Logistically Speaking 2014 Winter

USNS Choctaw County

Naval Medical Logistics Command
Special Report:
Collaborative Effort Explores New
Expeditionary Medical Capability

‘Welcome Aboard the Naval Medical Logistics Command "Public Website.”
If you sre Miltary or Govemment (CAC enatles) you may citi on the WILIGOV
ivi | Set Asi t
poe ESE eeciooe (Access tab on the menu bar. To learn more about the command and our mission, |
Flequests for Proposals (RFPs) invite you to extensively explore our newly designed website and to chenk back
for updates. If you are 2 civilian contractor wishing to do business with Navy
Requests for Quotes (RFQs) Macicine, cick the (Doing Business Win Us" panel just to the nght of this

Task Order Contracts ~ ar.

Business Opportunities CAFT Seymour, CO As always, we solicit your valve your suapestions for improv
‘Again, thank you for visiting and we hope you leave with a fuller understanding
of the mission of the Naval Medical Logistes Command

Logistics Solutions (MELS) News!

Mission | Vision | Guiding Principles | Quality Policy | 10 9004;2008 inn
Acquisition Management Command,
Medical Equipment and Briefing

‘Operational Forces Support

NMLC on NAVY.mil Click here
Healthcare Services:

Strategies (HSS)

Expeditionary Medical é &
Logistics (EML) 4 Foedback?
doing?
Navy Senior Service Logistics

Representative (NSSR)

cation of Eyewear

Life is worth living!

pry Click hore for
tS ) your lifeline,
=

NMLC Adopts Strategic Focus

Your Resource to All s Naval Medical Logistics Command

Naval Medical Logistics Command's mission: We deliver patient-centered logistics solutions for
military medicine. Naval Medical Logistics Command's vision: To become DoD’s premier medical
logistics support activity. You can find all the timely information you need through the Naval Medical
Logistics Command (NMLC) website.

LOGISTICALLY speching

USNS Choctaw County (JHSV 2) is a Joint High
Speed Vessel able to transport U.S, Army and U.S.
Marine Corps company-sized units with their vehicles,
or reconfigurable to become a troop transport for an
infantry battalion. It has a flight deck for helicopters
anda load ramp that will allow vehicles to quickly
drive on and off the ship. The ramp is suitable for the
types of austere piers and quay walls common in de-
veloping countries. USNS Choctaw County has a shal-
low draft (under 15 feet) and has an aluminum twin-
hull catamaran shell containing four diesel engines,
rudimentary control facilities for up to 40 crewmem-
bers, and 312 airline-style passenger seats, along with
an expansive flight deck on the top. The rest of the
vessel is an empty 20,000 sq, ft. mission bay that can
be loaded to carry whatever cargo is needed. Vehicles
and cargo are loaded and unloaded by a ramp that can
support up to 100 tons of weight. Although designed
for a military crew of 46, the ship usually has a crew
of 26 mariners. The passenger room contains reclining
seats with overhead televisions and racks for weapons
and equipment. It has 104 permanent berthing spaces.

Table of Contents perp ay ee sree ay aay

4. From the Commanding Officer
5. From the Command Master Chief

6. NMLC Special Report: Collaborative Effort Explores
New Expeditionary Medical Capability

8. Air Force Medical Operations Agency

9. Part-time Employment During Off-Duty Hours

10. Small Business Professionals Air Force Medical Operations Agency Pg. 8

12. Kanban - A Lean Six Sigma Approach to Inventory a
Management ; =

14. 2015-2016 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Program Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Program Pg. 14

Data Call for Requirements
16. More Orthopedic Items Added to DLA Medical’s
E-catalog at Reduced Cost

More Orthopedic Items Added to DLA
Medical’s E-catalog at Reduced Cost ... Pg. 16

LOGISTICALLY speaking

From the Commanding Officer

During my trip to San Diego this
month, I had the opportunity to examine
the two-bin Kanban systems currently in
) place at two of our Military Treatment Fa-
cilities, Naval Medical Center San Diego
and Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. I was
able to see first-hand the systems’ applica-
bility to inventory management and hear
from our deck-plate leaders what is work-
ing well and what could be improved.

Tn this issue of Logistically Speaking, we
feature an article discussing Kanban. Kan-
ban is a tool that enables us to improve the
supply chain process. It is important for all

of us to understand how the system works
and embrace this change as we move toward standardized logistics process-
es.

