HealthTrust Selected as Exclusive Supply Chain Performance Provider by Beth Israel Lahey Health

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 20, 2019 – HealthTrust, a healthcare performance improvement company in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, announced today its selection by Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH) as its exclusive national supply chain organization, effective Oct. 1. Based in Boston, BILH is an integrated care delivery network of 13 hospitals in Eastern Massachusetts, including four academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, eight community and specialty hospitals, and other sites of care. Three quarters of the region’s residents reside within just a few miles of a BILH-affiliated primary care provider.

BILH is a new health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,000 physicians and 35,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through research and education. In selecting HealthTrust, BILH sought an integration authority that would be a catalyst in transforming its supply chain performance in support of quality initiatives.

“We are honored to be selected to play an instrumental role in the future vision of Beth Israel Lahey Health,” said Ed Jones, president and chief executive officer of HealthTrust. “These esteemed providers have served their patients and communities for more than a century, and we are excited to work together to fashion a comprehensive integration plan that will seek to enhance care throughout the region.”

Promoting nurses, and good mental health

HealthTrust Europe (HTE) has been marking two of this year’s health and care awareness events, International Nurses’ Day and Mental Health Awareness Week. Both were supported by HTE which is a trusted partner for the NHS and commercial health and care providers.

The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (13-19th May) was body image – how we think and feel about our bodies. To coincide with both awareness events, HTE welcomed Jim Chapman, RMN, RNT, MA, PGCert, Head of Department for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, Birmingham City University as a guest speaker to talk to employees. Jim has worked across Birmingham in a range of in-patient and community-based settings. He now manages a team that trains mental health and learning disabilities nursing students to become part of the future workforce. His talk to HTE members of staff referred to a number of topics from the work of mental health nurses, how body image issues can affect all of us at any age, and mental health in the workplace.

HTE has also been celebrating the work of nurses by marking International Nurses Day. The day was devised to recognise the contribution that nurses and allied health professionals make to people’s lives and is celebrated each year on 12th May, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.

HTE encouraged members of staff to bring in healthy baked goods, with a prize awarded for the most delicious nutritious snack which was judged to a double ‘chocolate’ vegan brownie Proceeds raised by the sale of the food will be donated to HTE’s charity of 2019 Birmingham MIND. Further donations can be made at HTE’s JustGiving page.

The theme for the 2019 International Nurses Day is Nurses: A voice to lead – Health for All and is marked by health and care providers across the world. Events in the UK included a service in Westminster Abbey, and another at Coventry Cathedral in which one of HTE’s GPO customers, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW) participates.

Associate Vice President for Group Purchasing Organisation, Nanette Grant, said: “We’re delighted to celebrate two important awareness days.

“We support nursing services in the communities we serve by being a solutions partner for health and care providers, helping them to source the best value products and services to deliver high quality patient care.”

HealthTrust Europe football match raises more than £1,000 for Mind

A charity football match organised by HealthTrust Europe (HTE) has raised over £1,000 for Mind, the company’s chosen charity for 2019.

HTE is supporting the mental health organisation as part of the company’s commitment to the care and improvement of human life.

HTE colleagues faced a team from Kingswinford-based Altodigital in the friendly match which took place at the University of Birmingham on Thursday 25th April. Altodigital, is the largest independent supplier of office technology in the UK and has recently entered into a new partnership with HTE to supply document services to CoreTrust Europe, a subsidiary of HealthTrust Europe.

Despite a close second half Altodigital won 3-2. Dennis Robb, CEO of HealthTrust Europe said: “Altodigital were commendable opponents and I would like to praise them on their win.

“I am delighted that colleagues supported our chosen charity for 2019 by both playing on the night and making donations. The effort made exemplifies HealthTrust Europe’s mission to improve healthcare in the communities we serve.

“This is just the first of this year’s events HealthTrust Europe has planned to raise money for Mind and support the wonderful work they do.”

