Rochester Regional Healthcare Association Family of Companies is changing its name to Pandion Optimization Alliance to better reflect its four organizations' overarching mission and shared values. The new look will be unveiled to the public on Wednesday, November 15, at 8:30am at the 2017 Healthcare Innovations Conference.
“The RRHA name has a rich history dating back to 1926 as a hospital association, and later in 1946 as a pioneer in the group purchasing industry,” said President and CEO, Travis Heider. “But over time, we’ve expanded our offerings and geographic footprint, which is the catalyst for rebranding under the Pandion name. We believe it embodies our unique ability to bring individuals and organizations together, and harness their collective power for the benefit of all.”
Effective January 1, 2018, the companies currently known as Seagate Alliance, LLC., RRHA Joint Ventures Corporation, Rochester Regional Healthcare Association Inc., and the Rochester Regional Healthcare Advocates Inc. will all fall under the Pandion Optimization Alliance brand. Under the new name, there will be three Pandion branches: Sourcing and Purchasing, Consulting, and Healthcare: Education & Advocacy. The company’s corporate structure will not change.
“While our look will be different, our promise remains the same,” says Heider. “Our company has the ability to bring likeminded organizations together to leverage their collective strength—whether it’s by providing healthcare education and advocacy to members through its non-profit, leveraging billions in spending and negotiating competitively-priced contracts through group purchasing, or providing cost-cutting solutions through its expanded consulting services.”
The decision behind the change, according to Heider, stems from a perceived need to avoid confusion with Rochester Regional Health, a member of the company’s hospital association. The organization’s healthcare association is comprised of 17 hospitals and healthcare systems across Rochester, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier and provides a forum for the discussion of best practices and educational programs for its members.
On the for-profit side, the company’s group purchasing side boasts more than 1,800 members in 30 states, making the Rochester Regional Healthcare Joint Ventures Corporation name no longer relevant, as the organization serves a much wider geography
In November 2016, the Family of Companies announced an expansion and reorganization of all entities within the organization. This includes an expansion into new, non-healthcare markets on the sourcing and purchasing side and an increased focus on expanding the hospital association’s membership to include long-term care facilities. These moves were all part of Heider’s strategic plan, when he assumed leadership of the Family of Companies earlier that year
The company’s Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) remains an owner and certified sponsor of Premier Inc., one of the world’s leading healthcare improvement companies. In addition to healthcare, Pandion will continue to expand into other markets, including education, hospitality, and other businesses through the company’s Sourcing and Purchasing and Consulting Services.
“By bringing thousands of organizations together, we provide access to a much greater wealth of information, resources, and best in class contracts to save time and money. Our new Consulting Services arm will provide subject matter experts, outside validation, expense reduction, and streamlining solutions,” said Heider. “We are excited for this new phase in our company’s rich history. Pandion Optimization Alliance will help us to achieve our long-term goals of meeting our members’ constantly evolving needs.”