Letter to Editor

Purchased services: Not so different than PPI

To the Editor:

I just wanted to drop you a line and say that I enjoyed your articles on purchased services. [“Purchased Services: A Strategic Approach,” October 2015 Journal of Healthcare Contracting.] Purchases services is an area that we have been addressing since I arrived at Piedmont. Having said that, it seems to be an area that has been recently discovered by the healthcare industry. In fact, every consultant and GPO now offers a purchased services “solution.”

It reminds me of the early days of the discovery that there may be an opportunity in this new thing called “physician preference items.” The truth is that, just like PPI, we often have the skills and talent in place to address these opportunities. Much like the character in the “Taken” movies, supply chain professionals have the unique set of skills to help their customers to reduce spend in these areas.

I would also say that I agree with the comments that much like physicians and PPI, there can be an emotional attachment to some of these vendors. Just like PPI, I think the secret to success is having built a prior relationship with customers that results in trust and a willingness to work to a common goal and their full participation in the process.

I would encourage any of my supply chain comrades to take on the purchased services space and feel confident that it is no more difficult then PPI and can be addressed with similar tactics.

Joe Colonna
Vice President of Supply Chain
Piedmont Healthcare
Atlanta, Ga.


NEWS

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