Thomas Allen Archer | 2018 Provider Seat Candidate

Thomas Allen Archer, MBA, CMRP
System Director of Supply Chain Management
Houston Hospitals Inc
Warner Robins, GA

Describe why you are a good candidate for this leadership role.

Throughout my career, I have been blessed to be a part of and to lead great teams. Whether it’s been product/equipment conversions or construction projects our teams have come together to produce extraordinary results. The art of bringing together diverse individuals to accomplish a common goal has been a skill that has been essential during my service to AHRMM. Groups like the AHRMM education committee and my local chapter have been amazing opportunities for me lead individuals from the great state of Georgia and around the country and will be experiences I will draw from as I serve on the AHRMM Board. I also bring experience at leading leaders within the organizations I have served. In the past this has been focused around supply chain oriented and strategic growth projects across multiple facilities impacting thousands of our clinicians.

Today I am responsible for leading our organization’s efforts focused on the Patient Experience within our facilities. This includes the oversight of the governance structure that has specific teams focused on the key drivers of care with representation from each department including both clinical and support staff. Two years in we have seen remarkable improvement in not just our HCAHPS scores but also in the level of employee engagement and satisfaction. This initiative is both challenging and rewarding as I lead my colleagues from a myriad of backgrounds all focused on the patient and serves as one more influence as I continue to lead our profession.

Describe where you see health care evolving, and what you see supply chain’s role being in those future models.

As I look out upon the healthcare landscape, I see care being shifted not just out of the hospital, but out of the traditional physician offices as well. As we are now seeing with payers restricting where care will be provided, I believe that our patients will ultimately determine how they receive care. As a healthcare consumer myself, I often find myself frustrated and looking for new care models for my family. This is where I see the Supply Chain’s role shifting in the future. I see the Supply Chain coordinating the delivery of supplies and services across the care spectrum. As organizations grow, I envision the Supply Chain as being the one global voice affecting change across the entire continuum of care. We can be that voice; we will be actively engaged in how care is delivered; in shaping the evidence-based practices that will produce the new care models to revolutionize healthcare.

How will your leadership and vision strengthen AHRMM?

If we are to achieve AHRMM’s Envisioned Future, then we must continue to focus on Education. We must prepare and empower the local Supply Chain leader so that they can engage locally to affect change. We must continue to provide the expertise that our members need to be effective. Through initiatives like the Cost, Quality, Outcomes movement, the AHRMM Knowledge Center and the CMRP Certification program we are providing the information, the resources and then the opportunity to synthesize the information and demonstrate a mastery of these subjects through certification.

Under our leadership, the Georgia Chapter has been exclusively focused on Education. Through Webinars, Regional and Statewide events as well as weekly CMRP preparation study sessions we are preparing local supply chain leaders not just in our state but from around the country. We set this vision two years ago and have seen extraordinary results. 90% of our Chapter Board has now achieved certification, and we have offered hundreds of hours of continuing education for our members. To date, we have helped over 30 individuals achieve certification through our program. This vision for educating and empowering the local supply chain executive and the leadership to affect change is what I have to offer AHRMM.

I firmly believe that past success is an indicator of future performance. During my involvement with AHRMM, I feel that my leadership has brought about positive change for our industry. Looking back during my time on the education committee we produced content that is still relevant today. We pioneered new learning mediums like webcasts and podcasts that members can access on demand in the Learning Center. Locally the Georgia Chapter has achieved Gold Level Affiliation and is leading a grassroots movement to produce CMRPs across the country. As we move forward, there is still much work to be done, and I cannot wait to see what lies ahead for not just AHRMM, but for our industry as well.

Background

Total number of years as AHRMM Member: 10
Years in health care: 20
Years worked in the health care supply chain profession: 20
Years worked in current position: 3
Number of direct reports: 4
Number of employees in your department: 16
Type of Organization you are employed by: Hospital/Medical Center

Describe your current position and responsibilities:

In my current role as System Director of Supply Chain Management for Houston Healthcare, I am challenged with transitioning Houston Healthcare’s traditional hospital-based Materials Management Department into a clinically integrated Supply Chain focused on managing the intersection of cost, quality, and patient outcomes. In addition to my responsibilities for the day to day supply chain operations at our facilities, I also serve as the organization’s primary leader for all non-labor spend including categories like medical supplies and consumables, physician preference items, capital equipment and ongoing service/maintenance agreements.

Service

List service to local chapter and to AHRMM national, including all committee/task force involvement, and whether you served as a member or as chair, within the past 5 years.

2017 – 2018 Member of AHRMM Board
2017 – President of Georgia Society for Healthcare Materials Management (GSHMM)
2017 – AHRMM Board Liaison to the AHRMM Chapter Relations Committee
2017 – Member of AHRMM Board Taskforce on Developing the AHRMM Envisioned Future
2017 – Member of AHRMM Next Generation Taskforce
2016 – President-Elect of Georgia Society for Healthcare Materials Management (GSHMM)
2016 – Chair of AHRMM National Education Committee
2016 – AHRMM Faculty – 2016 Annual Conference – SC101 and SC201 Preconference Sessions
2015 – AHRMM Faculty – 2015 Annual Conference – SC201 Preconference Session
2013 – 2015 Member of AHRMM National Education Committee
2012 – AHRMM Faculty – 2012 Annual Conference – “What to Do” Conference Sessions

List Annual Conferences, Leadership Training Conferences, and Thought Leader Summits attended, including dates and locations, within the past 5 years:

08-09-15 - 08-12-15: AHRMM 2015, Indianapolis, IA
07-31-16 - 08-03-16: AHRMM 2016, San Diego
07-23-17 - 07-26-17: AHRMM 2017, Washington, D.C
10-21-15 - 10-23-15: GSHMM 2015, Savannah, GA
10-26-16 - 10-28-16: GSHMM 2016, Savannah, GA
11-01-17 - 11-03-17: GSHMM 2017, Savannah, GA
04-20-15 - 04-22-15: IDN Summit Spring, Orlando, FL
09-20-15 - 09-23-15: IDN Summit Fall, Phoenix AR
04-04-16 - 04-06-16: IDN Summit Spring, Orlando, FL
09-18-16 - 09-21-16: IDN Summit Fall, Phoenix AR
04-13-16 - 04-15-16: Vizient Connections, Las Vegas
04-04-17 - 04-07-17: Vizient Connections, Las Vegas
04-20-16 - 04-21-16: Annual Supply Chain Consolidation Forum, Chicago, IL

Service to professional associations or community organizations to which you belong, including all committees, whether you served as a member or as chair, the year(s) of service, any elected offices held and the year(s) held:

2006 – 2015 – Volunteer Leader – Committee Member - YoungLife of Kingsport, TN (Community organization devoted to reaching out to Students in the community.)

2010 – 2016 – Committee member – Kingsport Chamber of Commerce – Annual Balloon Rally committee