Following the game, Tim Hubbard, Corporate Business Development Director for Altodigital and team captain, said: “We really enjoyed playing against our new client. It was definitely competitive as we’re two companies used to success and winning, but ultimately all the players are delighted that we have managed to raise over £1,000 for Mind and support the fantastic work that it does.”

HTE has set up a JustGiving page for 2019 to help it collect donations for Mind during the year.

HealthTrust Europe raises funds for its local community

Much-needed funds have been raised for Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid (BSWA) by healthcare solutions partner HealthTrust Europe (HTE).

Demonstrating the company’s mission of commitment to the care and improvement of human life within the communities it serves, staff members celebrated International Women’s Day 2019 on March 8th with a dress-down day and donated a total of £533.

The money will help BSWA support women and children affected by gender-based abuse including domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.

HTE is a solutions partner for health and care providers; helping them to source the best products and services to deliver high quality patient care. The company is a trusted partner for the NHS and commercial health and care providers.

The theme of the campaign this year is “Balance for Better” and members of staff came together to discuss how they can help forge a more gender-balanced world and remember ordinary women who have done extraordinary things to help further equality.

As well as being a day for reflection, vital funds were raised by generous members of staff who organised a cake sale and a dress down day. The local charity provides a helpline, community-based and central drop-in services and six safe, emergency refuges. The support it offers helps to unlock women’s power and enable them to regain their confidence and skills to achieve their aspirations.

The day was recorded in a series of photos of staff members many of whom had dressed in purple, the colour historically linked with efforts to achieve gender equality.

Nanette Grant, Associate Vice President of Group Purchasing Organisation (GPO) who launched the celebrations said: “The theme this year is Balance for Better, and in this context, we define balance as meaning ‘together we have impact and power’.

“It’s not just an issue for women, it’s important everyone helps to drive forward and achieve a gender-balanced world. Today is an opportunity to recognise the unique and intrinsic worth of each individual, which ties into HealthTrust Europe’s mission and is an opportunity for us to work in partnership to improve healthcare in the communities we serve.”

International Women’s Day is held globally each year on March 8th to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, to campaign for accelerating gender equality. It has occurred for well over a century, with the first​ gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Prior to this the​ Socialist Party of America, United Kingdom’s Suffragists and Suffragettes, and further groups campaigned for women’s equality.

HealthTrust Europe runners raise more than £3,000 to help fight childhood illness

Sporty HealthTrust Europe (HTE) employees have raised more than £3,000 for the charity Duchenne UK.

Eighteen staff, relatives and friends took part in a charity 5k and 10k run in Sutton Park on Saturday 17 November.

The funds were raised via a JustGiving page set up by HTE, which out of 16,855 fundraisers was in the top three per cent in the country for fundraising in November.

Duchenne UK funds research into treatments and a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) which is the most common genetic disease diagnosed in childhood and is caused by lack of the protein dystrophin that affects the entire body. The illness almost always affects boys, and they tend to be diagnosed before the age of five. There are around 2,500 patients in the UK and an estimated 300,000 worldwide.

An innovative healthcare solutions partner, HTE’s mission is to improve patient care by driving better value for healthcare providers. Through its market-leading Group Purchasing Organisation (GPO) model, as well as wider flexible spend solutions, HTE partners with healthcare providers to deliver the highest quality products that meet their needs at the best price available.

Through fundraising activities HTE has raised more than £6,000 so far this year for Duchenne UK, its chosen charity for 2018, and other worthy causes.

Anna Clark, HealthTrust Europe’s Director of Pharmacy, and an ambassador for the charity took part in the 5k run. She said:

“It was a great run for a great cause. Duchenne UK provides real hope to patients and parents in the face of adversity and are making significant inroads to prolonging and changing the lives of those living with DMD.

The support of HealthTrust Europe in raising both awareness and money during 2018 is incredible and really will contribute to the future landscape of this condition. I cannot express my gratitude enough for all of the support.”

