The Virginia Chapter of the national Association for Healthcare Resource and Materials Management (AHRMM) has existed since October of 1983, when it was started as the Virginia Society for Healthcare Purchasing and Materials Management (VSHPMM). The name was changed in 1999 to better reflect VAHRMM’s purpose and the services that your association provides. VAHRMM serves as an organization for the professional development and advancement of purchasing agents, materials managers and other related healthcare supply chain personnel. This is facilitated by an extremely active Board of Directors consisting of a combination of hospital and supplier members to meet the needs of our diverse membership. MISSION STATEMENT: To enhance community health through cost effective resource and materials management by promoting education, skill sharing and professional relationships between healthcare providers, suppliers, and business partners. VISION STATEMENT: To become a leading healthcare resource and materials management organization that advocates and promotes a high standard of quality by setting and pursuing strategic objectives that contribute to our profession. AHRMM By Laws Our Team Board of Directors Executive Committee Read More Joe Howze President Read More Andria Davis President – Elect Read More Cathy Gray Past President Read More Thomas McVey Treasurer Read More Chris Lawson Secretary X President Joe Howze Joe Douglas, Howze, Jr. currently serves as a Product Analyst for Sentara Health Plans, formerly Optima Health. He began his career in Healthcare Administration with the Hampton University Proton Therapy institute, a 96,000 square feet facility dedicated to the treatment of cancer through the use of protons. There he severed as the institute’s first Purchasing Fixed Asset Manager, where he developed a system responsible for the purchasing of newly acquired fixed assets (both tangible and intangible), tracking existing fixed assets, recording depreciation, and accounting for the disposition of those fixed assets. He joined Riverside Healthcare in 2013, where he served as a contract specialist for Riverside’s Life Long Health Division. There he learned the fundamental skills of negotiating professional healthcare services, ensuring contractual compliance, and performing contract review analysis. He received his Masters in Business Administration from Hampton University in 2015 and joined Sentara Healthcare as the Orthopedic Contract Specialist for their orthopedic division. There he was responsible for overseeing the regulatory, financial, and implementation aspects of the 2018 Sentara Capitated Pricing Orthopedic RFP. In which the desired savings of 42% of the overall 2018 Sentara Supply Chain Departmental Goal was achieved in the amount of 4.2 million. Seeking to become more involved with the front lines of healthcare he obtain the position of the Operating Room Business Manager for Sentara Williamsburg. His responsibilities included accountability for coordination of all business functions within the Surgical Services Department. Also overseeing the surgery process from scheduling accuracy to patient charge resolution while still seeking opportunities to increase patient satisfaction. He assisted in developing the proper case analysis for newly acquired Da Vinci Robot capital acquisition and the marketing of new services within the business unit. Interested in expanding his healthcare administration knowledge, Joe accepted the position of Product Analyst for Sentara Health Plans in April of 2023. In this position he will be providing tactical, execution, and analytical support for the 2024 Sentara Health Plan Medicare product portfolio. When he is not working, he enjoys embracing his Broadcast Journalism Degree in the aspects of videography, broadcast announcing and voice over talent performance. Joe continues to use his experience from Supply Chain, Hospital Administration, and Health Insurance to assist in the overall success of providing healthcare support to assist in positive clinical outcomes. He firmly believes in when “Preparation meets opportunity it equals success.” By being a participant, volunteer, board member and now having the opportunity to serve as VARHMM President, Joe is eager to take advantage of this opportunity to continue VARHMMs success. X President – Elect Andria Davis Andria Davis is currently the Director of Supply Chain Operations at VCU Health in Richmond, VA. She is responsible for the VCU Medical Center, the Children’s Hospital of Richmond and the VCU Health Adult Outpatient Pavilion in downtown Richmond. She also has the VCU Health Supply Chain Distribution Center and 120+ team members. Andria has over 10 years health care supply chain experience and more than 15 total years in supply chain/project management experience. She served on the AHRMM Board from 2017-2020 and has been a board member of VAHRMM since January 2023. X Past President Cathy Gray Cathy Gray has worked in healthcare for over 30 years. Much of that time has been as a Registered Nurse. Her experience spans both outpatient and inpatient care areas. Her experience includes Critical Care, Inpatient Surgical unit, Medical Surgical, and Oncology. