Parkland Health & Hospital System Begins Three-Year Cost-Saving Initiative With UHC and Novation

CHICAGO, July 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- UHC announced today that Parkland Health & Hospital System has partnered with UHC and its supply contracting company, Novation, on a new three-year cost-saving initiative.

UHC will provide a multitude of services and assistance, including UHC's comprehensive supply chain management suite—UHC Supply Chain Intelligence™—to ensure the success of the initiative. UHC will continue to give Parkland access to Novation's price-competitive supply contracts and UHC's advanced supply chain analytics, industry-leading consulting, and tools for improving supply utilization and standardization.

Over the last five years, UHC has delivered more than $27 million in supply chain value to Parkland. Parkland is also an active participant in other UHC programs and services, including UHC's Clinical Data Base/Resource Manager™, Operational Data Base, Imperatives for Quality Program, and networking councils.

"This initiative represents a new dimension in the ongoing relationship with our UHC/Novation partners. Like many health systems looking to improve cost-effectiveness, we need a trusted supply chain solution that not only provides access to competitive contracts but also helps us achieve long-term sustainable cost reduction through insights into all spend areas focusing on all aspects including utilization and standardization," said Joe Velasquez, vice president of supply chain for Parkland Health & Hospital system.

"We are pleased to continue to serve as a critical partner of the core supply chain operations of Parkland," said Jake Groenewold, senior vice president, UHC Supply Chain. "Today's health care providers are increasingly challenged to align their procurement strategy with cost and quality outcomes across the entire enterprise. Our approach is to become an extension of our members' supply chain, providing the capabilities they need to meet the demands of the present while preparing for those of the future."

About UHC
UHC is an alliance of the nation's leading nonprofit academic medical centers, which are focused on delivering world-class patient care. Formed in 1984 and based in Chicago, UHC fosters collaboration with and among its 120 academic medical center and 310 affiliated hospital members through its renowned programs and services in the areas of comparative data and analytics, performance improvement, supply chain management, strategic research, and public policy. UHC helps its members achieve excellence in quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. For more information, visit uhc.edu.

About Parkland Health & Hospital System
Parkland Health & Hospital System was established in 1894 in Dallas, Texas. It was the first Level I trauma center in North Texas and contains the second largest civilian burn center in the United States. The Parkland system includes 12 primary care clinics, 12 school-based clinics, and four mobile vans. Parkland also provides medical services to the Dallas County jail system. The Parkland campus has approximately 40,000 visitors per day. Parkland is currently completing construction of a new 2.5 million square foot hospital campus, the largest new hospital project in the country. The project will increase its total bed capacity to 862 adult beds and 107 neonatal beds.

SOURCE UHC