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Open communication between infection control and materials managers plays a vital role in patient care. Cost containment is an obvious issue, as is ensuring patient safety. Where collaboration becomes paramount is when the two departments work together toward standardization while giving infection control the flexibility to buy off-contract when necessary. Both must have an understanding of what products are available and which of those products are going to fit the needs of clinicians and patients.

The academic health center has emerged as the cornerstone of the American health care system. To assess the vulnerability of the academic medical center to the new competitive forces that exist today, a prototype project has been developed that attempts to address the issue of competition in clinical activity, while at the same time enhancing the academic health center's education and research roles.

The planning and implementation of the onsite proposal required the devotion and creativity of many individuals, including administrative, clerical, and line workers, and has been accomplished through the completion of a series of objectives. While the plan took three years to be realized, cost containment efforts of this magnitude signify the important contribution a material management department can make in the healthcare industry. Departmental credibility and support from customers are the foundation for implementing such a plan in any medical center. Materiel management departments continue to incorporate creative and innovative programs into their daily operations, which contributes to the institution's bottom-line. This on-site project has brought The University of Michigan Hospitals one step closer to its ultimate cost containment goal of a total stockless purchasing/supply program.