SCO Fall/Winter 2025 | Issue 11 | Page 30

How collaboration and new technology helped UCHealth dodge stockouts
Technology and Innovation

The Next Evolution

How collaboration and new technology helped UCHealth dodge stockouts

By Jonathan Messinger
While it is invisible to a patient’ s eye, ensuring clinicians’ access to needed products is a critical aspect of care. Predicting what storm, manufacturing shortage or trade policy could interrupt the supply chain is a difficult task— as is crafting resiliency
plans to tackle these challenges.
That’ s why Medline has worked closely with UCHealth when it comes to proactive backorder reporting( PBO). The methodology enables customers to identify, review and act on potential supply chain disruptions
. Since inception, this process has been continually refined, thanks in part to feedback from Melissa Rivera, an inventory manager for UCHealth in Colorado. It’ s an example of the close partnership formed with the shared goal of helping patients.
“ In terms of patient care, it doesn’ t just come down to having a really cool platform,” says Rivera.“ It comes down to usability. How does it get products to the clinicians so they are able to provide care? That’ s a huge impact on our community
vege / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images; Olena Opishanska / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
16 SUPPLY CHAIN OPTIMIZATION Issue 11 / 2025