Shriners Children's is committed to delivering the best in patient care. We recognize that our vendors are an essential part of our delivery.
The information contained within this website will assist all vendors seeking to do business with Shriners Children's to:
- Understand the process for becoming qualified to conduct business with Shriners Children's
- Understand the criteria for the products and services Shriners Children's procures
- Understand what suppliers can expect to receive from Shriners Children's
Guidelines for Vendors and Vendor Representatives
You, our vendors and suppliers, are an integral component of our business and our success as we endeavor to accomplish our mission. We value the resources our vendors and suppliers offer.
In order to ensure a mutually successful business relationship, guidelines have been established for vendors and vendor representatives who visit and want to conduct business with Shriners Children's. As you review these guidelines and interact within our facilities, if you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Shriners Children's Corporate Supply Chain Management Department or the Office of Corporate Compliance at hdq-supplychain@shrinenet.org or hdq-compliance@shrinenet.org
Points of Contact
Shriners Children's conducts procurement activities through a centralized purchasing system. Your primary point of contact while conducting business at our facility will be the corporate supply chain management department.
Location and Business Hours
The supply chain management department is located at the Shiners International headquarters at 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607. The purchasing department is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Vendor Certification
It is the policy of Shriners Children's to ensure that all vendors and sales representatives with whom we conduct business, are registered in the vendor certification program. Shriners Children's is utilizing Vendormate, Inc. as its credentialing service provider.
The registration will be reviewed and approved before purchase orders are issued and invoices are paid. All vendors are screened through the OIG and GAS exclusion databases in addition to other screens depending on the type of product or service being provided and location of the Shriners Children's facility.
During the certification process, you will be provided a copy of Shriners Children’s established Vendor Management Program policy and our Code of Ethics standards to follow while conducting business with Shriners Children's.
Shriners Children's requires registration with Vendormate, Inc before representatives are permitted to come on site to conduct business.
Product Standardization
Decisions on products and equipment are evaluated by the EVAC Committee and will include a financial analysis and outcomes of actual product trials.
Vendor Visits and Identification
Vendor representatives are required to make appointments, including visits to physicians. “Cold calling” is not allowed. All vendors must check-in at the vendor kiosks and receive a photo badge, which must be worn at all times during your visit to our facility.
Vaccination/Mask Requirements for Vendors
It is the policy of Shriners Children's to provide a safe environment for all patients, visitors and staff by monitoring hospital access and sales activities associated with selling of goods, services or equipment. Please be advised that in support of our patient’s health and public health guidelines, Shriners Children's recommends all clinical vendors and suppliers who: (1) perform services at, or regularly visit, a Shriners Children's owned or operated facility and (2) come into contact with employees, patients or visitors of Shriners Children's, to be vaccinated against respiratory viruses. Shriners Children's locations may require evidence of influenza vaccination or a declination to that vaccine.
Clinical vendors and suppliers are responsible for documenting and verifying that their vendor representatives (including, but not limited to employees and subcontractors) provide evidence of vaccinations. If there are specific, unique circumstances in which a team member who is critical to the success or completion of a project on-site at Shriners Children's is not vaccinated for influenza during “flu season,” the team member will wear a surgical mask at all times while within patient care areas of the facility. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in termination of the vendor or supplier’s relationship with Shriners Children's and other appropriate remedies. Shriners Children's goal is not only to protect our vulnerable patients but also our limited workforce.
Shriners Children's defines Vendors in two categories:
- Clinical – Includes any vendor who routinely provides services or visits within 3 feet of patient care areas. Examples of clinical areas include but are not limited to: procedural areas (operating room, radiology, etc.), nursing units or other clinical areas.
- Non-Clinical – Vendors who have minimal/time-limited business in patient care areas or administrative offices. Examples of non-clinical vendors include but are not limited to: repair/service personnel for HVAC or fire alarms, copier vendor or bottled water delivery.
Patient Confidentiality
The protection of our patients’ confidential information is of utmost importance to Shriners Children's. Access to areas where patient care is conducted is restricted.
Purchase Orders
An approved purchase order must be obtained prior to providing pharmaceuticals, equipment, supplies, and/or services, including repairs. You should not accept an order without a purchase order number that is provided by the corporate supply chain management department. This requirement includes samples and evaluation products.
Evaluation and Loaner Items
All equipment and products to be evaluated and loaned to Shriners Children's must have an assigned purchase order from the corporate supply chain management department. Shriners Children's will not be responsible for any equipment or product brought into the facility without the appropriate authorization and purchase order number.
Medication Samples
To ensure proper control, quality, storage and dispensing records, all drugs within the facility fall under the control of the department of pharmacy. Sample drugs within the facility are not exempt from this requirement. All sample medications dispensed to patients for use at home will be labeled in accordance to current Federal and State statutes. Samples of controlled substances are prohibited by law.
Vendor Guidelines (cont.)
Vendor Presentations
Vendors may be requested to participate in educational presentations of products approved by the EVAC committee and with prior written approval by corporate supply chain department or corporate compliance.
Seminars and Continuing Education
All programs must be coordinated with the human resources department and with the pharmacy department, if drug information is included. Seminars and continuing education includes programs intended for and arranged by medical staff.
Deliveries
All equipment and products must be delivered to the receiving department located at the ship to address on the purchase order unless the purchase order specifies alternative shipping arrangements.
A packing slip must accompany shipments and must reference the purchase order number to assure acceptance. Deliveries that require special handling are by appointment only. All deliveries should be shipped FOB Destination, unless otherwise negotiated.
Inspection of Electrical Items and Equipment
Biomedical engineering will be responsible for inspecting all electrical items and all medical equipment for compliance to applicable regulations and to ensure the safe use prior to the item being forwarded to the requesting department.
