I am leveraging our supply base to achieve the strategic vision for the organization and make us more competitive. That means a lot of time with suppliers trying to find that next thing that we can be doing differently, but also working within the organization to make sure I understand where the organization is trying to go.
Bill Selles, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain, Corewell Health
Episode Summary
Healthcare supply chain teams can’t allow critical items to go out of stock, and it is not as simple as substituting another brand. While healthcare organizations historically relied upon suppliers much larger than themselves, the pandemic challenged them to mature quickly and pick up best practices from other industries.
Bill Selles is the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for Corewell Health, a $14.7 billion not-for-profit integrated health system based in Michigan. Under his leadership, the Corewell Health supply chain team has saved over $100M, centralized their procurement activity, launched a supply chain analytics department, and created a system-level value analysis structure.
In this Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership Series interview, Bill speaks with host Scott Luton about:
• Lessons that healthcare companies learned from supply chains in retail, automotive, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) to make it through the toughest days of the pandemic
• What he sees as the key to all innovation, and why Corewell Health’s commitments to resilience, sustainability, and supplier diversity are important to their overall mission
• How he manages his team and their stakeholders through times of change, balancing the need to move forward with active empathy
Episode Transcript
Intro/Outro (00:03):
Welcome to Supply Chain. Now the voice of global supply chain Supply chain now focuses on the best in the business for our worldwide audience, the people, the technologies, the best practices, and today’s critical issues, the challenges and opportunities. Stay tuned to hear from Those Making Global Business Happen right here on supply chain now.
Scott Luton (00:31):
Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you are, Scott Luton with you here on Supply Chain. Now welcome to today’s show. Hey, on today’s show, we’re continuing a new series of interviews that really focus on healthcare supply chain leadership. So, you know, there aren’t too many topics that impact everyone more than supply chain management and healthcare. And we’re delighted to continue this important series here at Supply Chain Now with a recognized leader in the healthcare industry and an organization that was recognized with a number three ranking in the most recent Gartner Healthcare Supply chain Top 25. So, with that said, I wanna welcome in Bill Sellis, senior Vice President Supply Chain with Corwell Health Bill. How you doing?
Bill Selles (01:13):
I’m doing really well. Thanks for having me today, Scott.
Scott Luton (01:16):
You bet. Uh, okay. We’ve, we’ve really enjoyed getting to know you better pre-show and doing some of our due diligence on you and your organization and all of its growth and, and its mission. So, so before we get there though, I wanna start with getting to know Bill Sellis a little bit better. So Bill, where’d you grow up?
Bill Selles (01:33):
Uh, I grew up in West Michigan. Uh, I had a chance to move around the state with a prior employer, which was actually really beneficial now that I work for a statewide organization, uh, but settled back in West Michigan to join what is now Cornwell Health about 11 years ago,
Scott Luton (01:45):
11 years ago. And we’re gonna dive into, uh, some of what you’ve learned in those 11 years for sure. But before we do that, so I understand our team is uncovered that you are a passionate college basketball fan. Is that right,
Bill Selles (01:59):
<laugh>? Yeah, that’s right. I’m guilty of that. I will be, I I’ll be taking, like, I I treat the start of the NCAA tournament as a holiday every year, and so you will not find me those Thursday and Friday afternoons. I’ll be watching the tournament somewhere, uh, but not in my office.
Scott Luton (02:13):
I love it. Okay, so maybe you can submit your brackets so I can do, so I can, uh, get learn from the experts and my own March Madness brackets. But, um, in particular, you’re a Michigan State fan, is that right?
Bill Selles (02:26):
Yeah, yeah. I, you know, just growing up in, in West Michigan, you kinda get to pick between the two big state schools and, uh, was not a difficult choice for me, I will say. Uh, and so it’s, you know, March is definitely the time where Michigan State fans kind of come alive. And so it’s, uh, it’s an exciting time, you know, everybody’s full of optimism and, you know, we will hopefully not be too disappointed in the early, early days of the bracket. But, uh, few things like college basketball in the winter takes all approach,
Scott Luton (02:50):
Man. What is such a special time of year March Madness? Um, whether you follow basketball or if you don’t, you can have a lot of fun with it. Um, and of course, Michigan State coached by a legend. Uh, he’ll be in the Hall of Fame at the minute he hangs up probably. So good luck to the Spartans. And by the way, great supply chain management school, by the way. Um, okay. So let’s get into industry. You’ve got a very interesting background. So Bill, you left Target, all right, the big, uh, retail behemoth in 2012. You’ve been in healthcare as you mentioned now for over a decade, about 11 years. So the first question for you, from a supply chain management standpoint, what has been a critical learning for you early on, especially as to the uniqueness of the healthcare industry?
