First I want to thank you our members and our Board for the privilege of my new role in WSHMMA of becoming your President for the next two years. I do not take this responsibility lightly and hope to use my skills, abilities and knowledge to build upon our past Presidents and Boards efforts to meet our Associations objectives.

I'd like to begin by thanking Roberta Wilson, Past President and our Board for an excellent 46th Annual conference this last month. Seaside, OR continues to be a favored site for our Oregon conference. There was record attendance with 57 members and 30 Vendor booths with 64+ vendor representatives. The education sessions, networking and food were great and we had a lot of fun. We owe a lot of thanks to our Vendors that contributed and participated in our conference to make it the success that it was.

During the Supply Chain Jeopardy game we not only had fun and learned more about the CMRP exam and our Vendors we were also able to give away nice door prizes Scholarships for WSHMMA registrations and an AHRMM membership. This was also made possible thanks to our Vendor support.

Please note our Board members for 2010-2011 and our At Large members listed in this newsletter. We welcome all and thank them for volunteering to keep WSHMMA strong and growing.

Under Roberta's excellent leadership, dedication and hard work along with our engaged Board and growing membership we were able to achieve the AHRMM Gold Affiliate Status again for the 4th year in a row.

“Go WSHMMA!”

The 48th Annual AHRMM conference will be in Denver, CO this year (August 1-4, 2010). I encourage those of you who can to attend this wonderful opportunity to learn more about our profession, network, get CEU's and have fun as well to get involved by volunteering for an AHRMM committee.

Have a wonderful remainder of Spring and Summer and Stay safe.

Donna Bean
President, WSHMMA

2010 WSHMMA Annual Conference – Seaside, OR
Shanna Oberbeck
CMRP, President-elect WSHMMA

Conference In Review And Survey Results

Leading through the Northwest Materials Passage was a great success
this year! The attendance was good and lots of great topics for thought and discussion.

Our President, Roberta Wilson, gave a heartfelt speech this year as she passed the baton to Donna Bean, the new President. Both Roberta and Donna did a fantastic job putting this year's conference together with the help of the other board members.

We had some very interesting speakers that touched on subjects that are both relevant and engaging. The CMRP review was very informative, as always.

Jeff Veilleux, CFO from Swedish Medical Center, had the audience captivated with the current and relevant subject of Where are we in Healthcare, Where will we be in 2015? The reviews from the attendees were in agreement it was a great subject given with a lot of good insight.

The Power of Positive Leadership and Negative Nellies in the workplace were the two subjects that Beth Hannley presented. She was very “dynamic and funny”. She gave a great presentation that the reviews said had “good bits of information” “great stories” and everyone enjoyed her style and interaction. The comments from the audience of both presentations were very positive and said they had many great take-aways.

The reviews said that the presentation given by Kathi Jellicoe-Pressley “provided insight” and a lot of good information on the subject of You’re the Proud Owner of a New or Slightly Used Clinic. It was an interesting topic and very well done.

Prevention of Retained Foreign Objects by Jane Kennedy was not a subject for everyone. There was some interesting information, but to some it felt more like a sales pitch. A suggestion was made from a reviewer that perhaps having more of an MM perspective would have helped.

The H1N1 and other Healthcare Plagues discussion given by Ken Fortune and Michael Moore, was impressive, and there was a lot of welcomed discussion from the audience. Great networking and a lot of give and take.

Lessons in Leadership from the Hollywood stars started out our last day at the coast. This was another very highly rated presentation by the audience. The speaker, William J. Duffy was an inspiration and gave us excellent examples of leadership.

Then we heard from Michael McCaffrey and Dave Menne on Par Optimization. Some of the review comments were “Great ideas” and “wealth of information and useful” and “a nuts and bolts way to look at optimizing supply stocking”.

And last, but by no means least, we heard from the AHRMM President, our very own home grown Ray Moore. The reviews on AHRMM’s future Direction and Your Initiatives were great, (no surprise here!) Ray is an inspiration to us all. The reviews said Ray's “commitment is evident” and there was a lot of “great information and updates”. It was an inspiring way to close the conference and left us all with a lot of food for thought.

As for the meeting room and food, according to the reviews it could have been better. The climate was too cold for some and too noisy for others. It was suggested that we plan the breaks and food served at the breaks a little differently.

