As healthcare organizations face mounting financial pressures, supply chain leaders are increasingly being asked to deliver savings without compromising patient care. For Nancy Palmer, RN, MHA, CNOR, CVAHP, Executive Director of Clinical Resource Management and Value Analysis at AdventHealth Supply Chain.

"Cost savings is very important," Palmer said. "But it's only one measure of value."

According to Palmer, the true impact of supply chain decisions extends far beyond pricing. Patient safety, clinical outcomes, caregiver satisfaction, product reliability and operational sustainability all play critical roles in determining whether an initiative delivers meaningful value.

A key component of that evaluation is feedback from frontline caregivers.

"Feedback is the lifeline to our success," Palmer said. "We must listen to the people closest to the work."

Her team regularly examines whether products perform as expected, improve workflows, support safe care and can be implemented effectively across the organization. Long-term sustainability is also a priority, with leaders evaluating whether changes create lasting improvements rather than simply solving short-term problems.

Palmer believes one of the biggest misconceptions in healthcare supply chain today is the notion that success is primarily about finding the lowest-cost product.

"Price still matters, but it's no longer enough to ask what is the lowest-cost option," she said. "The better question is which option creates the best overall value for our patients, our caregivers and our organization."

That value equation includes product reliability, clinical performance, standardization opportunities, workflow impact and patient outcomes. A lower-priced product, she noted, can ultimately generate hidden costs if it creates variation, increases training requirements or disrupts clinical workflows.

One of AdventHealth's most significant recent achievements has been the establishment of a regional value analysis program designed to bring greater consistency and collaboration to product evaluations across the health system.

The structure combines systemwide strategic oversight with regional decision-making. Regional value analysis committees, facilitated by clinical value analysis nurses and chaired by executive leaders, review new product requests through both clinical and financial lenses before decisions are made.

"The win is not just the program itself," Palmer said. "It's the alignment and the relationships that it's created."

The program has helped unite clinical, operational and executive stakeholders around a common decision-making framework while preserving flexibility to address regional differences in patient populations and service lines.

Looking ahead, Palmer is focused on expanding value analysis efforts beyond the acute care setting. AdventHealth is beginning work to align its acute care and non-acute care value analysis programs, creating a more unified approach across the continuum of care.

As more services move outside traditional hospital settings, Palmer believes healthcare organizations must evaluate products and technologies with a broader perspective.

"We want to reduce unnecessary variation, improve standardization where it makes sense and ensure our teams are evaluating opportunities consistently across all care settings," she said.

About the IDN Directory

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