Cindy McKeon, Bothwell Regional Health Center’s Laboratory Services director, has been named a QHR representative to HealthTrust’s Laboratory Advisory Board for a three-year term.
QHR Plus helps independent hospitals achieve cost savings and connects hospitals with HealthTrust, a group purchasing organization (GPO) that negotiates prices for drugs, devices and other medical products and services on behalf of hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, physician practices, nursing homes and home health agencies.
HealthTrust advisory boards are comprised of member clinicians, leaders and supply chain representatives who are subject matter experts in their respective fields. Board members actively participate in supplier and product evaluations providing clinical direction to the sourcing team regarding contracting strategies that help match the highest quality products with industry-leading prices from suppliers.
McKeon was nominated to the 25-member Laboratory Advisory Board by April Loy, Supply Chain director for QHR Plus, who worked closely with her when Bothwell partnered with QHR Plus. Loy said McKeon’s professional skills will be an asset to the board.
“Cindy not only has the relevant qualifications through her education and certifications to serve on this board but many other skills,” Loy said. “She displays leadership, makes logical decisions and is an excellent communicator, especially when working with people outside her field and department.”
With 27 years of health care laboratory experience, McKeon is well-qualified to serve on the board. She has worked at Bothwell since 2007 and directs a team of 40 that performs tests on clinical specimens such as blood or urine and analyzes results to detect, diagnose and treat many diseases. She has bachelor's degrees in Biology and Medical Technology, a master’s degree in Chemistry, an MBA and is board-certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the gold standard in global certification for medical laboratory professionals.
McKeon said she is honored to have been asked to be a member of the Laboratory Advisory Board.
“Over my career, I’ve worked at hospitals that have 25 to 1,000 beds and purchased equipment worth millions of dollars,” she said. “As an active working director, I know firsthand the staff's perspective and can also look ahead to future needs. I hope to bring my experience and perspective to the board that will be beneficial.”
Bothwell’s partnership with QHR Plus and HealthTrust means it can bring the purchasing power and negotiating leverage of large organizations to smaller organizations and ultimately save money when purchasing equipment or contracting for services.
The hospitals that access HealthTrust through QHR Plus save over an estimated $50 million annually versus competitive GPOs and additional $5.5 million in annual savings by leveraging the PLUS economies of scale.
