IDNs and GPOs: Changing the Leopard's Spots
Executive Summary
Ten years ago, hospital suppliers believed IDNs (integrated delivery networks) would challenge and eventually put GPOs out of business by introducing a new type of customer. Well, IDNs are certainly a force to be reckoned with. But GPOs have adapted by accommodating the new providers, and AmeriNet's Options program may be the best example of such an accommodation. In the process, GPOs are subtly changing their basic philosophy, jettisoning a one-size-fits-all approach for one that allows individual members to craft their own deals.