We also take a look at the USNS_ Choctaw County (JHSV 2), a Joint
High Speed Vessel that transports U.S. Army and Marine Corps personnel
and their vehicles. Our special report discusses the Chief of Naval Opera-
tions’ direction for the future of naval forces and the optimized fleet
response plan established to execute this new approach to meet our forces’
high demands.

We feature an article on Naval Medical Logistics Command's partner-
ship and support Memorandum of Agreement with the Air Force Medical
Operations Agency for the provisions of medical equipment contracting
support. This agreement will allow us to maximize strategic sourcing
opportunities for medical equipment purchasing.

Changing direction a bit, throughout the year, Federal employees might
seek outside employment during off-duty hours. Did you know there are
regulations governing those who file financial disclosure reports and that
they must obtain pre-approval before accepting outside employment? If
not, read the article our legal counsel contributed for this issue.

In the same vein, Naval Medical Logistics Command has a robust Small
Business Program office that contributes news and information to each
issue of Logistically Speaking. This issue discusses the Small Business Pro-

Naval Medical Logistics Command
Capt. Mary S. Seymour
Commanding Officer
Cmér. Michael J. Kemper
Executive Officer
HMCM(FMF) David L. Hall
Command Master Chief
‘Mr. Darin L. ‘Cal’ Callahan
Chief of Operations
Mrs. Julia P, Hatch
Counsel
Mr. Julius L. Evans
Public Affairs Officer
‘Mr. Paul “David” Garrison, IIT
Chief Information Officer
Mr. William J, Hartmann
Expeditionary Medicine
Ms. Mimi McReal
Small Business Programs Officer
Mr. Gilbert “Bert” Hovermale
Dir, Acquisition Management and Analytics
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher E, Barnes
Dir, Medical Equipment Logistics Solutions
Mr. Richard J. Schlegel
Dir, Operational Forces Support
‘Mr. Stanley G. Wade
Logistics Business Systems
Lt. Cmdr, Diana Garcia
Dir, Resource Management
Lt. Cmdr, Matthew W. DeShazo
Dir, Administration

Staff/Distribution
Mr. Julius L. Evans
Naval Medical Logistics Command
Public Affairs Officer
Julius Evans@med navy mil
(301) 619-9650
DSN 343-9650

fessionals throughout Navy Medicine and introduces our readers to the
latest hire by Navy Medicine East, Julian Krogh.

Finally, the Defense Logistics Agency's Electronic Catalog has made a
difference in how orthopedic items are ordered. It has also proven success-
ful in tremendous cost savings during the past two quarters. DLA Troop
Support contributed an article that takes an inside look at this phenomenal
support system.

This issue of Logistically Speaking has a number of informative articles.
Please indulge yourself. As always, we continue to seek your feedback and
suggestions on articles you have seen and on the articles you would like to
see. Feel free to communicate directly with our public affairs office.

Logistically speaking is published by Naval Medical
Logistics Command. Articles reflect the views of the

authors and do not necessarily represent the views of
the Department of the Defense or the Department of
the Navy

Articles should be submitted to:
The Public Affairs Officer

LOGISTICALLY speaking

From the Command Master Chief

he Commanding Officer mission of our organization.
implemented another way

: Recognition can be described as
to recognize the contribu-

ti aa ners 1 an important benchmark with the
1 ai a cia a "staff. It acknowledges their value
AA SOIREE PO resis organization and instills a

mal = of work here at’ Naval sense of pride and purpose. Recog-
Pop: myierioerer aa nition builds morale and a sense of
5 dist
their hard work and efforts? Why cautabytadcanchet onli
is that 20 important in our work- fies the fact that the command truly
place? appreciates their work and dedica-
Kudos, Atta Boys, Letters of tion to our mission.
Appreciation, On-the-Spot awards
and the All-In awards are some of
the ways we recognize personnel
for their contributions and hard
work. I find that our staff remains
motivated when they or their peers
are recognized for those actions
which are linked to the values and

Our efforts in recognizing our
personnel prove that we care about
the well-being and professional suc-
cess of our entire workforce. It cre-
ates a solid foundation ensuring fu-
ture success and investing in the
human factor of managing people

HMCM(FMF) David L. Hall, NMLC CMC

Cassandra Mahlstedt receives a Letter of
Appreciation from Capt. Seymour.

