AHVAP Hosts 4th Annual Value Analysis Week

By Barbara Strain, MA, SM(ASCP), CVAHP founding membe, past president AHVAP and independent value consultant

Evolution, engagement and transformation were just a few of the themes AHVAP podcast listeners heard during AHVAP’s Value Analysis Week July 20-24, 2020, Pillar Podcast Series – “Updating Value Analysis in Post COVID-19 Healthcare.”

AHVAP’s 4 Pillars Governance & Structure, Value Analysis Methodology, Professionalism & Business Ethics and Finance are the framework in which healthcare value analysis is practiced and are the centerpiece of its Health Care Value Analysis Academy and CVAHP certification.

Panelists of AHVAP members and leaders, as well as the supplier community, shared their journeys one pillar at a time, relating how the elements of the pillar supported their efforts and how the learnings will continue to shape their strategies.

Dee Donatelli, RN, BSN, MBA, CVAHP, CRMP and Gloria Graham, DNP, RN AHVAP, CVAHP – both AHVAP past presidents – led off the week with Healthcare Value Analysis Methodology. This pillar elements of need identification, information gathering, analysis, implementation and monitoring were key to quick but thoughtful decision making during the pandemic. Based on her experience, Gloria emphasized that value analysis professionals continued to capitalize on earning their organization’s trust and respect through lightning speed identification of needs, accurate evidenced based decision making and product implementation management. Dee further elaborated that a standard approach to this work is still required, but it is time to strike while the iron is hot and shift to a nice-to-have to a need-to-have forward-looking culture. The adage “Never let a good crisis go to waste” was fully evident in their passionate remarks.

Professionalism and Business Ethics from a community-based viewpoint was crafted by Christy Paul, MEd, RN, AHVAP committee member, director of value analysis at Capital Health System in NJ and Rob Scarola, President of the NJ firm County Graphics who jointly emphasized the five key elements of this pillar; adhering to organizational compliance, defining key legal and ethical considerations, developing supplier relationship strategies, complying with disclosure and confidentiality policies, and serving as a resource to internal and external customers. Christy’s advice out of the gate was to take a deep breath and follow your organizational compliance and business policies with due diligence, especially documenting how you vetted and selected new suppliers. County Graphics had been doing business with Capital Health and other healthcare entities in the community through forms management and sign and poster offerings and began to diversify when EHRs ramped up. Rob explained that thanks to the pre-COVID19 pivot to much needed healthcare products, the governor deemed County Graphics an essential business, allowing them to remain a viable source of supplies like face masks, body bags and desk top shields. Through County Graphics previous healthcare relationships, Rob understood HIPAA, meeting patient and staff needs, and was known to practice good business ethics with his customers as well as his suppliers. Going forward, Capital Health and County Graphics plan to continue to collaborate while supporting their missions of patient care and helping the community.

A special webinar called “Accepting Change and Transition” presented by Joe Walsh and Christine Homer of Supply Chain Sherpas held our attention mid-week as they focused on building the bridge from crisis to new abnormal. Facing unrealistic expectations and operational shifts bring on change and stress. How do you transition to relieve stress? They asked a few polling questions to register such elements including: what does it feel like as a provider, as a supplier and how are you personalizing transition from concerned/nervous/afraid to creative/excited/energized. Most importantly, they focused on how you are taking care of yourself. Many attendees commented their connection to the presentation. This presentation is a must-have to present to your team or to frankly watch again and again.

The Pillar Podcasts continued Thursday with a Finance Focus with panelist Terri Nelson, RN, BSN, MA, District Representative-Central Region AHVAP and Director Supply Chain Operations, CQVA at the Mayo Clinic, MN. This pillar has the most extensive list of elements ranging from the definition V=Q/C through goal setting, financial definitions, integrating financial principles and strategy into value analysis as well as value analysis program metrics, and monitoring program effectiveness. Performing gap and cost analyses and understanding contract principles for value analysis round out the list. Terri emphasized key value analysis principles; it’s not about cost reduction but managing costs to achieve clinical needs to drive total value. She continued by stating “value analysis is the voice of reason” whether its knowing practice to sourcing successful products to assuring business continuity to asking clinicians and physicians if practices will change or remain the same, which leads to filling the need gap. To assure your value analysis program is functioning at a high level, assess the work you do and the value you are achieving. Dashboards are a good way of expressing the metrics that visually tell the story e.g. category spend and savings, percent conversion rates, and work performed/value analysis FTE. Terri also touched on mitigating supplier risks and failure to provide as well as value analysis tactics in helping your organization recoup value lost in the past few months.

The last day of value analysis week featured Sue Toomey, BSHA, CVAHP, CRMP NE Region Director and President-Elect AHVAP and the Sr. Value Analysis Coordinator – Perioperative Services, Lehigh Valley Health, PA and Sue Miller, RN, MN, CVAHP, CMRP Past President AVAP and the Senior Director, Enterprise Value Analysis, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, PA discussing the governance and structure pillar. Designing an evidence-based healthcare value analysis model, use of project management, and communication and collaboration are the key elements that provide the strategic support that sets the bar for a value analysis program to operate at the high end of the maturity curve. Steering Committees, clear communication and expectations of the organization, education to the process, and engagement of your organization are all hallmarks of effective decision making and setting and achieving goals. Both organizations had set a good foundational base before January 2020, which served them well through COVID-19, and are continuing to transform their programs based on their learnings and are digigng deeper to reaffirm their base of patient safety and staff safety. Switching gears to how AHVAP will continue to review and refocus the pillars going forward, they both said “we need to meet our members in the areas where they need it and to provide the tools to succeed.”

Thank you for those who joined us live during Value Analysis Week, and we hope you celebrated your successes. You can catch up with these and other podcast recordings at the AHVAP Podcast Channel.