Also part of the UPMC family:
To: Valued Supplier
From: UPMC | Supply Chain Management
Address: 600 Grant Street, 59th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219Subject: Notification to our Supplier Community Regarding Covid-19 Vaccination Mandates
Dear Valued Supplier,
As it has done throughout the pandemic, UPMC is taking considerable efforts to maintain efficient and safe operations to care for our patients, staff, UPMC Health Plan members, and local communities. You are receiving this notification because we believe your entity employs or otherwise contracts with individuals who furnish services within a UPMC entity or entities covered by the Covid-19 vaccine mandate implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), or otherwise individuals whose responsibilities entail regular direct contact with patients, UPMC Health Plan members, and/or patient-facing employees of UPMC entities. Your commitment to the health and safety of UPMC’s caregivers and the patients they serve is appreciated now more than ever.
UPMC believes that vaccination is a critical step required to protect all of us. UPMC will continue to work within the communities we serve to collaboratively improve vaccination rates. As a Medicare and Medicaid-certified provider, UPMC is required to comply with theCMSCOVID-19 vaccination mandate, which requires all individuals (regardless of employment status) who regularly and customarily provide services in a hospital, ambulatory surgery center, outpatient rehabilitation facility, long-term care facility, hospice, or other entity covered by the CMS mandate to receive a Primary Vaccination Series for COVID-19or have an approved medical or religious exemption in place by the dates set forth by CMS. Additionally, UPMC has extended this requirement to any individual whose responsibilities entail regular direct contact with patients, UPMC Health Plan members, and/or patient-facing employees of any UPMC entity, including physician offices and any other clinical facilities not specifically covered by the CMS mandate. A Primary Vaccination Series is defined as an individual’s receipt of a single-dose vaccine by January 27, 2022; or receipt of a first does of a multi-dose vaccine(appropriately timed from the receipt of the first dose) of a multi-dose vaccine by February 28, 2022. The mandate does not provide the option to complete and submit a weekly Covid-19 test in lieu of vaccination.
The CMS mandate does permit entities to grant exemption to the Covid-19 vaccine requirement to individuals whose medical or sincerely-held religious or spiritual beliefs, practices, or observances contraindicates receipt of the Covid-19 vaccination. All such exemption requests shall be managed by the suppliers. You are responsible for evaluating medical and religious exemption requests to determine the appropriateness of said exemption requests and to maintain supporting documentation related to any approved exemptions. As a supplier, you shall be responsible for compiling, maintaining, and managing proof of vaccination related to all individuals who regularly and customarily provide services at a covered UPMC facility. Additionally, you must be prepared to share any documentation or information regarding vaccination status or exemption status of your employees, contractors, subcontractors, or agents with UPMC upon request, for purposes of compliance with the CMS vaccination mandate.
To effectively support our teams across the UPMC system, suppliers providing services in covered UPMC facilities, visiting clinical care areas in a professional capacity, or having regular and direct contact with patients, UPMC Health Plan members, and/or patient-facing employees of any UPMC entity, must comply with the requirements set forth in this letter and should be prepared to present evidence of vaccination or exemption status upon arrival at the facility effective immediately. Suppliers that outsource provision of the services for which they contract are responsible for all communication to subcontractors and to ensure their compliance.
Supplier representatives who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 infection or who are otherwise feeling unwell should stay home as appropriate in accordance with the then-current guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) and under no circumstances should symptomatic representatives enter UPMC facilities for professional appointments or for any other reason other than as a patient in need of medical care. Due to the highly infectious nature of theCOVID-19 virus, UPMC strongly encourages its suppliers to limit in-person professional appointments at UPMC facilities to events that are required in furtherance of the provision of essential patient care. Individuals coming onsite must follow universal masking requirements and all standards of infection prevention and control practice guidelines implemented by UPMC to protect patients and staff against COVID-19, compliant with the recommendations issued by the CDC. Covered Facilities may establish additional protective measures based on specific circumstances in order to provide maximum protection against COVID-19. Additionally, supplier representatives must engage in hygienic practices including hand washing/sanitizing, practice social distancing, and be sensitive to group size in limited space environments such as procedural areas, elevators, and cafeterias.
