In the News

Dozens of articles have been written in the NY Times, LA Times, New Haven Register, Hartford Courant, Fort Worth Weekly, Fortune Small Business, Forbes, BusinessWeek and others about the troubling practices of hospital group purchasing organizations (GPOs). The following two articles provide a great overview of the GPO actions that continue to negaitively impact the cost and quality of healthcare in this country.

Hijacking at the Hospital
Purchasing groups created to hold down health costs seem to be holding up patients instead.
By Pablo Lastra
November 23, 2005

MEDICINE'S MIDDLEMEN: Questions Raised of Conflicts At 2 Hospital Buying Groups
This article was reported by Walt Bogdanich, Barry Meier, and Mary Williams Walsh and was written by Mr. Bogdanich.
March 4, 2002

More on the Negative Impact of GPOs:
The New York Times and several other publications have conducted extensive reporting of troubling GPO practices. Below you’ll find links to more than 30 articles on this topic, from publication such as Forbes, Fortune, and USA Today. In order to view some articles, you may have to register, signing up with the Times to view the stories is free.

New York Times
Blowing the Whistle, Many Times
New York Times
By Mary Williams Walsh
November 18, 2007

Conflict Case at Hospitals Is Settled
New York Times
By Walt Bogdanich
January 25, 2007

Hospital Chiefs Get Paid for Advice on Selling
New York Times
By Walt Bogdanich
July 17, 2006

Wide U.S. Inquiry Into Purchasing for Healthcare
By Mary Williams Walsh
August 21, 2004

Senate Panel Weighs Tighter Rules for Hospital Suppliers
By Mary Williams Walsh
September 15, 2004

U.S. to Address Possible Abuses in Hospital Supply Industry
By Mary Williams Walsh
September 14, 2004

Syringe Manufacturer Settles Claim of Market Manipulation
By Mary Williams Walsh and Walt Bogdanich
July 3, 2004

Medicare to Pay Bonuses for Best of Hospital Care
By Robert Pear with Mary Williams Walsh
July 11, 2003

Johnson & Johnson Is Sued By Rival Over Sales Methods
By Mary Williams Walsh
November 8, 2003

New Scrutiny Directed at Bundled Sale of Hospital Supplies
By Mary Williams Walsh
July 17, 2003

2 Big Hospital Buying Groups Settle Lawsuit by Needle Maker
By Mary Williams Walsh and Walt Bogdanich
May 8, 2003

More Hospitals Change the Way They Buy Drugs And Supplies
By Mary Williams Walsh
Published: December 28, 2002

Ethics Standards Overhaul Urged for Hospital Buying Groups
By Barry Meier
October 24, 2002

A Region's Hospital Supplies: Costly Ties
By Barry Meier
October 8, 2002

Spitzer Opens Inquiry Into the Business Practices of Hospital Buying Groups
By Barry Meier
September 7, 2002

A Persistent Small Supplier Gets Contract for Hospitals
By Barry Meier
September 4, 2002

U.S. Expands Hospital Supply Buying Inquiry
By Mary Williams Walsh
August 15, 2002

Buying Group For Hospitals Vows Change
By Barry Meier with Mary Williams Walsh
August 9, 2002

Accusation of Conflicts at a Supplier to Hospitals
By Mary Williams Walsh
August 1, 2002

Audits Scrutinized at Operator of Hospital-Supplies Web Site
By Mary Williams Walsh
July 24, 2002

Questioning $1 Million Fee in a Needle Deal
By Barry Meier with Mary Williams Walsh
July 19, 2002

A Mission To Save Money, A Record Of Otherwise
By Mary Williams Walsh
June 7, 2002

Senate Panel Criticizes Hospital Buying Groups
By Barry Meier and Mary Williams Walsh
May 1, 2002

Hospitals Find Big Buying Groups May Not Come Up With Savings
By Mary Williams Walsh and Barry Meier
April 30, 2002

Hospital Group's Link To Company Is Criticized
By Mary Williams Walsh
April 27, 2002

Hospital Products Get Seal of Approval at a Price
By Barry Meier
April 23, 2002

MEDICINE'S MIDDLEMEN: When a Buyer for Hospitals Has a Stake in Drugs It Buys
By Mary Williams Walsh
March 26, 2002

Fort Worth Weekly
Putting the Bite on Hospitals
An ex-employee’s lawsuit describes payola and pressure by a North Texas medical-supply giant.
By Pablo Lastra
October 4, 2007

Hearing Problems
The weather was chilly in Washington for Texas-based Novation.
By Pablo Lastra
March 22, 2006

Hijacking at the Hospital
Purchasing groups created to hold down health costs seem to be holding up patients instead.
By Pablo Lastra
November 23, 2005

The Los Angeles Times
The following three articles from the Los Angeles Times shed yet more light on how GPOs’ improper business practices have impacted patients, hospitals, and companies in the Los Angeles area and overall.

A Valuable Drug Discovery at UC
By Michael Hiltzik
February 17, 2005

Secrets Aid Drug Suppliers, Not UC
By Michael Hiltzik
February 21, 2005

Supply Middlemen May Leave Hospitals Ailing
By Michael Hiltzik
April 14, 2005

The Hartford Courant
State Aids U.S. Probe of Medical Supplier
Yale-New Haven Tied To Firm
By Peter Marteka
August 22, 2004

Forbes.com
Battle Scarred
Emily Lambert
March 26, 2007

First, Do No Harm
By Emily Lambert
June 6, 2005

Fortune Small Business
Stick It To'em
When syringe inventor Thomas Shaw took on the hospital-supply industry, he won $150 million. So why is his product still shut out?
By Patricia B. Gray
March 1, 2005

New Haven Register
Y-NH Hit with Additional Subpoenas
By Mary E. O’Leary, Register Topics Editor
August 16, 2005

BusinessWeek
Locked Out of the Hospital
Are medical buying consortiums squelching innovation?
By Phillip L. Zweig and Wendy Zellner
March 16, 1998

The Plain Dealer
Hospitals' Ethics Under Microscope
Clinic partnership draws attention
Susan Jaffe
August 12, 2006

The Charlotte Observer
Ex-foundation chair: Return prize for ethics
He cites controversy, but judges say there's no reason to respond
The Charlotte Observer
By Mike Drummond
December 12, 2006

Award raises questions
Premier wins Baldrige for best-run business despite ongoing Senate antitrust probe
Charlotte Observer
By Mike Drummond
December 1, 2006

Union Tribune
Local firm wins prize, and some controversy
Union-Tribune
By Keith Darcé
December 8, 2006

USA Today
History of Balridge Award Winner Angers Some
USA Today
By Del Jones
November 29, 2006

Other
Novation ex-worker files suit alleging kickbacks; Irving firm says claims 'without merit'
By Jason Roberson
September 22, 2007

Redefining Health Care: Creating Value-Based Competition on Results
By Michael E. Porter and Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg

Group Purchasing Organizations: An Evaluation of Their Effectiveness in Providing Services to Hospitals and Their Patients
By S. Prakash Sethi, PhD
July 2006