Introduction

This handbook will familiarize you with Healthcare Materials Management Services (HMMS), clarify the policies and procedures at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph's Health Care London (St. Joseph's) that apply to your representatives when they are on site at these facilities, and explain the impact of new provincial regulations on our business relationship. We value this relationship, and welcome your ongoing feedback to help us continually improve our services.

About HMMS

HMMS is a joint venture between LHSC and St. Joseph's which was created to integrate and consolidate the functions of purchasing, contract management, accounts payable, and inventory management.

HMMS provides services to other organizations (affiliates) including other joint ventures of LHSC and St. Joseph's.

HMMS is responsible for managing the competitive bidding process, and has the sole authority to negotiate and sign contracts for the purchase of goods and services on behalf of LHSC and St. Joseph's.

The terms “supplier” or “vendor" as used here mean any person or company who, based on an assessment of financial, technical and commercial capacity, is capable of fulfilling the requirements of a purchase of goods or services to the hospital, and includes any agents or representatives “industry representatives” who act on their behalf to provide information on hospital equipment, instrumentation, or supplies used in the provision of clinical patient care or daily hospital operations.

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC)

London Health Science Centre encompasses University Hospital, Victoria Hospital and Children's Hospital, Byron Family Medical Centre, Kidney Care Centre, and Victoria Family Medical Centre. It is home to the London Regional Cancer Program, CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics), and Lawson Health Research Institute. The physicians, residents, and staff number nearly 15,000 and, together, they provided care for more than one million patients last year.

For more information, refer to www.Ihsc.on.ca

St. Joseph's Health Care London (St. Joseph's)

St. Joseph's Health Care London is a major patient care, teaching and research centre. Owned and operated by the St. Joseph's Health Care Society, it is incorporated and governed by a volunteer board of directors from our community. With its founding organizations, St. Joseph's has a distinguished legacy of services to London and Southwestern Ontario and to the veterans of Canada.  St. Joseph's Health Care London encompasses Mount Hope, Marian Villa, Parkwood Institute (including Parkwood Mental Health Building), Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health, and St. Joseph's Main campus.

For more information, refer to www.sjhc.london.on.ca

What is the Hospital's Supplier Policy

HMMS and the hospitals it represents have criteria for suppliers to follow to maximize delivery of service and ensure:

  • The confidentiality of:
    - Patient information
    - Information about staff or affiliates
    - Business information of the organizations
  • The safety of our patients, staff members, and affiliates
  • The safety of suppliers by providing them with information needed for infection control concerns 
    and emergency situations,
  • Suppliers understand the organizations' expectations for appropriate behaviour and for the role they play as professional visitors to the organizations including:
    - Entry into the organization's premises and into clinical care areas,
    - The approval process for and, once approved, the involvement of suppliers in patient care 
       procedures,
    - Compliance with competitive bidding processes and hospital purchasing procedures.