Vendor Relations

Registration, including fee payment, is required through a third party supplier, GHX/Vendormate, prior to conducting business with Eskenazi Health. Suppliers must wear a Vendormate-issued badge with the current day's date while onsite and have an appointment prior to a visit. Access GHX/Vednormate's Eskenazi Health website at https://www.GHX.com. There is a fee to register. The fee is based on answers to the assessment questionnaire. Vendormate uses the fees collected to check supplier businesses and representatives monthly against nine government watch lists. Eskenazi Health receives no monies from Vendormate and pays no fees to them. To address technical issues with the Vendormate website, please contact Vendormate at the toll-free number noted on the website. 

Eskenazi Health has established competitive pricing guidelines based on Indiana state statute; however, Eskenazi Health was exempted from following statute several years ago except for construction projects which follow the Public Works laws (see Construction Projects tab). 

Eskenazi Health is a political subdivision of the State of Indiana. This designation enables Eskenazi Health access to both the State of Indiana quality purchase agreements and federal general services administration contracts for products and services. Eskenazi Health is also an academic medical center that participates in the following group purchasing organizations: Vizient, Independent Hospital Network and E & I Cooperative Services.

All construction projects are subject to the Public Works laws. All construction projects are released for bid through a competitive bid process. Bids are advertised in the Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis Business Journal Court and Commercial Record. The most responsive and responsible bidder is awarded the project. When responding to a bid, it is very important that all required documents, noted in the front end bid documents, are returned completed as requested. Failure to provide the requested documents is considered a non-responsive bid which cannot be considered for award.

Eskenazi Health strives to provide economic support to our community and welcomes diverse businesses to participate in our contracting and procurement opportunities. Diversity certification is highly encouraged.

Eskenazi Health evaluates requests for new products and services through a robust Value Analysis program. Each new request is submitted by an Eskenazi Health employee into our request portal. Once the request is submitted, the Value Analysis team will work with the key stakeholders to determine which vendors would be appropriate to meet the needs of the request. The team will then reach out to the appropriate company and/or company representative to request further details. The request will come with instructions on completing the request.

Eskenazi Health has a strict institution-wide policy regarding how purchases must be made. All purchases require a purchase order (PO) issued by an authorized agent. Products or services delivered to Eskenazi Health without a purchase order are considered a gift to the Eskenazi Health Foundation.  

Eskenazi Health has a formal contracting process that begins in the purchasing department with the contracting staff following approval to purchase a product or service from a Value Analysis Team (VAT) or from the department vice president.