With a 116-year-old history in Idaho, Saint Luke’s has eight medical centers and 200-plus clinics. Adrian Wengert, Vice president of Supply Chain & Procurement for St. Luke’s Health System, provides strategy, direction and oversight for all category management, strategic sourcing, value analysis, contracting, capital project management, data/analytics, purchasing, operations, inventory, logistics and program management initiatives. His team manages $600 million in non-labor supply spend.
“To be a great supply chain practitioner, you need to be well-versed in process improvement, project management and data analysis…” Wengert explains. “To be a great servant leader, you need to use influence and develop meaningful relationships to build trust and sustain results. I believe I’ve been able to accomplish both, which is a powerful combination. I support my employees in continuing their education and give them many opportunities to build their skills and ultimately, their careers.
“We completely overhauled the supply chain department – added 17 FTEs; deployed category management; and changed GPOs, distributors and wholesaler, which put $60 million in savings to the bottom line for our health system. We recognized that category management would provide a structured approach to supply spend, purchased services, IT and more. It would allow us to gain insights and drive alignment with our stakeholders.
For more on Adrian Wengert, see the August 2019 issue of The Journal of Healthcare Contracting