Value Analysis has come a long way in our industry, reaching new and more advanced levels. This progress has been supported by key leaders who continually push the field forward. One such leader — and the distinguished guest of our VA Leadership Interview in this issue — is Karen Niven, who has just completed her term as President of the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP). I intentionally waited until the conclusion of Karen’s presidency to request this interview, knowing that the perspective gained from those two years in office would offer invaluable insight. And although her term as President has ended, Karen’s work is far from finished. She continues to serve as a trusted AHVAP board member and an influential leader within the organization. By joining the distinguished group of AHVAP Presidents, Karen brings a unique and timely viewpoint to our discussion. Her recent leadership experience — as well as her ongoing Value Analysis leadership roles at AHVAP and Premier Inc. — promises to deliver meaningful insights, strategies, and, most importantly, a forward-looking vision that can help shape the future of your Value Analysis Program.
HCVAUMM: Could you share a little bit about your history in the Healthcare Value Analysis world and how it eventually led you to be the President of AHVAP?
I serve as the Senior Director of Clinical Value Analysis for Premier, which is one of the nation’s three Group Purchasing Organizations. In this role, I lead our strategic value analysis initiatives and assist with driving evidence-based value analysis principles across our enterprise and facilitate adoption with our member healthcare facilities. This role had natural synergies with my volunteer leadership role with AHVAP, where I have enjoyed many opportunities to lead strategic change in the specialty. As President of the Board of Directors of AHVAP for the past two years, I am most proud of our advancement of the specialty through the multi-disciplinary work in defining the specialty, creating best practices, and fostering collaboration across disciplines to include Industry Partners, all with the intention of helping patients and caregivers.
HCVAUMM: How did you know that Value Analysis was the right field to be working in in the Healthcare Supply Chain?
As a clinician and nursing leader by background, my first passion is always the patient. Value analysis is the conduit that brings evidence-based care through the form of medical products, technologies, and devices to the patients that desperately need them. It combines all facets of modern healthcare delivery including clinical, operational, financial, and outcomes. It’s a natural fit for those looking to truly transform healthcare from the inside, while continuing to place the patient at the very center of every intervention.
HCVAUMM: Who were some of your early influences and/or mentors in your Value Analysis career? What impact did they have on you?
My mentor, Gail Reagan, was the first person I ever worked for. I am a self-described problem solver and Gail was an implementer. Together, we were the dynamic duo that transformed the way that we delivered care at our hospital in the perianesthesia department. From the very onset of our relationship, a mutual respect and trust was established that has lasted my entire career and built a strong foundation of the value of partnership. These core principles still apply to my national work across the specialty of healthcare value analysis.
HCVAUMM: Congratulations on your successful AHVAP Presidency! What are some important insights you could share that you didn’t realize you would experience?
I think most notably, I have been impressed by the power of bringing every key stakeholder to the “dinner table.” This includes strategic partners such as Industry, Governmental leaders, and key association partners such as AORN. By fostering a culture of collaboration, healthcare value analysis has been better served in advancing core best practices across the entire healthcare continuum. We cannot afford to exist in the ways of the past as healthcare is a dynamic sport that requires ongoing agility from us as a specialty.
HCVAUMM: If you could share one or two key takeaways from your AHVAP Presidency with AHVAP members, what would they be, and why are they important?
This is an easy one for me – Always keep your true north front and center and lead with integrity, kindness, accountability, and show gratitude. The power of a small “thank you” goes a long way with overworked and stressed healthcare professionals. People want to know how much you care, and we, as leaders, need to tell them!
HCVAUMM: It is often said that healthcare value analysis is just scratching the surface of the true capabilities of this unique methodology in healthcare. What are your thoughts on this? Is the future bright for healthcare value analysis?
For many years, healthcare value analysis has primarily focused on cost reductions and savings, and while reducing costs is important, it should not be the primary driver in healthcare value analysis professional practice. Healthcare value analysis’s primary focus must be on bringing evidence-based practices to each patient’s bedside with an intentional emphasis on high quality and improving outcomes. High quality healthcare doesn’t have to cost more. Healthcare value analysis programs must expand their focus beyond cost and primarily focus on high quality care delivery.
HCVAUMM: I’m sure you have had this conversation many times, but for our readers, what would you say to a new Value Analysis Nurse/Practitioner who has just entered the VA world and wants to do all the right things for their education and their own health system’s VA Program?
First, immerse yourself in the countless professional resources available to you as a member of AHVAP! Second, find a peer mentor that you can bounce questions and ideas off of. Join the AHVAP Executive Leaders Fellowship Program and commit to advancing your professional practice. Don’t rely on your employer to drive your professional growth, that is our responsibility to drive our own growth. Start with building competency with the value analysis essentials, and don’t lose sight of the important soft skills such as collaboration, communication, and the appropriate use of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. AHVAP is in the process of releasing a newly developed Value Analysis Program Maturity model that can be utilized to guide a healthcare facility’s progress as well.
Interview with:
Karen Niven, MS, BSN, RN, CVAHPTM, FACHDM, FAHVAP
Karen is the Senior Director of Clinical Value Analysis at Premier, Inc. and is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors for the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP).
Articles you may like:
