Looking back at the last four months, how many webinars, articles, and conversations about AI have you received in your inbox? How about DEI and health equity segments through your news outlets? Clean energy and environmental sustainability on your social feeds? For the sake of time and effort, we’ll say it’s safe to assume that for most of us, they tally way into double digits. We’re at the dawn of the most rapid advancements and the highest aging patient population healthcare has ever experienced, which will inevitably impact the future of value analysis. It’s a lot to process.

Let’s explore actionable strategies for building future-ready value analysis teams. These strategies will harness the strengths of each generation, retain emerging talent, embrace innovative technologies, and foster inclusivity while aligning with healthcare’s evolving needs. We’ll also explore challenges our industry must overcome to adapt to this dynamic and drive successful outcomes.

Making Room on the Bench

In the last article, we left off with a challenge to assess your current team’s demographics to determine whether you’re capturing next-gen and diverse representation of communities you serve. Consider some (or all!) of the recommendations below for making tweaks to even out your roster or a complete overhaul.

• Refresh the Current Lineup: Circumstances and motivations change. Chances are, you’ve got folks on your teams who say “Yes” but think and display “No.” For every meeting, someone merely holds down a chair and progress is stifled. Turf, tenure, and title don’t automatically equal results. Breaking down healthcare’s deep-rooted hierarchical culture is not for the faint of heart, but a universal assessment approach can provide facts to back decisions.
  • Conduct a performance review of existing members, assessing their engagement, contributions, and alignment with team goals.
  • Identify members who might be disengaged or habitually absent from meetings.
  • Use peer and leadership feedback to gain insights into each member’s value to the team.
  • Set up time with each member to understand their individual situations. Providing a private and nonjudgmental space where people don’t feel called out can give tremendous insight into how to assemble your future team.

• Scouting and Calling Up New Talent: Department and service line leaders are your gateway to finding the right people for your teams. Consider a call to action using the following:
  • Managers to evaluate their employees’ goals and interests during reviews.
  • Seek out individuals who consistently demonstrate problem-solving traits that align with the VA team’s needs.
  • Career growth aspiration inquiries: Adding a generic question such as, “Are you looking for opportunities to contribute to cross-departmental initiatives?” to gauge interest.
  • Highlight opportunities in VA by educating employees about the critical role that VA teams play in organizational success and how these roles align with broader goals, such as improved patient outcomes, end user safety/ease of use, and cost reduction.

• Dept./Svc. Line Champion Programs: Championing VA efforts doesn’t need to be exclusive to your monthly meetings. Implementing programs similar to those like IP’s Hand Hygiene or QI’s Continued Readiness can:
  • Enhance engagement, foster innovation, and drive collaboration within healthcare organizations.
  • Empowering champions with leadership opportunities gives them ownership of projects and positions them as liaisons between their teams and broader organizational strategies.
  • Collaboration and networking create opportunities for champions across departments to share experiences and best practices.

• New Positions/Responsibilities: Adding less experienced members to your roster can be a game-changer for your team and your organization by capturing the upskills the next generation is looking for and providing employees whose backgrounds may not meet current criteria with a sense of ownership. (Bonus: Your meetings will be more productive and dynamic.) Get creative and resourceful!
  • Pathway programs built for junior members allow for a “homegrown” approach. They can learn VA fundamentals and your specific processes before contributing to decision-making.
  • Assess any time-draining administrative tasks that can be reassigned from your facilitators’ plates.
  • Make a list of all your enhancement ideas that would take your meetings to the next level (e.g., dashboards or clinical metrics data from previous implementations) but have been tabled due to time constraints. Identify who can bring them to fruition.

• Open Invitations: If your meetings resemble those of an underground secret society with entrance considered only for those with several letters after their name, this can stifle innovation and lead to biased decisions. Consider opening a few meetings to guests to spark curiosity and interest in those looking for growth opportunities.

Appointing vs. Recruiting

Our industry relies heavily on old-school organizational structure methods, like appointing members to teams and committees. It’s not shameful or wrong. It’s just how we’ve done it forever, but we all know this hinders progress and innovation. Let’s compare these strategies to gain a deeper understanding of their differences.

Appointing	Recruiting
Can appear opaque, leading to perceptions of favoritism or bias.	Demonstrates fairness and equal opportunity, fostering trust among those who may aspire to contribute.
May limit diverse voices and experiences, as the process may rely on familiar or traditional candidates.	Attracts a broader pool of candidates, leading to more diverse perspectives and skill sets.
May lead to reduced buy-in as peers may feel less ownership or connection to an appointed committee, especially if they had no input in the selection process.	Ensures positions are filled by genuinely motivated and engaged individuals, resulting in increased productivity at meetings.
Members may lack intrinsic passion or personal alignment with the role’s objectives, which could potentially impact their performance and commitment.	Aids in ensuring interests and alignment with the organization and team’s values and missions.
Often relies heavily on familiarity, seniority, past relationships, or traditional criteria, which can perpetuate outdated practices and reduce innovation.	Emphasizes the right competencies, enthusiasm, and passions, creating opportunities for high-performing employees to progress based on merit rather than tenure or existing hierarchy.