Hospital Corpsman and Class Cheung
Chung receives a Letter of Apprecia- z
tion from NMLC’s Commanding Capt. Mary Seymour recognizes Leonard

Officer, Capt. Mary Seymour during Momtisey at command quarters for his out-
the All-Hands quarters in Nov. 2014. stanlliag walk etic,

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class RaShawn Lynch
receives a Letter of Appreciation.

uw

LOGISTIGALLY speaking

Naval Medical Logistics Command Special Report:
Collaborative Effort Explores New Expeditionary Medical
Capability

By William ‘Bill’ Hartmann, Expeditionary Medical Logistics Program Manager

he Chief of Naval Operations

provided direction for the future
of Naval Forces — including Navy
Medicine — when he stated, “We need
lower cost approaches,” and “we
need to tailor the ship more to the
mission.” (America’s Navy Art:
NNS140407-17).

In support of that direction, the
Optimized Fleet Response Plan
(OPNAVINST 3000.15A) in part,
established the responsibilities for the
execution of this new approach to
meet the high demand for naval fore-
es, from individual units to strike
groups — all requiring a more agile
and flexible force to respond to Com- Navy Medicine interpreted this force packages being designed for
batant Commanders’ requests. guidance to mean that the adaptive medical capabilities will need to be
modular, task organized, adaptable,
responsive, clinically effective, scala-
ble and flexible in order to meet the
full range of military operations.

Recently, a collaborative effort
between OPNAV, United States Fleet
Forces Command, Military Sealift
Command Atlantic, Naval Warfare
Development Command, the U.S.
Navy Bureau of Surgery and Medi-
cine’s Capability, Development and
Integration Office, the Expeditionary
Medical Logistics Program and the
Navy Expeditionary Medical Support
Command (NEMSCOM), began ex-
ploring future deployable medical
capabilities.

The most recent event was initiat-
Station 2014 onboard joint high-speed vessel USNS Choctaw County (HSV 2) at Joint Expedi- ed as a preamble to demonstrating
tionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia Beach. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications expeditionary capabilities of a small
Specialist 2nd Class Jared Aldape. foot print nature, one that is easily

U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, USNS Choctaw County (JHSV 2) has a core crew
of 26 civilian mariners to operate and navigate the ship.

Virginia Beach, Va., (Oct. 8, 2014) Sailors and Marines retum home from Southem Partnership

LOGISTICALLY speaking

zZ

Personnel from Navy Expeditionary Medical Support Command prepare and wire the inside of the EMU facility at the Navy Expeditionary
Medical Support Command in Williamsburg, Va., Nov. 13, 2014.

transported and able to be deployed
and employed anywhere around the
globe. This initial study, or the phase
one portion, is evaluating existing
capabilities within expeditionary
medicine in an effort to determine a
way ahead for supporting afloat mis-
sions by adapting to diverse fleet
platforms.

Addressing the challenging engi-
neering and logistics portion of the
study, on Nov. 13, 2014, at the Navy
Expeditionary Medical Support Com-
mand in Williamsburg, Va., individu-
als from within and outside Navy
Medicine had the opportunity to tour

an Expeditionary Medical Unit
(EMU), currently the smallest capa-
bility in the Expeditionary Medical
Logistics Program. NEMSCOM sub-
ject matter experts provided invalua-
ble insight on the capability of this
medical asset allowing numerous
stakeholders to become familiar with
the unique requirements experienced
when delivering healthcare to opera-
tional forces either ashore or afloat.
In December, the Joint High
Speed Vessel USNS Choctaw County
(JHSV 2) docked pier-side at
Cheatham Annex, Williamsburg, Va.
to support the next step in the process

is

by providing an operational afloat

t for the EMU to be loaded
aboard. In addition to the staging of
the Medical capability for transport,
the EMU was actually “set up”
onboard to study the feasibility of
conducting medical missions aboard.
this type of platform.

and design of multiple capabilities to
meet the future development of medi-
cal capabilities on all platforms with-
in the fleet. LS

ATD FOR

GE

ae, |

KAETNICAT MPED

MISSION:

a,

ATTONISC

By James E. Watkins, Supervisor Contract Specialist, Acquisition Management and Analytics Directorate

n May 23, 2014, Naval

Medical Logistics Com-

mand (NMLC) signed a
support agreement/Memorandum of
Agreement with the Air Force Medi-
cal Operations Agency (AFMOA) for
the provision of medical equipment
contracting support for a period of
five years. Beyond executing individ-
ual medical equipment procurements
for the Air Force and the Navy, the
ultimate goal of the partnership is to
identify, facilitate and maximize stra-
tegic sourcing opportunities of medi-
cal equipment purchasing between the
two organizations.

