UDI Forum 2025

The UDI Forum is a virtual event bringing together health care supply chain leaders, manufacturers and innovators to advance UDI adoption and maximize its value. Learn from organizations that have overcome implementation challenges, discover how barcode scanning at the point of care improves patient safety and workflows and hear expert insights on strengthening supply chain efficiency.

Don’t miss this opportunity to bring the full value of the UDI to your organization. 

 

Agenda

Schedule of events is subject to change. All sessions are listed in Central Time.

Wednesday, November 5 

10:00 – 10:30 AM CT

Forum Introduction

Speakers:
Mike Schiller, Executive Director, AHRMM
Nancy LeMaster, AHRMM LUC Project Manager
Indira Konduri, Deputy Director FDA UDI Program Lead

Preview of the upcoming sessions. LUC update, highlight AHRMM UDI course.

Session 1 | 
10:00 – 10:30 AM CT

Healthcare Provider Success Stories

Speaker:
Jon Elliot, Director Supply Chain Services, Children’s Mercy Health
 

Moderator:
Nancy LeMaster, AHRMM LUC

 

Incorporating UDI into your clinical and supply chain operations can seem overwhelmingly complex. It doesn’t have to be. Go beyond the theory and hear from healthcare providers who have broken down the process into manageable bites and achieved process improvements and cost savings. Learn how they gained support from leadership and about their future vision.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will be able to identify ways to incorporate implementation and expanded utilization of the UDI within the scope of planned systems upgrades or conversions.
  2. Participants will be able to develop strategies for gaining leadership support for UDI implementation and expanded utilization.
  3. Participants will be able to identify opportunities within their organization where implementation or expanded utilization of the UDI could improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Session 2 | 
2:00 – 3:00 PM CT

Trading Partner Success Stories 

Speakers:
Kate Austin, Director, System Specialist, Gore
Matthew Freede, Director Supply Chain Services, Kaiser

Moderator:
Nancy LeMaster, AHRMM LUC

The value the UDI provides is exponentially higher when manufacturers and healthcare providers work together to maximize its utilization. Learn how to identify trading partners that are interested and able to work on maximizing UDI utilization. Find out about the benefits both parties achieved and how that could be applied to your organization.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will be able to describe various methods for identifying like-minded trading partners with which they could work on UDI utilization.
  2. Participants will be able to explain to leadership the benefits of trading partner collaboration on UDI usage.
  3. Participants will be able to identify a project and potential trading partner collaboration that would benefit their organization

Thursday, November 6 

Session 1 | 
10:00 – 11:00 AM CT

Tools and Organizations to Support Implementation and Expanded Use of the UDI

Speakers:
Carl Gomberg, Lead Solution Analyst, Premier 
Nate Junker, Technical Coordinator, EPIC 
 

Moderator:
Nancy LeMaster, AHRMM LUC

You don’t necessarily need expensive consultants to maximize the utilization of the UDI. Learn how to reach out to organizations you have existing relationships with to expand your knowledge and gain support for expanding utilization of the UDI. Current technology vendors, data management companies, GPOs and peer organizations can be great sources of information and support. Hear from a panel representing various organizations on questions to ask and ways to get the most out of your existing technology and relationships.

Learning Objectives:

  1. The participant will be able to describe how existing partners can support UDI implementation and expanded utilization.
  2. The participant will be able to create questions to determine if they are maximizing the functionality and the expertise of organizations they are currently partnered with.
  3. The participant will be able to develop a plan for their organization on ways to tap into no or low cost resources to support their organizations goals.

Session 2 | 
2:00 – 3:00 PM CT

The Future of UDI Through the Eyes of Entrepreneurs

Speakers:
Guillermo Ramas, Program Manager, NotiSphere  
Ashlea Souffrou, CEO Founder, SxanPro  
Rich Kucera, CEO and Co-Founder, Symmetric
Joan Melendez, President, Xcelerate UDI 

Moderator:
Nancy LeMaster, AHRMM LUC

For many of us when we think about the current state of the health care supply chain, we see barriers, uncertainty and constraints. Entrepreneurs have a unique way of looking at chaos and seeing opportunities. Hear from 4 people who have created successful businesses that rely in part on the UDI. Learn how they deal with challenges and shortcomings to achieve success. Hear how they view the future of the healthcare supply chain and the role of the UDI.

Learning Objectives:

  1. The participant will be able to explain the various ways the UDI can improve clinical and supply chain focus.
  2. The participant will be able to create a plan for how the UDI could enable success in their organization.
  3. The participant will be able to develop a future supply chain vision that incorporates the UDI for their organization.

 

3:00 – 3:30 PM CT

Tools to Support Maximizing the Use of UDI

Speakers:
Nancy LeMaster, AHRMM LUC 
Beth Wells, GS1

Learn about the UDI Quick Start Guides created by AHRMM LUC and SMI. These guides are provided free of charge and provide support and guidance for providers and manufacturers on incorporating the UDI into clinical and supply chain operations. Also, see a demonstration of GS1’s interactive tool that illustrates the many ways data standards impact the health care supply chain and how they can improve operations.

Series of Quick Start Guides (6) and Interactive Tool from GS1 will be provided to all attendees with their registration – as well as guidance on usage during this last closing session

SPONSOR

Symmetric Health Solutions