Silver Stream Healthcare CEO shares procurement success story
Silver Stream Healthcare is an Irish company and one of leading providers in the elderly residential care setting operating 11 nursing homes across five counties, offering over 830 beds. The group provides a wide range of care options, from long stay to respite care, dementia care, convalescence care and end of life care and maintains close relationships with local hospitals.
Bojana Djordjevic, formerly Chief Operating Officer and now CEO since July 2025, brings extensive healthcare and operations experience to her role. She explains: “We have nursing homes across Ireland, providing high quality care to many residents. In our Homes the residents come first and food certainly plays a central part in that; it is often regarded as a highlight of our clients’ day so it’s important to get it right.”
To help manage rising food and operational costs while ensuring consistent quality, Silver Stream partnered with First Choice Purchasing, now part of Avendra International - a relationship that spans over seven years.
Cost Savings Benefits
In a sector where staffing costs account for more than half of overall expenditure, keeping food procurement streamlined, affordable, and high-quality is no small task.
Bojana confirms, “Food is such an important aspect to get right in a nursing environment. Prices fluctuate, suppliers offer different products and price points that constantly change, and managing this across 11 homes would be more than a full-time job – and not just for one person, but a whole team.”
Today, Silver Stream works with a growing number of Avendra International’s suppliers across its care homes, gaining savings, control, and peace of mind.
Bojana shares, “We would never get those prices if we tried to negotiate directly. Avendra International gives us the benefit of economy of scale, and the data insights based on we can make informed decisions.”
Additionally, Silver Stream receives monthly reports from Avendra International covering spend per bed, supplier compliance, and “Swap & Save” analysis – a tailored review of cost-saving opportunities based on recent purchasing patterns.
Bojana says, “Swap & Save is a great initiative. We work closely with our Group Chef and individually with each site and the Avendra International team to help our homes to adapt and save, while still getting the quality they want. It’s a journey – but it’s working.”
Maintaining Consistent Quality & Service
Bojana highlights the challenge of ensuring consistent delivery and quality across a geographically spread portfolio, including homes in harder-to-reach areas.
She says, “Avendra International works closely with our suppliers to ensure we don’t experience disruption. That level of coordination is invaluable – it is vital we receive what we need, when we need it.”
The ability to maintain food quality and consistency has helped the group uphold its high care standards. This has led to full compliance across all sites, with a consistent approach to spend and supplier performance, which Bojana says has “made a huge difference.
Account Management & Operational Support
The group’s Avendra International Account Manager, Stephen Muldowney, plays a central role in driving value and consistency across the estate.
From new site planning to supplier issue resolution, the account management relationship has proven invaluable.
Bojana adds, “When we opened Sugar Loaf, Stephen and the team were on site, setting up the ordering portal, walking through every process and supporting the chefs. There’s no limit to the support they provide. It’s a true partnership.”
Invoicing was another challenge, particularly given the group’s structure.
Bojana explains, “When you’re dealing with multiple suppliers, managing the invoicing is a complex task and so the team at Avendra International have worked with us to simplify this whole area. We’re now consolidating management accounts across separate entities. Avendra International helped us to create a centralised process that works for our finance team.”
Engagement & Empowerment
For Bojana, empowering her chefs has been a standout benefit of the partnership. She explains, “I believe that kitchen department working in the background can sometimes be forgotten about in healthcare, but we’ve put a focus on recognising and supporting our chefs - and Avendra International has helped us do that. Hosting supplier showcases is a great way to bring together our chefs and suppliers in recognising all hard work in the kitchen”
Events with suppliers help the chefs discover innovative products, streamline processes, and implement improvements that benefit both staff and residents.
Bojana continues, “These sessions are fantastic. Our chefs share recipes, talk about efficiencies and explore new ideas. For some of them, it’s the first time they’ve ever met their peers from other homes. Most of the chefs could have “big personalities” – but seeing what others are doing helps put things in perspective and inspires healthy competition! It’s motivating while also creating real efficiencies and brings the added value to the quality of food to our residents.
Conclusion
Silver Stream’s partnership with Avendra International is rooted in consistency, cost savings, operational improvement and empowerment. From supplier consolidation to chef collaboration, it’s a relationship built on trust and continuous improvement.
Bojana concludes, “The Avendra International team are always there, 24/7. Whether it’s supplier negotiations, chef engagement or supporting our growth, we know we’re in safe hands. I’d recommend Avendra International to any organisation struggling to stay on top of costs and suppliers. They bring structure, savings and support – and they deliver.”
We get it, and we can help.
Contact our Ireland team to discover how Avendra International can support your organisation with consistent quality, cost savings, and operational efficiencies in healthcare procurement: hello_Ireland@avendra.com.
