Audio Podcast
Cleveland Clinic performs 300,000 surgeries a year and processes 80,000 instrument sets. Stephen Downey manages the supply chain behind all of it through three words: centralize, standardize, automate. That means enterprise-wide procedure cards, one knee tray, and off-site sterile processing modeled on facilities in Denmark and at Walmart.
Stephen also breaks down how a monthly CEO review of indirect spend changed supply chain’s standing, why healthcare capital utilization lags behind hotels, and what cross-industry benchmarking looks like when you’re sourcing window washing.
Topics discussed:
– Centralizing, standardizing, then automating supply chain
– Enterprise-wide procedure card standardization across all sites
– Monthly CEO review of indirect spend as governance lever
– Embedded sourcing experts within clinical and IT teams
– Cross-industry benchmarking beyond healthcare for services spend
– Capital utilization efficiency lessons from hotels and robotics
– Building automated central service centers modeled on Walmart
– AHRMM leadership and national supply chain case competitions
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About the Guest
Stephen Downey
Chief Supply Chain and Support Services Officer, Cleveland Clinic
About the Host
Eric O'Daffer
Host, Smarter Sourcing: Healthcare
