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HIGPA has much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and we want to share with you our top 10 reasons. Without further adieu:
10. HIGPA’s Committee for Healthcare eStandards (CHeS) CHeS has successfully promoted the GS1 standards and the pending “sunrise” date of December 31, 2010 to have a system in place for uniquely identifying the location of healthcare providers. In fact, just last month, HIGPA members announced their readiness to adopt standards to identify health care provider locations ahead of schedule. Read the full press release here.
9. HIGPA International Expo HIGPA and HISCI co-hosted the 2010 International Expo in sunny Orlando for three full days of educational sessions, networking events, and business-building opportunities. We’re thrilled that so many supply chain representatives from coast to coast were able to join us this year, and are looking forward to next year’s Expo in Washington, DC. Click here to view photos from the Expo on Facebook.
8. The Government Accountability Report (GAO-10-738) The GAO recently released a detailed study on GPOs and their practices. This report fortified what we already know: GPOs save money and drive efficiencies in the healthcare supply chain. Read more here.
7. HIGPA National Pharmacy Forum HIGPA's National Pharmacy Forum (February 10th – 12th) in Colorado Springs was one of our best conferences yet! We are looking forward to the upcoming Forum, taking place this February 7-9, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona! Registration is open at www.higpa.org/forum.
6. HIGPA Political Action Committee (PAC) HIGPA’s PAC grew in 2010 and provided us the opportunity to meet with an support many prominent lawmakers such as Senators Hatch (R-UT), Conrad (D-ND), Corker (R-TN), Wyden (D-OR), Baucus (D-MT) and Leahy (D-VT), generating awareness of the GPO industry’s many benefits to the supply chain and working to develop champions for our cause.
Lobbying Success
As an advocacy-focused association, lobbying plays a key role in our success. In 2010, we were able to:
5. Extend the device tax implementation until 2013 and Increase transparency for medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers through verbiage in the Physician Payment Sunshine Act.
4. Lobby against an attempted to amend GPO Safe Harbor to only the “administration and negotiation of contracts”.
3. Fought against a potential tax on GPOs and won!
2. Increased Industry Relationships One way to combat the negative misperceptions being spread about GPOs is to have credible healthcare associations and organizations support our industry. HIGPA worked tirelessly in 2010 to build and maintain positive relationships with relevant industry players, such as:
- Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) - GS1 - Health Industry Distributors Association - American Hospital Association - State Hospital Association’s - Federation of American Hospitals - National Rural Health Association - International Hospital Federation - ECRI - National Library of Medicine
1. The Holidays
And we at HIGPA are very thankful that getting our Thanksgiving dinner won't take 60 votes.