Advantage Healthcare

Advantage Healthcare Net

"Customer Service Built Our Business"

2100 S. Columbia Road
Suite 104
Grand Forks, ND 58201

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Phone:
(701) 772-0471
(800) 548-2744

Fax:
(701) 772-0984

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Welcome

About Us

About Advantage Healthcare

Advantage was founded in 1969 under the name CAP-NO-DAK (Commodity Association Purchasing of North Dakota). One of the original pioneers of group purchasing for both long-term care and hospitals, we now serve over 250 facilities in the Dakotas, Minnesota and eastern Montana. In the late 1970’s, clinic contracts were added where there were products and services in common with hospitals, such as Laboratory and limited medical surgical devices and supplies. Advantage launched one of the first manufacturer contracts for XRAY film that both clinics and hospitals could save money with in the early 1980’s. We began to address pharmacy items like Flu Vaccine, Chemotherapy drugs and adult and children’s vaccines throughout the early and mid 1980’s. Distribution agreements are designed to work closely with regional suppliers who provide on-site representation and/or local warehousing.

In 1980, we joined forces with two other groups from Iowa and Missouri to establish a regional alliance to share negotiations time and consolidate volume to deliver more competitive pricing and services. As our membership grew more diverse, Advantage continually sought to free up time to work on-site with client facilities. We sought a new alliance with greater resources to provide a more sophisticated contracting system, harnessing greater expertise and leverage.

In 1986, we joined several regional organizations to affiliate with four much larger groups who were founding AMERINET. These four groups became Amerinet shareholders, and Advantages affiliation was through a founder. In August of 1990, a restructuring had Advantage’s host shareholder leaving Amerinet to re-establish its own National GPO negotiating teams. Advantage, fulfilling a contractual obligation with that group, followed them into their own GPO program and outsourced national negotiations to that group until May 1997.

Beginning May 1, 1997, Advantage re-affiliated with Amerinet through Intermountain Health Care (IHC), and reintroduced our members to outsourced contracting through Amerinet’s group-purchasing program.

Advantage employs a staff of five. Two more field support personnel are deployed in the Twin Cities area by IHC to enhance member service capability. IHC/Amerinet adds a staff of approximately 130 professionals who refine communications regarding contract changes, documentation of problems and tracking both compliance and suggestions for improvements. IHC maintains a website development team as well.

Advantage members often have on-site visits and regional meetings that address specific issues that require member input or education. A staff specialist is retained for regional agreements and capital equipment research and is available through a 1-800# hotline. Annually, we hold an educational networking conference called UPDATE, including a vendor fair, which complements professional and personal development speakers.

The IHC/Amerinet system has delivered exceptional success in negotiating with the top two market leaders in most product categories. AmeriNet uses its clout to generate pricing on preferred products that other groups often have to risk substitution of generic alternates to receive. Multiple distributor selections insure that delivery of strong contract pricing occurs without sacrificing value-added services from vendors. This results in both higher compliance and end-user satisfaction. Combining input from non-acute and acute member’s results in the nations’ broadest, most flexible group contracts and distribution. Advantage also maintains a basket of regional agreements. These agreements are with vendors or products of regional importance and are membership driven.

Affiliate Corporate Statement

Amerinet is the most innovative and effective health care group purchasing organization in the United States, leading the industry in flexibility with a committment to providing supplier choice for its members. Amerinet's national network of companies - Amerinet Centeral, Intermountain Healthcare and Vector has set the standard for customer service for nearly two decades.

As an Amerinet affiliate, Advantage Healthcare Net, extends the benefits of membership and provides outstanding member service on a local level. Through this collaboration, Advantage Healthcare Net's members can use comprehensive group purchasing services and supply chain solutions to meet their financial and clinical goals.