University

UM's Supply Chain Management Leads the Industry

On April 20, the University of Miami’s Supply Chain Management Department received prestigious recognition from the Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) for their dedication to innovative practices and industry leading approaches in healthcare.
ECRI award

The ECRI award, which the team also received in 2014, acknowledges the people and departments that work behind the scenes of healthcare systems to ensure clinicians have the necessary tools to treat patients of varying needs.

When it comes to the importance of providing preeminent care, Mari Machado, value analysis manager, and Sandra Myint, executive director of value analysis, both within UM’s Supply Chain Management Department, have applied their combined decades of nursing experience to transform the way they work with UHealth clinicians, bridging gaps between the business and clinical side of healthcare.

Alongside of their colleagues on the Supply Chain Management team, former clinicians, Machado and Myint are responsible for purchasing and evaluating all medical materials for UM--which can include bandages, heart valves, and everything in between.“It is essential for us to engage clinicians at all levels of the purchasing cycle. We spend time with everyone from nurses to surgeons to better understand what they need to provide industry leading care and to achieve the best outcomes,” said Machado.

Although many of the medical items found at UHealth may seem commonplace, it is in-depth data analysis and industry trend research that drive the decisions behind purchases and partnerships, small and large.

“The recognition from ECRI shows that we are effectively utilizing the tools we are purchasing while staying on top of best practices throughout the industry,” said Myint. “The analysis tools provided by ECRI allow us to take a deep dive into data and understand areas of improvement and progress.”

As one of 11 healthcare systems nationally to receive the 2018 Supply Chain Achievement Award, the acknowledgement sheds light on the imperative role of the team within almost every aspect of clinical excellence at UHealth. Their work ensures that each product upholds standards of clinical evidence to support high quality service, resulting in lowered organizational costs.

“For many years we had worked in silos when making purchasing decisions, but now we have the ability to better define complex processes and work toward a comprehensive of one U,” added Machado.

About ECRI Institute: For nearly 50 years, ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization, has been dedicated to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to discover which medical procedures, devices, drugs, and processes are best, all to enable and improve patient care.