Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Signs Supply Chain Agreement with ROi

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 11, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, an integrated healthcare delivery system based in Spartanburg, S.C., signed an agreement with ROi (Resource Optimization & Innovation) for access to ROi's comprehensive suite of supply chain services, including group purchasing, strategic sourcing, utilization management and custom procedure pack manufacturing. The agreement marks the health care system's commitment to develop a fully integrated supply chain based on the model built by ROi over the last decade.

"Like many others, our system faces significant challenges in today's health care environment. A strategic approach to supply chain management is critical to our system's future success. We chose to partner with ROi because their innovative business model is comprehensive, highly integrated with clinical operations and drives meaningful clinical, operational and financial improvements," said Bruce Holstien, president and CEO of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.  "Collaboration with others is imperative and we look forward to joining ROi and other health systems to transform our industry."

"We are honored to welcome Spartanburg Regional to this provider-owned movement in becoming more efficient and cost effective through a clinically aligned and integrated supply chain. Spartanburg Regional is a world class organization, and we look forward to a long-standing partnership," said Gene Kirtser, president and CEO of ROi.  "Our partner CEOs and their health systems are helping build momentum in our industry to break away from the traditional supply chain model in which critical functions like sourcing, contracting and distribution are outsourced, and looking to supply chain as a strategic partner in helping transform health care delivery."

ROi was founded in 2002 by Mercy, the nation's sixth largest Catholic health care system.  Today, ROi serves multiple health care customers -- including Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLHS) in Baton Rouge, La. -- all focused on building an innovative model that integrates supply chain functions traditionally performed by commercial distributors, group purchasing organizations (GPOs), manufacturers and consultants.

"With health care reform, we are all challenged to be more efficient and innovative while maintaining the highest levels of patient care quality and safety," said John Finan, CEO of FMOLHS. "We recognize supply chain as a strategic initiative that when done well frees up our clinicians to focus even more on our patients. We are already getting traction through our relationship with ROi and I encourage CEOs throughout our industry to consider supply chain as a key driver for positive transformational change."

Lynn Britton, president and CEO of Mercy, added, "The work of developing a supply chain through ROi has helped build a culture of collaboration that has been transformational for our entire health ministry. We've been able to link supply chain leaders and clinicians together to reduce costs,  streamline processes and to improve patient care. Supply chain has the opportunity to help health care systems transform into a more sustainable business and clinical model."

About Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System offers a range of specialized healthcare services that incorporate evidence-based practices into every stage of care, from evaluation and diagnosis to treatment and recovery. Featuring a wide variety of services, the system is comprised of not only hospitals, but also outpatient surgery centers, a physician network featuring a wide variety of experience and specialties, a vibrant post-acute division, corporate health, and residencies for family medicine, surgery, and transitional students, offering training for the next generation of physicians. Spartanburg Regional also has an insurance company, research institute and is home to Gibbs Cancer Center, a nationally recognized community cancer facility that is affiliated with the National Cancer Institute and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. For more information, please visit www.spartanburgregional.com.

About ROi

ROi (Resource Optimization & Innovation) is a recognized leader in health care supply chain management. Founded in 2002 by Mercy, the nation's sixth largest Catholic health care system, ROi serves multiple customers who share a passion for supply chain excellence. ROi provides a single-source, fully integrated supply chain solution, including group contracting, clinical and operational consulting, private label product sourcing, pharmaceutical repackaging, custom procedure tray manufacturing, print operations, purchasing and master item file management, and distribution and transportation management. ROi co-workers support health care providers from a home base in St. Louis, Mo., and a 100,000-square-foot Consolidated Services Center (CSC) in Springfield, Mo. ROi was ranked the No. 1 provider supply chain and No. 2 overall global supply chain in the 2011 Gartner Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 – the only company to be ranked in the top three every year since the ranking was established in 2009. For more information, please visit www.roiscs.com.

SOURCE ROi (Resource Optimization & Innovation)