Gold Nugget
Presidential words of wisdom from WSHMMA’s past

"I really do believe that if something is worthwhile, which healthcare truly is, it is worth doing right. Nobody can accomplish goals without the help and support of others. The key then is to surround yourself with diverse and talented people, each with their own skills and perspectives, who share your desire to "get it right," then find ways to allow them to contribute and participate in achieving common goals and, ultimately, success."
— Jack Gallagher

Welcome to WSHMMA
Valerie Bailey
CMRP, FAHRMM, Vice-President WSHMMA

I am pleased to welcome WSHMMA's newest members, and give a hearty Welcome Back to returning WSHMMA members. Our membership is growing — it was such a pleasure to see folks hurrying to gather more chairs for the conference sessions!

Many of the wonderful ideas and suggestions all of you share at the annual conference and throughout the year are also shared at the national level by our Region 9 representative Kathi Pressley. And don't forget to check the WSHMMA web site, which has daily healthcare headline updates and links to education and networking sites.
Our At Large representatives are: Jason Moulding, Western Washington; Rick Swagwan, Eastern Washington & Idaho; Lisa Atkins, Oregon and Scott Coleman-Special Projects. Jason, Scott, Rick, Lisa and I want to be your membership liaisons.

We would enjoy hearing from you throughout the year - what's happening in your facility or your region; ideas or suggestions to share; or any other topic or question you may have. If you have an idea for an article in the quarterly newsletter let us know. Don't be shy!

I believe the more interactive we are, the better we all will be.

Membership News

Congratulations to our new 2010 CMRP's:
I challenge those of you that don’t have the CMRP yet to make this the year that you will obtain this distinction. Donna Bean, President WSHMMA

• April K. Levins- Bellevue, WA
• Danielle M. Malins,-Seattle, WA

Congratulations to our WSHMMA winners:
These winners were selected at the annual conference after the completion of the Supply Chain Jeopardy game.

• Eric Hao for the 2010 WSHMMA registration
• Gerald Martin for the 2011 WSHMMA registration
• Pat Hinthorn for the AHRMM membership

Let’s keep those NEW memberships coming in. We need your support to continue.

Remember, your membership benefits include:

• Regional Education conference
• Networking opportunities
• Professional forum for Solutions
• Access to National AHRMM/AHA Services
• Promotion of the Materials Management Profession
• Newsletters and Membership Communication

Member Profile — Jack Gallagher
Kathi Jellicoe-Pressley
MScHA, CMRP, FAHRMM, Past President WSHMMA, AHRMM Region 9 Representative

Do You Know Jack?

I do. Jack is one of our two most recent recipients of the WSHMMA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jack began college studying Educational Psychology and English in Buffalo, New York where he grew up. Jack first worked in hospital food service while in college, served ten years in the US Air Force as a photographer, air crew member, and contracting officer. He left the Air Force while living in Great Falls, Montana and went into wholesale grocery and later financial products sales management.

With a varied background in supplies, contracting, and sales, Jack realized how much he wanted to be a part of something that helped people and contributed to community. He began his healthcare Materials Management career at Saint Vincent Hospital in Billings, Montana and became Director of Materials Management at Billings Deaconess Medical Center before coming to his current position of Materials and Supply Chain Director at Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton, Washington. In his various roles he has been affecting innovation and change in developing comprehensive systems for materials and supply chain management.

Jack is known by his peers as something of a rogue, appropriately questioning established practices and embarking on previously considered unconventional paths and methods, but always with much forethought and planning. With this same strategy, Jack has served our profession passionately as President of the Montana Society of Materials Managers, President of WSHMMA, and a long term member of ARHMM. He was one of the first recipients to earn the Certified Materials & Resource Professional designation and has inspired many of us to pursue this also.

Jean, Jack's wife, has been by his side since they met in Buffalo and has been by his side ever since. They have three adult children and three grandchildren. As if Jack is not busy enough professionally, he has taught business classes through the Small Business Administration, is a member of a local Rotary International Club, and continues to enjoy photography, golf, oil painting, and bicycling.

Most recently, Jack has become very concerned with the issues of homelessness and has worked with the local YWCA as a financial management trainer for staff who assists abused women. Jack's skill at drawing out “what people really believe in” and his endeavor to help others understand the “whys” of life serve him in both his professional and volunteer roles.

