Congratulations to the Bellwether Class of 2026

John Bardis

John Bardis entering the group purchasing organization (GPO) ring in the mid-1990s was nothing short of executing a half nelson that quickly moved to a cradle on the healthcare industry segment. He acquired one leading national GPO, then added several more companies to the mix to broaden and bulk up its reach into clinical, financial and operational improvement. These efforts homed in on managing physician preference item expenses, linking supply chain technology to revenue cycle to drive financial accuracy and efficiency and bringing renewed interest in delivering on contractual savings outcomes. His efforts were merely a continuation of his earlier impact on healthcare product distribution, equipment manufacturing and provider organization management where he converted eight-digit revenue streams at three different companies to nine-digits, earning awards for his business acumen, foresight and prowess. After selling what became the third-largest GPO for a 10-digit sum, Bardis migrated next to the politcal arena to oversee administrative, human resources and information technology operations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with a mission to control federal agency costs and improve efficiency.

William A. Baum Sr.

William A. Baum Sr. originally worked as a statistical clerk for a large clinic that performed pre-employment and pre-insurance physical examinations and medical testing and noticed a serious problem. He recognized that blood pressure readings from the instruments in use at the time were unreliable. Rather than complain about it or do nothing, Baum spotted an opportunity to improve the product and technique that would become the bedrock and gold standard for blood pressure monitoring for decades to come. In 1910, he created a simple, relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use mercury gravity machine that he called the “Baumanometer,” patented it and built a company around it that continues today to supply physicians and hospitals with the technology. Baum knew what his clinical customers needed to measure certain vital signs and provided reliable products to do the job accurately.

Pamela L. Bryant

Pamela L. Bryant, throughout her healthcare and non-healthcare supply chain career to date, has served as the consummate playmaker for her respective teams. Whether it involved managing operations for an environmental services company that equipped and re-certified buildings for occupancy after renovations to revamping supply chain processes for an orthotics and prosthetics manufacture to leading supply chain operations at a variety of health systems, hospitals and integrated delivery networks (IDNs) navigating through mergers, acquisitions, GPO changes and crises, such as the global COVID-19 pandemic, Bryant consistently developed and implemented intricate plans to keep the supply lines open and flowing. During the pandemic, Bryant’s efforts and achievements attracted countywide interest and recruitment to lead supply chain initiatives for community clinics during the pandemic via her provider organization’s consolidated service center. She also demonstrated her commitment to developing the next generation of supply chain leaders through her “Supply Chain Academy” program and advocated for leadership and workplace diversity for women and minorities.

Joseph R. Colonna

Joseph R. Colonna upends the traditional view of supply chain management, homing in on leadership skill development over improving technical aspects simply because the latter can be taught and learned while the former must be experienced over time. For Colonna, part of leadership development involves engaging administrative, clinical, financial and operational customers as active participants in decision-making and to hone communication, facilitation, marketing and sales skills in ways that benefit the customer, organization and patients served. Colonna has determined how to expand supply chain’s sphere of influence beyond the transactional nature of the department and function to something more strategic and tactical as a true contributor to top-line growth and bottom-line savings. He oversees successful supply chain operations at an award-winning and expanding southeastern IDN that routinely generates millions in cost savings through innovative processes and programs by his dedicated team.

Captain Thomas R. Defibaugh, MSC, USN(RET)

Captain Thomas R. Defibaugh, MSC, USN(RET), while serving as the Commanding Officer of the Naval Medical Logistics Command and the Chief of Logistics for the U.S. Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, ensured that all military forces afloat and at Naval Medical Treatment Facilities around the globe had world-class medical equipment and supplies available through keenly designed and executed supply chain programs in contracting, distribution and logistics. His mentality and philosophy during combat activities or peacetime development was to deliver quality products, services and support so that his customers were “always ready” to act. As the Chief of Logistics for U.S. Navy Medicine, he worked jointly with counterparts in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force to facilitate collaboration and cooperation, a “tri-service” effort to develop cohesive programs, policies and technology to standardize and streamline the military logistics services across branches even as each could support its unique service’s missions.

