Mohawk Medbuy Completes Comprehensive Innovative, Value-Based Procurement for St. Mary's General Hospital Regional Cardiac Program

The contract Award to Medtronic canada will increase capacity for life-saving procedures and provide patient care closer to home

Mohawk Medbuy Corporation (MMC) is pleased to announce the completion and contract award of a rigorous, value-based procurement for the regional cardiac program of St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener, ON. For more than two years, MMC has been spearheading one of the most complex, innovative sourcing initiatives conducted in the province. Using a multi-faceted process, Mohawk Medbuy worked with St. Mary’s to develop a comprehensive solution to expand and enhance regional cardiac care delivery for the people of the Waterloo-Wellington area. The long-term contract has been awarded to Medtronic Canada.

St. Mary’s is among the top community cardiac hospitals in Canada, serving a catchment area of more than one million people, from Goderich to Guelph and from Tobermory to Simcoe. 

To help address capacity challenges and achieve its ambitious, patient-focused goals, which include reducing diagnostic and treatment wait times and providing care closer to home, St. Mary’s sought the expertise and partnership of Mohawk Medbuy to develop an innovative procurement initiative. Working collaboratively with the hospital’s cardiac, sourcing and finance teams, Mohawk Medbuy developed a framework to establish Outcome-Based Specifications (OBS) that would drive the process.

Extensive consultation with potential vendors is a unique aspect of value-based procurement according to Markus Lenarczyk, MMC’s Director of Innovation & Value-Added Sourcing. “We started that process in May 2018 and orchestrated a ‘Market Sounding’ meeting later that year which was attended by more than 70 suppliers.” Over the following 20 months, vendors brought forward potential solutions to six core objectives the cardiac centre had set for its program. They also participated in Competitive Dialogue sessions with St. Mary’s and MMC to refine their offerings prior to submitting competitive bids.

“The comprehensive solution from Medtronic would never have been possible – or even contemplated – without the tremendous engagement with vendors and other stakeholders,” said Marc Lemaire, Chief Procurement Officer and VP, Strategic Sourcing & Clinical Services at Mohawk Medbuy. “It will bring advanced technologies to improve cardiac care, reduce patient travel and help fund equipment and infrastructure for St. Mary’s going forward. This outcome really demonstrates the value of our innovative procurement approach.”

“The collaborative nature of MMC’s process was central to creating a multi-pronged solution for St. Mary’s,” said Mitch Leschuk, Senior Director, Cardiac Therapies & Diagnostics, Medtronic Canada. “It allowed us to tap our broad resources and combine leading edge products and services within a financial package to help expand cardiac care for patients in the Waterloo-Wellington region.”

The six-year contract includes an extension option of up to four years and allows St. Mary’s to move forward with planning for capital improvements, new data management services and remote monitoring technology that will reduce patient travel requirements.

“It was a long, thorough process that was patient-centred from the outset,” said Andrea Lemberg, Director of Cardiac and Critical Care Programs at St. Mary’s. “The contribution of our Cardiac Care Team, including our physician group, and engagement with vendors and stakeholders along the way allowed us to address a complex challenge and pave the way forward to expand our quality care.”