Distributors In “The Big D”: Streamlining Does The Texas Two-Step

From Healthcare Distribution & Supply Chain? magazine

Healthcare distributors, manufacturers, providers and federal partners gathered in Dallas for the 2024 Streamlining Healthcare Expo & Business Exchange.

In Dallas, The “Big D” Stood for:

• Diversity In Healthcare Suppliers: HIDA hosted a Supplier Diversity Summit that featured educational, networking, professional development opportunities for minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned manufacturers and distributors, as well as for companies that want to connect with diversity partners.
• Disaster Readiness And Resilience: Best-selling author Sebastian Junger delivered a keynote address about the lessons business leaders can learn about resiliency and adversity from the working lives of men and women in some of the world’s most demanding jobs and most dangerous professions. As the nation deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the East Coast dockworker strike, these lessons are timely once again.
• Distributor Partnerships: Education panels focused on the future of distributor partnerships; with programs on the core elements of effective channel strategy and emerging trends in healthcare. Question and answer sessions with distributors gave attendees the opportunity to speak directly about the best way to get medial products to the patients and practitioners who need them.
• Deepening Public-Private Relationships: Federal partners from agencies such as the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response were on hand to demonstrate the close working relationship between public and private sectors to secure the medical supply chain from pandemics and future natural disasters.

Interested in attending in 2025? Join the interest list to get updates, and/or add to your calendar.

Hilton To Hohman: Passing The Gavel For 2025

Historic Union Station in Dallas was the scene of the annual Chairman’s Dinner at the Streamlining Healthcare Expo. As home of such fabled train lines as the Santa Fe and the Texas & Pacific Railway, it was a fitting setting for a series of departures and arrivals, as Lisa Hohman succeeded Brad Hilton as Chair of the HIDA Board of Directors for 2025.

“As I step into the role of Chair at HIDA next year, I am inspired by the power of collaboration and innovation,” said Hohman, CEO of Concordance Healthcare Solutions . “Together, we will navigate the dynamic landscape of healthcare, fostering a future where every challenge becomes an opportunity for positive transformation.”

Hohman began her career in the distribution industry in 1992, AmeriSource (now Cencora), in IT support. She ascended to Vice President of National Accounts before joining Seneca Medical in 2000. Seneca Medical merged with Kreisers and MMS to form Concordance in 2016. Lisa served as the organization’s Chief Strategy Officer and became CEO in 2019.

In accepting the gavel, Hohman outlined a vision for the coming year.

“The distribution industry is the linchpin in assuring clinicians have the products they need for optimal outcomes in our country,” Hohman said. “We have the opportunity in front of us to revolutionize healthcare supply chain in the country for the betterment of patient care. I look forward to working with all of you in the next year to continue to set the strategy to achieve this.”

“The distribution industry is the linchpin in assuring clinicians have the products they need.”

Lisa Hohman, 2025 HIDA Board Chair, CEO, Concordance Healthcare Solutions

2024 Sasen Leadership Award Honors William Abrams

Attendees at the Chairman’s Dinner gave a Texas-sized round of applause to William Abrams , Executive Vice President of Distribution for Medline Industries, LP , and the recipient of the 2024 John F. Sasen Leadership Award. The Sasen Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, commitment, and service to the healthcare products distribution industry and HIDA.

“HIDA and the HIDA Educational Foundation have both benefited greatly from Bill’s all-in, fully committed approach to leadership,” said HIDA President & CEO Matthew Rowan . “From education to contracting to data and many other HIDA programs, Bill has been instrumental in sharpening the value HIDA provides to the industry.”

Abrams has served for 14 years on the HEF Board of Directors and for nine years on the HIDA Board of Directors. One of the founding members of HIDA’s Pricing Accuracy Steering Committee, he has served as a strong advocate for contract administration standards and other supply chain best practices.

Rowan praised Abrams for his long career at Medline, where he currently serves as Executive Vice President of Distribution, where he oversees vendor relations, contracts and rebate management, and the daily operations of Medline’s third-party distributed products.

“Under Bill’s leadership, Medline has expanded its global footprint, entering new markets and broadening its product portfolio to meet the evolving needs of healthcare providers,” Rowan said. “His ability to anticipate industry trends and respond with agility has been a key factor in Medline’s sustained success.”

“Bill has been instrumental in sharpening the value HIDA brings to the industry.”

Matt Rowan, President & CEO, HIDA

Streamlining Healthcare 2025: Indianapolis, IN

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Members: Check out the full magazine for all articles in the Fall 2024 issue, including:

• Work In Washington: Bringing A California Congressman To The Warehouse Floor
• Sales & Strategy:?How To Manage Inventory And Boost Sales In The Lab Market
• Market Intelligence:?What Changes To Emergency Medicine Mean For Rural Hospitals