Amerinet welcomed members and suppliers to its 2014 Member Conference in Las Vegas, Nev., in May to honor their outstanding achievements and provide strategic information to help members achieve success.
“Amerinet’s 2014 Member Conference truly highlighted the transformations taking place in healthcare, not only from an educational perspective, but also how our members and suppliers are leading this revolution through groundbreaking best practice development and implementation,” Todd Ebert, Amerinet president and CEO, was quoted as saying.
Educational opportunities included keynote sessions on the future of medicine, preparing for excellence in leadership, and transforming healthcare with technology-enabled innovation. Attendees also participated in the “Operation Military” corporate social responsibility challenge, which featured a scavenger hunt to collect items to be donated to soldiers serving overseas.
The trade show featured suppliers and booths in two exhibit hall sessions. The Amerinet team and suppliers also participated in the annual “reverse trade show,” a session offering suppliers the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Amerinet teams on a one-on-one basis.
‘What’s Your Amerinet?’
The centerpiece of the conference was the launch of “What’s Your Amerinet,” a new brand promise designed around the unique nature and challenges faced by each member facility. “Every facility is different,” said Ebert. “Every challenge, every opportunity has its own distinct characteristics that make a one-size-fits-all solution impractical at best and ineffective at worst. Amerinet understands this, which is why we take a different approach to delivering solutions unique to each member.” The GPO’s offerings include:
- Contract portfolio.
- Clinical specialists, whose mission is to help members optimize product standardization and utilization, identify savings opportunities and enhance clinical outcomes.
- Executive resources, designed to help executives enhance their organization on a quality, operational and financial level.
- Quality and patient safety, a subscription service said to help facilities deliver efficient, patient-centered solutions, tools and resources to promote the delivery of consistent and safe evidence-based care.
- Supply chain management, which Amerinet describes as analysis and opportunities for contract savings and product standardization, delivering an average 4 to 7 percent savings for participating members.
- Assistance with physician preference items, using a program designed to help members reduce high-dollar implant costs while enhancing physician engagement and clinical outcomes.
Emerging technologies
Amerinet’s annual “Emerging Technology Show,” held in conjunction with the Member Conference, offered members, affiliates, sales teams and managers an opportunity to meet with emerging technology and diversity suppliers. The solutions presented during the show included:
- Point-of-care diagnostic technology
- Medication management software
- Vascular therapy devices
- Drug disposal technologies
- Allograft-derived growth factor
“This event is an important component in bringing our members diverse solutions that assist them in cost reduction and quality of care initiatives,” said Dale Wright, chief contracting officer and president, Amerinet Choice.
Awards
The Amerinet Healthcare Achievement Awards recognized efforts undertaken by Amerinet members in 2013 to reduce healthcare costs, improve quality and serve the community at large.
Supply chain/data management or supply cost efficiencies
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Mass.
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, Tampa, Fla.
- Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Wash.
Financial and operational improvement
- Cambridge Health Alliance/Institute for Community Health, Cambridge, Mass.
- Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah.
- The Polyclinic, Seattle, Wash.
Quality/patient care delivery and/or patient satisfaction
- Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, Ohio.
- Norseland Nursing Home, Westby, Wisc.
- Verde Valley Medical Center, Cottonwood, Ariz.
Community impact and/or innovation
- Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens, Cedar Bluff, Va.
- Montford Jones Memorial Hospital, Kosciusko, Miss.
- Yavapai Regional Medical Center, Prescott, Ariz.