Supply chain changes save Banner $41.5 million

   Phoenix-based Banner Health said it saved $41.5 million in a single year through a partnership that focused on reducing supply chain costs, eliminating clinical variations and improving the overall quality of care delivery.
   Banner said by partnering with Premier, a performance improvement alliance of more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals and 81,000-plus “other” healthcare sites, it gained access to a range of new practices and tools for its logistics management, including a standardized supply chain contract policy that alone saved it $9 million.
   “Generating this level of supply chain savings is not possible by either Banner or Premier alone,” said Banner’s Vice President of Supply Chain Management Doug Bowen.