Greater Cincinnati Health Council members of our group purchasing programs enjoy the combined buying power of more than 170 hospital, long-term care, physician group and private residential home-bed facilities. Their high volume translates into substantial discounts for program members on purchases of products and services.

Council contracts cover a wide variety of products and services including food service, natural gas, electricity, office supplies and equipment, employee criminal background checks, courier service, medical and solid waste management, pharmaceuticals and medical/surgical products and others.

Benefits from the Council's group purchasing program include:

• Cost savings - Members collaborate to take advantage of their combined purchasing clout to drive bottom-line savings through competitive negotiations with regional and national suppliers. 
• Increased power - Vendors must pay special attention to the needs of members, whether large or small, in the city or in rural areas, in order to keep the business of the entire group.
• Networking/education opportunities - Council committees improve management decision-making as members network throughout the year with their colleagues to address challenging topics. Shared work experiences/best practices and a variety of timely educational offerings combine to help members learn new ways to thrive in a continually changing health care environment.
• Ongoing monitoring/improvements - The Council’s continuous improvement programs assure quality products and services from their vendors through contract performance reviews, price comparisons and supplier invoice audits.
• Time savings - Members rely on the Council to perform the tedious steps of contract development including bids, surveys and data management reporting. The Council’s efficient and professional research simplifies the decision-making process for members and provides immeasurable time savings.
• Regional/community issues - Members tackle important projects that enhance relationships between regional health care providers and the diverse populations that they serve. Efforts include utilizing more minority-owned companies and providing language services to the increasing number of non-English speaking patients in the Greater Cincinnati area.

See what some of the Council's vendors say about this special partnership:

"Ellenbee Leggett has developed a unique business partnership with GCHC. This relationship has evolved to an atypical level. We do not serve in the normal vendor/supply function, but rather a departmental one. [We are] the Nutrition Supplies Acquisition department for many of the GCHC Dietary contract participants. The mutual levels of trust are significant and serve as a benchmark for our business dealings with other partners."
Thomas Koeninger, Vice President Sales, Ellenbee Leggett

"We value our relationship with GCHC in that our company has always strived to provide that little extra something, setting us apart and adding value in every business relationship. We feel that GCHC strives to do this very same thing for its members. It's great to be associated with GCHC. It is obvious that GCHC cares about what it is doing and is always trying to go the extra mile to best serve its members."
Doug Austin, Vice President, Interstate Gas Supply

"The professional staff at GCHC is a pleasure to work with and one of the most member-dedicated [organizations] I have ever encountered. They have the full support and trust of all their members and work hard to offer services that are beneficial to each and every one. The pre-employment screening we provide, coordinated by GCHC, has, by consensus, raised the quality of health care by allowing members to identify and hire only qualified personnel."
Charles Bailey, Senior Vice President, Selection.com

For more information on participating on the Council's contracts, please contact Amy Ewing or Maurie Hanauer.