COVID-19 has transformed the health care industry in ways that were not thought possible. The stories of loss and suffering and the images of families isolated in their apartments and homes are harrowing. These images will be a constant reminder of the struggle that came at the beginning of 2020 and persisted through the next 16 months.

During these challenging times, health care providers were in the spotlight and on the frontlines working to defeat COVID-19. Another section of the health care industry had a very different spotlight on it: the health care supply chain.

Through all the chaos, the dedicated professionals who worked the supply chain were behind the scenes quietly saving lives. As Mr. Rogers once said, when he was scared, his mother told him to “look for the helpers.” Through these awards, we acknowledge their commitment and service by presenting two teams with these inaugural awards.

The Heartbeat of Healthcare awards acknowledge two vital players in our industry: providers and suppliers!

Congratulations to the providers’ winner, Stanford Medicine Supply Team and the suppliers’ winner, DeRoyal Industries.

The Heartbeat of Healthcare Awards Committee also surprised Kerry Price, our FAH Senior Vice President, Operations, with an honorary award for her dedication to the industry.

Stanford Medicine was described by their nominator, Amanda Chawla, as “beyond phenomenal, not just in having met the needs of every individual crisis and shortage, but also in the robust and resilient systems it has enabled.” Additionally, the way they approached the crisis was characterized as “the team immediately recognized that they would have to not just think outside the box; they redefined our normal as there is no box. But one word seemed to pop up across the nomination: “heroic.”

DeRoyal Industries was nominated by the University of Tennesse Medical Center’s VP of Supply Chain Ron Collins, who said the supplier-side team’s work and dedication were “instrumental” when it came to keeping the supply chain up and running. Because of DeRoyal’s work “UTMC spent less time focusing on dwindling supplies and was able to move forward with necessary procedures knowing our supply is well-stocked, and that they are willing and able to respond to ordinary and extraordinary challenges.”

Collins also praised DeRoyal’s dedication to inclusion and collaboration saying they helped so many during the pandemic.

Congratulations to all the Heartbeat of Healthcare nominees and award winners!

You can learn more about the award and see a complete list of nominees here.