Duly Health Expands Footprint, Increases Access

As leaders at Duly Health and Care continue expanding the organization’s footprint in Illinois, they’re not taking small steps. In fact, the facility they decided to build in a newly served area was a 100,000-square-foot, multispecialty clinic—bringing general and specialty care under one roof. Why go that big?

For years, most residents of Schaumburg, Illinois—a northwestern suburb of Chicago—routinely left their community to access comprehensive medical care. Primary care might be nearby, but specialty services, diagnostics and advanced outpatient care often required multiple appointments at multiple locations.

“Our goal was to start providing high-quality, physician-led care right in the community, while making every visit simpler, smoother and more personal for patients,” says Darlene Payne, Duly Health and Care director of procurement.

To help in achieving that goal, Duly engaged Medline early as a strategic supply and capital distribution partner, working side by side from planning through go-live in August 2025.

Here’s how they did it.

Challenge

The Schaumburg, Illinois facility represented a new level of ambition for Duly. This project required consolidating about 30 specialties—from primary care and imaging to oncology, lab services, rehabilitation, therapy and procedural care—into a single location.

Key challenges included:

• A timeline shaped by construction realities and clinical readiness: Because the facility was still under construction as planning progressed, timing was unforgiving. Equipment arriving too early had nowhere to be staged; arriving too late risked delaying installation, training and room readiness. As the go‑live date approached, even minor misalignments could ripple across departments—putting physician readiness and patient access at risk.
• Heightened community and patient expectations: The Schaumburg community had waited years for local access to multispecialty care. A missed opening date or an underprepared launch would directly undermine trust, convenience and Duly’s promise of accessible, physician‑led care close to home.
• First‑of‑its‑kind operational complexity for Duly: This project allowed Duly to refine its processes to better meet the complex demands of the build. As Payne explained, “We were responsible for keeping the project on schedule and under budget, while ensuring every department was fully equipped for day one.”

From Medline’s perspective, the challenge mirrored that complexity. The project required managing orders across dozens of departments simultaneously—some involving equipment with lead times of up to 12 weeks—while remaining flexible enough to adapt as construction timelines, room assignments and clinical priorities evolved.

Zoe Siegel, a project manager from Medline’s capital project management team, emphasized how quickly planning had to translate into action. “We had more than 200 unique line items, some with long lead times, and only a short window to get everything reviewed and approved so orders could be placed. Clear communication and early planning were essential to keeping things on track.”

Actions

Engaged Medline early in the process

Recognizing the scope of the challenge, Duly brought Medline into the process while the building was still under construction. This early engagement enabled both teams to make the most of proactive planning.

According to Lauren Croke, Medline strategic account manager, this level of early involvement was essential, given the scope of the build. “Our team was brought in as they were still putting up walls and painting,” she says. “That allowed us to understand what each specialty would be doing and plan far in advance for what would be needed—and when.”

This early start gave both organizations time to surface risks, address backorders and align on priorities before orders were placed.

Prepared detailed forecasting and developed strategic options

Duly’s procurement team led a comprehensive internal planning effort to convert clinical needs into actionable intelligence. “Understanding departmental needs was foundational to our early planning,” Payne says. “Once that information was captured, we shared detailed spreadsheets with Medline so they could anticipate lead times and help keep the project aligned with our overall goals.”

Those spreadsheets covered everything from capital equipment to consumable supplies, enabling Medline to assess lead times, identify supply risks and begin procuring products from vendors well in advance. Medline’s capital project management team then converted those lists into structured quotes, alternative options and savings scenarios.

“We had to make a very long list digestible,” Siegel says. “We showed unit costs, extended costs, alternatives and potential savings so Duly could move quickly. That decision alone helped them turn approvals around fast enough to stay on track.”

The Duly and Medline teams held weekly calls to keep procurement, capital equipment, logistics and installation teams aligned as timelines tightened and priorities shifted.

Standardized products and set PAR levels to control cost and complexity

With about 30 specialties operating under one roof, Duly faced a challenge common to large multispecialty builds: how to balance physician preferences and specialty-specific needs with operational efficiency and long-term cost control. The answer: disciplined standardization paired with thoughtful PAR-level planning.

From the outset, Medline provided input and recommendations to Duly’s procurement and supply chain teams so that Duly could identify where products could be standardized across departments and where customization was clinically necessary.

With Medline’s help, Duly:

• Standardized core equipment such as exam tables and frequently used items where clinical workflows overlapped
• Aligned on a common formulary for everyday medical-surgical supplies such as gloves, gauze, drapes and other consumables used across specialties
• Reduced variation intentionally, so supply chain teams could manage inventory centrally without disrupting care delivery

This approach allowed Duly to simplify ordering, reduce duplication and create flexibility once the facility opened.

When it came to PAR levels, Duly and Medline used existing clinic data to inform PAR levels and translate historical usage into a future-ready model based on anticipated volume.