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and a Master of Healthcare Administration. Cathy found her way to Supply Chain about 8 years ago where she works as the Value Analysis Manager for Sentara’s Supply Chain. Cathy has been a member of VAHRMM for 7 years and has served as past secretary. X Treasurer Thomas McVey Thomas McVey serves as the Director of Operations and Logistics for Supply Chain Management at Riverside Health system. With oversight of Biomed, Distribution/Materials Services, Courier Services and Linen, Thomas has spent the last 30 years driving greater supply chain automation and visibility utilizing leading edge technologies. Starting with the Marine Corps to companies such as Intel and Cisco Systems, he is currently with Riverside Health System streamlining their supply chain operations through various process Improvement and quality management initiatives. As the VAHRMM Treasurer he happily engages in cost saving initiatives. X Secretary Chris Lawson Chris Lawson is currently the System Director of Procurement for Advantus Health Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bon Secours Mercy Health. He is responsible for more than $2B in supply and capital purchases per year that covers the procurement activity of more than 40 hospitals. He has more than 17 years’ experience in hospital supply chain and has held positions as an Acute Care Supply Chain Director, Director of Warehouse Operations, Administrative Director of MMIS systems and ERP System Administration. Chris has been a board member of VAHRMM since 2012 and currently serves as the Secretary on the Board of Directors. Board of Directors Associate Members Read More Candace Picagli Membership Chair Read More Kit Haefner Associate Board Member Read More Vicky Lyle Associate Board Member Read More Albin Hwang Associate Board Member Read More Amy Askew Associate Board Member X Membership Chair Candace Picagli With over 15 years of expertise in Healthcare Supply Chain achieving cost savings by focusing on P2P efficiencies, Candace prides herself in collaborating learned knowledge with her peers, firmly believing that supply chain in healthcare is NOT a sprint, not a marathon, but in fact it is a baton race. We must do the right thing and pass the baton to the next runner. Maybe not a known fact, but a dropped baton usually means you’re finishing in dead last. That’s right: GOOSE EGG! Candace is the VAHRMM Membership Co-Chair for the board of directors; past positions held with the VAHRMM Board of Directors include membership co-chair; 2010-2011 and treasurer; 2011-2013. She continues to be an ambassador of healthcare relationships between providers and suppliers. #weareallinittogether. X Associate Board Member Kit Haefner Kit Haefner is Vice President, National Accounts for BioTissue, a leading Regenerative Tissue company. With over 20 years experience driving change in healthcare, prior to BioTissue Kit held a variety of leadership positions with Stryker, then built and led a National Accounts team at Nevro, a Spinal Cord Stimulator company. Kit is a CMRP, sits on the national AHRMM Chapter Relations Committee, and has been part of the VAHRMM Board for over 10 years. X Associate Board Member Vicky Lyle Vicky Lyle is the Vice President of Industry Relations at Owens & Minor, where she leads the Company’s involvement with industry and trade organizations worldwide. She currently serves on the executive board for Professional Women in Healthcare (PWH) and on the board of Healthcare Supplier Diversity Alliance (HSDA) and serves on the Council of Supplier Diversity for Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA). She also serves as a member of the AHRMM Steering Committee for the Learning UDI community. Vicky has been with Owens & Minor for more than 35 years, contributing business and technical expertise across all facets of the supply chain. She has served on the board of VAHRMM since August 2022. X Associate Board Member Albin Hwang Albin Hwang is the Sales Representative for Medline Industries. Albin has been with Medline for 5 years and was part of the Centurion Medical Products team that was acquired in 2018. He has been in his current position for 25 years. Albin has been a part of VAHRMM since 2000 and has been on the Board since 2017. X Associate Board Member Amy Askew Amy Askew is the Regional Sales Manager for the Atlantic Region of 3M Medical Solutions. Amy has been with 3M for 13 years and has held a variety of positions to include Dental Practice Specialist, Central Sterilization Account Manager, Acute Patient Care Account Manager and now Regional Sales Manager. Amy has been working with VAHRMM since 2018 and has been on the Board since 2021.