MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – As well as providing nationally-recognized healthcare, the hospitals of the Mon Health System (MHS) were recently honored for their business proficiency with a Supply Chain Excellence Award by Premier. This award is a testament to the MHS Supply Chain Department’s cost-saving innovations in handling medical and non-medical supplies and equipment for the System.

During the 2020 reporting year, the system saw major savings with streamlining and incorporating savings with all the System hospitals. The Premier award was based on: supply expenses as a percent of the hospital’s total operating expense; a percent of the net patient revenue; the supply expense per adjusted patient day; and the supply expense per adjusted discharge.

The importance of supplying hospitals with the proper equipment and products is essential year-round, and has been increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“System-wide, we have a good supply on hand of PPE (personal protective equipment such as gloves, face shields, glasses, caps, gowns, masks, and shoe coverings,” said Mon Health Supply Chain Management System Director, Keith Dabbs. “We have taken advantage of PPE programs with key supplies and Premier, and accepted donations from the WV National Guard, local EMS, and community leaders. We have been as prudent as possible and have chosen not to engage in frivolous spending but have kept our focus on strategic procurement of PPE, so that we do not carelessly deplete the supply chain.

Supply chain implementation ensures availability of medicine/product at the right time, minimizing inventory waste, maximizing patient care, with coordination in all System departments minimizing human error/medication errors.

“This award is an honor, and it represents all that the Supply Chain Management team does every day,” Dabbs added. “Every touch point in supply chain influences our data that is submitted to Premier on a quarterly basis. Our data goes into Premier’s analytics software where they can see how our spending results with improvements in key supply expense. Mon Health’s overall statistics in these areas were such that we stood out! Only a few hospitals among the 4000-plus Premier member facilities get this award each year, so we are very proud.”