Cook Medical Wins 2023 Vizient Supply Assurance Supplier of the Year Award

September 26, 2023—Cook Medical announced that the company has been awarded the Vizient Supply Assurance Supplier of the Year Award at the Vizient Connections Summit, which was held September 18-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to the company, the award demonstrates Cook’s transparency and commitment to communication during the supply chain process with health care organizations that are customers of Vizient Inc., a provider-driven health care performance improvement company.

As noted in Cook’s press release, the award is given annually to a company that has demonstrated flexibility, innovation, and distinction in ensuring uninterrupted supply of products and supplies directly or indirectly impacting Vizient customers’ ability to provide patient care. These suppliers also have active and comprehensive participation in Vizient’s supply assurance programs or initiatives.

Cook highlighted its efforts that contributed to the award, which included the following:

• The customer portal, which makes the ordering experience more convenient and efficient for customers.
• The supplier risk dashboard on the customer portal, which shows customers what locations around the world their products are manufactured in and what risk exists to the components that go into making those products. Using that information, customers can see what countries the materials are coming from to maintain a steady supply for their patients.
• A biweekly report on the customer portal called the “global supply chain disruption dashboard” that shows any potential supply chain disruptions for Cook Medical. In June 2023, Cook announced it won an HIRC Transparency Badge for this dashboard and the data it provides.
• Active participation in Vizient’s supply assurance and domestic sourcing programs.

In the company’s press release, Ross Harvey, Cook’s Vice President of Global Supply Chain, stated, “The last several years have shown massive shifts in supply chain for industries all over the world. This award is an honor to get at any time, but considering the pandemic and many other factors, this award is especially meaningful.”

Harvey added, “We can’t control everything that goes on in the world, but we can focus on the things we have control over. We can communicate transparently. We will continue finding ways to improve our processes so we can make products increasingly accessible to physicians and patients across the country.”