Leading up to the partnership, par-
ticipants from NMLC’s Medical
Equipment & Logistics Solutions Di-
rectorate and the Acquisition Man-

agement & Analytics Directorate en-
gaged the AFMOA leadership and
formed a working group called the
Equipment Procurement Action
Group. They met on a weekly/
biweekly basis to identify and discuss
the processes by which forecasted/
forthcoming Air Force requirements
would be submitted to NMLC for ex-
ecution. They also discussed how
forecasted/forthcoming requirements
originating from both the Navy and
the Air Force could be identified,
screened and aggregated to maximize
efficiency.

Still in its infancy, this partnership
has yielded five new contract actions
in support of Air Force hospitals
alone, with approximately 300 others
currently in process. More important-

ly, the partnership has already demon-
strated its potential through the award
of a joint, enterprise-wide indefinite
delivery, indefinite quantity contract
for anti-gravity treadmills, encapsu-
lating the needs of both the Air Force
Medical Service as well as Navy
Medicine. In addition, a number of
other opportunities have already been
identified for FY15 execution, with
requirements documents in the works.
These include Dose Monitoring, Den-
tal and Prosthodontics Computer-
Aided Design and Computer-Aided
Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) Sys-
tems, Anesthesia Machines and a host
of medical equipment maintenance
possibilities. LS

Part-time Employment During Off-Duty Hours

NMLC Office of General Counsel

A

re”
A Anent employees who file
financial disclosure reports (OGE
450s) to obtain pre-approval for all

t the outset of 2014, anew
regulation required govern-

outside employment - 5 C.F.R. §
3601.107. Local instructions may pro-
vide additional requirements. With
the economy constantly changing,
some employees may be tempted to
take a temporary job. In most cases,
this will pose no issues beyond sub-
mitting a request

Generally, government employees
may work an outside job provided: (1)
the outside job does not interfere with
their official duties; (2) in the outside
job they make no representations to
the federal government; and (3) the
outside job creates no appearance of
impropriety. In plain terms, you can-
not work another job that creates or

appears to create a conflict

of interest with your duties

as a government employee.
Compliance is the key.

The recent publicity involv-

ing the NSA suggests this

¢

)

In that matter, the former
NSA director, Keith Alexan-
der, launched a cybersecuri-
ty company that hired NSA’s Chief
Technical Officer, Patrick Dowd. Mr
Dowd’s supervisors at NSA approved
of the arrangement, presumably with
input from their ethics counselor. All
reports conclude that the arrangement
does not appear to break any laws,
which hinges on compliance. With
that said, a Monday-morning-
quarterback (i.e., second-guess)

would question why a supervisor and
ethics counselor would approve of
such an arrangement given the ap-
pearance concerns. The current tenor
regarding the matter focuses on sus-
pect judgment of supervisors rather
than the employee, which serves as a
reminder to supervisors and manage-
ment that technical compliance is not
necessarily the best approach for re-
solving matters.

Lastly, if you choose to engage in
outside employment as a financial
disclosure filer, remember to disclose
this information on your OGE 450 or
278.

Feel free to contact your local eth-
ics counselor if you have any ques-
tions in advance of taking any outside
employment. Ls

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS

WELCOME TO BIZ. BUZZ !
Biz Buzz is where you will find what's happening with NMLC’s Small Business Program
Office, as well as general small business information and news you can use.

What's the BUZZ?

