Bergen Brunswig to Distribute Medical-Surgical Products for VHA Member Network; Contract Advances Bergen's Relationship with VHA and Commitment to One-Stop Shop Strategy.ORANGE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 20, 1997--Bergen Brunswig Medical Corporation (BBMC), an affiliate of Bergen Brunswig Corporation (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. ), announced today that it has been named an authorized distribution agent (ADA Ada, city, United States Ada (ā`ə), city (1990 pop. 15,820), seat of Pontotoc co., S central Okla.; inc. 1904. It is a large cattle market and the center of a rich oil and ranch area. ) of medical-surgical supplies for VHA's 1,500 member institutions. VHA's nationwide network of community-owned health care organizations, which includes hospitals and their affiliated physicians, comprises 22 percent of the nation's community hospitals and serves 26 percent of the nation's patients. The three-year agreement, effective immediately, follows the signing of a physician's agreement earlier this year and significantly advances the relationship that Bergen has had with VHA VHA Veterans Health Administration VHA Variable Housing Allowance VHA Villages Homeowners Association VHA Voluntary Hospitals Association VHA Virtual Home Agent VHA Very High Altitude VHA Vapor Hazard Area VHA Vermont Holstein-Friesian Association since the early 1980's, noted Bill Elliott This article is about Bill Elliott, a NASCAR driver. For the movie, see Billy Elliot. For other uses of Bill Elliott or Billy Elliot, see Billy Elliot (disambiguation). William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , president of BBMC. "VHA has long been a leader in the provision of high-quality health care in communities across this nation, and we are pleased and proud to take this important step forward with such a valued customer," Elliott said. Elliott, who came to Bergen from VHA, knows the company purchases $2.0 billion in medical-surgical supplies annually through distribution in addition to $2.2 billion in pharmaceuticals. He points to the mutual benefits to be derived through the efficiencies of Bergen's one-stop shopping strategy one-stop shopping strategy Delivery system strategy Business & medicine A strategy by a health care system to retain virtually all diagnostic–lab and radiology work and therapeutic services–eg, ambulatory surgery stay–within its system. . "Bergen Brunswig Drug Company currently supplies pharmaceuticals to approximately 50 percent of VHA's members and affiliates, and we believe we can leverage this significant market share to advance our medical-surgical business," Elliott said. "Our advanced technology and our focus on the single source integrated offering -- or what we call the one stop shop -- will combine to make this partnership a cost-efficient model for the future." The integrated service offering will be facilitated by Bergen's IntePlex unit, which utilizes the company's new and revolutionary on-line ordering and reporting system, Elliott explained. System users can get daily electronic pricing updates on more than 300,000 products and have immediate access to 24 months of invoice/purchase history. Larry Dooley Larry Dooley was an Australian boxer, however his name is best known as a popular colloquial term. It is usually used as a verb at the end of a sentence such as to give it a bit of a Larry Dooley, meaning to exert extra effort. , VHA's vice president of distribution services, sees the current agreement as a logical next step in the company's growing partnership with Bergen. "Bergen's excellent service and the efficiencies of its integrated offering are evidenced with successes at our member Northwestern Hospital where, in a four-month period, Bergen identified $3 million in annualized annualized Of or relating to a variable that has been mathematically converted to a yearly rate. Inflation and interest rates are generally annualized since it is on this basis that these two variables are ordinarily stated and compared. savings," Dooley said. "This sort of work by Bergen is becoming a benchmark in the industry. We believe Bergen is uniquely positioned to service all sites of care and we are pleased to build on our longstanding relationship to offer our members this added means for reducing consumer healthcare costs across the entire continuum." Bergen Brunswig Corporation, a Fortune 500 company with national distribution of healthcare products and services, offers to all healthcare venues innovative logistics management Logistics Management is that part of Supply Chain Management that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective, forward, and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet programs that help them grow efficiently, improve their cost-effectiveness and further support their focus on patient/consumer care. -0- NOTE TO EDITORS: Bergen Brunswig press releases are available at no charge through the company's Faxline. To receive a directory or available releases, call 800/344-7508 and follow the voice-prompt instructions. CONTACT: Lisa Riordan Director, Investor Relations Investor relations The process by which the corporation communicates with its investors. 800/840-5131 |
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