Hospital members benefit from their WCORHA partnership through a variety of opportunities that produce not only financial savings, but collaborative efforts that result in sharing ideas and best practices among all participants.
Group Purchasing: Our members have developed group purchasing opportunities that assist in proactive, positive solutions in a time when cost pressures are mounting. Through our combined purchasing volumes, our member hospitals can continue to decrease their supply costs and improve their cost-efficient delivery of care. Group purchasing services for WCORHA members is provided on a multi-level foundation. WCORHA members have access to multiple contracts negotiated with input by the members through the WCORHA office. Examples of such contracts include but are not limited to Medical / Surgical Distribution Agreement, Clinical Biomedical Services and Equipment Maintenance Contracts. Access to additional group purchasing contracts is offered through corporate level contracts via Catholic Healthcare Partners, with Premier functioning as the GPO of choice.
Shared Services: Through a multitude of financial, clinical and operational professionals, WCORHA continuously reviews programs which are duplicated across our communities. Through a collaborative effort, WCORHA strives to review program development in a manner which is the most beneficial to the entire region. Each hospital is faced with mounting challenges on a daily basis, however, our facilities are still committed to maintaining their autonomy. Therefore, programs are developed with a clear balance of the community and hospital needs. Collaborative efforts among the WCORHA hospitals have resulted in the development of several initiatives. The New Vision Laboratory was designed to function as a “laboratory without walls”. It began as a regional effort and resulted in a joint venture between St. Rita’s Medical Center and Van Wert County Hospital. Secondly, the Cancer Network of West Central Ohio was developed in order to regionalize the cancer services in West Central Ohio and make services more accessible for patients. And third, WCORHA offers a free, 24/7 nurse call system across West Central Ohio known as Call-A-Nurse
Education: WCORHA offers a unique opportunity to learn from one another as healthcare professionals and members of the West Central Ohio community. WCORHA has the ability to serve as a "catalyst" for collaboration, and allows members to develop new ideas and solutions to the ever-increasing challenges in today's healthcare environment. Our member hospitals have worked together to develop Leadership Development programs for their managers, and also to provide specialized Educational Sessions, Conference Calls and Webinars to keep managers and employees current in the ever-changing healthcare industry.
Survival: All of our member hospitals are extremely successful in healthcare delivery and financial success; however, decreasing reimbursements for medical care, a rise in the number of uninsured and underinsured patients, and increasing competition in the market continue to challenge us. WCORHA is committed to providing pro-active opportunities to allow hospitals to maintain their autonomy without losing their service and financial success. In support of this effort, WCORHA coordinates meetings for a variety of Advisory Teams from the member hospitals on a regular basis to discuss collaborative ventures, review cost savings and quality improvement opportunities and to facilitate the ability of managers to network with their colleagues. Examples of Advisory Teams include, but are not limited to, Materials Management, Occupational Health, Radiology, Clinical and Bio-Medical Engineering, Environment of Care, Emergency Preparedness and Education.