What’s the best thing about your job?
To coin a phrase “the diversity of it”. Because of the supply management element I have the opportunity to find vendors to meet the needs of internal nursing departments as well as non-clinical departments. I also have the task of speaking with new vendors that are seeking to do business with MHS.

How long have you worked with MHS?

I’m on my 6th year. For the first 3 years my focus was solely on diversity. Ironically, as the SBE program began to grow, so did my responsibilities which expanded to include Purchasing and Supply Chain Management elements.

How can WBEs get noticed by MHS?

By being patient and enabling the time to find the right fit for the WBE. I try to work with vendors that can build a relationship versus the “one hit wonder”. Of course the best networking connection comes via the WBDC, so vendors should stay involved with the organization.

How do you become a vendor/supplier to MHS?

Visit the website at www.mhs.net, click on Vendor Information, then Vendor Relations. Complete the supplier application & questionnaire. From there just be patient. It may take some time to find the right fit for you. In the interim, check out other leads with various businesses. We’re in process of modifying our process so that we have better communication with prospective vendors. Currently we work with more than 6000+ vendors as a whole healthcare system, so bringing in new vendors can be a challenge.

What is the spend for MHS with women-owned businesses?

For FY06 our spend with WBEs was $10.3 million

What trends do you see?

Our strongest WBE vendors were in the IT Technology area and cleaning services disciplines. These are the areas where we see strong growth.