Wisconsin hospital signs Medline to distribution deal

MUNDELEIN - Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, the region's only independent health care system dedicated to the health and well-being of children, has signed a three-year, $33 million exclusive distribution agreement with Medline.

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, which has two locations in Milwaukee and Neenah, is recognized as one of the leading pediatric health care centers in the United States. Children's offers primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers.

"Hospitals are seeking vendors who cannot only provide quality medical supplies, but also help them create efficiencies and measure and track results. Through Medline's online reporting tool INSIGHT, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin will be able to easily monitor key service metrics, contract compliance, real-time contract connectivity, and price accuracy," said Adam Swearingin, senior vice president of acute care sales for Medline. "Medline is committed to providing quality products, services and solutions to help the hospital meet their financial goals while simultaneously helping health care workers deliver quality patient care."

The contract is effective through September 30, 2018.

According to the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management, medical supplies are expected to eclipse labor as the biggest expense for hospitals by the year 2020. As a result, hospitals are seeking partners like Medline who are dedicated to delivering quality products and solutions that drive positive patient outcomes and improve operational efficiencies.

"Children's Hospital of Wisconsin believes that kids deserve the best. It is my responsibility to not only make sure the doctors and staff have the supplies they need to provide that care, but that we get those supplies in an efficient and cost effective way. Medline has already made suggestions on our process to help drive efficiencies and meet that goal," said Lisa Fohey, director of supply chain, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. "The conversion process has been well managed and well-received by our staff, both Supply Chain and clinical, and we've had great success in clinical sign off the Medline branded products to date."