The VA National Standardization Program consists of a process of limiting products and sources of supply across the VA healthcare system to a point that balances clinician preference against concentrated buying power. Standardization provides for consistently high-quality healthcare products used in clinical settings while saving costs. Everybody wins!
The Centralized Acquisition Analysis Division (CAAD) performs a series of roles integral to practically every phase of the National Standardization process. Analysts of the CAAD conduct product research and study VA procurement history data and then develop spend analyses and reports for use by VA management and VHA Standardization User Group members. VHA User Group clinicians integrate this analytical intelligence with their clinical expertise during their standardization and procurement decision making. The CAAD Analysts serve as Consultants to the VHA User Groups members, as well as performing various tasks instrumental to the preparation for, and facilitation of, VHA Standardization User Group meetings.
The CAAD performs related corporate-level procurement studies outside of the VHA User Group setting as well. For example, these Analysts conducted a massive analysis of VA procurement history data and quantified the 50 top medical-surgical products procured by VHA. The resulting analytical intelligence provided the Procurement Reform Task Force (PRTF) with a basis for PRTF discussions and its recommendations to VHA top management regarding which non-standardized medical-surgical items to focus on to obtain maximum benefit.
Questions should be directed to Carl Hunter, Acting Chief, Centralized Acquisition Analysis Division, by phone at (708) 786-7783 or by e-mail at carl.hunter@va.gov.
