December 2024 – The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Chief Purchasing Officer for Community Health Systems
As the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Chief Purchasing Officer for Community Health Systems, Susan Schrupp oversees supply and purchased services expenses for the company. Her primary focus in support of the mission to provide quality care to patients is to manage an efficient and effective supply chain of product, equipment, and services. This involves overseeing corporate supply chain, partnering with their Shared Business Operations for the Procure to Pay function and their hospital supply chain departments. They engage with clinical and operational leaders to align on getting the right products at the right price. Schrupp also oversees the biomedical engineering service line, which is a unique aspect of her role. They’re developing a standardized service line for the organization by leveraging technology and services to optimize life-cycle management of assets. Schrupp is excited about building this out as a full-fledged service line in partnership with the clinical teams which requires a clear strategy and stakeholder alignment with their mission and vision of the company.
What is a recent or current project you’ve been excited to work on?
One of the most exciting projects is the implementation of the Oracle cloud-based ERP system across 67 hospitals within one year. This significant achievement involved converting data from five legacy systems and standardizing our processes. I’m particularly excited about the next phase, where we’ll optimize the system to drive further efficiencies in our requisitioning, sourcing, procure-to-pay process, and receiving processes, which will benefit our team members, clinicians, suppliers and GPO partner, HealthTrust. This standardization will allow us to streamline payments, implement automation and minimize touches, leading to end-to-end improvements in how we do business. I’m thrilled we are on a single system and working with our hospital team members to drive benefits so our clinicians can have greater focus on patient care.
What industry level trends are you keeping an eye on as we head into the close of 2024 and beginning of 2025?
As we approach 2025, our team is closely monitoring several key trends in the healthcare supply chain and especially IV solutions. Right now, we’re focused on disaster response, particularly considering recent hurricanes affecting our communities and hospitals. It’s critical our teams stay alert on how these developments evolve and how we can provide support to the affected communities and health systems during crises.
I’m also excited about advancements in data mining capabilities, which enhances our inventory visibility and decision-making processes. We are always focused on finding ways to be more efficient, and awareness of supply risk areas through our HealthTrust global sourcing team is crucial for monitoring and mitigating strategies. The ways that we are innovating and automating business processes, like those from our partnership with Oracle, continue to be essential for keeping our operations streamlined in a rapidly changing environment.
When it comes to diversity in the U.S. healthcare supply chain workforce, has the industry improved since you started your career? If so, in what ways? And what work remains to be done?
There has certainly been significant progress in diversity in this field since I began my career. There’s been a notable increase in women and individuals from various backgrounds taking on leadership roles. Early in my career, especially in a field like purchasing, we did not see many women represented. But today, I’m proud to be in a leadership role and that I get to witness the strides that we’ve made.
My personal journey, influenced by my parents’ careers in purchasing and healthcare, has given me a unique perspective on both healthcare and supply chain, while also demonstrating that with the right support and determination, anyone can rise and thrive in their roles.
However, there’s still work to be done, particularly in creating inclusive environments for individuals with disabilities. As a mother of two adult children with disabilities, I’m passionate about tapping into the potential of neurodiverse individuals in the workplace. While the industry has made strides in gender and racial diversity, broadening the scope to include people with different abilities represents a significant opportunity. I believe this is the next step to move forward and create impact with diversity and inclusion within our industry.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I received was from a former boss who encouraged me to be clear and concise in communication, especially during uncomfortable conversations. This guidance has significantly impacted my career – emphasizing the importance of providing helpful feedback to drive growth and innovation within organizations. It’s crucial to maintain a strong and confident voice while also remaining open to continuous learning and improvement. I’ve learned that giving feedback is a skill that requires thoughtfulness and responsibility, particularly for women in professional environments where our input may be perceived differently. By cultivating courage and clarity in communication, we can positively impact our teams and organizations, fostering a culture of openness and continuous improvement.
I’d also add, moving to Nashville, and always maxing out your 401K contributions were both outstanding runner up advice provided to me.