Healthcare supply chain leaders can measure resilience by assessing the capabilities that prevent, absorb, and recover from disruption, then incorporating those measures into supplier selection, contracting, and performance management. The goal is to create a practical view of whether critical suppliers, products, and distribution pathways can sustain patient care when conditions change.

Andrea Poulopoulos, SVP, Global Supply Chain at Cardinal Health, emphasized that healthcare organizations need to make resilience part of their procurement decisions. She said, "There is still a lot more… that needs to be operationalized and standardized to ensure that we can cascade and scale across the industry at large." Her point is especially relevant for supply chain and procurement leaders: a resilience scorecard has limited value unless it shapes RFP criteria, supplier conversations, and investment priorities.

A related conference discussion illustrated a practical starting point: one health system asks suppliers in every RFP to explain their resilience strategy and whether they hold transparency and resilience badges. That approach does not resolve every risk, but it helps buyers establish consistent expectations and identify where a supplier has already invested in visibility, continuity, and recovery capabilities.

Supply chain leaders should begin with critical categories. Define a concise set of measures, such as multi-source availability, inventory and capacity visibility, continuity plans, and supplier testing discipline. Apply those measures in one upcoming sourcing event; review the results with clinical, finance, operations, and risk stakeholders; then refine the approach before expanding it.

Join LogiMed to learn how healthcare supply chain leaders are making resilience measurable, actionable, and relevant to sourcing decisions before the next disruption.