Bill Selles (03:36):
Yeah, maybe a couple things. Uh, from a healthcare industry perspective, uh, wanna use the word critical, and I would say that’s, that’s certainly the case. I mean, I can remember my days in retail supply chain, and while you never want a stock out in retail supply chain, realistically someone buys a different brand of ketchup or they, they, they get a shirt from a different retailer. Uh, healthcare supply chain doesn’t have that same luxury, you know, so, you know, really delivering for our patients is, is critical. Um, you know, another thing that’s different though, you know, candidly, is going from a very large and progressive retailer into an industry that is just less mature, is being met with some of the lower maturity elements of the healthcare supply chain relative to retail and, and other more mature industries. Uh, some of that comes from a history of outsourcing, uh, that’s been in place in healthcare supply chain that other industries, you know, really didn’t experience. Uh, a lot of that also though, just gets from the market dynamics. You know, you see working for Target, you are the big company buying from small companies and in health systems, you know, up until the last, you know, decade or so, you largely had mostly smaller hospitals buying from very, very large suppliers. And so, you know, when you look at even large health systems like Corwell, we represent typically less than one or 2% of the book of business of any of our suppliers today.
Scott Luton (04:50):
Hmm. Um, a amongst the things you shared there, I think it’s, it is really important for folks to, to take away that, um, the, the maturity curve in s supply in healthcare for the supply chain, uh, profession. Right. Um, the good news on the flip side of that though, is how really the healthcare industry has been embracing the supply chain management profession for, for years now. And, and I would argue, bill, it’s probably one of the reasons why they were able to navigate through the pandemic, um, as, as well as a, uh, were able to Bill. Would you agree with that?
Bill Selles (05:23):
Yeah, I, I would absolutely agree with that. Organizations that invested in their supply chains did far better in the pandemic than those who didn’t. Uh, addition from an industry maturity perspective, um, you know, healthcare is, doesn’t have to carry the burden of figuring out the new solution. You know, we get to look at automotive and retail and c p and other industries and see best practice, and not all of it fits for healthcare, but most of it does. And what that allows is for us to, you know, not be carrying the machete going through the jungle, uh, but we get to walk the path behind that person.
Scott Luton (05:53):
Uh, that’s a perfect segue, uh, to this next question. Cause if there’s, there’s anything I really admire about some of the health court healthcare organizations I’ve been really pleased rub elbows with is how they hire from outside the industry. And to your point, bring that, bring that critical experience and expertise about how supply chains done elsewhere into healthcare, right. Where it’s life and death and, and outcomes driven. So, to your point, from a leadership or maybe even an operational standpoint, what’s one common theme between what you experienced in a retail environment and then what of course you’ve spent in the last 10, 11 years in, in a healthcare environment?
Bill Selles (06:28):
Yeah, I, I, I would say operationally, you know, just from an industry standpoint, retail to healthcare, um, you know, we’re still buying finished goods. And so the, the general supply chain is fairly similar from a footprint perspective. Uh, you know, the global dynamic of the supply chain is, is consistent. Um, I can remember, you know, making an expression on, when someone asked me why I was leaving Target, I said I really wanted to do something that was more than just, you know, moving diapers and toothpaste. And then I remember walking into the distribution center the first day, uh, for what was on Spectrum Health now, now Cornwell Health, and, you know, I’m greeted with diapers and toothpaste on the shelf of things that will go over to our patients in the hospital. So, so there, there’s, there’s a tremendous amount of overlap. But then the, um, you know, one piece that you mentioned just a minute ago, you know, is really the investments that have been made, uh, in the healthcare supply chain. And so, you know, the industry just in terms of maturity and, you know, really where it’s going and the, the nature of how supply chain is used strategically within health systems today, you know, that is starting to feel much more similar to what it was in retail, which is a, a welcome change.
