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HOSPITAL MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
While it works to promote contracts from its national group purchasing organization, AmeriNet Central, Warrenburg, Pa., will spend 2003 building the technology needed to manage purchasing data, working with its largest members to help exploit their purchasing clout, and turning its web site into a better communication tool.
The 12-state regional GPO is a shareholder of AmeriNet, St. Louis. With 700 hospitals, totalling 82,129 beds, it contributes $1.9 billion to AmeriNet's $4.9 billion annual purchasing volume, and is one of three major AmeriNet shareholder organizations. (The others are Intermountain Health Care, Salt Lake City, and Vector Healthsystems, Providence, R.I.)
Skinning the cat
It is such a loyal proponent of AmeriNet contracts that when it does negotiate local deals, as for dairy products, it uses AmeriNet documents and contract terms.
"It's another way of skinning the cat with regional contracts," president Victor Samolovitch said of the use of AmeriNet's contract language.
For small hospitals like Witham Health Services, Lebanon, Ind., 60 beds, having access to national contracts has been a big help. The hospital moved to a new facility in January, and on Feb. 1 opened a new maternity department.
"I know we save a lot," materials management director Sue Camp said of the contracts. Intravenous solutions, provided by Baxter International, Deerfield, Ill., is one of the most popular at the hospital, which last year spent $72,000 on IV fluids. Other products with beneficial AmeriNet deals are contrast media and custom packs. In 2002, Camp said, Witham spent about $4.8 million on AmeriNet contracts.
Voluntary membership
The three AmeriNet shareholders are unusual in that unlike shareholders in most groups, they are not hospital chains or integrated delivery networks (though Intermountain does own 22 hospitals, it belongs to AmeriNet as a separate entity).
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