Becker's ASC Review

17 ASC MANAGEMENT Amazon Business aims to lower supply spend for healthcare purchasers: 4 key insights By Angie Stewart S mall, local and nonprofit healthcare providers hurting from COVID- 19-related losses can reduce their overall supply spend by reevaluating their procurement strategy, an Amazon Business spokesperson told Becker's ASC Review. "Ultimately, there is an opportunity to rethink the purchasing processes holding the organization back," the spokesperson said. "As more and more aspects of the healthcare industry continue to digitize, the adoption of an e-procurement strategy through an online store can help to ensure purchasers are ready for the future." Four insights from Amazon Business: 1. Traditional purchasing processes may involve making one-time purchases from multiple different vendors, having staff mem- bers drive from store to store using a pur- chasing card or reviewing hundreds of new vendor requests a day. ese strategies limit organizational control over transactions, complicate budgeting efforts, and ultimately drive up costs, the spokesperson said. 2. By contrast, e-procurement can help lower supply spend by: • Eliminating the need for employees to procure supplies in the field and wait on vendor approvals • Giving healthcare organizations the power to make buying decisions using real-time data, price comparisons and customer reviews • Providing the option to establish pur- chasing guidelines, spending limits and approval processes • Offering access to a larger variety of equipment from sellers around the world • Allowing healthcare purchasers to choose how orders will be delivered • Consolidating non-contract spend to one purchasing channel 3. Compounding these advantages is mil- lennials' tendency to prefer online stores like those on Amazon Business. According to the online marketplace platform Mirakl, 80 percent of today's business-to-business purchasers expect a convenient purchasing experience like what's offered by consumer- facing websites. 4. E-procurement can help improve budget- ing at a time when it's never been more criti- cal. Mary's Center, a nonprofit community health center in the Washington, D.C., metro area, is one organization that began using Amazon Business amid COVID-19-related challenges. With access to dashboards that facilitate regular audits as well as a centraized system for personal protective equipment orders, the staff at Mary's Center is more engaged in the procurement process. "Now, sourcing supplies doesn't slow down the organization, and they can delegate purchasing of products to their individual centers," the Amazon Business spokesperson said. "Mary's Center can also see the details of their purchases and easily compare them in one place, maintaining oversight into spend- ing." n Texas anesthesiologist pays $100K to settle false billing accusations By Eric Oliver A Katy, Texas, anesthesiologist paid $100,000 to resolve allegations he falsely billed Medicare for acupuncture, Woodlands Online reported. Jaime Robledo, MD, is accused of fraudulently billing Medicare for a series of neurostimulator electrode implantation procedures between Nov. 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019. He allegedly did not perform those procedures, but instead used a device for electro-acupuncture. Medicare does not reimburse for electro-acupuncture as an implantable neurostimulator. There was not a determination of liability made in the case. Dr. Robledo founded Advanced Interventional Pain Consultants in Katy, where he continues to practice. n Ransomware attack on Texas ENT center encrypts 19,908 patient files By Laura Dyrda Fort Worth, Texas-based Owens Ear Center was the victim of a ransomware at- tack that encrypted patient information. Four things to know: 1. A ransomware attack hit the center's computer system on May 28 and hack- ers demanded the health system pay to release the encryption. The practice's statement did not reveal whether the attack hampered their ability to practice or whether they paid the ransom. 2. The encrypted information included patient names, birth dates, Social Secu- rity numbers and healthcare information. 3. The practice reported no evidence that the information has been misused. 4. HHS reported 19,908 patients information was affected by the breach. n

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