Joni Rittler

Joni Rittler
Vice President Supply Chain
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nomination submitted by Dan Salmonsen, director, strategic sourcing and value analysis, Seattle Children’s, Seattle, Washington.

As a fellow supply chain leader for children’s hospitals, I have worked with Joni for seven years. I am continually impressed with her knowledge of the industry, her collaboration within and outside her organization, and the mentoring she provides to others in the world of healthcare. Joni not only looks for strategic improvements, she is willing to challenge the norm and won’t settle for just an acceptable outcome. She has built a great team and has helped to advance supply chain as a discipline.

http://www.scw-mag.com/sections/healthcare/826-children-s-hospital-of-philadelphia

Regarding mentors and/or key events in her life, Joni Rittler says: “Ironically, one of the biggest transformational moments in my career occurred when I was told I was being laid off. I was a single mother; my son was starting college; and I was told my position would be eliminated by the end of the year. My undergrad degree is in information technology management. My boss recommended me for a position in IT and it was a great fit. For the next few years, I implemented a materials management information system in eight hospitals in the Philadelphia market. It was a tremendous learning experience. Prior to that time, I had focused on just one hospital and the day-to-day work there. Now I had the chance to visit several hospitals and to implement best practices across a health system. It also afforded me the opportunity to meet a tremendous number of people. I was eventually promoted to Regional Director for Supply Chain and advanced to a corporate level position within the company. What started as a difficult situation turned into a career-changing moment, as it opened many doors for me and enabled me to advance my skills – skills that I believe are crucial to today’s supply chain, like project management, facilitation, strategic planning and communication.”