Gartner Inc. has released the fourth annual Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25. The research focuses on the healthcare value chain's pursuit of high-quality patient care at optimal economic cost. The Top 25 for 2012 ranking identifies organizations leading the way in transforming their supply chains to meet the new value requirements in healthcare — patient outcomes and quality, and service and cost improvements.

Cardinal Health captured the No. 1 spot again this year in the Top 25. At No. 2, Mayo Foundation moved up from No. 4 in last year's ranking. BD maintained the third position. The remaining line up from fourth to 25th covered Intermountain Healthcare, Owens & Minor, Abbott, Johnson and Johnson, Novartis, Mercy (MO), Geisinger Health Systems, McKesson, Amerisource-Bergen, Pfizer, UMPC Health System, Cleveland Clinic, Boston Scientific, CVS Caremark, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Baxter, Walgreens, Amgen, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Advocate Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente.

“The Fourth Annual Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 ranking features organizations in the midst of transformations that will fundamentally alter the business practices of the past,” said Barry Blake, senior research analyst, Gartner.

“Now that the US 2012 election cycle is over, organisations have greater clarity on one important element responsible for the uncertainty which is the  healthcare reform landscape. All segments of this value chain understand that reform is now moving to implementation and the good news is that most organizations on our ranking anticipated and prepared for an era of accountability in healthcare,” he added.

Continuing its upward trend from last year, Cardinal Health was the top vote winner from both peers and the analyst community. Mayo's quantitative metrics proved strong and it received a large increase in recognition from peers and the analyst community. BD continued be bag the third position as  its overall financial performance was fairly consistent. Intermountain Healthcare (No. 4) moved up three places from last year due to commendable financials, but more significantly, a large increase in recognition from peers and analysts. Owens & Minor (No. 5) maintained its place in the Top 5 again this year with a slight increase in its return on assets (ROA) buoyed its financial score.

All the leaders on Gartner's ranking were manufacturers, distributors, healthcare providers and pharmacies. They incorporated in their supply chain strategies data  standardization and interconnectivity, visibility and collaboration, process standardization, customer, supply chain and supplier segmentation besides committed to improve their supply chain performance management strategies. These capabilities are all interrelated and dependent on robust and credible data from interconnected clinical, operational and financial systems, observed Gartner analysts.