Top academic medical centers reaffirm commitment to partner with UHC Supply Chain Optimization Program

The University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) today announced that a number of the nation's top academic medical centers have reaffirmed their commitment to partnering with UHC's group purchasing and supply chain organization, including:

• University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa: A 680-bed comprehensive academic medical center and regional referral center. The full spectrum of specialty and subspecialty care draws patients from Iowa, the region, and around the world. Three clinical specialties were ranked in the Top 10 by U.S. News & World Report in 2009. (UHC member since 1993; supply chain member since 1994.)
• University of Kentucky HealthCare, Lexington, Ky: Includes Chandler Hospital, a 473-bed acute care hospital that has been named 5 times as one of Thomson Reuter's 100 top hospitals in its National Benchmark Study. (UHC member since 1984; supply chain member since 1985.)

"We are pleased that these 2 key members have chosen to recommit to the UHC Supply Chain Optimization Program," said Jake Groenewold, UHC senior vice president, Supply Chain. UHC has a cost-effective operating model that enables it to provide seamless delivery of integrated services for supply chain management. The efficiency and effectiveness of this model are demonstrated by the fact that member savings from UHC's supply chain services and Novation contracts exceeded $117 million in 2009.

"UHC has been a valuable supply chain partner, providing not only competitively priced contracts, but also the tools to identify savings in multiple areas of our organization," said Sergio Melgar, senior vice president for health affairs and chief financial officer, University of Kentucky HealthCare.

As academic medical centers are striving to improve operational efficiencies to keep overall health care costs in check, partnering with the right supply chain organization is crucial.

"Working in collaboration with the outstanding UHC team has helped us make significant strides in achieving our supply chain goals," said Sabi Singh, associate hospital director, UIHC, and assistant vice president for operations excellence, UI Health Care.

UHC supply chain optimization services include:

• Sourcing/contracting: Full range of group purchasing functions, including competitive bidding, contract management, and contract maintenance.
• Data-driven informatics: Scorecards and reporting tools with primary data collected from members to help identify savings and improve efficiencies.
• Performance management: Consultative services to support members' supply chain optimization efforts.
• Networking and education: Educational and peer forums for sharing best practices and opportunities for supply chain improvement.