For our 2025 State of Healthcare Supply Chain Survey, we asked supply chain leaders about their biggest challenges and top priorities. Association leaders came together to discuss the results and give their insights on today’s most urgent healthcare supply chain challenges. Our incredible panel included those from the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM), the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP), SMI, and Bellwether League Foundation. I had the privilege of moderating this webinar roundtable hosted by Becker’s Healthcare and sponsored by symplr—it was an hour packed with insights, passion, and, most importantly, actionable ideas.
The theme of our discussion centered on one question we all face daily in this industry: How do we continue impacting the quality of care in a world riddled with escalating disruptions, staffing challenges, and cost pressures?
The quality of care in the face of constraints
What stood out during the webinar was the shared focus on patients as our North Star. At the end of the day, every supply chain decision connects to a patient. Whether it’s a central line kit or a Band-Aid, there’s real impact. One of the panelists, Dr. Hudson Garrett, PhD, of AHVAP, said it best when he reminded us that care teams and patients alike deserve “perfect care.” That’s the expectation we hold ourselves to, but disruptive forces—from product shortages to backorders to staffing gaps—make delivering it more difficult than ever.
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Our 2025 Supply Chain Survey confirmed what we already know, with nearly 36% of healthcare supply chain leaders naming supply chain disruptions as their top concern for 2025, outranking traditional cost concerns. 69% of those surveyed foresee these disruptions continuing or worsening over the coming year.
Yet, amidst this turbulence, there’s room for optimism. Collaboration and innovation are essential tools each of us can lean into. During our discussion, we shared examples of how coordinated processes, data transparency, and clinical integration are helping teams weather the storm. The ultimate goal? To prioritize the precise products and resources patients need without overburdening care teams or breaking budgets.
The cost of escalating disruptions
Speaking of budgets, let’s not sugarcoat this. Supply chain disruptions have yet another ripple effect—increasing healthcare costs. 56% of our survey respondents reported that their cost-cutting pressures will intensify in the coming fiscal year.
The cracks in supply chain continuity, whether caused by tariff threats or geopolitical unrest, are becoming costly. Think of it like patching holes in a bucket full of water—we’re losing resources faster than many of us can fix them. The number of conversations happening now about backorders, alternative suppliers, and juggling clinical needs has skyrocketed in hospitals across the country. Too often, this forces care teams to pivot on a dime.
During the webinar, Barbara Strain, Chairman of the Board at Bellwether League, highlighted how proactively mitigating risk and building agility into processes can relieve these cost pressures. Yet, as Jane Pleasants, President of SMI, added, our efforts must go beyond plugging holes and should instead shift toward building sustainable, collaborative relationships between providers and suppliers. We’ve preached the importance of trust in supplier partnerships for years. It’s time we take those conversations to the next level.
