In
James Blue
Profile
Jim Blue was born and raised in Morgantown. His older brother was a mining engineer, so Jim enrolled in Mining Engineering at WVU as well. After two summer internships with Consolidation Coal, he decided to switch majors. “I loved the technology that was being used in a mine, but didn’t like the health risks” Jim says. He selected Industrial Engineering because he felt it was a better fit for his personality.
Because Jim transferred majors, he graduated in the summer. Most of the jobs had already been taken, but as fate would have it, graduating late created an opportunity for Jim that would set him on the path that has become his career.
Finding a good mentor early in your career is very important.
Jim had an opportunity to work with a local healthcare consulting company. For the next 4+ years, he had an opportunity to travel the country consulting at major hospitals. “My boss was a great mentor who really taught me a lot about how to deal with different levels of people and to make sustainable changes in organizations. Finding a good mentor early in your career is very important,” Jim says.
He and his wife wanted to start a family so Jim quit working for a year and earned his MBA from WVU. After earning his master’s degree. Jim worked for a number of small and large companies. “In my senior year at WVU, Jack Byrd, professor of Industrial Engineering, told me that I would have many employers in my career. I didn’t believe that would happen, but it has.”
Jim discovered a valuable thing about himself as he changed jobs. “I like to build things. My passion is developing organizations and bringing about change.” This has led Jim to having an entrepreneur career path in recent years.
Jim and his wife Laura are founders of two non-profit organizations. Foundations Christian Academy is a home school tutorial organization that serves 160 children and LIFE In DEED, a medical missions organization that leads doctors, nurses, & therapists to Haiti four times a year to provide medical care.
Jim advises students to find the thing that they are passionate about and shape that into your career. “What you think about before you go to sleep, and first thing when you wake up, is your passion.” Jim also advises students that “selecting the right company to work for is far less important than finding the right experiences that will help shape your career in the long term.”
Bio
Jim Blue is a Healthcare Supply Chain Executive with over 24 years of strategic and operational leadership experience. He has a proven track record managing small & large-scale operations, driving cultural change, and leading process improvement initiatives producing significant financial savings.
His career has involved the following positions:
Vice President – Supply Chain & Distribution
OrderInsite, LLC October 2015 – Present (9 months)Greater Nashville Area, TN
Responsible for leading and developing all supply chain/distribution efforts at OrderInSite, a healthcare technology and services company based out of Nashville TN.
Chief Executive Officer/Chairman of the Board
Novus Healthcare Solutions January 2013 – January 2015 (2 years 1 month)Brentwood TN
Responsible for all financial, operational and business development efforts for Novus. Provided vision, strategic direction, operational & financial plans, and marketing to support $36 million in annual services to the healthcare industry.
Director of Centralized Pharmacy & Supply Chain Operations
HCA September 2008 – December 2012 (4 years 4 months)Brentwood, TN
Responsible for leading and managing one of the largest financial & clinical initiatives at HCA, centralizing pharmacy operations across 135 hospitals over a four year period.
Director of Distribution Operations
Cardinal Health February 2004 – July 2008 (4 years 6 months)Lavergne, TN
Responsible for the overall performance of a 350,000 sq/ft pharmaceutical distribution center in Lavergne, TN. Managed and developed 12 managers & supervisors and over 100 front line distribution employees.
Sr Manager of Distribution & Logistics
Daiichi Sankyo February 2004 – October 2004 (9 months)Parsippany, NJ
Responsible for distribution operations including customer service, order fulfillment, warehouse management and outbound transportation.
Director of Materials Management
Uniontown Hospital October 2002 – January 2004 (1 year 4 months)Uniontown, PA
Responsible for purchasing and warehouse operations including hiring, supervising, training and developing 29 management and warehouse employees.
Manager of Inventory & Logistics
Mylan Pharmaceuticals June 1996 – October 2002 (6 years 5 months)Morgnatown, WV
Served as project manager for implementing Mylan’s new company-wide Management Information System (two year project).
Project Manager
Advanced Medical Systems, Inc August 1991 – August 1995 (4 years)Morgantown, WV
Worked closely with hospital management (CFO, COO and CIO) to implement the AMS Financial Management System at many of the leading hospitals across the country.
West Virginia University
MBA, Business
1995 – 1996
West Virginia University
BS, Industrial Engineering
1985 – 1991
