December 6, 2022 – Collaboration is crucial to a healthy and resilient supply chain. Many of the innovative solutions to today’s supply chain issues emerge from collaborative spaces, whether they’re intentionally collaborative or not. A conversation between one supplier and one GPO can be just as productive as an entire three-day conference event. Healthcare group purchasing organizations (GPOs) are always working with their members to improve the quality and delivery of products and services. As the association representing leading group purchasing organizations (GPOs), the Healthcare Supply Chain Association looks to build on the interdependent work of GPOs and catalyze further collaboration through our new affiliate program, HSCA Connect.
GPOs are highly responsive to their members, which include hospitals of all sizes, nursing homes, clinics, surgery centers, and many other healthcare providers. Using data and feedback from members, they can quickly identify solutions to supply chain issues.
Often, however, GPOs are not able to act on these solutions alone and reach out to other stakeholders – manufacturers, distributors, service, and data providers – to determine the most efficient and realistic solutions. This collaborative approach has proved effective in addressing both broad supply and clinical issues that providers face, especially in times of crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, GPOs closely monitored supplies of essential healthcare products like face shields, isolation gowns, hand sanitizer, and more. By expanding partnerships beyond traditional vendors to adjacent industries such as distilleries, textile manufacturers, steel and automobile manufacturers, and others, GPOs were able to help fill supply gaps and create new relationships with non-traditional suppliers.
Read more in the latest issue of The Journal of Healthcare Contracting.