Ken -
GSA award? Are we talking federal government here?
From the VHA fact sheet, I don't see a government connection.
VHA Fact Sheet
VHA is a nationwide network of leading community-owned health care
organizations and their physicians.
Scope
With 1,500 members, including 1,200 community-owned hospitals, the VHA
network comprises 22 percent of the nation's community hospitals and serves 26 percent of the nation's patients. In addition, VHA has 1,700 purchasing affiliates, customers of its subsidiary HealthCare purchasing Partners Inc.
Mission
VHA links, serves and leads selected community-owned health care providers and physicians in creating healthy communities and achieving market success.
Cooperative Advantage
Because VHA is operated as a cooperative, VHA organizations earn cash and equity each time they purchase a product or service through VHA. 1996 was VHA's best year ever in terms of value delivered to VHA organizations. The total return to members was $597 million, $157 million in cash and $440 million in savings and equity through VHA's supply program and other national and regional efforts. This translates into a total return of more than 20-to-1. In other words,
VHA Shareholder and Partner organizations saved or received more than $20 for every dollar they spent to participate in VHA national and regional organizations in 1996.
Corporate Information
President and CEO: C. Thomas Smith
Headquarters: Irving, Texas
Employees: 1,000 (400 in Irving and 600 in 25 other locations across the country)
Programs and Services
VHA offers products and services in five categories:
Supply Chain Management -- VHA operates one of the largest group purchasing programs in health care. In 1996, VHA members and purchasing affiliates bought $7.2 billion in supplies and services through VHA and saved $381.3 million on those purchases. In addition, VHA organizations received $33.9 million in incentives from manufacturers for participation in VHA's supply programs.
Participants in VHA's committed purchasing program, OPPORTUNITYr,
received an additional $20.4 million in value, based on $14.7 million in incentive payments from participating manufacturers and approximately $5.7 million in waived membership fees. Estimated 1997 purchase volume: $8.3 billion.
Learning Networks & Education -- VHA develops education and networking
opportunities to help health care professionals in all disciplines expand their clinical knowledge and skills and maintain perspective on key issues in the industry.
Performance Improvement -- VHA helps providers improve clinical and
operational performance through services addressing resource utilization, process re-engineering, data mining, simulation modeling, benchmarking and change management.
Information Technology -- VHA evaluates existing and emerging software and information solutions and recommends specific products to its members, saving them time and money. In addition, through VHAseCURE.netr, VHA is enabling members to leverage the power of Internet-based information tools and the connectivity of the World Wide Web.
Market Share Development -- VHA offers programs and services to help its members keep and grow market share, such as programs to support their local and regional managed care initiatives and physician referral and demand management services.
Through the above programs, VHA members reduce costs, improve operational and clinical efficiencies and improve the health of their communities.
Updated June 1997
Let's hope Quidel can get the word out to all of VHA's member physicians AND all the VHA member purchasing departments.
DB |
