Supply Chain

Hospitals experience drug shortages on a daily basis, which often lead to delayed patient treatment and increased drug costs, according to a new report released yesterday by the American Hospital Association (AHA).

Medical-surgical supply costs have become the second highest and fastest-growing operating expense for providers. In an effort to help curb spending, healthcare technology company GHX released a list at the HFMA-ANI conference in Orlando that aims to give providers greater control in this area.

Walgreens has announced that it plans to sever its relationship with Express Scripts pharmacy provider network, turning away from more than $5 billion in annual revenue.

Many predictions were made early in 2011 about the issues that would challenge healthcare finance leaders this year. Does your experience bear them out?

University of Cincinnati analysis of hospital supply chains – medicines, materials, devices and office supplies – reveals that the use of RFID technology can help hospitals cut as much as 18 percent in labor costs associated with resupplying.

The Chartis Group has announced a partnership with the Minneapolis-based HealthPartners Medical Group and Clinics to provide advisory services, program management and knowledge transfer designed to improve delivery of ambulatory care services.

Supply chain executives at the Premier Breakthroughs conference in Nashville agreed that physicians are getting more involved and enthusiastic about supply chain decisions.

A bipartisan group of senators is questioning the legality of physician-owned distributors (PODs). The group, lead by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), sent letters late last week to CMS and HHS asking for an investigation into the legality of PODs.

The Maryland Health Care Commission has launched an online portal intended to help small businesses comparison-shop for health insurance plans for their employees.

A Q&A with Richard Burke, president of senior care services for the Fallon Community Health Plan