SCSHSC Spotlight: Matt Rivers, Prisma Health
In honor of National Health Care Supply Chain Week, SCHA is highlighting members of the SC Society of Healthcare Supply Chain (SCHSC), a professional membership group of the Association.
Matt Rivers is the Director of Supply Chain Operations at Prisma Health, and he currently serves as the President of SCSHC. SCHA asked him a few questions about the field and his service to it in South Carolina.
How many years have you worked in supply chain management?
16 years total; 8 years in the healthcare industry.
What has been your biggest opportunity in the supply chain profession?
Financially speaking, inventory management is the biggest opportunity for cost reduction. As hospital systems get larger through mergers and acquisitions, the need to eliminate product variances through standardization, which is key. The most successful systems will not necessarily be the system that does this the quickest, but will be the systems that develop the most effective process for doing this. I believe the second biggest opportunity is investing in the future leadership of [the] healthcare supply chain [subfield]. No one says they want to be in healthcare supply when they grow up. As current leaders, we need to prepare the next generation to take our place.
Why did you choose to be a leader of the SC Society of Healthcare Supply Chain?
I believe I was initially “voluntold!” Since joining the board, my knowledge of healthcare supply chain has greatly expanded. Having a professional network to rely on has been a saving grace during the COVID 19 pandemic. I have learned more about my profession through my society peers than I have learned from within my own hospital system.
What’s the best part of your job?
I have worked half my career in supply chain outside of healthcare. At the end of the day, it was just about the paycheck. In distribution and manufacturing, you are not close enough to the customer to know your impact. In healthcare, you can see your impact immediately. When I go home, I feel as if I have contributed to the greater good.
To learn about the SC Society of Healthcare Supply Chain (SCSHSC) professional membership group, click here.