Title
Proclamation recognizing the West Penn Allegheny Health System for receiving the 2006 Most Wired Supply Chain Award.
Body
WHEREAS, using e-commerce techniques and vendor partnerships pioneered by the grocery store industry, West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) successfully transformed its supply chain infrastructure into a $400 million annual operation; and
WHEREAS, the American Hospital Association (AHA) honors hospitals that use information technology to improve quality of care, patient safety, customer service, business processes and public health and they bestowed the 2006 Most Wired Supply Chain Award to WPAHS; and
WHEREAS, few other healthcare providers have explored the business model of the grocery store, but Dave Zimba, WPAHS vice-president of Corporate Contracting, led the way to utilizing an innovative, streamlined system; and
WHEREAS, the electronic automating system has reduced the number of steps in the ordering and procurement process from greater than 20 to 6. More than 1.3 million purchase order lines are now administered electronically over the system's e-procurement platform. Greater than 800 purchasers at WPAHS now use the Web-based product requisitioning, covering more than 135,000 items; and
WHEREAS, supply chain reliability has increased from less than 70 to 99 percent and customer satisfaction now stands at 96 percent, up from a rate of approximately 70 percent before the new program was implemented;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Allegheny County Council does hereby congratulate the West Penn Allegheny Health System for receiving the American Hospital Association's 2006 Most Wired Supply Chain Award. This Council recognizes the pioneering achievement of the West Penn Allegheny Health System, which may serve as a national model for the healthcare industry.