Emily Crossley, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Duchenne UK said:

“We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at HealthTrust Europe for supporting Duchenne UK. We are a lean charity and extremely grateful for your support. You can rest assured that your fundraising WILL make a difference.

Our charity is spending money right now on research that could make a major difference to the thousands of boys born with DMD. We believe that we are at a breakthrough moment in the history of this disease, a point where treatments and possibly even a cure, are within reach.”

More information about the charity can be found on the Duchenne UK website.

HealthTrust Europe is part of HCA Healthcare, a leading international provider of healthcare services, who is driven by the care and improvement of human life. Our mission is to improve healthcare in the communities we serve through strengthening provider performance and clinical excellence. HealthTrust Europe operates as the UK arm of HealthTrust, who globally serves approximately 1,500 acute care facilities and more than 32,500 alternate care sites and leverages $39bn of spend to negotiate cost saving opportunities and best terms for its members.

HealthTrust Europe fundraises for Duchenne UK and helps raise awareness

Duchenne UK has received a financial boost thanks to sweet-toothed colleagues at HealthTrust Europe (HTE) in Birmingham.

HTE’s chosen charity for 2018 is Duchenne UK so, on 7th September, colleagues marked World Duchenne Awareness Day and held a cake sale. A total of £814 was raised, bringing the amount donated so far this year to £3,660.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) affects 1 in 3,500 boys. It is the most common genetic disease diagnosed in childhood and is caused by lack of the protein dystrophin that affects the entire body. The illness almost always affects boys, and they tend to be diagnosed before the age of five. There are around 2,500 patients in the UK and an estimated 300,000 worldwide.

One of the many projects funded by Duchenne UK is a clinical trial to examine the safety and efficacy of Tamoxifen as a potential treatment for DMD. The drug has been used to treat breast cancer since the 1980s and is also used for hormonal disorders in pre-pubescent boys. Early studies indicate that repurposing Tamoxifen to treat DMD reduces fibrosis, increases the thickness of muscle fibres and causes a delay in disease progression.

Anna Clark is HTE’s Director of Pharmacy and is an ambassador for the charity. She said:

“Duchenne UK provide real hope to patients and parents in the face of adversity and are making significant inroads to prolonging and changing the lives of those living with DMD. The support of HTE in raising both awareness and money during 2018 is incredible and really will contribute to the future landscape of this condition. I cannot express my gratitude enough for all of the support.”

The charity Duchenne UK has a clear vision to fund and accelerate treatments and a cure for the condition for this generation of patients. Emily Crossley, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Duchenne UK said:

“We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at HealthTrust Europe for supporting Duchenne UK on World Duchenne Awareness Day. We are a lean charity and extremely grateful for your support. You can rest assured that your fundraising WILL make a difference.
“Our charity is spending money right now on research that could make a major difference to the thousands of boys born with DMD. We believe that we are at a breakthrough moment in the history of this disease, a point where treatments and possibly even a cure, are within reach.”

HTE is committed to the care and improvement of human life, strengthening provider performance and clinical excellence through an aligned membership model and the delivery of total spend management solutions that leverage our operator experience, scale and innovation.

More information about the charity can be found on the Duchenne UK website.

CEO Dennis Robb features in the Journal of Healthcare Contracting

Birmingham, England – 28th August 2018 – CEO Dennis Robb has been featured in a two-page profile in the August edition of the Journal of Healthcare Contracting.

After being named Contracting Professional of the Year by the Journal of Healthcare Contracting in 2009, this follow up piece focuses on his international leadership role at HealthTrust Europe and “The burning question: Can the strategies and disciplines assembled over a lifetime translate to a different culture, in a different country, away from a place of comfort and familiarity?”

Read the full article here (page 48-49)

Celebrating 70 Years of the NHS

The National Health Service (NHS) and the delivery of free healthcare to those that need it has become part of Britain’s identity, and this year marks its 70th anniversary. HealthTrust Europe colleagues in Birmingham joined the national celebration with a fund-raising afternoon tea which raised £200 for NHS charities.