Jay M. Kirkpatrick

Jay M. Kirkpatrick may be recognized for leading and standardizing processes within large-scale supply chain operations throughout several nationwide organizations, but he continues to concentrate on the granular, redesigning procure-to-pay and distribution models that service member community and rural hospitals in 23 states. Kirkpatrick was an active part of the leadership team in a national investor-owned healthcare system that around the turn of the millennium developed a shared services model comprising one of the first fully centralized procurement and accounts payable platforms in the industry that generated more than $1 billion in cumulative cost savings. Kirkpatrick is known for bringing corporate, divisional and facility leadership together, aligning and integrating device and product, distribution and purchased services strategies with administrative, clinical, financial and operational priorities and their respective leaders.

Debbie Sprindzunas

Debbie Sprindzunas guided the Association for Healthcare Resource and Materials Management (AHRMM) during one of the national group’s most topsy-turvy eras. During her quarter-century tenure of leadership, Sprindzunas served as an effective bridge between the needs of the personal membership group of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the demands of its parent organization. Under her watch, Sprindzunas helped AHRMM’s member-elected leadership navigate through such challenges as the mergers-and-acquisitions frenzy during healthcare reform years under three different presidential administrations, the internet-based electronic commerce bubble, the ongoing supply data standards movement, the emergence of advanced track-and-trace technologies and the rise of information technology integration. She also led AHRMM to weather the industry aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and explore how to keep supply chains flowing during crises. Sprindzunas oversaw AHRMM’s integration of a struggling industry competitor and dealt with a half-dozen competing organizations.

Mark A. Welch, MHA

Mark A. Welch, MHA, played a central role in his provider organization’s growth to a $12-billion multistate system from a $1.5-billion system by driving initiatives that strengthened data integrity, streamlined processes, enhanced supplier relationships and positioned supply chain as a core enabler of patient-focused operations. Under Welch’s leadership, his organization centralized supply chain operations, established a self-distribution model more than two decades ago and launched a successful strategic sourcing division two years later. Welch co-developed and co-led a clinical value initiative with the Chief Medical Officer that effectively engaged physicians and surgeons in value-based decision-making through data transparency, clinical alignment and trust, generating more than $750 million in cost savings during a single decade. Welch also built a nationally recognized leadership team that fostered career development and progress, along with a solid foundation of growth through crisis-driven market volatility.

2025 Future Famers Honored

Future Famers 2026 Future Famers Class of 2026 - Left to Right

Megan Jarrell, MHA, Director, Supply Chain Finance and Analytics, Advocate Health, Charlotte, NC

Javier Allan Rodriguez, Director, Materials Management, University of Texas Southwest Medical Center, Dallas

2024 Future Famers Honored

Future Famers 2024 Future Famers Class of 2024 - Left to Right

Angie Bruns, MHA, Senior Director, Spend Management and Administration, The University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City, KS

Chico Manning, MHA, System Vice President, Enterprise Supply Chain, PIH Health, Whittier, CA

Corey Schmidt, CMRP, MBA, Assistant Director, SHS Operations & Spend Management Integration, The University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City, KS

2023 Future Famers Honored

Future Famers 2023 Future Famers Class of 2023 - Left to right:

Rachel K. Anderson, Corporate Director, Supply Chain, Baptist Health, Montgomery, AL

Jesse L. Stanton, Vice President, Supply Chain, Parkview Health, Fort Wayne, IN

2022 Future Famers Honored

Future Famers 2022 Future Famers Class of 2022 - Left to right

Ryan R. Burke, Vice President, Strategic Sourcing, Pandion Optimization Alliance, Rochester, NY

René A. Gurdián, Assistant Vice President, Supply Chain Finance and Strategy. Ochsner Health, New Orleans, LA

Caroline Marion, Manager, Supply Chain Clinical Engagement and Implementation, Novant Health, Wilmington, NC

Allison T. Tidd, Assistant Vice President, Contracts, Atrium Health/Atrium Health Supply Chain Alliance, Charlotte, NC.

