For two decades, HealthTrust has been at the forefront of supporting how quality healthcare is defined and delivered.
Our committed model has stood the test of time and been an industry differentiator in modeling supply chain excellence and innovation.
The milestones that have shaped HealthTrust over the last 20 years were presented through a visually compelling timeline during the HealthTrust University Conference in mid-August. Before we begin to write the chapter for our next decade, I’d like to share a few highlights of the history that has brought us here.
Then & now
“To obtain the best price for clinically recommended products, ensure their timely delivery, and continuously evaluate and improve our services,” was the mission of a newly formed HealthTrust in 1999.
Known in the industry as “HPG,” HealthTrust Purchasing Group was born to preserve price value for HCA and two local hospital companies that emerged, LifePoint and Triad.
The first office opened in Brentwood, Tennessee, and at that time, HealthTrust managed $3 billion in committed spend. Today, our corporate office is located in the heart of downtown Nashville’s Capitol View (better known to locals as the “north Gulch”). We now manage $42 billion in total aligned spend, committed at a national level, which provides an unparalleled portfolio value to members across the continuum of care.
Since our inception, the simplicity of the HealthTrust model—aligned decision-making, a one-price-for-all philosophy, and fixed pricing for the duration of a contract—has served as our foundation.
From purchasing to performance focus
A number of years ago, the marketing team and I made it our mission to drop the use of “HPG” as our name when HealthTrust expanded its capabilities outside of group purchasing. However, considering how the business has evolved, HPG best describes us today as HealthTrust Performance Group. Our mission statement has been refined over the years to highlight our commitment to supporting providers in their clinical, operational and financial performance improvement initiatives.
About this issue
I join John Young, M.D., our CMO and Executive Publisher of The Source, in his excitement surrounding our new content partner and vision for this magazine over the next few years. John shares more about the redesign in his column on page 6.
Also hear John’s perspective as a physician on industry progress toward a clinically integrated supply chain, beginning on page 20. You are likely aware of the Cost, Quality & Outcomes (CQO) movement. It was started in 2013 by a materials management association, AHRMM. As healthcare transitioned from fee-for-service to value-based care, the movement validated the role of the three critical components that comprise the “triple aim” of healthcare—cost control, a focus on quality and improving outcomes.
More than ever before in the history of supply chain, CQO shines a light on the important role materials managers play as catalysts in healthcare reform. Their ability to understand the intersection of the triple aim and the use of evidence-based research provides the opportunity to transform purchasing discussions with physicians and clinicians in hospitals across the country.
Your trust in us has helped to solidify HealthTrust as the leading performance improvement company for healthcare. Thank you for being part of a remarkable journey. My team and I look forward to serving you for the next 20 years and, together, working to positively impact the delivery of care for generations to come.
Ed Jones
President/CEO, HealthTrust
Publisher, The Source magazine