hat’s the Buzz?
Collaboration,
Teamwork, and Part-
nering! Navy Medi-
cine is very fortunate to have highly
qualified and dedicated Small Busi-
ness Professionals (SBPs) who do
their part to support Navy’s small
business program. Just prior to the
end of FY14, Navy Medicine East
(NME) hired a full-time SBP,
Julian Krogh, to complement Navy
Medicine West (NMW)'s SBP, Syl-
via Nard. Krogh and Nard collabo-
tate with NMLC’s SBP, Mimi
McReal, to ensure that maximum
practicable opportunity is consid-
ered for Navy Medicine’s acquisi-
tions. With NMLC serving as
BUMED’s Lead Contracting Execu-
tive (LCE), a perfect partnership be-
tween NMLC’s SBP and Navy
Medicine Regions’ SBPs can flour-
ish. There are opportunities where
we can share training materials, as-
sist with research of small business
policy and issues, develop realistic
and achievable annual small busi-
ness goals, and provide overall sup-
port to one another to sustain a suc-
cessful small business program for
Navy Medicine acquisitions.
In September 2014, Ms. Krogh
spent some time at NMLC to learn
more about the small business pro-

gram there and get a basis for imple-
menting a small business program at
NME. That visit provided a detailed
look at how NMLC’s small business
program is organized, as well as an
opportunity for some face-to-face
training. Also during this time, the
Small Business Director at Naval
Supply Systems Command
(NAVSUP), Ms. Carol Decker, vis-
ited NMLC. Ms. Decker, along
with NMLC’s and NME’s SBP held
a teleconference with NMW’s SBP
to discuss updates to the small busi-
ness program and related policies,
conducted training and shared best
practices to optimize Navy’s small
business program.

One significant change affects
the manner in which an SBP reviews
acquisitions for suitability for poten-
tial award to small businesses. Pre-
viously, the process required the
contract specialist to generate a DD
Form 2579 (Small Business Coordi-
nation Record) via the Standard Pro-
curement System (SPS) or via Pro-
curement Desktop-Defense (PD2).
The SBP would access SPS/PD2
and retrieve the DD Form 2579, re-
view it, approve it, then send it back
to the contract specialist, where he/
she would continue the acquisition
process. The Department of De-
fense (DoD) Office of Small Busi-

ness Programs had long been plan-
ning to upgrade the DD Form 2579,
making it more user-friendly for in-
put of information, as well as devel-
oping a form that could be used as a
tool for data collection, analysis, and
forecasting purposes. In the mean-
time, NAVSUP developed its own
revised DD Form 2579, intended to
pilot and test it among several
NAVSUP contracting offices. This
web-based application became the
Online Small Business Review
Tool. Following several months of
testing, identifying and correcting
bugs, NAVSUP required that all
field contracting offices use the
Online Small Business Review Tool
in FY15. NMLC, NME and NUW
are now using the web-based 2579
exclusively (no longer using SPS or
PD2 to process DD Form 2579s)
and at the end of FY15, should be
able to get a full fiscal year’s worth
of small business data for analysis
and forecasting purposes.

The projection of annual small
business goals is also something im-
portant for SBPs. The Small Busi-
ness Administration (SBA) has a
statutory small business goal of 23%
meaning that 23% of all contracts
awarded by Federal agencies shall
go to small businesses. Each Feder-
al agency has their own individual

LOGISTICALLY specking
,
Qf
| a
~ > |

OF

\ . ”

4

LOGISTICALLY

speaking

Kanban - A Lean Six Sigma Approach to

Inventory Management

By Alicia Nolden, Industrial Engineer, Program Analysis & Evaluation (M81) Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

s the delivery of

healthcare becomes

more complex, the

need to manage all of
the steps of the supply chain pro-
cess efficiently becomes more im-
portant. With the recent integra-
tion of the National Naval Medical
Center (NNMC) and Walter Reed
Army Medical Center (WRAMC)
into the Walter Reed National
Military Medical Center
(WRNMMC), the challenge arose
to determine how best to combine
the supply distribution and re-
plenishment requirements of the
two major medical facilities. After
reviewing ‘point-of-use’ replenish-
ment methods through process
improvement projects at other
Navy Medical Treatment Facilities
(MTFs), the answer became clear
that standardizing the supply
chain process in order to achieve
economies of scale and maximize
ordering efficiencies was necessary
across the Navy Medicine Enter-
prise.

Looking past facility size and
operational constraints, there is a
common theme—an opportunity
to streamline the way we handle
distribution and replenishment
tasks at the warehouse and opera-
tional processes at the depart-
mental level. Based on best prac-
tices of supply chain processes in
other industries, including private
-sector healthcare, Lean Six Sigma
methodologies have been recog-
nized as highly beneficial in re-

How it works

Empty bin scanned by

SC ae ae
€z=* dzcer &zs=-
mee
J3 +
ed eee Cee
a er + :
Sry a oven
we PRats my bins stocked
a 7
ae emis

ducing variation and waste in the
process. The Kanban two-bin de-
livery system was Navy Medicine’s
solution to utilize these best prac-
tices to provide a turnkey invento-
ry management process for Medi-
cal Treatment Facilities.

