I love that. Makes a lot of sense.
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  - And, you know, it's so, such a a
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  - critical way of looking at, holistically what's possible
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  - with the technology and then making it work
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  - in the best way possible for you.
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  - I I'm curious. What are some of the
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  - things you're most proud of in the last
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  - six to eighteen months or so? Can you
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  - tell me about,
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  - something you did that was successful? What did
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  - you do, and what were the results?
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  - One, I would say it's a couple things,
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  - and I I I won't I won't bore
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  - you with,
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  - all of them, but I I do wanna
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  - highlight a couple. So one is definitely,
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  - as a entire organization, we we switched over
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  - to the Workday platform,
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  - you know, at midnight on 12/31/2025.
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  - We all had our fingers crossed, and,
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  - we flipped the switch and everything came on.
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  - We did have, you know,
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  - a a few minor hiccups as the, you
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  - know, system
• 8:43
  - came on board. But for all intents and
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  - purposes,
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  - you know, system came up and,
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  - we were able to successfully switch switch over
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  - and move over to the new system platform.
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  - So, you know, I definitely wanna shout out
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  - all my leaders and team members within supply
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  - chain, but definitely
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  - our our peers and colleagues,
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  - you know, throughout finance, accounting, HR,
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  - IT, all of the other areas that were
• 9:06
  - involved in making this happen.
• 9:08
  - You know, this is something that was definitely
• 9:10
  - a huge milestone for our organization
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  - As, you know, this was a, first time
• 9:15
  - for us from an ERP standpoint moving to
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  - the cloud,
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  - and transitioning from server based to cloud based,
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  - system. And then the second thing that I
• 9:24
  - I definitely wanna highlight from a supply chain
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  - standpoint
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  - is our consolidated service center. You know, definitely
• 9:29
  - shout, you know, shout out to our pharmacy
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  - partners that, you know, saw the vision.
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  - Joe Melroy is the vice president of of
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  - pharmacy.
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  - He and his leaders,
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  - saw the vision,
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  - that I presented from,
• 9:41
  - sort of to them with my directors that,
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  - hey. We're looking for additional space. We're looking
• 9:46
  - for efficiencies,
• 9:47
  - and would you be willing to partner with
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  - us?
• 9:50
  - And after, you know, in partnership with my
• 9:53
  - director of supply chain operations, Trevor Williams,
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  - able to lay out the vision, put it
• 9:57
  - on paper.
• 9:59
  - And, you know, fast forward eighteen months later,
• 10:02
  - pretty much all construction is completed.
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  - We're just waiting on our our final
• 10:07
  - inspections from, from the city so we can
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  - get our certificate of occupancy. But I I
• 10:12
  - definitely tip my hat again to everybody involved
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  - as this went from, you know, a thought
• 10:18
  - or vision or conversation,
• 10:20
  - to reality.
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  - I love that. And what a great feeling,
• 10:24
  - being in a position
• 10:25
  - to where, you know, you've got this vision,
• 10:28
  - go through the journey, work with your team,
• 10:30
  - and then, at the the end of the
• 10:32
  - tunnel, being able to see that it's successfully
• 10:34
  - carried out.
• 10:35
  - And then I'm sure at this point, you
• 10:37
  - continue to build upon
• 10:39
  - just everything since the turning on the technology
• 10:42
  - and and giving it making it available for
• 10:44
  - the team.
• 10:45
  - No. Definitely. Definitely. It's a it's a one
• 10:47
  - of those moments. It's almost like
• 10:49
  - a Christmas time for for a child.
• 10:53
  - I am I am anxiously waiting.
• 10:55
  - Absolutely. For sure. Well, when you look into
• 10:58
  - the future, what are you most excited about
• 11:00
  - and and focus on right now? What's ahead
• 11:02
  - and the next step for you?
• 11:05
  - You know, several things that I'm excited about,
• 11:07
  - and looking forward to in the future is
• 11:09
  - just the growth of our health system.
• 11:11
  - Just with, the vision and direction from our
• 11:13
  - our c suite leadership team,
• 11:15
  - is is definitely been phenomenal.