Partnering with NHS clinicians, heads of procurement and staff, HealthTrust Europe was proud to take this opportunity to celebrate their compassionate care, dedication and ongoing commitment. Wishing the NHS a happy 70th birthday.

Alison Parker, Co-Chair of the HealthTrust Europe GPO and Associate Director of Procurement at Warrington and Halton Hospitals said;

“The NHS is an amazing national institution that continues to deliver a fantastic service despite all of the challenges and pressures it is faced with on a daily basis. I am not only very proud to be a part of the NHS family but also passionate about the work that I and my procurement colleagues do to support such a valued British institution; the NHS is a beautiful thing.”

How We Work with the NHS

We’re proud to partner with the NHS and committed to delivering solutions that support the needs of public sector healthcare providers. We hold a strong and long-standing relationship with the NHS, working together to improve healthcare performance with our Group Purchasing Organisation Members. We are committed to developing and delivering solutions that support the needs of public sector healthcare providers, including acute hospitals and non-acute healthcare providers, to achieve their strategic objectives.

HealthTrust Europe Hosts First Educational Pharmacy Workshop

This month, HealthTrust Europe (HTE) hosted our first educational Pharmacy workshop in Birmingham. The event was designed in partnership with our customers, who wanted to find out more information regarding how new legislations will affect them.

The focus for the day was the Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR came into effect on 29th May 2018 and pharmacies could now be heavily fined if they break new data protection rules. FMD will go live across Europe on Saturday 9th February 2019. Our aim, as usual, was to support exceptional healthcare in the communities that we serve by providing much needed answers to the challenges which will arise from these directives.

HTE’s Chief Executive Officer, Dennis Robb, opened the event and welcomed Claymore Richardson, Senior Policy Manager: Pharmacy for the Department of Health and Social Care. Claymore initially led on the policy development of FMD at the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and was well placed to provide an overview on the directive and the impact it will have on hospital pharmacies. He also shared details of secondary care guidance resources that can be accessed.

As the day progressed, key healthcare providers and suppliers offered practical solutions for achieving compliance and welcomed questions. Delegates from both private healthcare and NHS trusts took the opportunity to obtain valuable insights on the best way to prepare for changes ahead.

Inderjit Singh, Chief Pharmacist for University Hospitals Birmingham, commented;

“FMD is set to come into full force early next year, so HTE hosted a very timely and informative workshop. This provided an opportunity to understand the implications of the legislations and learn about the solution offerings from all of the main suppliers which will be available to support implementation”.

Sanjeev Narwal, Associated Vice President for Pharmacy at HealthTrust Europe, added;

“We are overjoyed with the level of support this event received from Midlands based Chief Pharmacists. The depth of the content presented and engagement from Chief Pharmacists demonstrated the value of hosting this event. As the day progressed, a number of challenges that the pharmaceutical industry will face were revealed and the expert speakers were able to provide some answers and guidance. This event also offered a great networking opportunity for new and old colleagues within the public sector and private hospitals to advance the profession in a very challenging climate”.

We would like to thank all delegates and speakers for helping to make the day a success and look forward to partnering with healthcare providers and suppliers to address FMD and GDPR compliance.

Register here if you would like to be kept informed of future events.

HealthTrust Europe Celebrates International Nurses’ Day 2018

Saturday 12th May 2018, was International Nurses’ Day. The day is an opportunity to recognise and reflect upon the contribution that caring nurses and allied health professionals make to people’s lives all around the world. To mark the occasion, HealthTrust Europe (HTE) colleagues in Birmingham had a blue-themed dress down day and a bake sale to raise money for the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) Foundation and Duchenne UK on Friday 11th May. A total of £404 was raised, which will be shared equally between both organisations.

