Premier joins federal group for supply chain resiliency; Cardinal expands at-home business; plus Jobs!

June 3, 2022

Hello NAW Subscribers -

I hope you like this issue of National Accounts Weekly!

Sincerely,

John Pritchard

President of ANAE

Publisher of The Journal of Healthcare Contracting (JHC)

Showcase and network at Premier's Breakthroughs 22

Premier’s Breakthroughs 22 is live and in-person this year at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland, offering opportunities for suppliers to connect, showcase, and network with over 250 Premier member hospitals. Health systems rely on innovative technologies and solutions to help bring a competitive edge to their patient care. Attendees will get an exclusive look into the emerging technologies and solutions that are moving healthcare forward.

Here are four reasons for suppliers to showcase at Breakthroughs 22:

Connect with Purchasing Powerhouses

Each year at Breakthroughs, healthcare executives and professionals gather to gain insight into the latest in healthcare technologies and services. The influential administrators, supply chain executives and other decision makers that attend our conference are considered purchasing powerhouses in their respective health systems.

In addition, new supply chain leaders, clinicians, value analysis directors and other staff twill attend Breakthroughs 22 as well. This is your opportunity to move healthcare forward and make connections with such leaders by expressing the importance of your offerings and the potential savings customers can experience using your technologies or service.

One-Stop Spot for Member Engagement

Come experience a networking opportunity like no other. Breakthroughs 22 offers an opportunity to connect with more Premier members at once than at any other time. In fact, this year we are proud to welcome over 250 member hospitals and health systems.

Also joining us at Breakthroughs 22 will be Premier’s field staff from each Premier region. Field staff can help endorse your products to Premier members considering new technologies or services. Such relationships can be beneficial in helping you find new customers and secure your next buying relationship.

Provide Promising Reassurance Emerging from the Pandemic

Things may have changed for your company in the last three years – whether it’s new people, new products, new Premier contracts or a renewed commitment to ensure supply stability. Similarly, many of our members found it necessary to adjust their supply chain plans and supplier relationships due to product shortages and disruptions.

Breakthroughs 22 is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to have in-person discussions about your company’s response to the pandemic, and your plans moving forward into a new healthcare landscape.

Showcase Your Most Innovative and Competitive Products and Services

As a Breakthroughs 22 exhibitor’s badge holder, your company will enjoy an open invitation to all events and sessions as well as an exclusive pass to supplier-only events. This will allow you to access members throughout our event and present your latest products and services.

Breakthroughs 22 represents a compelling opportunity to all Premier suppliers, including your competitor. Health systems rely on innovative technologies and solutions to help bring a competitive edge to their patient care. Don’t miss the chance to create important relationships and connections with our members before your competition does.

Learn More

5 strategies to help small suppliers beat big brands

The healthcare industry is a highly competitive market. In the United States alone, 784,626 healthcare companies are vying for consumers. Small healthcare suppliers have a big challenge ahead of them when competing with big brands. They don’t typically have the marketing budget that large companies do, so they don’t have the same brand recognition and visibility. But that doesn’t mean that small suppliers can’t compete in the industry.

Through lean marketing in healthcare, smaller companies can maximize their budgets to earn more success with potentially smaller funds. Lean marketing allows room for adaptability, allowing small suppliers to adjust their efforts along the way for more impactful results and a higher ROI.

Cardinal Health at-Home Solutions announces new distribution center in Ohio

Cardinal Health announced the addition of a new distribution center in the Columbus, Ohio, area as part of a multi-year warehouse modernization and growth plan. The new distribution center will support the company’s at-Home Solutions business, a market-leading medical supplies provider and specialized business focused on providing comfortable care in the home for people with chronic and serious health conditions.

Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton, UAB Medicine enter telemedicine partnership

Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton partners with UAB Medicine to bring a tele-critical care unit and tele-stroke unit to the residents of Chilton County. The new programs will allow patients to receive vital care closer to their homes, saving valuable time and extending much-needed services without compromising the quality of care.

The remote consultation sessions will take place from an operations center located at UAB Hospital. From the operations center, UAB specialists will connect via video into hospital rooms to conduct remote exams of patients and work with Ascension St. Vincent’s care teams to develop a treatment plan.

Premier joins federal working group to drive greater resiliency in U.S healthcare supply chain

Premier announced its new role in the Biden Administration’s Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) Sector Joint Supply Chain Resilience Working Group. This team will offer near-real-time information-sharing and collaboration to tackle current and emerging risks and build toward a more agile, transparent and robust U.S. public health supply chain.

The working group was convened to assist in the implementation of the National Strategy for a Resilient Public Health Supply Chain, and Premier’s Soumi Saha, Vice President of Advocacy, has been named to the executive committee.

GHX, HIRC collaborate to advance more efficient, patient-centered global supply chain

Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX) today announced it is working with the Healthcare Industry Resiliency Collaborative (HIRC) to help create a more transparent and resilient healthcare supply chain. In joining HIRC, GHX is lending its support for HIRC’s mission to strengthen healthcare supply chains, alongside leading suppliers and providers. GHX brings more than 20 years of supply chain expertise, data-driven insights and innovative technology to the consortium.

“The past two years have underscored the critical role supply chain plays in delivering affordable, quality patient care. It’s also proved that healthcare can collaborate on a large scale when uniting around a common purpose,’ said Tina Vatanka Murphy, division president, Value Based Care, GHX. “By joining HIRC, GHX will help arm organizations with the data and actionable insights they need to thrive in healthcare’s value-based future, where patients are at the heart of every decision.”

Excelerant adds Rob Ferguson as partner

Excelerant Consulting has hired healthcare industry veteran Rob Ferguson as partner. Ferguson has a keen understanding of the traditional healthcare marketplace, as well as next-generation approaches to patient treatment accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Rob gives us valuable insight in emerging disciplines like Hospital in Home [HiH], Remote Patient Monitoring [RPM] and Software as Sales [SaS],” said Nancy Kailas, Excelerant Co-Founder. “This allows Excelerant to better serve the needs of companies seeking to commercialize their innovations in these exciting, new areas of patient treatment.”

Vizient joins HHS initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Vizient, Inc. signed a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase its climate resilience as part of an initiative led by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the White House.

The initiative challenges hospitals, suppliers, pharmaceutical companies and other industry stakeholders to build climate considerations into the future of healthcare.

Pfizer initiative to improve health equity in 45 low income countries

Pfizer launched ‘An Accord for a Healthier World.’ This groundbreaking initiative aims to provide all of Pfizer’s patented, high-quality medicines and vaccines available in the U.S. or the European Union on a not-for-profit basis to 1.2 billion people in 45 lower-income countries. The Accord seeks to greatly reduce the health inequities that exist between many lower-income countries and the rest of the world.

“As we learned in the global COVID-19 vaccine rollout, supply is only the first step to helping patients. We will work closely with global health leaders to make improvements in diagnosis, education, infrastructure, storage and more. Only when all the obstacles are overcome can we end healthcare inequities and deliver for all patients,” said Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla.