Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) Teresa Dail, RN, was recently named among the top 12 “Women Leaders in Supply Chain” by The Journal of Healthcare Contracting.
As VUMC’s Chief Supply Chain Officer, Dail oversees the institution’s $1 billion supply chain. Supply chain, in the broadest sense, includes everything from value analysis (VUMC’s Medical Economic Outcomes Committee process), contracting, procurement and accounts payable to the logistics of receiving and inventory and equipment management.
In her role, Dail constantly strives to improve operations and optimize the use of data and clinical outcomes to help drive product standardization and utilization to reduce the total cost of care.
“My goal is for supply chain to become fully aligned clinically to ensure optimum quality of care at the most effective cost,” Dail said.
In 2014 Dail established the Vanderbilt Supply Chain Collaborative and Supply Chain Consulting, which aligns synergies including volume aggregation, new service model creation and idea sharing with more than 40 hospitals and non-acute care facilities nationwide.
“It’s not a single person, but rather, people, who have been the key influencers in my nursing career and my supply chain career,” Dail said.
“I have been fortunate enough to have leaders who gave me a chance to explore new territory and develop into a new role. That experience has allowed me to be a risk-taker and to encourage our team to collaborate and think outside the box.”
