CHAMPS Group Purchasing Surpasses 20,000 Member Locations Milestone as Demand for Supply Chain Services Grows

CHAMPS Group Purchasing (GPO), a business affiliate of The Center for Health Affairs and provider of significant savings on products and services used by businesses every day, is pleased to announce it has surpassed the 20,000 member locations mark as it continues to establish itself as one of the top group purchasing organizations in the United States.

A group purchasing organization such as CHAMPS GPO leverages the purchasing power of its membership by aggregating purchasing volume to negotiate discounts with manufacturers and distributors they use every day. Membership to CHAMPS Group Purchasing is free and provides savings across healthcare and commercial sectors including senior living, laboratories, community health centers, education, hospitality & entertainment and small and large businesses alike. With its national GPO partner Premier and aggregation partner Capstone Health Alliance, CHAMPS supports its member supply chain initiatives through their expertise in contract management, aggregation savings, supply chain technology and spend analytics.

“This is a milestone defined by stories,” said CHAMPS Group Purchasing Director Maria Summers. “For all 20,000 member locations, there are 20,000 stories. Each organization’s story is different – which means their needs are different, too. Since 2020 alone, we’ve seen our membership grow by the thousands. In this pandemic-afflicted world – coupled with supply chain and economic uncertainties – organizations have begun to rely on us more than ever before and we are honored to help them meet their unique savings goals”

Bolstered by an uptick in contracted suppliers and a rapidly expanding team, CHAMPS GPO’s growth has been defined by its commitment to supporting local, diverse and small business domestic suppliers to progress the economy of the communities it serves while supporting the needs of its membership nationally, such as its partnership with Ohio’s statewide economic development group JobsOhio.

“On behalf of The Center for Health Affairs and CHAMPS Healthcare, I give our thanks to our staff, partners, suppliers and of course the membership for making this possible,” said Mario Franco,  Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for The Center for Health Affairs and its business affiliates CHAMPS Group Purchasing and The Essentials Group. “Since stepping into the director role in January 2021, Maria has ensured flawless execution of our CHAMPS GPO initiatives. She is a great leader for our organization, and she has seen her 10+ years of hard work come to fruition with this milestone.”

To become a member of CHAMPS Group Purchasing or to initiate a partnership, contact us.

About The Center for Health Affairs

As the nation’s first regional hospital association, The Center for Health Affairs serves as the collective voice and leading advocate for 38 hospitals across 10 counties in Northeast Ohio. Dating back over 100 years, The Center aims to enhance the effectiveness of the healthcare community and the health of the communities it serves by providing expertise, resources and solutions to address the challenges currently being faced by the region’s healthcare providers. The Center’s efforts focus on areas in which member hospitals and their communities can benefit from a regional approach, including emergency preparedness; public policy and advocacy; finance and reimbursement; and community health. Learn more at neohospitals.org.