SHO Hospitals Come Together for Sterilization Equipment Purchase

New FDA regulations for sterilization equipment presented an opportunity for SHO hospitals to save money through a group purchase. They also accomplished this task in six months instead of the eighteen months allowed by the FDA. Through SHO’s Group Purchasing Program Henry County Hospital, Riverview Hospital, Westview Medical Campus, and Witham Health Services came together to purchase Sterrad NX units, saving just over $30,000 total.

The mandate was issued in December of 2009. Hospitals using the Steris System 1 equipment were given eighteen months to replace it. SHO began researching a group purchase in February of 2010. Henry County Hospital, Riverview Hospital, Westview Medical Campus, and Witham Health Services came together to complete the purchase in June of 2010. Of the eighteen months allowed to complete the purchase, the SHO hospitals involved only needed six.  

Each hospital purchased one Sterrad NX unit to replace the existing Steris equipment. By partnering for this purchase, each hospital saved $7,716 (based on the MD Buyline price) on each unit for a total of $30,864 in savings.

For more information about group purchases and other Shared Services, please contact Karen Farris- Barnhart at 317.692.5222 or karenf@suburbanhealth.com.