President's Corner

Summer has flown by and while we all thought the world would be normal in time for school to start, we are still “holding down the Fort” from the pandemic. Value analysis teams are busier than ever researching clinically equivalent medical devices as product shortages expand to additional categories. Supply chain logistic teams impacted by weather event fires and floods will continue to reach out to healthcare value analysis professionals to find acceptable alternatives to hold over our clinicians until the shipments arrive. The impact of a mature VAT can be measured by the level of trust their clinicians have in their ability to provide functional equivalents for their needs. These VATs provide a timely level of communication from top leadership all the way down to the caregiver level. The team’s innovation in efficiently providing clinical education for these substitutions (despite limited external access) is nothing short of a miracle. The world is realizing that integrating the value analysis process is much more successful than assuming a manufacturer, distributor or GPO will always have a solution. We must continue to network to support each other, share resources and promote the healthcare value analysis profession. Join us in our virtual conference in October and help us grow…together we can make a significant difference improving patient care in our evolving healthcare system!

Laura Polson, BSN, RN-BC, CVAHP President.