Throughout history there have been women who have advocated for, inspired, and mentored other women.
Some of these women have made the history books.
Others with equally powerful voices have remained anonymous.
CME’s Chief Strategy Officer, Cindy Juhas may not (yet) be mentioned in a Women’s Studies course at the local university, but she is far from anonymous. A quick Google search returns a long list of medical equipment distribution related articles written by Cindy, interviews with Cindy, and podcasts featuring Cindy.`
Professional Women in Healthcare
What you won’t find on Google is the list of women that Cindy has inspired and mentored.
As a co-founder of Professional Women in Healthcare (PWH), a platform “empowering women to lead and succeed” in the healthcare supply chain industry, Cindy is on a mission to mentor women.
Above everything else Cindy has accomplished (and the list is long), she is most proud of the mentoring, education, and networking opportunities offered by PWH. Since its founding in 2004, PWH has grown from 13 members to over 800!
Without hesitation Cindy’s mentees echo the PWH website saying of Cindy, she is “someone who unleashed their passion, channeled their energy, guided their growth, and encouraged their success”.
In addition to founding PWH, Cindy was the owner and operator of Hospital Associates from 1998 to 2015 when the company merged with Claflin Medical Equipment to form a premier, nationwide medical equipment distributor specializing in turnkey logistics, delivery, and support services.
In 2016 Claflin Medical Equipment, Hospital Associates, and RSI rebranded as CME Corp.
“When I think of Cindy, I have always recognized the hard work she has put in to create equity in the workplace. She wants more voices heard at the table. With Cindy in mind, we may need a new day called Women’s Superior Day for those that not only see today and its challenges but tomorrow’s challenges as well.” Normand Chevrette, CEO and President CME Corp.
History is full of women who were the first to accomplish something traditionally done by men. In the medical industry alone, there is:
- Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States,
- Rebecca Lee Crumpler the first African American woman in the U.S. to earn an MD degree.
- Susan LaFlesche Picotte, the first Native American woman in the United States to earn a medical degree.
- Gerty Theresa Cori, PhD, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in Science.
- Antonia Novello, MD, the first woman and first Hispanic to be named a U.S Surgeon General.
- Jocelyn Elders, MD, first African American Surgeon General.
- Dorothea Daniels, first female hospital administrator after being appointed administrator of the Kaiser Foundation Hospital.
The list of pioneering women who became the “first” in their field could go on and on.
Cindy Juhas has also earned her place on a list of women accomplishing “firsts”.
Healthcare Supply Chain Industry Firsts
In 2002, the 100th anniversary of the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA), Cindy was appointed Chair, the first women to hold this position.
"Cindy is amazing. I’ve known Cindy for most of my career and I’m constantly impressed with what she has accomplished – she moved ahead early on in a male-dominated industry, gained experience in sales, management, and marketing, and then she really got my attention by buying her own company. Together with her team, she proceeded to reinvent the organization into the strong company it is today. She did that while being a leader in the industry as well – strongly supporting HIDA and PWH. And she’s a lot of fun! "Elizabeth Hilla, Sr. Vice President, Health Industry Distributors Association
Cindy was inducted into the Medical Distributors Hall of Fame in 2012, the first woman to receive this honor. Not until 2023 has another woman been inducted.
A Leading Voice in the Medical Equipment Distribution Industry
Sought out for her expertise and often quoted in national publications, Cindy also authors countless articles for industry publications such as Repertoire Magazine, Physicians Practice, Healthcare Purchasing News, Healthcare Facilities Today, Healthcare Business Today, Medical Economics, Transportation & Logistics International, and The Journal of Healthcare Contracting.
Her voice is heard up and down the healthcare equipment supply chain and across the industry.
Consider this sage advice about what to include when calculating the total cost of medical equipment ownership.
"Buying equipment is a tricky business and one must really take into account total cost of ownership,” she said. “Besides the price, there are shipping costs, special handling costs, warehousing, delivery to the room costs, assembly, installation, integration costs and packaging removal costs to name a few. The cost of buying a new piece of equipment is very different than the price of the unit.” 1
Cindy’s wit and strategic mind are unmatched, and CME is proud to call her one of our own. She has secured her place in the CME history book as one of the driving forces behind the success of CME as a comprehensive healthcare equipment and turnkey logistics company.
"I am lucky to have been able to work closely with Cindy for the past 8 years. Her strategic guidance has both guided and challenged all the leaders at our company. She has been a great mentor for me and countless others in our industry." KC Meleski, Vice President of Sales
1. https://www.hpnonline.com/sourcing-logistics/article/13000799/fine-prints-bottom-line
About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, turnkey logistics, and biomedical services, representing 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers. With two corporate offices and 35+ service centers, our mission is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule.
