Mary Phillips
Materials Management Manager
South County Health
Wakefield, Rhode Island
As a college student, Mary Phillips aspired to be successful in the business community. But she was also drawn to public service, partly because her mother, also named Mary, was active in the Head Start program in Rhode Island, first as an aide, ultimately as a director. In fact, her mother was so involved in early childhood education, she sat on a committee with then-First Lady Barbara Bush.
“There weren’t any ‘Supply Chain’ classes when I was attending college,” says Phillips, though some marketing and management classes did touch upon the subject. “I always enjoyed working with people, so I decided that public administration would cover the people aspect and still [provide] the marketing and management curriculum.”
In her senior year of college, Phillips had the opportunity to serve as an intern in Washington D.C., for Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, from Boston. It turns out a good friend’s brother had married O’Neill’s daughter. “It’s a Rhode Island story,” she says.
Upon graduation, Phillips found herself speaking to someone who knew of an opening in the purchasing department of a company. Two years later, the company moved, forcing her to look for another job. “I interviewed for a ‘temporary’ buyer position with a community hospital, and what was temporary resulted in 32 years of a great career,” she says. She joined South County Health about four years ago.
Describe a key mentor or key event in your life.
“I was fortunate enough to work with the same director for over 30 years,” says Phillips. “I cannot thank Tom Gardner enough for his leadership, guidance, direction and support. We both grew in our positions and worked as a team that adapted to the changes in healthcare over the years.” She was promoted from buyer, to supervisor, then to purchasing manager for three hospitals following their merger.
In what way(s) are you a better supply chain leader than you were, say, five or 10 years ago?
“With over 35 years experience, I have seen many changes,” she says. “I think the last few years have certainly been the most challenging, as payers reduce reimbursement and the cost of goods always seems to be on the rise. My team and I use our value analysis committees, Yankee/Premier GPO contracts, and benchmarking tools to become more effective and efficient while taking costs out of the system – without compromising quality and patient safety.
“In addition, the involvement from the physicians is huge,” she continues. An orthopedic surgeon and chief medical officer are involved in South County Health’s value analysis committee. “This allows for direct communication, and has allowed me to become a better negotiator with our vendors.”
The value analysis committee is comprised of the clinical leaders, the chief nursing officer and South County Health’s primary distribution vendor – Claflin Company. “Again, it’s a great tool for sharing information and fostering communication within the supply chain.”
Describe the key characteristics of the successful supply chain leader of the future.
“I believe the key characteristic of a successful supply chain leader is the ability to communicate and collaborate with all levels within the supply system,” she says. “It is a team effort from the C-suite, physicians, clinician leaders, end users, and partnerships with vendors.”