Scott Luton (07:29):
Yeah. Love that. Okay. Uh, diapers and toothbrushes, is that what you said? <laugh>? What’s, uh, what’s old is new. Um, okay. So I wanna level set here cuz some folks may not know just the breadth of, of Corwell Health’s, uh, footprint. So, um, your organization’s a not-for-profit health system that encompasses over 60,000 team members, 22 hospitals through over 300 outpatient locations. And that’s just really the tip of iceberg. There’s a lot more to there. So, in your words, uh, tell us if you had to describe Cornwell Health and in kinda in a nutshell, what would that be? And, and where do you spend your time as senior vice president supply chain?
Bill Selles (08:10):
Yeah. Uh, so Cornwell Health is a, is a fully integrated health system, which means we really have all levels of care. Uh, that, and included under that umbrella is a 1.3 million member health plan. And so, you know, we’ve got this tremendous opportunity because we have everything from ensuring the member, uh, to caring for the patient in all the different places where they could get care, you know, that we have, and also just our, our scale and size in the state of Michigan, we have a real opportunity as an organization to reposition healthcare in the state of Michigan, which is pretty motivating, uh, at an organization level. We’re a pretty progressive company. Uh, you know, we’ve got a fairly young senior leadership team that is, you know, well experienced, uh, but also, you know, is not beholden to ways that the industry has always worked, which is, which is really exciting. Uh, from my standpoint in terms of where I spend my time. Uh, it’s really making sure that I am leveraging our supply base to achieve the strategic vision for the organization and making us more competitive. Uh, so that means a lot of time with suppliers trying to find that next thing that we can be doing differently, uh, but also working within the organization to make sure I’m understanding and representing, you know, where the organization’s trying to go to supply base and in the opposite direction.
Scott Luton (09:19):
Mm-hmm. Let me pick up on one of the things you shared there. Um, when, and during my time in the manufacturing space, uh, one of the most valuable things that, uh, where I spent my time was going out and, and meeting with suppliers face-to-face, walking their facilities, sitting down, problem solving or just finding better ways. Uh, you were just talking about, you know, spending time with your suppliers. How important is it if you were telling our listeners, you know, get off email, get off text, go out and meet ’em face to face, how much, how valuable is that?
Bill Selles (09:48):
It, it’s incredibly valuable. Uh, I, I would say that it probably happens less in healthcare supply chain than it does in some other industries, maybe just because of some of those market dynamics I referenced earlier. But, uh, realistically, all great innovation happens from people connecting and, and thinking about problems differently. Uh, I can say that, you know, some of the most exciting things that we’ve been able to do from a corwell health supply chain perspective have been because of that, specifically on working with, with our supply base in a really different fashion. And just having, you know, open-ended conversations about problems and seeing where that will lead us,
Scott Luton (10:23):
Bill. I love it. All of that needs to be background on t-shirt needs to be a mantra. That’s how the industry can move forward regardless of sector. So, love that. Um, okay. So I’ve been stalking you a little bit, bill, and prior to interview I was checking out your, your LinkedIn profile and some of the stuff you put out really enjoyed it. And I came across these three leadership priorities that you list in your, your LinkedIn profile. Uh, we won’t hit all of them, but you’re number one, if you can speak to this immense value of developing a great team at all levels.
Bill Selles (10:55):
You, um, you know, Scott, I think I probably wrote that about a decade ago. And, um, you know, when, when I was going through and just trying to understand like what really has been true for me in my career, it started by identifying that the times when I’ve been happiest and achieved the most have been when I’ve been part of great teams and also when I’ve been leading teams of people who are high performing. And, you know, so from my vantage point, you know, I view that high performers really only want to be around other high performers. And I think that, you know, if you create a culture where high performers have the latitude to be successful, uh, really have that empowerment to do the things that are progressive and, and move them forward, whether it’s in their resume or their career, or just the things that they’re trying to accomplish in their current position, uh, you get really impressive results from people.
