CHAPTER 10
Equipment and Supply Vendor Selection
Sybil Yeaman
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SUCCESSFULLY CHOOSING EQUIPMENT AND supply vendors helps to control overhead costs, and building partnerships with vendor representatives through communication and collaboration can bring new ideas and resources into your urgent care center.
It can be a daunting challenge to identify, choose, and negotiate cost-effective agreements with equipment and supply vendors. Taking the challenge and making a systematic effort up front to find the right vendors will be rewarded in the end with cost-effective contractual agreements that increase the center’s bottom line and will provide quality service that supports center staff and patient care for many years.
Being prepared is a key element to success in purchasing products and services. Before beginning the process of identifying vendors, first determine in writing the specific products and define the services needed for your project. For example, if you are building a new center and are focused on radiology, list the build-out, equipment, installation, and supplies your center will require. Then list additional options, such as service agreements or delivery and timelines for installation, to consider for each area.
A specific list for each project (Table 1) acts like a worksheet for cost and service comparisons and a guideline to use while researching and meeting with equipment and supply vendors. Each vendor will have different offerings and service packages, and a worksheet allows you to compare pricing while staying focused on what your center needs.
Table 1. Sample Vendor Worksheet for Start-Up Radiology
When you are developing a new urgent care center, consult these tables of commonly purchased equipment and supplies:
Table 2: Medical equipment and supplies
Table 3: Exam room supplies
Table 4: Intravenous (IV) supplies
Table 5: Life support, triage, and respiratory supplies
Table 6: Wound care supplies
Table 7: Specialty supplies
Table 8: Pharmaceutical supplies
Table 9: Information technology and electronic equipment
Table 10: Office supplies and lobby furniture
Table 2. Medical Equipment and Supplies