Managing a secure healthcare setting—whether it’s a correctional facility, psychiatric hospital, or other specialized care unit—presents unique challenges, particularly when it comes to procuring essential goods and services. Cooperative purchasing contracts (CPCs) offer a streamlined and cost-effective solution, especially when acquiring critical health IT solutions like electronic health records (EHRs) and pharmacy management systems.
What Are Cooperative Purchasing Agreements?
In essence, CPCs as prenegotiated agreements that allow government agencies to pool their purchasing power. These contracts are available at all levels of government and are designed to unlock substantial cost savings, expedite procurement, and secure favorable terms through volume purchasing.
Reputable cooperative purchasing organizations offering contracts relevant to correctional healthcare and other secure settings include:
- National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO Cloud Agreement)
- Minnesota Multistate Contracting Alliance for Pharmacy (MMCAP)
- OMNIA Partners
Why Should Agencies Buying an EHR Consider CPCs?
Many organizations, including correctional agencies and other secure settings, often face unique procurement challenges. These include limited staffing, budget constraints, and others. CPCs provide a strategic advantage for addressing these issues when acquiring complex health IT solutions like EHRs.
The benefits? They’re numerous, and they include:
- Less work for your staff: CPCs handle the time-consuming tasks of vendor vetting, contract negotiation, and competitive bidding. This frees up your staff to focus on core responsibilities within the agency.
- Save money. By leveraging collective buying power, CPCs secure significantly lower prices for EHR software, implementation, and ongoing maintenance.
- Get things faster. CPCs streamline the procurement process, significantly reducing the time it takes to acquire and implement an EHR. This is crucial for agencies seeking to modernize their healthcare operations efficiently.
- Quality you can trust. Rigorous vendor vetting ensure that EHR solutions available through CPCs meet high standards of quality, security, and compliance.
- Follow the Rules: CPCs are structured to adhere to procurement laws and regulations, minimizing legal risks for correctional agencies. Standardized contract terms simplify procurement management.
How Agencies Can Participate in CPCs to Purchase EHRs
Leveraging the benefits of CPCs to license an EHR is a straightforward process.
- Check Your Vendors: Determine if your preferred EHR vendor, such as Fusion, participates in any existing cooperative purchasing agreements. You can typically find this information on their website or by contacting them directly.
- Talk to Your Procurement Team: Discuss the feasibility of purchasing the desired EHR through a cooperative agreement with your agency’s procurement team. Collaborate to assess potential benefits and align with procurement procedures.
- Sign the Deal: Once everyone agrees, you can execute the contract through the cooperative agreement, following the outlined procurement guidelines.
CPCs: Simplifying Correctional EHR Procurement
Cooperative purchasing is revolutionizing the way correctional agencies acquire essential goods and services, especially in health IT. By embracing CPCs, agencies can overcome staffing challenges, achieve substantial cost savings, and expedite the procurement of vital solutions like EHRs. This translates to improved efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and ultimately, better healthcare for those in your care.
READY? LET’S CONNECT
Ready to streamline your EHR procurement process and unlock the benefits of cooperative purchasing contracts for EHRs? Contact Fusion today to explore how our EHR solutions, available through various cooperative contracts, can transform healthcare delivery in your correctional facility or secure setting.