To: All MHC suppliers

Subject: Gift policy

Dear valued supplier,

Munson Healthcare (MHC) recognizes it takes talented physicians, dedicated employees/volunteers and great suppliers to be part of an elite group of just six (6) hospitals in the United States to be included on the 100 Top Hospitals ® list for the 10th time. Please know you are an integral part of MHC’s success, and we thank you for your continued support.

MHC would like to take this opportunity to address our gift policy. This letter is being provided to all MHC suppliers and may not apply to your company’s gift giving practices. Also note this policy does not apply to any Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation interactions with suppliers related to seeking or accepting charitable gifts.

Simply put, our employees and volunteers will accept NO GIFTS from any supplier at any time. For the avoidance of doubt, a gift is any merchandise or activity that has value, excluding token promotional items featuring supplier or product names.

MHC believes this policy empowers suppliers to focus their financial resources on enhancing technology, assuring quality, and containing costs in order to provide our patients with best-in-class care, rather than providing MHC with gifts of any kind. We also believe this policy will ensure that MHC and our suppliers avoid any appearance of impropriety at all times. It is our further hope that our example will be emulated by other health care provider organizations, having the effect of reducing supplier sales/general overhead costs, freeing those resources for investment more directly focused on providing benefit to patients.

At MHC, we continue to set new national health care standards for quality, efficiency, and patient safety. Without the efforts of our highly qualified team, which includes our external suppliers, we could not continue to maintain our status as a nationally recognized, top-performing hospital system. MHC greatly appreciates your role in this achievement.

Very truly yours,

Mark S. Deponio
Vice President of Supply Chain Management