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Amerinet
How compliant are your members to your contracts? How do you measure this? And what are your goals in this regard? Amerinet members consistently meet their contract obligations each year. Their success is reflected in the 2007 fiscal report. For example, last year, Amerinet members saved $335 million on $6.5 billion in purchases and received $39 million in return by meeting their contract requirements. Our members’ success is a direct result of Amerinet’s team of clinical, pharmacy, medical/surgical, materials and contract specialists who work closely with members to ensure they understand the contracts, requirements for participation, as well as specific requirements necessary to access tiers and rebates. This team of highly trained supply chain professionals utilizes Amerinet’s Savings Roadmap(sm) to ensure members reach their compliance goals.... Can you describe Amerinet’s approach to capital equipment contracting (e.g., reverse auctions, group buys, etc)? Amerinet’s capital equipment program consists of a wide range of contracts with market-leading manufacturers, combined with a dedicated and specialized sales force specific to capital equipment and construction. The Amerinet BudgetMatch(sm) program is a unique service where members submit their capital equipment budgets online for review and assignment to Amerinet capital equipment contracts. Additional services available include benchmarking, quote review and e-procurement services. Each quarter, Amerinet offers its members special time-sensitive promotions or TargetBuys for many types of clinical and non-clinical capital equipment purchases. Does Amerinet engage in reverse auctions for non-capital items? If so, to what extent? We have found reverse auctioning valuable in specific instances in conjunction with IDN-specific contracting strategies. Can you describe Amerinet’s activities in the following areas:
[Offerings include]:
Through a full suite of consulting services, Amerinet members can identify savings opportunities, prioritize savings initiatives, and educate staff in value analysis techniques. To find out how their facilities measure up in supply chain management, healthcare executives utilize the supply chain assessment. This tool benchmarks performance in six key areas: systems, such as the MMIS and automated supply replenishment systems; electronic data management; pricing and contract administration; use of value analysis tools and techniques; standardization and utilization activities; and national supply cost metrics and benchmarks. Does Amerinet provide members with access to an electronic exchange, allowing members to order products electronically, check order status, check pricing accuracy, etc? If so, what is it called, and what are its capabilities? Members access electronic exchanges for EDI and data cleansing through the Amerinet contracted partner. This market-leading service provides EDI, fax automation, contract management, and requisitioning services, as well as data cleansing through the use of their all source product catalog. Can you describe the role of member advisory boards in your contracting process? Amerinet member input plays a critical role in discovering the needs and problems our members face. We use several different member forums and standing input boards for gathering member requirements and input for use in the Amerinet contracting initiatives. These include members from Amerinet’s largest IDNs as well as stand-alone hospitals, surgery centers and other non-acute care representatives. In addition, groups that are specific to the various clinical specialties -- such as pharmacy, lab, food service and materials management -- are convened at intervals to obtain member review and suggestions regarding contract development and selection. To what extent does Amerinet assist members in local or regional contracting? Customized Amerinet Options? agreements are the result of a collaborative effort between the Amerinet contract staff and the healthcare provider....Jointly developed contracting strategies, specifications, and terms and conditions will be managed through an evaluation process....Contracts can be developed either as a formal competitive bid process or a focused negotiation with a supplier selected by the healthcare provider. Amerinet’s experience in contracting, augmented by previous Amerinet Options contracting activities on behalf of other Amerinet members, has resulted in more than 200 unique Amerinet Options agreements, representing over $158 million of purchases, negotiated and managed by Amerinet on behalf of our affiliate, network and alliance members. Does Amerinet help members benchmark their clinical performance? If so, can you explain how? Amerinet’s benchmarking solutions assist health care providers optimize operational effectiveness by providing comparative analysis in the area of supply chain and medical implant devices:
Amerinet provides several levels of operational benchmarking support to members:
Amerinet offers a variety of reporting capabilities to support members’ analytical needs:
A one-stop shop, Inquisit offers continuing education, learning-on-demand programs and customized education services any time day or night for time-conscious healthcare professionals. With programs for more than 30 healthcare-related professions, addressing both continuing education units and continuing medical education credits, Inquisit provides healthcare professionals with a valuable resource to meet the educational demands of the healthcare industry. Delivery options range from audio conferences and web casts to on-demand web services and on-site sessions. The on-site courses can be customized and held at individual companies. Topics include employee retention and supervision, team building, change management, communication and listening skills, and negotiation. Has Amerinet’s mission changed over the past five years? If so, how? In 2007, Amerinet adopted a new mission and vision to focus on strategic solutions that enhance how healthcare providers deliver patient care. It states that "Amerinet will make a positive difference in the delivery of high quality healthcare by helping providers effectively manage their total spend." As a result, Amerinet has implemented a competitive menu of Total Spend Management solutions and high-level, customer-focused services....These strategies will bring greater value to our members by improving supply chain efficiencies and addressing quality and safety issues. The new business model also provides the flexibility to invest in new technologies, acquire additional resources and partner with new suppliers to strengthen our competitive portfolio.... Finally, how does Amerinet differ from others in the market? Amerinet’s advantage is its ability to bring additional value to our members beyond traditional GPO services. We have created a new total spend management business model and offer services beyond contracting. Those services include revenue cycle management, decision support, supply chain consulting services and a wide range of spend analytic solutions. We know from listening to our customers that data management, including data integrity and price accuracy, is important. That’s why we enhanced our Amerinet Clinical Advantage program and Diagnostix, as well as acquired DataBay Resources® and Inquisit. We have also deployed clinical specialists in the field to work directly with our members. And, we have strengthened our affiliate partnerships and created regional member alliances to aggregate their spend to maximize savings opportunities. Amerinet is a GPO committed to its members by making it simple for them to manage their total spend, from supply chain to clinical and operational needs. |
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