Kanban is a Japanese term
meaning “signboard,” and it is a
visual trigger to signify that work
has to be done. In the case of in-
ventory management, the Kanban
is used to facilitate the replenish-
ment process by using a two-bin
system to make it easy for staff to
see that a product needs to be re-
ordered. In each supply room, a
pre-determined quantity, or PAR
level, of each product is placed in
two different bins. The PAR level
is determined by product usage,
seasonal fluctuations, lead time
and replenishment schedules.
Supplies are pulled from the first
bin until empty; the empty bin

2

becomes the visual cue to re-
order. An order is then placed for
exactly the quantity consumed
which, in this case, is the PAR lev-
el of the bin. The second bin is
moved to the front and end-users
continue to pull supplies from the
second bin until the order arrives
and supplies are replenished.
There are many benefits to the
Kanban system besides organizing
inventory and eliminating lost or
misplaced items in the supply
room. By setting predetermined
PAR levels for each bin, it elimi-
nates the need to do physical
counts and recordings each time
inventory is handled. In addition,
clinical time spent in the supply
room is reduced, providing staff
more time to conduct patient
care. This system also reduces the
possibility of stock-outs, because
the usage of the second bin signals
for a re-stock. The Kanban system

LOGISTICALLY speaking

This set of shelves were used before a Kanban system was
installed at a facility.

encourages the First-In-First-Out
concept through the rotation of
stock, Without a specific system
or business process, items that sit
in the back of the shelf or bottom
of a bin may keep getting pushed
back to make room new supplies.
The use of two bins and set PAR
levels allow users to more efficient-
ly cycle through stock using the
rotation of bins as supplies are
used and replenished. Finally, the
Kanban system enhances the re-
porting and monitoring capability
by providing visibility to all prod-
ucts and actual consumption levels
promoting a standardized best
practice across the enterprise.

The Kanban system has already
been implemented in four Medical
Treatment Facilities: WRNMMC,
Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton,
Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune and
Naval Medical Center San Diego.
The Naval Medical Logistics Com-
mand awarded an Indefinite Deliv-
ery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)
contract for the shelving as an en-
terprise-wide solution and issued
delivery orders for 10 additional
facilities at the end of FY14. The

=i . .
project is supported

by process improve-
ment contracts and
consists of three
phases of effort at
each facility: Diag-
nostic, Implementa-
tion, and Sustain-
ment. The diagnostic
phase will consist of
data collection and
analysis, clinical and
support staff inter-
views, and docu-
menting any opera-
tional challenges with ordering

and replenishment of supplies. The

implementation phase will consist
of installation of the shelving,
training to ensure system under-
standing, and a return on invest-
ment analysis. Finally, the sustain-
ment phase will ensure the staff is
properly trained, metrics are in
good shape, and challenges and
changes that may need action are
identified. The two-bin Kanban
system was showcased at the Audit
Readiness Training Symposium
held from July 15-17, 2014 in Falls
Church, Va. The logistics and
comptroller communities had an
opportunity to see a demo of how
the Kanban system functions.

Kanban has been touted as the
wave of the future in supply chain
management.

“The Kanban system will elimi-
nate inefficiencies in the supply
chain process by reducing waste
and leveraging technology to auto-
mate the process,” one executive
stated.

With the assistance and feed-
back from clinical staff and materi-
al management, the Kanban sys-

B

tem will help Navy Medicine con-
tinue to evolve as a preeminent
healthcare system by adhering to
our fundamental responsibilities:
accountability, quality of care and
safety within supply chain opera-
tions. If you have questions or
would like more information about
these efforts, feel free to contact
Lt. Cmdr. Janine Espinal M4-
Installation & Logistics ja-
nine.espinal@med.navy.mil. LS

In the case of inventory management, the
Kanban is used to facilitate the replenish-
ment process by using a two bin system
to make it easy for staff to see that a
product needs to be re-ordered. In each
supply room, a pre-determined quantity,
or PAR level, of each product is placed in
two different bins.