Bill Selles (11:44):
And so, you know, in that, you know, I’m, I’m just the sort of person that loves the phase of building new teams, you know, kind of getting that dynamic right. Uh, and then trying to bring that down through every layer of the organizational structure. And so when, you know, team members decide where they’re going to choose to work, you know, I believe in trying to grow and develop people so they would be marketable anywhere. Um, but treat them so well that they choose to stay. Um, that’s been very successful for me in my past and something that’s, you know, really been, you know, I think an early element of what’s making our Corwell health team come together well, uh, is just that focus on investing in strong people.
Scott Luton (12:19):
Bill. I love that. Um, cause I completely agree with you. High performers attract other high performers. They love working with each other that have that commitment and discipline to, um, to quality and doing great work. Right. Um, and you don’t have to speak this. I’d love to get any thoughts if you did. Um, and I wanna be sensitive about this cause I’m a big believer that the overwhelming majority of folks in the workforce want to get, you know, get to work and do a good job, right? This overwhelming majority, you know, upper 90 uh, percent. However, um, would you agree with, you know, when high performers see leaders compromise on standards with folks that aren’t, you know, bringing their best every day, you know, that could be a big reason why folks look for new, new opportunities. Would you agree with that?
Bill Selles (13:07):
Yeah, well, a hundred percent Scott. Um, you know, one of the things that happens, and I don’t think leaders realize they’re doing this, but when we tolerate performance that’s, you know, less than what our customers would want from us, uh, you know, what that allows is we’ve, you know, kind established a new standard. You know, you can look at a team and say that your expectation of your team is the lowest performer. Uh, and you know, and, and that’s, you know, that I think it could be a little bit of a negative outlook on things, but realistically, you know, to some extent people do have that could build that perception. Um, but on the other side of that, you know, when you build a team that is, you know, just ripe with rich talent that’s growing and developing people, that’s investing in, in really making people successful in what they do and achieving the objectives for the customer, that’s the kind of environment that’s incredibly attractive to those high performers that you mentioned.
Bill Selles (13:55):
But it’s also a space that, you know, almost recruits for itself because people start to see, you know, just the momentum that’s coming within a particular function. Uh, they see the ability to go out and to create something and to do something. Uh, it’s also, whereas a leader, you know, it, it, the job just gets easier, just gets more fun because you’re around people who are pushing you as the leader, uh, who are pushing you as peers. And, you know, the, the, that type of environment is one where, you know, there’s really not a problem you can, you can’t solve
Scott Luton (14:24):
Bill. Man, I think we were separated at birth. I think we might be second or third cousins. I wholeheartedly agree with you. And, um, and it does make a fun environment, right? We’re you’re achieving more, there’s a camaraderie, there’s a, a spri de corps, especially if you’re like an missional, you know, missional environment like, like the healthcare industry, right? Where, where you’re having an impact on lives. So I love that. Um, and we could spend the next three hours talking about some of the things you mentioned, but, but for the sake of time here today, um, alright. So it’s gotta be really gratifying and fulfilling for the whole team. When Gartner ranked Corwell Health number three in its most recent healthcare supply chain, top 25. So beyond some of the things we’ve already discussed, what do you believe are some other factors that really has allowed your organization to excel?
Bill Selles (15:12):
Uh, well, I think it starts just organization by having a commitment to supply chain. And, you know, referenced earlier that not all organizations have had that historically within healthcare. And, you know, very fortunate, you know, to work for a company that sees the value, uh, you know, where supply chain is treated like a top of stack function. Uh, so that, that’s, that to me is, you know, the, the unlocked almost everything that comes behind it. Um, within that though, you know, I reference that we’ve got a, a, a fairly, you know, kinda young and progressive senior leadership team and, you know, that’s true within our supply chain team as well. And so, you know, there’s a respect for how we’ve always done things. There’s a, an understanding for the way that the industry works today, but also a, a willingness to, to be a little bit more innovative to try things differently.
