Fifteen Mercy hospitals are receiving over $25,000 in stipends from the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) thanks to their participation in the MHA Supply Chain Integrity Program. The program, which prioritized the use of federal grant funds, was created to help member hospitals increase supply chain resiliency and explore ways to minimize the impact supply chain disruptions continue to have on patient care.

Over the course of a month, 32 Mercy co-workers from our Supply Chain and Environmental Safety and Emergency Management teams participated in the live webinar series, which made Mercy eligible to receive a stipend. Following completion of the program, hospitals need to apply the concepts learned during the series and submit an application indicating how the stipends will be used. In total, MHA dispersed $1.2 million dollars to 46 participating Missouri Hospitals, with Mercy receiving $390,000 in funding. 

Leslie Thornburg, director of environmental safety and emergency management, said teams recently submitted the items they wish to purchase with the stipend. “Each facility developed their own list of supplies based on their individual needs, and all have a respiratory/PPE focus. The funding will drastically improve our cache of supplies for events requiring patient decontamination and continue to protect our co-workers during such events.” 

The program was designed to help hospitals be more efficient with purchasing, storing and distributing materials and supplies while still ensuring caregivers have what they need, when they need it for patient care. The weekly sessions covered topics such as best practices in supply chain management, process improvement, considerations during disasters and real-world shortages experienced in Missouri hospitals. The education series is now available on demand for anyone interested in watching the sessions.