Medical strengthens its partnership with VA to support military, veteran health care

A partnership between the Defense Logistics Agency and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reached a new high point as the agencies realize tangible results at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center. The FHCC began using DLA Troop Support Medical supply chain’s Medical/Surgical Prime Vendor program in March. This is the first time a VA-administered medical facility will use the DLA Troop Support Medical program to acquire medical and surgical items through the program’s worldwide procurement system. “The FHCC will benefit from using our program through faster access to a much broader catalog of medical supplies,” Steve Bollendorf, MSPV division chief, said. “Because our Med/Surg Prime Vendor program will have more items available, it’ll reduce the need for the FHCC to use government purchase cards on medical supplies, which causes the facility to pay higher prices and be more labor-intensive.” During the ribbon cutting ceremony in March, leadership from the FHCC, which services 75,000 patients per year, agreed that the MSPV program would provide cost benefits, reduction in utilization of purchase cards and an expanded supply catalogue, according to a FHCC press release.