NACHC Announces CNECT as GPO Partner for New LLC, NACHC Select

CNECT and NACHC have joined forces in a partnership making CNECT the exclusive group purchasing organization for NACHC Select. Both NACHC and CNECT are deeply committed to promoting health equity and supporting financial sustainability for community health centers, and this partnership will direct a portion of generated revenue back to health center advocacy initiatives, training programs, and other resources.

BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Community health centers will have robust access to group purchasing services thanks to a partnership between the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and CNECT, which will serve as the exclusive group purchasing organization (GPO) of NACHC Select, a new wholly owned subsidiary of NACHC.

This is the first partnership for NACHC's new company, NACHC Select, which will develop relationships with industry leaders to provide savings and other special offers for the high-quality products and services health centers need. Related revenue will be transparently reinvested into NACHC's advocacy efforts, training and technical assistance, and other resources and programs to advance the health center movement.

CNECT, a wholly owned subsidiary of Health Center Partners of Southern California, is an industry-leading group purchasing organization that has been serving community health centers for more than 40 years. CNECT's team of over 60 employees provides tailored supply chain services and solutions to enhance the financial strength of its members. CNECT members have access to more than 3,700 GPO contracts, including aggregated top-tier discounts, through more than 1,460 suppliers.

In its most recent fiscal year, CNECT's health center members collectively saved more than $67 million on key contract categories alone ? a figure that CNECT and NACHC will work in collaboration to grow.

"This is an exciting beginning and aligns with our commitment to help health centers across this country become the provider, employer, and partner of choice," said Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, NACHC's President and CEO. "NACHC believes community health centers are the most innovative, most diverse, most resilient part of our health system. Our strategic vision for NACHC Select is to build a world-class business development function that supports the largest primary care network in the nation in advancing health equity for all. Our partnership with CNECT will ensure the 300,000 clinicians and staff who deliver high-quality, affordable, transdisciplinary primary care to over 31.5 million patients at 15,000 sites receive discounted rates with trusted suppliers through a proven group purchasing organization."

For CNECT, this partnership is about strengthening health centers by supporting their clinical, operational, and financial goals.

"As a leading group purchasing organization, CNECT is proud to partner with NACHC and align our resources and efforts in support of community health centers," said Sparkle Barnes, President of CNECT. "At CNECT, we provide a broad range of solutions such as supply chain resiliency strategies, supplier diversity contracts, and procurement and inventory management solutions to drive member value. This collaboration strengthens our commitment to support health center efforts to reduce costs, expand services, and increase quality outcomes."

There is no membership cost to join either NACHC Select or CNECT. Community health centers will enroll through a simple membership application process. A portion of the GPO administrative fees generated by NACHC Select member purchases will go directly to NACHC to help support health centers and the patients they serve. Active organizational membership in NACHC is not required to join NACHC Select or CNECT.

By aligning with private partners and the business sector, NACHC Select is committed to ensuring financial sustainability for health centers while creating opportunities for investment in health equity.

"As essential as health centers are to the nation's health, the cost of doing business is increasingly challenging," said Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez, MS, MPH, President and Chief Executive Officer of Urban Health Plan, Inc. (UHP), one of the largest community health center networks in New York State. "NACHC Select is an exciting opportunity to transform the primary care landscape and advance promising health solutions with innovative partners committed to our shared mission. We are excited to open our doors and partner with CNECT."

Those seeking to participate or ask questions should contact [email protected]. Additional information can be found at nachcselect.com.

About National Association of Community Health Centers

NACHC is the leading innovative change agent collaborating with affiliates and partners to advance Community Health Centers as the foundation of an equitable health care system free from disparities and built on accessible, patient-governed, high-quality, integrated primary care.

About CNECT

CNECT is a national group purchasing organization (GPO) with more than 40 years of industry experience that provides its members access to discounts and services specifically designed to enhance their financial strength. Without compromising quality, we strive to leverage the lowest possible price on contracted services and products for our 10,000+ members. In FY23, CNECT members achieved over $166.5M in savings across a broad portfolio of over 3,700 contracts. For more information on CNECT, please visit www.cnectgpo.com.

About Health Center Partners (HCP)

Health Center Partners of Southern California is a regional primary care association of 16-member organizations including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Indian Health Services Organizations, both urban and sovereign, and Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. In 2022, HCP's members collectively served 658,020 patients, in 2.8 million patient visits, at 176 practice sites across San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial counties, with the fifth largest provider group in the region.

Health Center Partners 2023 Impact Report.

Media Contact

Alexandra Walker, National Association of Community Health Centers, 1 718-938-2820, [email protected], nachc.org

SOURCE National Association of Community Health Centers