Feature
Work & Play; Quality & Cost – It’s All
About Balance
Sarah Daly, Value First member liaison
B
Sarah Daly
alance is something people strive for in many aspects
of their lives. Balance in home and work lives, balance
in diet and balance in… a game of Jenga? What? As
conference attendees, speakers and exhibitors networked at
the LeadingAge New York Annual Expo, many also got to
literally try their hand at the giant Jenga game at the Value
First booth. The nostalgic, goofy game offered attendees an
opportunity to relax after long informative sessions and have
a few laughs while practicing balance.
There’s always a good balance of work and play at the
LeadingAge New York Annual Conference. For Value First Member Liaisons, Sarah Daly
and Denis Miciletto, this year was no different. The continuity in being
a part of LeadingAge New York’s Expo for several years has fostered
Value First, as the GPO owned and
strong business relationships and friendly conversations. Naturally,
operated by LeadingAge, offers a free
many of the conversations at the Value First booth focused on financial
challenges and purchasing strategies that can be used to cut costs.
solution for members to better balance
It is no secret that the not-for-profit providers of LTSS faces extreme
funding and regulatory challenges. With increasing external pressures,
many provider organizations find themselves strapped for cash and
looking for ways to save money. For most, the visceral response to
financial pressure is to cut unnecessary spending. Is the planned
renovation necessary now or should lower quality products be considered? These
strategies may seem logical but they neglect one of the most useful tools that a provider
has: Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs).
their budgets, improve or maintain quality
of services and cut costs.
A GPO exists to negotiate competitive pricing with popular vendors by aggregating
the spend of thousands of providers. Leveraging this buying power is proven to reduce
the cost of frequently purchased items such as medical supplies, food supplies, capital
equipment and more. Value First, as the GPO owned and operated by LeadingAge, offers
a free solution for members to better balance their budgets, improve or maintain quality
of services and cut costs.
Value First strives to help LeadingAge membership improve their balance of cost and
quality in purchasing. As an affiliate of the largest healthcare GPO in the nation, Vizient,
Value First offers competitive pricing with over 500 vendors. These vendor agreements
allow LeadingAge membership to optimize savings with favored vendors such as Sysco
and US Foods without compromising quality of dining services.
As the game of Jenga requires balance, our lives require balance and unfortunately, our
budges require balance as well. The good news is that there are free tools and resources
at LeadingAge New York to help mitigate the financial stress that LTSS providers face.
Value First offers choices, solutions, savings and - when you’re at LeadingAge New York’s
Annual Expo – giant games.
For more information contact: Sarah Daly at 518-867-8383 ext. 160 or by email at
[email protected].
Value First, Inc. is a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) owned by LeadingAge and twenty-five of its affiliates. As a
GPO that’s committed to your mission, Value First leverages the buying power of LeadingAge members across the country
to get the best pricing on a comprehensive array of high-quality products and services.
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Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Summer 2018