LOGISTIGALLY speaking

2015-2016 Seasonal Infl
Data Cal

he Vaccine Information and Logistics
System (VIALS) is a web-based appli-
cation developed to assist the Navy in
collecting and processing requirements for
the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Program. De-
veloped by Naval Medical Logistics Com-
mand (NMLC), this system is user-friendly
and Common Access Card (CAC) enabled. w
Navy Leadership considers the Seasonal In-
fluenza Vaccine Campaign vital to mission
readiness and operational effectiveness. Furthermore, it has a direct reflection of each activity’s
preparedness for any pandemic vaccine response.

VIALS is accessed through the NMLC Web site, https://gov_only.nmlc.med.navy.mil/
int_codeo3/vials/, and provides secure access to all personnel involved in the assembly, reporting
and distribution of Seasonal Influenza Vaccine requirements. VIALS provides real-time data re-
lated to allocation, requisition and shipment status.

VIALS is scheduled to accept 2015-2016 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine requirements from 2 - 27 Feb
ruary 2015.

For the 2015-2016 season, please pay particular attention to the following:
a. No new or additional vaccine requirements will be accepted after 27 Feb 15.

b. To alter requirements that have been submitted in VIALS, the requestor must contact
NAVMEDLOGCOM via VIALS Help (NMLC-VialsHelp@med.navy.mil). This is the only way
changes can be made to their submission. The deadline for changes is 27 Feb 15.

c. Age categories may be combined during the contracting process.

d. Submitting commands are responsible for validating population data and influenza prod-
4

LOGISTICALLY speching

uenza Vaccine Program

| for Requirements

ucts in order to accurately generate requirements for their catchment area or area of responsibil-
ity/command.

e. Navy Reserve Component Commands are required to submit vaccine requirements. For the
2015-2016 season, these commands may only order VIALS alpha products B (2-49 yr. prefilled na-
sal sprayer, Thimerosal free), C (36 mo. inj., PFS, Thimerosal free), and D (36 mo. inj., MDV).

f. Marine Reserve Component Commands are required to submit vaccine requirements. For
the 2015-2016 season, these commands may only order VIALS alpha products B (2-49 yr. prefilled
nasal sprayer, Thimerosal free), E (9 yr. and older inj., PFS, Thimerosal free), and F (yr. and old-
er inj., MDV).

g. VIALS requires activities to specify whether or not each site has the required cold chain ca-
pability. Please read VIALS Home Page for more information.

h. Afloat units are required to split their requirements equally between at least two different
injectable products to reduce delays should a vendor be unable to provide product within given
timetable. Half of the units should order one product while the other half should order another
product. For the 2015-2016 season Afloat units may only order VIALS alpha products D (36 mo.

_ inj., 5 mL, MDV) and F (9 yr & older inj., 5 mL, MDV).
i. Activities should check State Law regarding use of vaccines with Thimerosal before order-
ing.
j. Activities should order vaccine based on the anticipated location of units deploying between
July and September 2015.
k. MTF's must order adequate influenza virus vaccine quantities to support unvaccinated stu-
dents of training commands.

The point of contact for the Navy Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Program is Mrs. Louise McLucas,

sarah.mclucas@med.navy.mil.

5

LOGISTICALLY speaking

More Orthopedic Items Added to DLA’s
Medical E-catalog at Reduced Cost

By Michael Tuttle, DLA Troop Support Public Affairs

ore than 6,000 additional

orthopedic items are now

available for military
medical customers at a discounted
price through Defense Logistics
Agency (DLA) Troop Support’s e-

commerce system.

Customers will save an average of
at least 28 percent on most of the new
orthopedic items through a five-year
contract with Arthrex, Inc., said Ruth
Herman, hospital supply division
chief for DLA Troop Support’s Med-
ical supply chain.

Customers have access to more
than 650,000 items through the web-
based DLA Medical Electronic Cata-

log (ECAT), an ordering, payment A physical therapist with the 59th Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Squadron teaches a
and distribution system that provides patient some home exercises that he can perform on his own at the Craig Joint-Theater

g i Hospital. Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support’s e-commerce customers will save an
access to commercial products at dis- average of at least 28 percent on most of the new orthopedic items’ previously listed
counted prices, price through a five-year contract with Arthrex, Inc, Photo by Army Sgt. Cody Barber,

l : Ne 11" Public Affairs Detachment, Kosovo Force.
The Arthrex items are in addition
to the orthopedic products already That commitment began in 2012 and to ensure DHA had timely access to
available on ECAT through Zimmer, DLA exceeded its fiscal year 2013 the orthopedic items they required to

