A group of providers joined GHX at the recent AHRMM conference for discussion about the challenges facing supply chain to deliver quality data to clinical teams and how to interface this data for charge reconciliation and billing. A growing item master, subsequent data management and maintenance, and clinician frustration were among the primary concerns discussed.

There are foundational challenges that supply chain is currently facing, specifically in the connection of item master data to the EHR. What has been considered best practice for item master/data management is now being questioned with the increased use of EHR technology. Current thinking is that in attempt to both increase accuracy in patient records and reduce missed charges, more is better. As a result, the item master is growing and imposing a significant impact on workflow, maintenance, etc.

At Dana Farber Cancer Institute, we had a number of processes and solutions in place for vendor management but they were disjointed and no one solution was meeting all of our needs. New suppliers were onboarded by Supply Chain, Accounts Payable (AP) and our Office of the General Counsel but only Supply Chain was performing sanction checks. Furthermore, our security department had rolled out a solution to track all non-clinical suppliers and visitors that came into our facilities, but that solution too did not have sanction check capabilities.

In healthcare, the long-held view of a “perfect order” is one where a purchase order is processed electronically — from order to payment — without human intervention.

Achieving the perfect order hasn’t been easy. A lack of automation throughout the payment cycle created all kinds of barriers to achieving the perfect order. 

Let’s face it – we are an increasingly mobile world. Smart phones and tablets are ubiquitous and there is an app for pretty much everything. The ability to perform tasks on the go means we can do what we want, when we want to do it - boosting efficiency and improving access to information. As a company that is all about making it easier and more cost-effective for healthcare providers and suppliers to do their jobs, GHX is adding mobile functionality to those solutions where customers will gain the most value and achieve the greatest impact.

How can you significantly influence your supply chain performance without the help of additional resources?

Healthcare provider organizations are tasked with this dilemma daily and the goal to go beyond just managing costs, but to actually reduce costs while improving patient outcomes. Supply chain specifically goes after this challenge with an eye toward expanding automation, using data proactively and improving contract price alignment.

Suppliers want to improve receivables performance, while providers need to manage payment flow and access all available discounts and rebates. Is there a way for both sides to win?

In life, and in business, enduring relationships require a commitment to transparency and trust.

When it comes to buyers and sellers, the bond can be delicate, especially in matters of cash and working capital performance—or payment. In fact, there is no bigger priority for healthcare suppliers over the next year than improving receivables performance, according to a recent survey of 100 financial leaders at major healthcare suppliers by Institutional Investor Custom Research Lab. It is also the hardest area to influence.