2021 Advisory Board Provider Seat Candidate: Larry Kennedy, MSDTI, CMRP

Larry Kennedy, MSDTI, CMRP

Administrative Director Supply Chain & Support Services
Jefferson Regional Medical Center
Pine Bluff, AR

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

I don’t believe that a single leadership style is the key to success. Good leaders understand that leadership is situational and requires a blend of styles and qualities to be most effective. All followers have unique needs and a good leader learns to understand their strengths and weaknesses then identifies the best method to coach and motivate them. I identify as a servant leader who believes in team unity and utilizing the team’s diverse skill sets and perspectives to create promising ideas that are turned into realized successful outcomes. I believe it is healthy to have constructive and fact supported disagreement so that ideas are challenged and the best possible solutions are realized. I currently lead five service areas including supply chain, emergency management, dietary, environmental services, and laundry with five direct reports and nearly one hundred fifty indirect reports. I am a driven leader who strives for success. I serve as co-chair for Premier’s Ascend Strategy team, Chair for Capstone’s Supply Chain Leadership Institute, a member of Capstone’s Supply Chain Leadership Committee, and as the Arkansas Southeast Region Hospital Preparedness Co-leader. I am on our organization’s leadership development team and a member of the position management team. I understand the importance of strong clinical relationships and have been able to develop strong clinical partnerships throughout our organization. I hold a MS in design thinking and innovation and currently pursuing a doctorate in strategic leadership. I firmly believe in continuous process improvement having the thought process that everything and anything can be improved upon regardless of how successful it may be.

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

Supply chain is very important to the industry’s mission of delivering excellent patient outcomes and experiences. Without supplies and services being available when needed the caregivers can’t deliver the care patients require. The pandemic has identified major issues with our global supply chain model and how fragile the structure of processes really is. I believe for healthcare services to be sustainable we must begin to move away from sole source foreign manufacturing agreements and concentrate on allocated percentage based agreements so that we don’t have all of our eggs in one basket. A stronger focus on domesticated manufacturing must be initiated and transparency in the supply chain from raw materials sourcing to delivered care must be achieved. Supply chain must be represented in executive management and part of all organization’s long term vision and strategic planning efforts. Group purchasing organizations must rethink their contracting models and individual organizations must consider partnering to stand up system like distribution centers in an effort to relieve their dependency on mainstream distributors. Supply chain leaders must develop strong partnerships with their clinical colleagues to identify opportunities in utilization and quality outcomes from the first patient visit and throughout the care processes to follow-up. We must focus on developing tomorrow’s supply chain leaders preparing them for future advanced roles throughout the industry. If we don’t the future of supply chain will most definitely suffer

How will your leadership and vision strengthen AHRMM? Share your thoughts, making sure to touch upon the following: AHRMM’s mission, strategy map, the future of health care supply chain, and the CQO movement.

I have the experience and training to assist AHRMM with ideation and development of new/existing ideas in strengthening, and executing AHRMM’s vision. Education is extremely important in the process. We must continue to refresh educational materials with new and relevant materials that support the ever changing world that we conduct business. We must also strengthen networking opportunities and break down silos. We need a global supply chain communication network that is easily accessed and utilized by all. Supply chain must work harder to enfranchise value analysis as a method of total stakeholder involvement. We not only need to educate supply chain professionals, but also educate the clinical and other non-clinical stakeholders so that they have a strengthened understanding of how supply chain, clinical services, quality measures and all supporting service lines work concertedly to achieve common goals. We must develop empathy for our external and internal customers through continuous engagement so that we can create effective solutions that are without designer bias. We have to have to work toward a vision that has provider organizational global participation.

Background

Active member of AHRMM for 16 year(s) (Total number of years as AHRMM member 16)

Years in healthcare: 19

Years worked in the healthcare supply chain profession: 19

Years worked in current position: 2 years as AD, 10 years as director & 7 years in management

Number of direct reports: 5

Number of employees in your department: 150

Describe your current position and responsibilities:

As the administrative director of supply chain and support services I have oversight of all supply chain functions for the organization including procurement, value analysis central supply, receiving, mail services, equipment management, inventory control/ERP, clinic supplies, and the affiliate management program. Additionally, I have oversight for dietary services, laundry services and emergency management. I also am a member of the organization’s position management/productivity team which manages the approval of all job postings, replacements, newly created positions and FTE levels. I also serve on the organizations leadership development team responsible for fostering leadership education and growth.

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.

Member of Society Arkansas Health Purchasing & Materials Managers (SAHPMM) and served as board member and president. Have served on AHRMMs Chapter Relations Committee.

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

Premier Annual Conference
Health Connect Partners Conference twice per year
Premier Ascend Strategic Advisory Committee meetings - Co-Chair
Capstone Annual Forums
Capstone Supply Chain Leadership Council meetings
Capstone Supply Chain Leadership Institute meetings - Chairman
Arkansas Rural Health Partner Leadership & Supply Chain meetings
HPP Regional Co-Leaders bi-annual meetings
American Finance Regional Supply Chain Leader quarterly summits

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:

United Way of Southeast Arkansas Board of Directors - Current member, past chair, past secretary, executive committee
Salvation Army Advisory Board - Current member, executive committee
Chamber of Commerce - past member, secretary, president, executive committee
Economic Alliance Board of Directors - past member