Inc., and Stryker, Inc. DLA’s contract goal with savings of $2.9 billion. support their clinical needs. The
with Arthrex is worth a maximum of The savings on orthopedic items | DHA was established to make the
$255 million. also align with one of DLA’s strate- _ military health system more efficient

These savings are consistent with gic goals leading to a decrease inthe by consolidating health care and sup-
DLA’s commitment to save at least _ cost of materials: “Be Smart Buyers _ port services among the military

$13.1 billion by the end of fiscal year of the Right Stuff.” branches.
2019, in anticipation of an expected Contracting officers from DLA “In the developing relationship
decrease in the Department of De- and the Defense Health Agency between DLA and DHA, providing

fense’s budget in upcoming years. (DHA) partnered on the new contract quality medical service and support at

36

LOGISTICALLY

apeohing

More than 6,000 additional orthopedic items are
now available for military medical customers at a

discounted price through Defense Logistics

Agency Troop Support's e-commerce system.

reduced costs has transitioned from a
theoretical concept to reality at blind-
ing speed,” said Don Buchwald, di-
rector of customer operations for
DLA Troop Support Medical.

“This new orthopedic contract
[with Arthrex, Inc.,] is an important
milestone as DLA and DHA expand
the use of e-commerce to simplify
and facilitate the process of acquiring
medical material at lower costs,” said
Herman. “As DHA's logistics ena-
bler, DLA Troop Support works con-
stantly to improve the acquisition pro-
cess and empower DHA’s clinicians
to focus on their primary mission
providing care to the warfighter and
other beneficiaries.”

Making more items available
through ECAT aligns with another

DLA strategic goal: “Delight
the Customer.” Customers
seem to be responding as the
purchasing of orthopedic im-
plants has more than doubled
from the first quarter of fiscal
year 2014 to the second quar-
ter, from $2,067,225 to
$4,830,942, according to the
Military Health System.

The ECAT automates
much of the procurement pro-
cess, combining convenience
with volume price discounts
for pharmaceuticals, laborato-
ry equipment, dental devices
and optical fabrication, in ad-
dition to commercial surgical
items like orthopedic im-
plants.

It enables customers to obligate
their funds, select the items required
for a particular surgery and then com-
plete the order by receipting for the
items, which triggers payment to the
vendor within 24 hours.

“The ECAT system also interfaces
with the Defense Medical Logistics
Standard Support System, giving
DOD users seamless access to the
available items,” Herman said.

Inthe past, medical treatment facili-
ties had to purchase orthopedic kits or
components on an ad hoc basis, using
government credit cards or local pur-
chase capabilities.

“While effective, these manual
acquisition methods are relatively la-
bor intensive and often don’t achieve

7

the pricing discounts afforded to e-
commerce transactions,” Herman
said.

ECAT ordering also standardizes
the process for vendors, who other-
wise work with the various acquisi-
tion activities of the military services.
It also enables DLA to better track
past demand, which is useful when
negotiating prices with manufactur-
ers.

ECAT establishes ceiling prices
for orthopedic products. If the order is
more than $150,000, it’s flagged for
the special attention of DLA contract-
ing officials who attempt to negotiate
lower prices for large purchases.

“Additionally, customers making
bulk purchases less than the $150,000
threshold are free to contact the DLA
ECAT contracting staff and request
that they negotiate a lower delivered
price with the vendor based on the
size of the order,” Herman said.

DLA continues to implement ac-
quisition strategies to serve customers
more efficiently and at a reduced cost.
DLA has been working with DHA
since it was established in October
2013, and will continue to provide the
best possible medical support to the
warfighter and other beneficiaries.

“Having one major partner [DHA]
with the power to make choices for
all of services is enabling us to speed
up the coordination process and deliv-
er new products and services faster
and more efficiently than in the past,”
Buchwald said. LS

MEDICAL
LOGISTICS
COMMAND

693 Neiman Street
Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702

www.nmlc.med.navy.mil

Contributions should be submitted

Jan-Mar issue, deadline is 31 Jan

Apr-Jun, deadline is 30 Apr
Jul-Sep, deadline is 31 Jul
Oct-Dec, deadline is 31 Oct

Comments regarding this publication should be made to the Public Affairs Officer via e-mail at
Julius.Evans@med.navy.mil or by telephone at 301.619.9650