As the relevant regulations related to infection mitigation, including Covid-19 vaccine mandates, continue to evolve, we ask that you stay current with the information UPMC disseminates related to its COVID-19mitigation measures.
On behalf of our staff and patients, we thank you for your continued collaboration
Sincerely,
James A. Szilagy
UPMC Chief Supply Chain Officer
At UPMC, we realize that the relationships we forge with our supplier partners are key to our team’s agility, integrity and ability to meet our patients’ needs. We hope the information contained within this website provides you with the information you need as a supplier partner or potential partner with UPMC.
The policy of UPMC Supply Chain Management is to obtain the best value for purchased materials, goods, and services while maintaining the highest ethical standards in dealing with external companies. Value includes price, quality, and service. Supply Chain Management, acting on behalf of the UPMC Business, will:
Supply Chain Management employs the following processes to ensure these standards are achieved when dealing with existing and future business partners:
The UPMC Strategic Sourcing Process is a logical method of leveraging best-practice Supply Chain Management tools and techniques in order to continuously achieve the optimal combination of price, quality and service for purchased materials, goods and services. Imbedded within this process are initiatives such as the Supplier Diversity Program and UPMC’s commitment to Sustainability. The UPMC Strategic Sourcing Process is customer-driven, team-based, and dynamic in order to pertain to UPMC’s diverse portfolio of spend categories. The steps in the strategic sourcing process include:
The Value Analysis Program is the process by which we examine all new products for potential use within the UPMC Health System. This is done through a well defined, seven step process. The Value Analysis Program convenes clinicians with subject matter expertise, financial analysts, and those with purchasing expertise, in order to make the best-value product and service decisions, and creates efficiencies in every phase of product selection to achieve the ultimate goal of “right product at the best price.” Our Value Analysis Program employs an overarching committee that reviews the initiatives of the product committees. All new products and services must follow this process of review before they are approved for use within the health system. As a part of the SCM strategic plan, we have implemented the Value Analysis Program to our end user groups (Value Analysis Teams). At present, there are approximately 30 VAT groups, organized by specialty. These groups meet regularly to discuss products and services, and products are evaluated with the approval of, and under the direction of the Value Analysis Program.
Mission Statement
The Value Analysis Program, through the Value Analysis Steering Team and Specialty Sub-Committees (Value Analysis Teams) shall ensure the preservation and improvement of the quality of patient care while controlling costs and risks related to the purchase and use of products and services.
Vision Statement
The Value Analysis Program is responsible for directing a clinically focused and user driven, financially responsible product evaluation and selection process.
UPMC believes:
At UPMC, we realize that the relationships we forge with our supplier partners are key to our team’s agility, integrity and ability to meet our patients’ needs. We hope the following policies and information will lay the foundation for strong business relationships to develop and prosper between UPMC and our Supplier partners:
Vendor Access Practices to UPMC Facilities
ProTech Compliance is a technology and services company which provides the health care industry and vendors serving the industry, with simple, cost-effective, and reliable technology solutions for managing vendor-client relationships, including the credentialing and certification process, compliance standards, facility security, scheduling, tracking and reporting. For more details contact ProTech Compliance Customer Service at 1-877-710-7828 or via email to admin@protechcompliance.com
Conflicts of Interest and Interactions between Representatives
It is the policy of UPMC, jointly with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences (SOHS) that clinical decision-making, education, and research activities be free from influence created by improper financial relationships with, or gifts provided by, Industry. For purposes of this policy, “Industry” is defined as all pharmaceutical manufacturers, and biotechnology, medical device, and hospital equipment supply industry entities and their representatives. Learn more about this policy.
Vendor Responsibilities under the Deficit Reduction and False Claims Acts
In accordance with the federal Deficit Reduction Act, UPMC is required to inform vendors about the Federal False Claims Act. UPMC encourages its vendors to read and be familiar with the federal guidelines as they pertain to this important issue. The Deficit Reduction Act also requires UPMC to provide vendors with information about whistle blowing and non-retaliation. As part of its Reporting and Non-Retaliation policy, UPMC prohibits retaliation for reporting instances of wrongdoing, made in good faith. Suspected instances of wrongdoing may be reported through the Compliance Helpline. To help you understand your responsibilities as a vendor of UPMC, please review the excerpt of UPMC's False Claims policy.
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