Invoices
Invoices that do not reflect or reference an approved purchase order number will not be honored and will be returned to the vendor. Shriners Children's standard payment terms are Net 30, unless otherwise negotiated. It is our custom to remit invoices promptly in order to receive any payment discounts.
Bids and Quotations
All bids and quotations are initiated through the corporate supply chain department. The Request for Proposal process will include terms and conditions appropriate for the commodity. Any questions concerning a bid or quotation should be directed to the corporate supply chain management representative listed on the request. Direct contact with the requesting department may be grounds for disqualification. All bid and quotation submissions will remain confidential.
Contacts
All contracts for supplies, services, and equipment will be reviewed by the corporate supply chain department. All contracts require the signature of the executive vice president or those individuals authorized by policy. Shriners Children's will not recognize any liability for payment on any contractual agreement without the proper authorization.
Enforcement
Shriners Children's is committed to our published code of ethics and policies. Violation of the Code of Ethics or of the policies set forth for vendors or its representatives could result in prohibition of personnel or product from Shriners Children's facilities and the voiding of existing agreements.
Vendor Registration
The Shriners Children's Vendor Credentialing Program is designed to streamline the collection and management of key information regarding regulatory and compliance status, and business operation information, as well as provide our valued vendors with information regarding the procurement policies and processes for transacting business with Shriners Children's.
All vendors interested in conducting business with Shriners Children's must participate in a vendor certification process. Shriners Children's is utilizing Vendormate, Inc. as its credentialing service provider. The company and each company representative will be required to provide contact information and upload documentation as specifically required to become a registered “vendor” or registered “vendor representative.”
The registration process will occur in two phases.
Phase I allows for the registration of the vendor as a company and entails the following steps:
- Providing business identification information
- Legal business name
- Type of business
- Federal Tax Identification Number (FEIN)
- Providing basic business information
- Business address and telephone
- Category of products sold (identified by UNSPSC code)
- Estimated amount of business done with Shriners Children's during the past 12 months
- Representative(s) information
- Acknowledgement and agreement to abide by Shriners Children's policies and procedures by both vendor and vendor representative
- Payment of annual “per company” registration fee to Vendormate, Inc.
- Confirmation of registration via email
Phase II allows for registration of each sales representative and/or other staff members who may visit Shriners Children's for business purposes. Based on the scope of products and services marketed to Shriners Children's, a vendor representative will be classified into one of three categories based on the representative’s product offerings, access to patient care areas and other qualifying criteria. There are certification requirements specific to each category.
These requirements are consistent with standards set forth by the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA), the Association of Peri-Operative Registered Nurses’ (AORN) Standards for the Healthcare Industry Representatives in Operating Rooms and the Joint Commission.
Before You Visit Shriners Children's
Prior to coming to a Shriners Children’s for business purposes, vendor representatives will sign in to Vendormate and ensure that all registration, training and paperwork is current. Follow these instructions to request an appointment through the Vendormate Credential Manager.
New Vendor/New Products
Shriners Children's and its employees constantly strive to maintain proper balance between providing cost-effective patient care and utilizing new, emerging medical technologies in health care. Shriners Children's Value Analysis Committee has aided in the effort to improve patient care and control product costs through the emphasis on the purchase and utilization of cost-effective, high-quality products through an extensive process of determining clinical efficacy, product evaluation and financial impact to Shriners Children's.
New Product Introduction/Evaluation
All new products must go through the value analysis process for contract and pricing analysis prior to discussion with end users or introduction of the product to Shriners Children's. Products will be considered for evaluation only if analysis shows a reduction in overall cost, improved patient outcomes or optimized utilization. This is a new policy and will be the only method of approving products at our facilities.
Products and equipment are carefully reviewed from many perspectives including, but not limited to:
- Patient safety
- Quality
- Improvement in patient care
- Price/cost
- Relation of intrinsic value to cost
- Manufacturer corporate stability
- Ability of manufacturer to support their product and provide comprehensive in-service education to all shifts if necessary
- Product history and references from other healthcare facilities
- Revenue impact
If a product is approved for evaluation, the vendor representative will be notified and an adequate amount of product must be supplied to conduct the evaluation.
Vendor Selection Criteria
Shriners Children's is committed to the fair and equitable selection of vendors. All vendors are evaluated on the following criteria:
- Quality of goods and/or services provided
- Pricing
- Product availability
- Delivery methods
- Ability to participate in e-commerce opportunities
- Support services after purchase
- Adherence to Shriners Children's policies
What Vendors Can Expect from Shriners Children's:
- Information: We will provide the vendor with as much information as possible about how Shriners Children's purchasing process works, as well as the specific requirements of a given project.
- Access: We will make every attempt to put the vendor in contact with the appropriate department or hospital for the product or service.
- Fair treatment: Our processes are set up to ensure equal and fair treatment to all vendors so that each can fully participate in the purchasing and contracting process
- Feedback: We will provide feedback regarding performance and other business issues.
It should be noted that Shriners Children's has established certain policies with regard to the purchasing process. These are routine business guidelines and apply to all vendors without respect to minority or gender classification. Please review the Guidelines for Vendors and Vendor Representatives section above for more information about purchasing policies and procedures.
Authorization to buy: Shriners Children's will not be responsible for payment of goods or services obtained without a properly authorized order. Hospital personnel are not authorized to give orders for products or services unless they provide a purchase order number obtained from the headquarters' supply chain management department. Items brought into Shriners Children's and invoiced without proper authorization will be considered gifts.
Substitution of goods: It is the policy of Shriners Children's to determine when to accept substitutions of any goods. Substitutions must be authorized by the headquarters' supply chain management department prior to shipment.
How to contact the supply chain department: Please send us an email.
