Thanks a Million – and we mean that literally

Suffern, New York
August 1, 2002

Congratulations to Lance Martucci, System Director of Materials Management & Biomedical Engineering, and the Orthopedic Implant Committee of the Bon Secours Charity Health System* for their recent accomplishment in developing a three-year prosthetic agreement that reduced orthopedic implant costs by nearly one million dollars.

Jeanne Balesky of the Bon Secours Health System and Martucci were key leaders in moving forward with this initiative. “Jeanne played a major role in facilitating this committee based on her experience, knowledge and great success with the Michigan Orthopedic project,” said Martucci. Highlighting this impressive achievement, in May of 2002, Lance Martucci won a $500 scholarship at the Premier Supply Chain Annual Conference and Exhibition for submitting an overview of this initiative’s cost reduction success from start to finish.

“During the outset of this initiative it was imperative to secure collaboration from the respective stakeholders who included orthopedic surgeons, surgical nursing personnel, materials management, care management and administration”, explained Martucci. The Orthopedic Team then developed critical success factors that hinged upon market growth, service excellence, quality outcomes, efficient processes and cost management. It became apparent that in order for Bon Secours Charity Health System to promote further growth of the Orthopedic Service Line, it had to become more profitable.

A Request for Proposal (RFP) was established for the reduction strategy that included a two-vendor selection process with a three-year agreement. A Prosthetic Sub-Committee was formed comprised mainly of surgeons to review Patient Demand Matching concerns and to monitor quality issues. Patient Demand Matching is making sure that the product is appropriate for the acuity and demographic profile of the patient. Furthermore, added Martucci, “product utilization and care management offers great value and is the key to the Patient Demand Matching success.”

The bidding process became open to all the vendors that were doing business with the health system hospitals. The Orthopedic Team decided that surgeons and administration would need to evaluate each vendor based upon a numeric-scoring tool. It was agreed by all that the selection was not exclusively based on price. There were many other factors to consider, i.e., freight, prompt pay discounts, consignment inventories, service, support, and education. The fact that price was not the deciding factor, was borne out by the final results. The two vendors selected did not submit the lowest prosthetic pricing. The contract was awarded based upon superior quality and service, and an implant cost reduction of 41%.

Martucci started with Good Samaritan Hospital, Suffern, NY in 1979 where he worked as a Biomedical Engineer. In 1991 Martucci learned that he was nominated by the Medical Staff at Good Samaritan Hospital, and won the Award for Outstanding Biomedical Man of the Year from the International Society of Biomedical Equipment. This prestigious award was presented to him in Washington, DC in front of several thousand society members and guests. During his tenure, Martucci has been promoted several times and has had countless achievements. “I want to thank Lance and the Orthopedic Team for their talent, dedication and commitment to this project. Lance’s leadership and an enthusiasm are evident by all,” said Dominick Stanzione, CEO of Bon Secours Charity Health System. Lance resides in Westtown, New York with his wife Lee, and his two delightful children, Michael, 17 and Michelle, 15.

“My advancements are the reflection of people that work with me and for me,” said Martucci. “I have been fortunate to have the privilege and the pleasure of working with professionals that always go the extra mile. The success of this initiative is a tribute to the local people in the health system that worked so hard as a team to put this together.”

* The Bon Secours Charity Health System serves 425,000 in Rockland, Orange, and Sullivan Counties, New York, in Pike County, Pennsylvania, and in Sussex, Passaic, and Bergen Counties, New Jersey. It has a workforce of some 2500 people; plus 800 physicians with staff privileges. It is one of fourteen local systems of the Bon Secours Health System and is co-sponsored by the Sisters of Bon Secours of Marriottsville, Maryland, and the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey.