{"id":78701,"date":"2025-12-01T00:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T05:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=78701"},"modified":"2025-12-04T14:56:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T19:56:35","slug":"the-pros-of-joining-a-gpo-1225","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/the-pros-of-joining-a-gpo-1225\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pros of Joining a GPO"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no secret that veterinary practices face mounting pressure from rising costs, corporate consolidation and shifting client expectations. That\u2019s why group purchasing organizations have become powerful allies for independent hospitals seeking to stay competitive. By pooling buying power, the organizations deliver more than meaningful cost savings on pharmaceuticals<\/a>, equipment and services. They also provide data insight, marketing support and operational tools that go well beyond procurement. For many clinics, the modern GPO has evolved into a strategic partner, helping practices strengthen profit margins, streamline operations and focus more on patient care.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the leading GPOs.<\/p>\n

The Veterinary Club<\/h3>\n

Co-founder and managing partner Bryan Benitz grew up on a horse farm north of Toronto, Canada. He earned a business degree at the University of Richmond and, upon graduating, spent nearly two decades in investment banking, working in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

When he returned to the States, Benitz was looking for something new to do. He met Nat White, then-president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and a leader of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, owned by Virginia Tech University.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the same time, I was trying to figure out what GPOs were all about,\u201d Benitz said. \u201cI was talking to the head of procurement at Virginia Tech, and he suggested we get all the heads of procurement for all 10 of the Virginia state schools in the same room at the same time and show them what GPOs are all about, because none of them were using GPOs.\u201d<\/p>\n

During that exercise, Benitz met Dan Blucher (now his business partner), who had nine years of experience in health care distribution and was running sales and marketing for what is now Provista, a GPO serving hospitality and health care businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cDan brought the GPO expertise, and I brought the contacts from the equine world, and that\u2019s where we started,\u201d Benitz said.<\/p>\n

Partnering with AAEP and a now-defunct GPO, The Veterinary Club was born, offering membership benefits in the equine and small animal veterinary markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur business model is a little unique in that we are taking the negotiated contracts from the human health care world and giving veterinarians access to them,\u201d Benitz said.<\/p>\n

Members of The Veterinary Club can access close to 2,000 vendors under the Provista umbrella, from suppliers of vehicles and ultrasound machines to syringe manufacturers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s everything you see in a huge human hospital, basically, and a lot of the services,\u201d Benitz said. \u201cPrice contracts are negotiated for members, so they don\u2019t need to worry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n