Working together the key to success

HealthShare NSW Chief Executive Carmen Rechbauer with HSV Chief Executive Neil Rodaway.

HSV visited our northern counterparts HealthShare NSW earlier this month, shining a spotlight on the importance of working together to achieve common goals.

HealthShare NSW is Australia’s largest public sector shared services organisation and is focused on improving outcomes for patients and the community, aligned with HSV’s focus on delivering health, safety and value in everything we do.

HSV’s visit featured tours of HealthShare NSW’s impressive new office headquarters and distribution facilities, and face-to-face meetings with HealthShare NSW Chief Executive Carmen Rechbauer.

“The HSV team visiting Sydney included Executive Director Supply Chain Mili Cohen, Director Procurement Stuart Smith and Director Supply Chain Surety Kate Warren and myself,” says HSV Chief Executive Neil Rodaway.

Unfortunately at the last moment, Executive Director Transformation Hugh McKerrow was unable to attend due to illness.

“Although HealthShare NSW has a nine-year head start on HSV, both organisations are on the same path and heading in the same direction,” Neil says.

“We have many of the same ideas, ideals and challenges in the supply chain space. It has been instructive to discuss what has worked well in NSW and their experience of implementing new initiatives as they have transformed as a shared services organisation.”

Similar to HSV, HealthShare NSW’s experience has seen some activities planned for future implementation being brought forward by the COVID pandemic as the value of a well-managed consistent supply chain has been understood and the on-balance risks of a fragmented approach appreciated.

“A key insight in navigating the complexities brought on by the pandemic is the need to be very clear on what we do (and don’t do) and to be able to manage stakeholder expectations,” says Neil.

“This can be challenging while a business function is in the establishment phase, as investigation and discovery are key elements that can result in revisions to original plans. The need to communicate effectively with our stakeholders holds true whatever stage we are at.”

HSV is having similar discussions with our Queensland counterparts and undertaking initial activities to establish regular meetings between the three jurisdictions to enable work on common issues and potential areas for change or improvement.

“This visit, which we will now build on, has been a positive step forward in helping HSV to broaden our perspective and existing working relationships,” says Neil.

“As we continue to evolve and work closely with similar organisations we can learn from and share appropriate information with, future interactions will provide further opportunities for our organisation to learn from and apply valuable experience."