UHS Teams With MedAssets

ATLANTA — University Health System (UHS) joined MedAssets to access total cost management and proprietary technology tools for construction projects. UHS is the third-largest public health system in Texas and is now one of about 45 fellow health care organizations across the United States to link with MedAssets.

The move allowed improvements to be made to the UHS hospital and downtown campuses in San Antonio, including two new facilities: a six-story outpatient facility and a 12-story, 420-bed patient tower.

Since the groundbreaking of the downtown campus in December 2010, UHS has saved more than 12.5 percent on construction materials and equipment.

“Our long-standing supply chain relationship with MedAssets solidified our decision to engage their team in our extensive $932 million expansion initiative,” said Mark Webb, senior vice president, Facilities Administration, University Health System. “Expanding our organizational capacity is critical to our future financial viability. Obtaining outside expertise in managing this significant capital investment has already demonstrated its value.”

Owned by Bexar County, UHS is a nationally recognized academic medical center and partners with UT Medicine San Antonio. UHS is the only health system in South Texas to earn Magnet status, recognition for providing quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. There are currently 360 Magnet hospitals and health systems worldwide, and UHS is the 24th in Texas. UHS is one of the largest employers in Bexar County with 5,000 employees, almost 700 resident physicians and a 2012 operating budget of $947.6 million. The hospital currently has 489 beds and is one of 15 Level 1 trauma centers in Texas. It features the region’s only locally-owned and operated, not-for-profit HMO.

MedAssets provides financial performance solutions to health care providers for health care supply chain management and healthcare revenue cycle management. The firm works to help healthcare providers find cash from existing operations and improve margins, with the potential to increase net patient revenue by 1 to 3 percent and decrease hospital supply chain expenses by 3 to 10 percent.

“As a leading provider of total cost management solutions, MedAssets is deeply involved in multiple ways to help acute care organizations evolve business models and improve efficiencies,” said John Bardis, chairman, president and chief executive officer of the company. “We are gratified so many health care organizations are entrusting us to help gain greater fiscal control over construction projects that are fundamental to long-term strategic goals and to remain competitive as the nation’s health care system delivery structure changes dramatically.”