Allina Health’s cost-cutting innovation receives national Supply Chain award recognition

MINNEAPOLIS (Dec. 20, 2023) — Allina Health is proud to be one of five finalists for Gartner Power of Profession’s “Process or Technology Innovation of the Year.” This award honors organizations that achieve outstanding business performance thanks to a breakthrough supply chain innovation in process engineering or technology application. 

The supply chain innovation is projected to save Allina Health more than $1,000,000 in annual supply costs by giving surgeons the ability to quickly access intelligence surrounding product costs, variation and use. This provides them the control to choose the items they need in an operating room through their mobile device. Allina Health partnered with DOCSI, a surgeon-founded health care information technology startup based in Minneapolis, to build this informative dashboard for physicians.

While similar surgical supply optimization projects exist, Allina Health’s innovation stands out in its strategic implementation that results in extracting significant value from both clinical practice and supply chain. To accomplish this, Allina Health created a data-focused “Procedural Specialist” role to leverage electronic health record and preference card-based utilization data. (Preference cards are instructions that detail the equipment, supplies and room setup that a surgeon uses for a specific procedure.) Secondly, Allina Health implemented a data analytics and clinician engagement digital platform, DOCSI. This created actionable cost and supply utilization transparency for surgeons at scale and allowed supply chain to find ways to optimize inventory and lower costs.

“We are honored to be recognized for a national award of this caliber, and it is a testament to our hardworking team members who are dedicated to finding ways to decrease waste and increase efficiency,” said Tom Lubotsky, vice president, Allina Health Supply Chain.

There is a wide range of provider variation for items requested during a surgery. The dashboard allows the physicians to pick the items they’ll need in the operating room while showing alternatives and the cost savings they could provide. The result is a user-friendly experience that empowers surgeons to quickly make comparison decisions.

 “DOCSI’s novel platform has delivered tremendous value by providing relevant cost and utilization recommendations to our physicians in an intuitive format at scale, allowing them to make financially responsible decisions that lower expenses and reduce clinical variation,” said Lubotsky. 

Allina Health is also proud to be recently ranked 8th in Gartner’s Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 for 2023.

Allina Health is a nonprofit health care system serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin, dedicated to preventing and treating illness and improving the health of individuals, families, and communities. Through a network of more than 90 clinics, 12 hospital campuses, 13 retail pharmacies, specialty care centers, home care, and emergency medical transportation, Allina Health provides high-quality care from birth through end-of-life.  

At the forefront of Allina Health’s mission are its Institutes, which offer nationally recognized experts and advanced care in key specialties:  

• Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute – A leader in cardiovascular innovation, research, and care delivery through clinical trials, publications, and training 4,000+ providers annually, it is consistently rated ‘High Performing’ by U.S. News & World Report.  
• Allina Health Cancer Institute – Providing comprehensive, personalized and innovative oncology care across the full cancer journey, delivered at ten locations – including its three largest hospitals which U.S. News & World Report consistently rates “High Performing” in multiple oncology specialties.  
• Allina Health Neuroscience, Spine and Pain Institute – Offering advanced neurological and spine care, including two nationally accredited stroke centers, innovative focused ultrasound treatment for essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson's and a chronic pain rehabilitation program – one of only two in Minnesota.  

Together, these Institutes exemplify Allina Health’s commitment to clinical excellence, innovation, and compassionate care. Learn more at allinahealth.org and join us on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.