Bill Selles (15:53):
And, you know, so we, we’ve done a couple things from an innovation standpoint that have been, you know, maybe a little bit ahead, uh, of some, some peers in industry, which we’re really proud of. And so we, you know, I I’d say we, we kind of treated resiliency like a, a top level initiative before the pandemic, before it was, you know, something that’s, you know, as, as, um, you know, talked about as what it is today. You know, we’ve been committed on our work for sustainability and supplier diversity for a number of years. We’re committed to our healthcare anchor network, uh, as being an anchor institution in the state of Michigan. That’s, that’s really meaningful for us. And, you know, we’ve also been, you know, really looking at how we can harvest different ways of working. And so, you know, something we’ve talked a lot about recently is just, you know, how we leverage the data, uh, within our supply chain and within the organization to, you know, better the lives of our patients and members. And, you know, leaning into those spaces for us has allowed us to, you know, just identify potential solutions and to, you know, run towards fires that were there, uh, and, and solve some problems that have been pretty exciting.
Scott Luton (16:52):
Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, man, you shared a lot there. Um, a couple things I heard. I love that an organization that commits to the, uh, whole supply chain management, uh, team and function and value that’s so important, that should cut across all industries. That’s great. Uh, great advice. Um, I love how, how y’all already knew. And, um, it’s, it’s amazing to me how many folks have come across, uh, supply chain resiliency as if it’s, uh, a late breaking <laugh> value or, or thing. And I love how y’all have identified certain things, um, that really, uh, make you more successful long before the pandemic. And, uh, and then thirdly, I loved your point there about running to the fires. You’re not shying away from, from problems or opportunities or tough conversations, man, folks, when you’ve got a high performing team, like clearly y’all have there, you’re empowered and you’re confident towards to do more of running to the fires and making things better. Your quick comment there, and then I’m gonna, we’re kind of coming down the home stretch.
Bill Selles (17:51):
Yeah, for sure. Well, and I, I, I think some of that, you know, is just the focus on the problem statement so often. And, you know, one, one of the things I reference is that, you know, as a organization that really controls all elements or plays in all elements of the healthcare continuum, we can work with our suppliers in a way that is exciting for them. Also. You know, it’s one of those cases where, you know, there’s some really deep-rooted issues. And when we can bring a supplier into that risk equation, that’s pretty exciting because historically, you know, we’ve, we’ve lacked that alignment as an industry. And what that’s meant is our suppliers have been, you know, you know, unfortunately just unengaged to some extent in that work. And, you know, our suppliers want nothing more than to make sure the work that they’re doing is improving the outcomes for a patient. And so that’s, that’s some of the exciting work, uh, that’s there. And, you know, someone, what’s ahead for us at Corwell that I’m really excited about.
Scott Luton (18:39):
Yeah. And what you imply on the front end of your response there is, uh, you know, the, the whole equations gotta work for your suppliers too, right? Uh, if they’re losing money or if they’re getting beaten down, you know, with a bat every, every conversation, they’re not gonna be your supplier long. And, and that’s one of the, the, uh, that’s been around for a long time, but the pandemic certainly, um, illustrated that in a way maybe that we haven’t seen in, in decades. So, um, so speaking of running to fires, running to opportunities, um, one of my next questions here. What’s one big continuous improvement initiative bill for your team in 2023 moving forward? And then I’m gonna ask you about change management next.
Bill Selles (19:21):
Okay. Um, yeah, I’m, from a 2023 standpoint, you know, we’re finishing up a lot of the underpinnings of our integration. Uh, and so we’re 13 months in, and so, you know, common medical record, common e r p system, common warehousing system. So getting, getting all those in place is, is key. Um, but what I’m excited about, honestly, is what happens in the second half of this year after all that’s in place. It’s just how we start to gather insights from our data. Uh, so I, I’ve, I’ve had an expression I’ve used with the team for a number of months now, and, uh, a few years for those who are coming from the, the half of the organization I came from initially, uh, which is starting your day with data. Uh, I, I have this belief that no industry has more data at its disposal than healthcare.
Bill Selles (19:59):
Unfortunately, I think no industry uses less data than healthcare. Uh, and so, you know, we, we’ve got a tremendous amount of insight and opportunity to do things differently from healthcare supply chain perspective just by using the data that’s in front of us. Uh, and then by connecting that upstream with our suppliers, uh, and, and really, you know, getting that, uh, that, that full look at, you know, patient outcomes, total cost of care, uh, as we keep leaning in on that work can keep driving that. Like that, that’s a space that, you know, that’s about half of 23 for us, but that’s gonna be most of 24 also, uh, just really harvesting the insights that we can leverage.
