Dignity Part Of New Greenhealth GPO

San Francisco-based Dignity Health is one of several major healthcare chains that has started up a group purchasing organization for providing environmentally friendly products to hospitals and other providers.

The initiative, known as the Greenhealth Exchange, or GX, involves Dignity and three other hospital chains: Partners HealthCare, Gundersen Health System and Dartmouth Hitchcock Health. The other systems are located on the East Coast or in the Midwest. 

Altogether, they comprise 60 hospitals – more than half of which are operated by Dignity – and purchase about $4 billion in supplies annually.

“With the support of our members and supplier network, we will promote the adoption of products that support healthy people, a healthy environment, and healthy communities,” said GX President John Strong.

The startup will wade into a $300 billion annual market already dominated by group purchasers such as Premier, Inc.

“We know the health of our communities and the health of our planet are inexorably linked,” said Sister Mary Ellen Leciejewski, Dignity Health's director of ecology. “Using high-quality products and processes for our patients that are also eco-friendly has long been a priority for Dignity Health. Greenhealth Exchange will help to further this mission both for Dignity Health and the healthcare industry as a whole.”

Officials also indicated that by putting hospitals and healthcare systems directly into the equation, they would be able to leverage their significant buying power to get more green products directly into the consumer and commercial marketplaces. Products are expected to be available this fall.