Group purchasing organizations aren't just group purchasing organizations anymore.
Vizient and Premier are healthcare improvement companies, according to their websites, and HealthTrust Performance Group and Cardinal Health brand themselves similarly.
Supply chain expert Eugene Schneller, PhD, told the Association of National Account Executives major GPOs are increasingly rebranding as consulting and health information companies.
Dr. Schneller, a professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business in Tempe, said the always-changing medical supply chain spurred the shift.
"GPOs have realized that they need to be much more involved in creating value for the system and supporting their provider customers in their quest for value based purchasing by contracting for value," he said. "COVD led to many systems enhancing their strategic sourcing and contracting capabilities, frequently aligned with the evolution [of] consolidated service centers. Hybrid purchasing models are evolving, with national GPOs having a significant supporting role."