Scott Luton (20:33):
Hmm. Okay. I’m gonna be sharing with my three kids that in addition to their OJ and their Fruity Pebbles, they need to start their day with data and they can be better off. I love that. Uh, bill, um, okay. So you’re, you’re talking about, uh, continuous improvement and opportunities and, and we have so many different opportunities, right? Uh, so in your career as you’re, you’re driving those gains and driving that continuous improvement and driving change, what is one element of your approach to driving change that’s really worked well in your career?
Bill Selles (21:05):
Um, yeah, I’ll, I’ll say this is a space that Coral will helped us really well. Uh, you know, we’ve invested a lot, uh, in, you know, just formal change management training for leaders, uh, you know, so for us that’s meant, you know, adopting some formal change practices and, and there’s, there’s a variety of good ones that are out there, but, uh, you know, so much, this really just starts though with bringing people with you in change. Uh, you know, I, I talk to people about, you know, the, you know, this excitement that can come from, from change, but also the nervousness that comes through change, and really making sure that you’re being situational with people and guiding them through, you know, wherever they may be in that change continuum. Uh, you know, your job as a leader is the person who often goes through that first and sometimes fastest is, you know, recognizing that others might be in a different position and pulling them through the process. And sometimes you have to pull, um, you know, and there’s some people who don’t always make it through a change, but, uh, you know, for the most part, you know, people want to come out the other side, but change is tough. I mean, we all complain every time our iPhone updates. I mean, that’s a small change. <laugh>, you know, when you’re driving organizational change, it requires a level of discipline and work and, and people centeredness to that
Scott Luton (22:06):
Man. Um, we’re gonna have to bring you back for change management 1 0 1. There’s so much of what you shared, um, but bringing people with you, bring people with you. And I think, uh, a corollary to that, I would argue, is, uh, drive change with your people, not to your people, you know? Um, so Bill, a lot of good stuff there. And you’re right when there smart device <laugh> reloads or, or you get the blue update screen on your PC, man. Um, okay. So as we’re starting to wrap up our interview here with Bill Sellis, with Cornwell Health, I wanna ask you, um, just a couple questions, final questions. One of my favorites that I’ve been talking with healthcare leaders really beyond this series, you know, for most of my career, bill, what’s one thing that you think a lot of our listeners are just folks out in the marketplace that, that, that our, uh, customers, cause we all are of the healthcare industry, what’s one thing that they don’t know or understand about supply chain management in the healthcare industry?
Bill Selles (23:03):
No, I, I, I think honestly, people don’t think about it, uh, even as a, as, as a piece of the marketplace. Uh, I, I’ll be candid, I didn’t when I was in my retail role, uh, you know, if you look at healthcare supply chains today, though, I mean, they’re, they’re significant. I mean, while no one teaches healthcare supply chain in schools, um, you know, the, you know, we tend to focus on manufacturing and kind of our more established and brick and mortar industries. You know, the healthcare supply chain is really significant and, you know, the opportunity is there. Uh, also, it’s not hard to connect a purpose. You know, there were times and I said, said, as much as that, there were times where, you know, I loved the work that I was doing, but the medium of retail wasn’t just didn’t do it for me, and it does for others, and that’s fantastic. But I’ll tell you, there’s nothing quite like spending, you know, a little bit of, a little bit of email time sitting in the lobby at Children’s Hospital to get you motivated as to, you know, why you do what you do. And healthcare just has that in a way that other industries, uh, you know, can, you know, would, would have a difficult time replicating.
Scott Luton (24:02):
All right, bill, so, uh, great conversation. I tell you, we need a couple more hours to book in next time. We’ll have to have you back. Uh, I wanna, I wanna wrap with this final question to you. Uh, you know, I’ve been posing this question, you know, far beyond this series for most of our, uh, most of my career as I’ve really wanted to understand, uh, supply chain management in healthcare better. So from your perspective, what’s one thing you think that folks don’t know or understand about supply chain management in the healthcare industry?