Deepa Korea, Head of Foundation, RCN Foundation, said;

“Every day, thousands of people rely on the care provided by nurses, midwives and health care assistants. The RCN Foundation is firmly committed to providing vital support to the nursing team when they need it most. Donations such as yours are essential to helping us to achieve our aims. Thank you so much for helping us to make a positive difference to the lives of so many nurses, midwives and health care assistants”.

Katie Waller, a Research Nurse for the Royal Victoria infirmary in Newcastle said;

“I joined the muscle team as a Research Nurse in Newcastle in September 2016. My role is funded by Duchenne UK and Joining Jack, and was introduced to help increase trial capacity for patients with DMD as part of the ‘Newcastle Plan. I am so grateful to have been funded by Duchenne UK and Joining Jack and thoroughly enjoy working in a role which allows me to develop my clinical skills as well as specialist knowledge into the condition which I can then share with our patients”.

This year, International Nurses’ Day took place in the same week as Hospital Week in the U.S.A. Milton Johnson, Chairman and CEO of HCA Healthcare, also shared a special message with employees of the group;

“Please join us in thanking our nurses for the critical role they play in caring for our patients. While these are events we celebrate each year, they take on added significance in 2018: the year of HCA Healthcare’s 50th anniversary.
In 1968, HCA was established with a single 200-bed hospital – Park View Hospital, in Nashville, Tennessee. Since then, we have grown into an organization that offers access to quality, compassionate care across 20 U.S. states and the U.K. In nearly 30 million patient encounters each year, we put our shared mission into practice: Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.
When Dr. Thomas Frist Sr., Dr. Thomas Frist Jr. and Jack Massey joined together to found HCA 50 years ago, their goal was to provide superior healthcare with warmth and compassion for patients, colleagues and communities. A lot has changed in 50 years, but each of you help ensure those core tenets are as relevant as ever in our hospitals, urgent care centers, physician practices, surgery centers and other points of care throughout the organisation.”

International Nurses’ Day is also close to the heart of Claire Moses, Director of Clinical Boards for HTE’s, Group Purchasing Organisation. Claire is a Registered Nurse (Adult), with previous experience gained in both the military and Neurology. Claire shared her thoughts on how HTE’s commitment to the care and improvement of human life is supported with clinical experience and knowledge;

“HTE supports nursing services in the communities that we serve by bringing together pockets of clinical excellence and inspiring clinical teams to deliver the best quality products to provide safe and effective patient care. We break down the barriers between procurement and the clinical teams in order for members to realise their goals.
This year is made more special, as we approach the 70th Anniversary of the NHS. Over the past 70 years the NHS has gone through significant change, each step of the way has been challenging. However, through the combined efforts of all staff, the NHS continues to strive towards providing excellent patient care.”

More about the RCN Foundation
The RCN Foundation is an independent charity which is part of the Royal College of Nursing Group. Their mission is to support and strengthen nursing to improve the health and wellbeing of the public. The Foundation provides advice and financial assistance when members of the nursing profession are facing hardship. this could be caused by illness, domestic abuse or simply not being able to make ends meet. In 2017, they supported over 1,700 individuals who were facing hardship. 74% of grant recipients said that the grant had increased their independence.
The foundation also funds education and career development opportunities, alongside strategic, nursing-led projects that aim to improve patient care. Their current focus is supporting the nursing team working in a care home setting. Over the next three years, this will be expanded to focus on mental health and learning disability nursing.

More about Duchenne UK
Our chosen charity for 2018, Duchenne UK, is funding several nursing posts via the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) Hub. The aim of the DMD Hub is to ensure all patients have the chance to take part in a clinical trial, by increasing clinical trial capacity in the UK. The work of the DMD Hub includes a total of three years of funding for a Clinical Research Nurse at the Royal Victoria infirmary in Newcastle and two years of funding for a Clinical Trials Nurse at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. The £202 we are donating will cover the funding for a nurse for one day.