§ 21A.2. MEMBERSHIP IN GROUP PURCHASING ORGANIZATIONS.

(a) Findings.

(1) In 1997, the City authorized the Department of Public Health (“DPH”) to join the two Healthcare GPOs to obtain discounts on goods and materials.

(2) Healthcare GPOs obtain cost savings by pooling their members’ purchasing power and negotiating lower prices from their participating vendors. Healthcare GPOs also provide their members with cost savings by conducting a competitive bidding process for some – though not all – of the goods and services offered by their suppliers.

(3) Membership in Healthcare GPOs allows DPH to employ a streamlined process for procuring goods and services, thereby reducing administrative burdens, facilitating improved quality of care, and saving DPH millions of dollars each fiscal year.

(b) The Director of Health (“Director”) is hereby authorized to enter into and execute written membership agreements with one or more Healthcare GPOs, and pay any applicable fees for membership of DPH in any Healthcare GPO in which it becomes a member.

(c) Upon obtaining membership in a Healthcare GPO, DPH is authorized to utilize all programs and services offered to members of the Healthcare GPO, including but not limited to purchasing programs that allow DPH to purchase Commodities and/or Professional Services from a vendor or distributor that is under contract with a Healthcare GPO in which DPH is a member (“GPO Supplier”).

(d) The Director, or person designated in writing by the Director, is also authorized to enter into and execute written agreements, including but not limited to pricing commitments, lease agreements, and finance agreements, with GPO Suppliers and/or their financing entities, for the acquisition, lease, or financing of equipment, Commodities, information technology products and related services, equipment maintenance, and General and Professional Services.

(e) Notwithstanding Section 21.1 of the Administrative Code or any other provision of the Municipal Code, DPH may enter into contracts under the authority of subsections (c) and (d) without adhering to the requirements of Section 21.1 or any other competitive procurement requirements.

(f) The Director shall evaluate all Healthcare GPO memberships every five years beginning in 2025, and provide the Health Commission with a report of such evaluation by January 31, 2025, and by January 31 of every fifth year thereafter to determine which Healthcare GPO membership(s) offer DPH the best value.

(Added as Sec. 15.104 by Ord. 29-97, App. 2/7/97; amended by Ord. 337-99, File No. 992043, App. 12/30/99; redesignated as Sec. 21.43 and amended by Ord. , File No. 140596, App. 8/7/2014, Eff. 9/6/2014; redesignated and amended by Ord. , File No. 150567, App. 8/6/2015, Eff. 9/5/2015; amended by Ord. , File No. 191237, App. 2/21/2020, Eff. 3/23/2020)

(Former Sec. 21A.2 added by Ord. 83-00, File No. 000392, App. 5/12/2000; amended by Ord. 210-02, File No. 020784, App. 10/25/2002; repealed by Ord. 171-03. File No. 030422, App. 7/3/2003)