LEXINGTON, Ky. - A record number of healthcare systems have submitted applications for the 2011 IDN Summit Supply Chain of Excellence Awards as voting gets under way. The award honors innovative efforts for achieving critical supply chain efficiencies in healthcare. Voters will be considering 13 applicants in choosing the top four finalists to be recognized at the 2011 Spring IDN Summit &Expo, March 21-23, in Orlando, Fla.

"It's pleasing to see such an excellent response to the call for applications," says John Kelly, CEO, IDN Summit & Expo. "The large number of entries is reflective of the many innovations taking place in the healthcare sector today. I encourage all senior hospital and health system executives to vote online at the IDN Summit website and to join us at the 2011 Spring Summit to help us honor these cutting-edge initiatives."

Kelly says the awards program helps put the focus on the supply chain as a critical source of healthcare cost savings and efficiencies at a time when they are most critical to the industry. "The database of nominees and winners also serves as a rich source of best practices that other healthcare providers can draw on as they seek to streamline their operations," he adds. "It's encouraging to see so many innovative ideas represented by this year's entries."
The 2011 award program underwent several modifications. A National Peer Award winner will now be selected in each of three categories: innovation, efficiency (return on investment) and replication (ease of incorporation by other health systems), as well as an overall National Award Winner of Excellence.

All finalists will receive recognition among their peers across the country as well as in their own communities through articles in the trade press and local media highlighting their accomplishments.

Senior hospital and healthcare executives will have until Feb. 4 to cast online ballots to determine the four Peer Award winners, announced on Feb. 8. Each of the four finalists will make a presentation at the 2011 Spring IDN Summit, where they will be competing for attendee votes to determine which of them takes home the National Award Winner of Excellence.

Those eligible to vote include C-suite executives, executive vice presidents, vice presidents, directors and senior managers of supply chain or other departments. The nominees' submissions and the voting rules are available at IDN Summit Awards.

This year's slate of nominees includes:

* Baptist Health South Florida, for re-engineering its process of introducing new surgical products for trial and/or use.

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