VUMC’s supply chain management achievements lauded
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received the first annual Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award from the ECRI Institute.
ECRI Institute is a nonprofit research and education organization that, among other things, provides health care organizations with information about the safety, quality and cost-effectiveness of medical procedures, devices, drugs and processes.
Five winning organizations were chosen out of nearly 2,500 hospitals and health systems that subscribe to ECRI Institute’s supply and capital procurement advisory services.
The other winners are: Broward Health, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; University of California San Francisco Medical Center; Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, in Glendale, Wis.; and Yale New Haven Hospital, in New Haven, Conn.
Representatives from ECRI Institute visited VUMC on March 8 to present the award.
“We’re very pleased to receive this recognition from ECRI Institute. We are committed to assuring that our faculty and staff have the products, technology and services they need to provide exceptional care to our patients by utilizing best practice techniques for evaluation and contracting,” said Teresa Dail, administrative director of Supply Chain at VUMC.
Supply chain management is purchasing activity in the broadest sense, including everything from value analysis, sourcing and procurement to the logistics of receiving and inventory management.
VUMC currently spends about $350 million per year on medical supplies and equipment.