MS system reduces can liner expense by 50 percent using national contract
South Central Regional Medical Center offers a broad array of services to the people of the greater Laurel, MS, region. The hospital provides emergency services, cardiac care, surgical services, home health, hospice, cancer care and a wide range of other primary and specialized treatments, programs and services. It has 285 licensed beds and more than 90 physicians practicing in 22 specialties. It is one of its community’s largest employers with nearly 2,500 employees. www.scrmc.com.
Situation:
South Central Regional Medical Center, Laurel, MS, is much like any other hospital. Its profitability is being threatened by unprecedented reimbursement cuts. In an era of healthcare reform, the medical center must look for every opportunity to reduce its supply costs without decreasing the level of quality of patient care.
Solution:
- South Central actively partners with the Premier healthcare alliance to reduce supply costs.
- The materials management team and employees throughout South Central evaluate all products against Premier contracts.
- South Central converted to Premier’s national can liner contract with Berry Plastics Corporation of Minneapolis in April 2009.
Result:
- Every little effort helps. By using the results off a can liner
re-evaluation survey provided by Berry Plastics in combination with
Berry’s national contract tiers, South Central saved
- More than $14,000 at the medical center
- Nearly $31,000 at other system facilities
- Total savings of more than $44,500 are 50 percent less than the former can liner contract.
" As the healthcare industry faces increasing challenges with dwindling
reimbursements, we are thankful for the savings opportunities afforded to us by
our Premier membership. These cost savings make a tremendous difference in our
ability to provide high quality healthcare that meets our budgetary restraints."
Darryl Speir,
Director of Environmental Services and Laundry