Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH), one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country, has launched a first-of-its-kind capital equipment platform to improve collaboration with core supplier partners and drive cost savings and efficiency across the system’s 50 hospitals and 1,000 sites of care. The platform, built in collaboration with OpenMarkets, known at BSMH as the eQuipConnect, gives the organization a curated hub of contracted equipment products, services, and solutions.
“We are seeking partners to help us break the capital cost curve,” says Steve Bodily, Chief Operating Officer of the Supply Chain at Bon Secours Mercy Health. “We’ve created this platform to remove the waste and inefficiencies inherent in most supply chains, especially for large systems like BSMH. GE, Medline, STERIS and others have stepped up in a big way. We’re excited to be working with them on this innovative platform.”
Launched in the summer of 2020, over 6,000 BSMH employees are already using the platform to gain insight into contracted and standardized equipment, communicate with suppliers and get quotes.
Modern Healthcare recently named Bodily one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Innovators of the 2020 for creating the new platform (release).
“We’re creating a formulary for equipment that hasn’t previously existed,” says Bodily. “At an organization our size, it’s tough for end users to know what’s on contract. It is now easier and faster for clinicians, department directors, and others to research options and buy equipment. Plus, they can communicate directly with the suppliers in a centralized, organized way.”
From the supplier’s perspective, an integrated platform will drastically improve transparency and speed. BSMH users will submit inquiries on pre-selected equipment products directly to their sales and support representatives through the platform, streamlining communication and connecting users with the right rep seamlessly.
“We’re excited to work closer with several core suppliers on the platform,” continues Bodily. “Stryker, Siemens, Philips, Hologic and others are also participating. Their sales teams are working with us more efficiently and improving speed-to-order. I am confident that the platform will change the industry and we are excited to be at the forefront of that charge.”
Bodily estimates 10-15 more equipment suppliers will join the platform by early next year. “We are reaching out to additional core equipment suppliers now, and also anticipate proactive suppliers approaching us to find out how they can participate. It’s important to us that capital equipment suppliers work with us on the platform. It’s going to make things more efficient for everyone.”
