MaineHealth Building Best-in-Class Supply Chain to Further Enhance Patient Care Through New Prime Vendor Distribution Agreement

Maine's largest integrated health system signs Medline as its prime vendor partner for medical products

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Jan 28, 2019, 13:39 ET

NORTHFIELD, Ill., Jan. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MaineHealth, the largest integrated health system in northern New England, today announced a 10-year, $400 million prime vendor distribution agreement with Medline to build a best-in-class supply chain.

Over the past three years, the company worked closely with the health system to customize its perioperative surgical packs. By doing so, Medline established a proven record of superior customer service, flexibility and progressive ideation that led to taking the relationship to a more expansive and strategic level. Prior to the new agreement, MaineHealth had been with the same medical supply distributor for more than 25 years.

"Medline's vertical integration and ability to execute on forward-thinking initiatives will help create a best-in-class supply chain," says Luis Soto, vice president of supply chain management, MaineHealth. "A more efficient supply chain translates into clinicians spending less time on non-clinical activities and more time with patients, along with cost savings that can be reallocated to their care."

The agreement spans MaineHealth's 11 community hospitals across the state and New Hampshire. Of those, Maine Medical Center has been named by U.S. News & World Report as a "Best Regional Hospital" for the sixth consecutive year and as the best hospital in Maine in 2018-2019.

"Health systems need strategic partners, not just vendors," says Jeff Durham, vice president of corporate sales, Medline. "Medline co-creates strategies with systems to optimize their supply chains. Currently, a team of Medline engineers are conducting assessments to increase operational enhancements such as pick accuracy and pick time at MaineHealth's distribution center. Medline will continue consulting with MaineHealth to evaluate distribution strategies at other facilities across its continuum of care."

Learn how Medline tailors solutions across the entire continuum of care as a manufacturer and distributor by visiting https://www.medline.com/pages/supply-chain.

About Medline
Medline is a global manufacturer and distributor serving the healthcare industry with medical supplies and clinical solutions that help customers achieve both clinical and financial success. Headquartered in Northfield, Ill., the company strategically supports nearly a third of the largest healthcare systems in the United States as an exclusive prime vendor and has experienced year-over-year distribution growth for more than a decade. Customers across the continuum of care have access to 550,000+ medical devices and support services through more than 1,600 dedicated sales representatives. Learn more about Medline at www.medline.com.

About MaineHealth
MaineHealth is a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,500 employed and independent physicians. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. Its flagship hospital, Maine Medical Center, has been named by U.S. News & World Report as a "Best Regional Hospital" for the sixth consecutive year and as the best hospital in Maine in 2018-2019. For more information on MaineHealth, visit www.mainehealth.org.

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SOURCE Medline