title: GPO survival strategies.
abstract: Over the last two decades we have witnessed the genesis of a rapidly consolidating market with nearly all healthcare providers now participating in a handful of purchasing organizations either alliance-based or major national GPOs. For a traditional GPO to survive, even thrive in today's rapidly consolidating customer environment, it needs to focus on five essential issues: negotiating agreements, electronically-formatted contract information, sales force and support staff, value-added programs, and equity ownership. This articles discusses these five issues giving suggestions for their implementation.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Corporation of America, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Norman
mesh_terms: D003284:Contract Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D003363:Cost Control; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D004465:Economic Competition; D017754:Group Purchasing / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D017008:Negotiating; D010067:Ownership; D011682:Purchasing, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States