Bill Selles (24:31):
Yeah, I, I think supply chain management in the healthcare industry is probably outside the consciousness for most people. And we, we don’t learn this in school. Uh, you know, when we take supply chain classes, even at large universities that have a, a strong program, it’s focused typically on more established industries like automotive and manufacturing and CPG and the like. Uh, you know, and because of that, you know, people don’t really consider it as a career opportunity. But, you know, realistically, healthcare supply chains today are incredibly robust, you know, and along with that, you know, honestly, is the fact that in healthcare, supply chain connection of purpose is really simple. You know, if I’m ever feeling that disconnect, if I spend too many days, you know, in the basement or in a corporate setting, you know, in one of our offices, you know, the simplest thing I can do is just go spend some email time working in the lobby at the children’s hospital. I mean, you spend an hour or two there watching families come through and you know, you are motivated to do anything and everything to improve your supply chain at that point to help those patients. And so connection and purpose and healthcare supply chain is really simple. Uh, really lucky to be able to have that kind of connection.
Scott Luton (25:34):
Bill, I, you couldn’t have said it better. Uh, I mean, if you ever need a moment to, to understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, you’re spending an hour or so in that lobby and seeing the folks that are the beneficiaries of all the great work, you and your team and, and really the whole healthcare, um, um, industry is doing, man, it’s gotta be a powerful, some powerful time spent. Um, bill really have enjoyed your perspective here today. Uh, again, we’re, we’re gonna have to have you back, um, that there’s so much more we couldn’t get to, but we really have enjoyed the last tournaments or so, so how could folks learn more? How can they connect with you and all the cool things you’re doing at Corwell Health?
Bill Selles (26:10):
Yeah, you can find me simply on LinkedIn. Uh, so Bill Sellis, S e L L E s, uh, and then, uh, all the things happening at Corwell Health quickest way, uh, as are through our social media accounts, or, uh, just going to corwell health.org. Uh, learning more about what we do as an organization.
Scott Luton (26:26):
Wonderful. Well, bill, thanks so much spending some of your valuable time with us here. We’ve been talking with Bill Sellis, senior Vice President supply chain with Corwell Health, and Bill, we’ll see you again real soon.
Bill Selles (26:37):
Great. Thanks so much, Scott. Enjoyed it.
Scott Luton (26:38):
You bet. Folks, man, what a great conversation. I’ve really enjoyed. Hopefully you have too in this new series, within a series really focused on the intersection of supply chain management and the, uh, the healthcare industry. So, but folks, um, it’s all about these not words take to heart and put to actions from what you heard here, from Bill especially, that bring people with you. I, I love that universal, uh, value and truth that’s in that phrase there. So, uh, but hope you enjoy the episode. Um, hey, find us on YouTube, find us wherever you get your podcast. Don’t, don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss powerful conversations like this one. And whatever you do, Scott Lutton, on behalf of the Apache Now team, challenging you to do good, to give forward and to be the change that’s needed. And we’ll see you next time, right back here at Supply Chain now. Thanks everybody.
Intro/Outro (27:29):
Thanks for being a part of our supply chain now, community. Check out all of our programming@supplychainnow.com and make sure you subscribe to Supply Chain now, anywhere you listen to podcasts. And follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. See you next time on Supply Chain. Now.
Would you rather watch the show in action?
Featured Guests
Bill Selles is senior vice president, supply chain, for Corewell Health, a $14.7 billion not-for-profit integrated health system based in Michigan. He is an experienced leader in system-level thinking who aligns people and strategy to create competitive advantage in large, complex organizations. Bill is responsible for all aspects of supply chain, including procurement, operations, clinical supply chain, supplier performance management, and technology & analytics. He is charged with leveraging the Corewell Health supply base to help the organization realize its vision to deliver personalized health made simple, affordable, equitable and exceptional. Under his leadership, supply chain has saved over $100M, centralized procurement activity, launched a supply chain analytics department, and created a system-level value analysis structure. Additionally, supply chain at Corewell Health is breaking new ground with driving outcomes-based partnerships with suppliers and has co-founded the Healthcare Industry Resilience Collaborative (HIRC) with the Mayo Clinic. This work has contributed to Spectrum Health supply chain, a division of Corewell Health, receiving the Gartner Healthcare Top 25 award each year from 2018 to 2022, most recently achieving the 3rd overall ranking among health systems. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn.
Hosts
Additional Links & Resources
Check Out Our Sponsors
