Overview and Benefits

The Council’s group purchasing program – which covers a wide variety of products and services, aims to help members save money and enhance their ability to deliver better care.

Members of the Health Council’s group purchasing program 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.

Health Council group purchasing program benefits include:

• Substantial cost savings – Members collaborate to take advantage of their combined purchasing clout which drives 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, urban or rural, 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 its vendors through ongoing 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 relationships – Members tackle important projects that enhance relationships between regional health care providers and the diverse populations that they serve. Efforts include utilizing more minority- and women-owned companies, supporting local farmers and the local economy, and providing interpreter/translation services to the increasing number of non-English speaking patients in the Greater Cincinnati area.

For more information about the Council’s contracts, please contact Amy Ewing or Maurie Hanauer.