Kaweah Health signs Medline as prime vendor

California-based health system signs on with Medline to increase operational efficiency

NORTHFIELD, Ill., Oct. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Medline today announced it has entered into a multi-year prime vendor distribution agreement with California-based community hospital, Kaweah Health. Under the new agreement, Medline will serve as the healthcare organization's exclusive provider of medical and surgical supplies.

With more than 600 beds, Kaweah Health is the largest community healthcare organization providing comprehensive health services to Tulare and Kings Counties. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare organization initially began looking for cost savings opportunities while maintaining the highest level of patient care with quality products. Building on a relationship spanning over a decade, Medline conducted a thorough review of Kaweah Health's product usage and supply chain processes, identifying opportunities for cost savings and increasing operational efficiency gains within the health system.

"We are excited to operate with a supplier that demonstrates a shared value of client-first service, as their team has become an extension of ours," said Steve Bajari, director of procurement and logistics for Kaweah Health. "Transitioning vendors can be daunting, but as inevitable bumps in the road occur, we have seen Medline work with us as a true partner, working immediately to right the issue with creatively-tailored solutions, confirming our distribution partner decision."

"We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Kaweah Health after more than a decade of collaboration," said Sherry Yeom, vice president of regional field sales for Medline. "This new prime vendor agreement allows us to support their organization more holistically, delivering a full range of healthcare solutions while streamlining supply chain processes across their network. We look forward to building on the strong foundation we've established and continuing to drive efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance patient care together."

Kaweah Health will be serviced out of Medline's state-of-the-art, over 1 million square foot distribution center in Tracy, California. With advanced analytics platforms from Medline, the healthcare organization will also be able to more easily monitor key metrics across its growing operations such as item utilization, contract compliance, price accuracy and spend by product categories.

By leveraging Medline's expertise and supply chain infrastructure, Kaweah Health aims to reduce costs and increase transparency in its procurement processes, all while maintaining the highest standard of care.

Learn how Medline tailors solutions across the entire continuum of care as a manufacturer and distributor by visiting www.medline.com/supply-chain.

About Kaweah Health

Kaweah Health is a publicly-owned community healthcare organization that provides comprehensive health services to the greater Visalia region and Tulare County. With more than 5,000 employees and 700 medical staff, Kaweah Health is committed to meeting the community's health needs through state-of-the-art medicine, high-quality preventive services, and specialized health centers and clinics. For more information, visit KaweahHealth.org or follow Kaweah Health on Facebook, Instagram, or X.

About Medline

Medline makes healthcare run better. Through its unique offering of world-class products, supply chain resilience and clinical practice expertise, Medline delivers improved clinical, financial and operational outcomes across all points of care. Headquartered in Northfield, Illinois, Medline is the healthcare industry's largest medical-surgical product manufacturer, supply chain provider and clinical solutions partner. The company employs more than 39,000 people worldwide and operates in over 100 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.medline.com.

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SOURCE Medline Industries, LP