West Virginia University global supply chain management students learned how their field interacts with health care during a dinner and discussion at Mon Health Medical Center on Monday.
“I’m glad the kids are here to learn more about supply chain and maybe the next director of supply chain is coming out of this class,” said David Goldberg, president and CEO of Mon Health System.
Michala Luck, senior global supply chain management student and president of WVU’s Supply Chain Management Association, cold-called Goldberg to see what he could teach the club about how the supply chain interacts with health care.
She said the club does a lot of outreach like that to help students get experiential learning.
John Saldanha, Sears chair in global supply chain management and associate professor, said hands-on learning is essential.
“Where do doctors and nurses learn? On the job right?” Saldanha said.
He said while what students learn about business and economics in a classroom does translate to the real world, things change so rapidly and dynamically now that real-world education is the best way to keep up with the changing environment.
Some of Saldanha’s students are working with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture to develop concepts, ideas and implement projects that will change the agency’s distribution network for the National School Lunch program that 53 counties participate in.
Supply chain management is the management of raw materials components and finished goods from their source to the consumer, Saldanha said. Supply chain professionals are also responsible for making sure those items are repaired, refurbished and sent back at the end of their life.
Kenneth Schultz, assistant professor of global supply chain management, said people don’t really think about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making sure doctors have what they need.
Bob Hardy, director of purchasing materials management at Mon Health, said the supply chain in health care is, ultimately, about the patients.
“We support patient care,” he said. “So, it is about having the right items at the right time at the right place to take care of patients.”
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