ASC Insights: Why Vendor Consolidation Is Becoming A Competitive Advantage For ASCs with Tracy McQuay of Medtronic and Kevin Humphrey and Emily Barnhart of Cardinal Health

Operational efficiency in ASCs improves fastest when manufacturers and distributors align on standardization, supply reliability, and hands-on implementation support. In this episode, Tracy McQuay of Medtronic and Kevin Humphrey and Emily Barnhart of Cardinal Health discuss how their long-standing collaboration helps ambulatory surgery centers reduce complexity while maintaining clinical quality. Emily explains Cardinal’s Performance Plus™ program and how joint planning, KPI scorecards, and added inventory strengthen service across Medtronic’s product lines. Kevin shares how ASC-focused teams support new center builds, optimize layouts, and drive savings through purchasing reviews and vendor consolidation. Tracy highlights a “not a transaction” kickoff model, capital-light tech integration, and examples like rapid suture conversions and Microstream™ capnography standardization to simplify supply chains and relieve cost pressure. Tune in to learn how tighter collaboration between suppliers and distributors can make ASC operations simpler, more resilient, and more cost-effective. Resources: Connect with and follow Tracy McQuay on LinkedIn. Follow Medtronic on LinkedIn and discover their website! Follow and connect with Kevin Humphrey on LinkedIn. Follow and connect with Emily Barnhart on LinkedIn. Follow Cardinal Health on LinkedIn and discover their website!