Jack is always ready to take on a challenge. He's planning and training to ride the Seattle to Portland bicycle tour this summer. If you see him somewhere along the 200 mile route give him a wave. Even though Jack claims he may not make it the whole way, it is this same sense of initiative accompanied by an inquiring mind that makes him valuable to our profession. How will he surprise us next?

Scholarships

The following scholarships are available for AHRMM and WSHMMA events:

1. A $500 scholarship to offset costs to attend the ARHMM conference. Applications must be received by WSHMMA no later than June 25, 2010. All applicants will be notified by July 1, 2010. Applicants must submit verification of attendance at AHRMM to be reimbursed the $500. Applications should be emailed to Valerie Bailey at VBailey@peacehealth.com
2. Two CMRP vouchers to cover registration costs to take your CMRP certification Exam. Contact Valerie Bailey at VBailey@peacehealth.com for an application. Applications must be received by 9/15/10 and vouchers used by 12/31/10. Visit www.WSHMMA.org for an application.

AHRMM Update May-June 2010
Kathi Jellicoe-Pressley
MScHA, CMRP, FAHRMM, Past President WSHMMA, AHRMM Region 9 Representative

AHRMM 2010 Beckons You to join us in “Transforming the Future”. The conference takes place in Denver Colorado from August 1-4. You can enhance your role in the Supply Chain through presentation attendance and networking. Please join me in taking speaking with peers, exploring the vendor exhibits and discovering more about relevant supply chain topics and healthcare trends.

Even if you are not able to attend, I want to share that AHRMM is metamorphing to reflect our diversity within the supply chain. AHRMM's Board of Directors recently voted to adopt a new governance structure that impacts AHRMM's election process and guidelines. The new governance model affects the way board members and officers are elected. Currently AHRMM's board seats are determined by region, and only members of that region of the country may vote to fill relevant board vacancies. In the new governance model, board seats will be determined by area of service within the healthcare supply chain: healthcare provider, GPO/consultant/supplier/distributor, and the military. Seven seats will be allocated to providers; two seats to non-providers; and one seat to the military. This change will allow all AHRMM members to vote for each open board seat. Board members elected under the new model will be phased in over the next three years, starting with the 2011 elections held in August, 2010.

The new governance model also calls for changes to board officer positions. Currently, AHRMM has a President (ergo President-Elect, Past President) elected by the membership. AHRMM will be migrating to a Chair/Chair-Elect/Past Chair model, with the Chair position elected by the seated Board of Directors. Effective 2012, AHRMM will add the role of Chair-Elect and eliminate the role of President-Elect to its board positions.

As for the 2011 elections that open at this year's annual conference, every AHRMM member will vote for the President-Elect position, two healthcare provider board seats, and one GPO/consultant/supplier/distributor board seat. This change allows for all AHRMM members to vote for every seat on the Board of Directors. By 2013, the seated Board of Directors will have been elected by the entire voting AHRMM membership.

If you are interested in running for a board seat or President-Elect this year, please contact AHRMM at (312) 422-3840 or bmccoy@aha.org to request a candidate packet. The packet contains candidate rules and regulations, an election schedule, application form, ethical conduct statement, conflict of interest statement, professional reference form, responsibilities and criteria, and Nominating Committee member contact information. The deadline for President-Elect and board member candidates is June 4, 2010.

If you have questions or concerns about the governance changes, please Kathi Pressley, kpressley@olympicmedical.org.

2011 Annual Conference

The top two conference sites for April 13-15/2011, chosen by members through the survey that was completed at the conference are: #1 Vancouver, WA and #2 Bremerton, WA.

The board is reviewing the proposals and will we will announce the location in our next newsletter so stay tuned.

Vendor Fair Get’s Rave Reviews
Roberta Wilson
CMRP, Past President WSHMMA

The vendor fair was another successful networking session at the Annual Spring Conference. 30 Vendors participated in this event. WSHMMA is able to present continuing education because of continued vendor support.
This year we played "Jeopardy - WSHMMA style". Answers generated the questions which related to our vendors products and their delivery systems along with WSHMMA history, CMRP review and Supply Chain.

This year there were 2 compasses (no not real ones) randomly placed in 2 vendor booths that were prize winners. Rewards for answering correctly ranged from gift cards to gift baskets to a GPS compass.

The energy in the room along with the sounds of interaction, laughter and reconnections were a great indicator of success.

A big thank you to the vendors, attendees and the WSHMMA board for pulling off another successful vendor fair.
We look forward to seeing each of you next year!