How Douglas County Saved Over $200,000 and Reduced Administrative Overhead by 20% with Cooperative Purchasing

Douglas County, Nebraska, the state's most populous county, is committed to improving public services while maximizing resource efficiency. As a County Commissioner, overseeing critical functions such as budgeting, infrastructure, and public services, Mary Ann Borgeson is always on the lookout for innovative solutions to enhance operations.   

One of their recent initiatives focused on upgrading the Community Mental Health Center’s data management system. 

Douglas County’s Community Mental Health Center was struggling with an outdated data management system that was inefficient and unable to meet the growing demands of healthcare providers. Managing patient records had become a time-consuming task, leading to administrative bottlenecks and hindering service delivery. 

The county had limited resources. They needed an affordable and flexible electronic health records (EHR) system, and it needed to fit within their budget. 

To tackle this challenge, Commissioner Borgeson partnered with Community Mental Health Center leadership to research potential solutions. After reviewing a number of products, they identified the comprehensive electronic health records (EHR) system provided by Netsmart as the best solution for their needs. 

Netsmart's EHR is a cloud-based system hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and available to procure via the AWS Marketplace, which is a curated digital catalog where organizations can find, buy, deploy and govern cloud solutions custom-built for the public sector. The County used OMNIA Partners' cooperative contract to help them simplify the buying process. 

This project demonstrated how Douglas County was able to achieve significant results through cooperative purchasing in three key areas: 

1. Cost Savings: By leveraging OMNIA Partners' cooperative purchasing agreement, the county saved approximately 15% on the project’s total cost compared to traditional procurement methods. This translated to more than $200,000 in savings, allowing Douglas County to reinvest those funds into other essential services and projects. 
2. Improved Efficiency: The new EHR system reduced administrative overhead by 20%, making patient data more accessible for healthcare providers and reducing time spent on administrative tasks. The streamlined data management process allowed staff to focus more on patient care, enhancing the overall efficiency of the mental health center. 
3. Strategic Agility: With access to a wide range of industry leading suppliers and products through OMNIA Partners, Douglas County was able to quickly implement the necessary upgrades without sacrificing quality or spending excessive time on the procurement process. The county now has the flexibility to respond more rapidly to future needs and opportunities. 
4. Compliance: The EHR system provided by Netsmart offers higher security and meets the county’s regulatory compliance requirements. 

By utilizing AWS Marketplace via OMNIA Partners’ cooperative contract, Douglas County achieved substantial cost savings, improved operational efficiency, and enhanced its ability to adapt to changing demands. The project’s success, highlighted by a reduction of administrative overhead by 20% and over $200,000 in savings, underscores the value of cooperative purchasing for public sector organizations. 

This strategic approach is proving essential in helping Douglas County continue delivering high-quality services to its residents while maximizing resource utilization. 

Whether your organization serves a community of hundreds or millions, Amazon Web Services (AWS) can help you manage IT costs, enhance data security, and modernize with the power of 200+ cloud services, available via OMNIA Partners' cooperative contract. Included in these services is AWS Marketplace, where public sector IT and procurement professionals can find, buy, and manage third-party software, data, and services all in one central location. AWS Marketplace offers multiple transaction options to meet public sector procurement compliance requirements, including access to the full catalog via OMNIA Partners' cooperative contract. Learn more about Netsmart and other curated solutions designed for public sector organizations’ missions and unique needs by visiting AWS Marketplace today. 

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