2020 Future Famers Honored

Future Famers 2020 Future Famers Class of 2020 - Left to right:

Hunter Chandler, Director, Supply Chain Information Systems, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC

Jack Koczela, Director of Services, Supply Chain, Froedtert Health Integrated Service Center, Menomonee Falls, WI

Kenneth Scher, CMRP, Vice President, End-to-End Supply Chain, Nexera Inc., New York

2019 Future Famers Honored

Future Famers 2019 Future Famers Class of 2019 - Left to right: Geisinger Health’s Jun B. Amora, Memorial Health System’s Erin M. Bromley, Avera Health’s Sara M. Henderson, Mid-America Service Solutions’ Jessica Rinderle and Dartmout-Hitchcock Health’s Sidney L. Hamilton. Not pictured: The University of Kansas Health System’s Brian A. Dolan.

2018 Future Famers Honored

Future Famers 2018 Future Famers Class of 2018 - Standing (left to right): Troy Compardo, Amy Chieppa and Andy Leaders. Not pictured: Ryan Rotar.

2017 Future Famers Honored

Future Famers 2017 Future Famers Class of 2017 - Standing (left to right): Mark Growcott, Ph.D., Karen Kresnik, R.N., and Ben Cahoy. Not pictured: Derek Havens and Christy Crestin.

2016 Future Famers Honored

Future Famers 2016 Future Famers Class of 2016 - Standing (left to right): Erik Walerius, Nisha Lulla and Rob Proctor. Not pictured: Jimmy Henderson, Kate Polczynski and Baljeet Sangha.

2015 Future Famers Honored

Future Famers 2015 Future Famers Class of 2015 - Standing (left to right): University of Chicago’s Eric Tritch, Ochsner Health’s Will Barrette, Providence Health’s Justin Freed, Mercy Health/St. Rita’s Jason Hays, Parkview Health’s Donna Van Vlerah and Texas Health’s Nate Mickish (back and to the right).

Congratulations to the Ammer Honoree Class of 2026

Neil Allen, Senior Director, Spend Management and Administration, University of Kansas Health System, Mission, KS

2025 Dean S. Ammer Award for Healthcare Supply Chain Performance Excellence

Allison Corry, former Chief Supply Chain Officer, Intermountain Health, Salt Lake City, UT

Jason R. Moulding, FACHE, FAHRMM, Chief Supply Chain Officer & Vice President, Performance Management, MultiCare Health, and President, Myriadd Supply Network and Strategies, Tacoma, WA

2024 Dean S. Ammer Award for Healthcare Supply Chain Performance Excellence

Amanda Chawla, MBA, MHA, FACHE, CMRP, Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Stanford Medicine, Palo Alto, CA

Anand S. Joshi, M.D., MBA, Senior Vice President, Procurement and Strategic Sourcing, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York

2023 Dean S. Ammer Award for Healthcare Supply Chain Performance Excellence

Michael McCullough, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain, Wellstar Health System, Marietta, Google Analytics

Régine Honoré Villain, Vice President, Supply Chain Network and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Ochsner Health, Baton Rouge, LA

2021 Dean S. Ammer Award for Healthcare Supply Chain Performance Excellence

Ammer Award 2021 Donna Van Vlerah, Senior Vice President, Supply & Support Services, Support Division, Parkview Health, Fort Wayne, IN

2020 Dean S. Ammer Award for Healthcare Supply Chain Performance Excellence

Ammer Award 2020 Randy V. Bradley, Ph.D., CPHIMS, FHIMSS, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management and Information Systems, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, Department of Supply Chain Management

2017 Ammer Award Honoree Organization

Ammer Award 2017 Mayo Clinic’s Jim Francis accepts the 2017 Dean S. Ammer Award for Supply Chain Excellence, on behalf of his Ammer Level 5 Supply Chain Organization.

2016 Inaugural Ammer Award

Ammer Award 2016 Michael Louviere accepts the inaugural Dean S. Ammer Award for Supply Chain Excellence on behalf of his Supply Chain team at Ochsner Health System.