• 11:17
  - Since I've joined the organization,
• 11:19
  - I have been nothing but, wild at,
• 11:22
  - the things that we are accomplishing as an
• 11:24
  - organization,
• 11:25
  - collectively as a team.
• 11:27
  - But with that growth, you know, from a
• 11:29
  - supply chain standpoint, we're also would be growing
• 11:32
  - as well. So,
• 11:33
  - we do have a, Grady South campus that's
• 11:36
  - actually, part of it is going live tomorrow.
• 11:39
  - Our our freestanding,
• 11:41
  - emergency room,
• 11:42
  - will be ready to receive its first patient,
• 11:45
  - tomorrow morning at 8AM.
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  - Again, another exciting moment,
• 11:49
  - and, you know, definitely will be present to
• 11:51
  - to partner with my colleagues.
• 11:53
  - But within that campus,
• 11:55
  - there'll also be a medical office building
• 11:57
  - and also a, a 200 bed hospital. So
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  - from a supply chain standpoint, I know we
• 12:01
  - have a lot of planning to do. You
• 12:03
  - know, we
• 12:04
  - we are definitely,
• 12:05
  - got back to the basis of supply chain
• 12:07
  - with blocking and tackling.
• 12:08
  - And with that, looking to,
• 12:11
  - bring our improved processes and efficiencies,
• 12:14
  - to this new campus,
• 12:16
  - as we're able to start from scratch and
• 12:18
  - and, again, take take it from, a thought
• 12:21
  - or a, vision
• 12:23
  - to actually, you know, put on paper. So,
• 12:26
  - definitely excited for that here in the near
• 12:28
  - future. But also just excited for my team.
• 12:31
  - Again, we've gone through I call it our
• 12:33
  - our, trans supply chain transformation.
• 12:36
  - And every year, we're moving the needle to
• 12:38
  - get better.
• 12:39
  - With that, I I think we're also in
• 12:41
  - a place now that we have technology.
• 12:43
  - We have our technology,
• 12:45
  - implemented. We have our right people in the
• 12:47
  - right places doing the right things. I am,
• 12:50
  - you know, just really excited to see where
• 12:53
  - my team and my division, is headed here
• 12:55
  - in the next few years,
• 12:57
  - again, as the organization continues to grow.
• 13:01
  - I love it. That's so important to have
• 13:03
  - a great organization around you, the leaders that
• 13:05
  - you're working with as well as managers,
• 13:07
  - and team that you can depend on to
• 13:09
  - carry out that vision and, work together in
• 13:12
  - the best interest of the organization and the
• 13:13
  - community.
• 13:15
  - Before we wrap up here, what advice would
• 13:17
  - you give evolving leaders today, especially those who
• 13:20
  - are early on in their career journeys and
• 13:22
  - looking to find a space or carve a
• 13:24
  - niche out for themselves,
• 13:26
  - within their own little space. How do you
• 13:28
  - become a leader, and and what's the best
• 13:30
  - advice you have for today, especially when there's
• 13:33
  - so much uncertainty around health care?
• 13:36
  - I would say first and foremost,
• 13:38
  - always keeping the patient first. I know that
• 13:40
  - sounds very cliche, but
• 13:42
  - definitely keeping the patient first to remind all
• 13:44
  - decisions
• 13:45
  - will allow any leader to move forward regardless
• 13:47
  - of level.
• 13:48
  - And then the second thing I would say
• 13:50
  - is never take no as a final answer.
• 13:52
  - Understand if not, why not?
• 13:55
  - And if they'll be able to move appropriately.
• 13:57
  - But also understanding too, with the will, there's
• 14:00
  - a way. Those are, you know, several things
• 14:02
  - or or a mantra as I would say
• 14:04
  - that is is within my division with my
• 14:06
  - leaders day in and day out.
• 14:09
  - That's great. I I love that mentality
• 14:12
  - and mindset. Thank you so much, Kevin, for
• 14:14
  - joining us on the podcast today. This has
• 14:15
  - been such a fun conversation. I I love,
• 14:18
  - the passion and energy you have for what
• 14:20
  - you do and excited to hear the statements
• 14:22
  - that you're working on at Grady Health System.
• 14:24
  - I look forward to connecting with you again
• 14:25
  - soon. No. Likewise, and thank you for having
• 14:28
  - me.