Training Gaps and Opportunities

Initial training and continued education are typically requirements for any role. Yet, many organizations fall short on these regarding their VA teams. Most certifications and credential offerings have been geared towards those who report under the Supply Chain umbrella or whose primary roles are in the VA arena. For larger systems with multiple teams and members, these options aren’t conducive from a time, commitment, and budgetary standpoint. Consider these alternatives:

• Assess your current onboarding and continued education processes.
• Identify your members’ educational strengths and weaknesses.
• Develop standard onboarding materials that outline the key elements of your value analysis process (e.g. new product requests, product conversions, recall management, and cost optimization).
• Create files/documentation for all training and in-servicing (great task for a new junior member!).
• Explore resources:
  • Industry Organizations
    • Group Discount Memberships
    • Micro-Certifications and Associate Level Certifications
  • Formal VA Education Services that capture all members
  • Utilize individual memberships for resources to create learning content
  • Partner with your staff development/education department to create CBLs
  • Network with VA Leaders from other organizations for insight and ideas

Mentoring and Leadership Development

We’ve focused on the necessities of bringing new members on board, but this in no way discredits your established contributors or minimizes their value. Their expertise and guidance will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of your teams. Implement opportunities for collaboration that foster mutual respect. Nurses are notorious for “eating their young”. Be mindful when assembling cross-generational programs to ensure the right fit.

• Cross-Generational Mentorship: Mentorship programs bridge generational gaps, pairing seasoned leaders (Baby Boomers, Gen X) with younger employees (Millennials, Gen Z) to exchange fresh ideas and established wisdom. Create programs where younger employees mentor senior leaders on digital trends, while gaining insights from experienced mentors about leadership and industry dynamics.
• Leadership Development Programs: For positions with the VA Team, participation in role responsibilities, shadowing activities, and structured education should be considered to ensure competency before contributing. Further, incorporating an introduction to VA as a requirement for all operational leaders expands reach and can reduce pushbacks due to a lack of understanding.
• Rotational Programs: Provide exposure to various organizational roles, including Value Analysis roles, facilitate learning, and foster a holistic understanding of the organization.
• Partner with Educational Institutions to shape internships tailored to healthcare’s evolving needs.

Technology and Innovation

If you haven’t developed a relationship with your IT/IS/Data teams yet, mark it as a top to-do. *Spoiler Alert: You’re going to need them. SOON.*

AI platforms, data visualization software, predictive analytics, and wearable health technologies are the future of healthcare, yet most VA leaders probably haven’t started planning in this space. Attending webinars and dabbling in self-taught learning modules are essential for gaining fundamentals. Still, you wouldn’t want Dan from IT to insert a PICC line after watching a video tutorial and answering ten multiple-choice questions. Leave this to the pros and get them at your table ASAP.

Tech-Led Innovation Opportunities for Next-Gen and Emerging Talent

• Invite them to propose automation solutions or new tools for streamlining VA processes, like AI-driven procurement systems or predictive analytics for healthcare supply chains.
• Hackathons or innovation challenges to generate fresh ideas and build engagement.
• Partner with these departments to conduct training programs for your teams that focus on advanced technologies for healthcare logistics, such as machine learning, telehealth platforms, or blockchains.

Value Analysis Teams of Tomorrow and Beyond the Hospital Walls

There’s a ton of information and opinions about anticipated changes in healthcare over the next 10 years. While some high-tech algorithms and predictive AI analytics may yield more accurate predictions…I fall into the webinar and self-taught dabbling group. The information and timelines below are my predictions based on trends, articles, and unofficial research. They are intended to be a forward-thinking guide for areas to keep your eye on and stay ahead of the game.

Now – 2 Years	3 – 4 Years	5 – 10 Years
HIS/IT/Data BioMed Change Mgmt./Digital Transformation Experts Physician Practice Committees ASC Committees Mid-Level Providers	Environmental Sustainability Vendor Diversity Case Mgmt. SNFs/Rehabs Patient Experience Reps Revenue Integrity Ethics/Policy Specialists Hospital-at-Home	Systems Engineers Community/Patient Reps Pre-Hospital (County/Local EMS) Preventive Care County/State/Federal Regulatory

The ever-changing and rapidly advancing world won’t wait for us to be ready. Let’s be realistic, keeping up in real-time isn’t going to happen either. But we can prepare for the future if we pay attention to its queues.

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Article By:

Leslie Sullivan, RN, CMRP, CVAHP, has been a registered nurse for 19 years, building her clinical and leadership foundation in the ER and Procedural Endoscopy spaces. She transitioned from the bedside to begin her Supply Chain and Value Analysis journey in 2018. Since then, she has delivered transformative solutions that streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes. Her passion and commitment to building relationships through authenticity, transparency, and empathy have been key to her success in the healthcare industry.

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