Specifically, they worked together to:

• Review anticipated patient volumes by specialty
• Set initial PAR levels to support opening-day demand
• Create a model that could be adjusted quickly as real utilization data emerged

“PAR-level optimization was huge for them,” Croke explains. “There was a lot of discussion with Duly’s operations team to help plan how much product they’d need to order from us on a weekly basis so they wouldn’t run out and wouldn’t overstock.”

Integrating PAR planning, formulary standardization and delivery schedules helped both sides. Medline helped Duly avoid two common pitfalls of new builds: over-ordering upfront or scrambling to replenish after opening. More predictable orders and deliveries also help Medline be a more efficient, reliable partner to Duly. Croke adds, “The goal was to make sure the facility could run smoothly day to day once patients started coming through the doors.”

Managed logistics and white-glove execution

As the Schaumburg facility moved closer to opening, logistics became the critical path. With hundreds of deliveries spanning capital equipment, medical-surgical supplies, specialty items and furnishings—many arriving from different manufacturers—Duly needed more than on time shipping. They needed precision, planning and accountability.

“One of the most complex aspects of the project was ensuring products arrived on time and were distributed correctly throughout the facility as deliveries occurred,” Payne says. “The partnership with Medline and the third‑party delivery and installation company allowed us to overcome those challenges and maintain momentum toward opening day.”

From Medline’s perspective, the work extended far beyond delivery coordination. According to Jacob Giannotto, Medline capital installation specialist, success hinged on aligning multiple teams long before anything arrived on site.

“It was a lot of communication between the vendors, the installation team, the warehouse team and Duly,” Giannotto says. “Making sure everyone was constantly on the same page was critical.”

Staging, warehousing and planning before delivery

Rather than delivering products directly to an active construction site, as part of the distribution process, Medline coordinated warehousing and staging, giving Duly flexibility as construction timelines shifted. This approach allowed the teams to:

• Receive and hold large volumes of product until the site was ready
• Group equipment and supplies by department and specialty
• Prepare room-level delivery plans tied directly to floor plans

“The warehouse team was able to receive hundreds of pallets of items, keep them organized and have them prepared for when the facility was ready,” Siegel says.

A visit to the warehouse further reduced uncertainty and stress for Duly’s team. “Seeing how everything would be handled—how it would be staged, delivered and installed—set realistic expectations,” Payne says. “When they came in, they had everything figured out.”

Room-by-room placement

When deliveries began, Medline’s white glove model ensured products landed exactly where they belonged. Execution included:

• Room-number mapping, so equipment was placed in the correct exam or procedure room
• Department by department planning to avoid congestion and confusion
• Debris removal, keeping the site clear during final construction and walkthroughs

“They brought everything in by sector, placed it where it needed to go and removed the trash,” Payne says. “There were a lot of moving parts, and they helped keep the site clear and the process smooth.”

This level of precision eliminated the “where did this go?” problem that often plagues large openings. “If something was missing, it was just a matter of communication,” Payne adds. “They could tell us exactly where it was placed.”

Weekly visibility and exception management

With long lead times, backorders and last‑minute additions, logistics required constant monitoring. Medline and Duly maintained weekly standing calls to review:

• Items at risk of arriving late
• Vendor-specific delivery issues
• Adjustments needed to delivery plan or installation timing

“We went into each call knowing exactly what might be late and what needed attention,” Siegel says.

That cadence proved critical when Duly added a second stress treadmill late in the process—an item with a long lead time. “They stayed on top of it and worked directly with the vendor to make sure it was installed,” Payne says. “That took a huge burden off our team.”

The true test of the logistics plan came when Medline learned that Duly Health and Care would host a community ribbon cutting on July 30, the week before the clinic’s first patient visit on August 4. As part of the broader opening strategy to build awareness around this significant new medical office building in Schaumburg, the timeline accelerated. Medline quickly mobilized alongside Duly’s procurement team to ensure every clinical and non-clinical space was stocked, organized, and ready to showcase. “With the earlier timeline, we needed everything in place,” Payne recalled. “It meant moving quickly, but we were ready. That was huge.”

Despite compressed timelines and last-minute changes, exam rooms were fully equipped, supplies were stocked and staff could focus on preparing for patients—not chasing missing equipment.

Outcome

A seamless opening and immediate community impact

The Schaumburg multispecialty facility opened as planned, with clinical teams able to begin seeing patients immediately. Every exam room, procedure space and support area was fully equipped and stocked.

The response from the community was immediate. “Even before construction was fully complete, patients began walking into the building asking to schedule appointments,” Payne says.

Greater convenience, better access to care

For Schaumburg residents and neighboring communities, the new facility fundamentally changed how and where they receive care. By consolidating 30 specialties in one location, Duly reduced the need for patients to travel outside their community or navigate multiple sites for coordinated care. In fact, more than 61,000 patients were seen from August through December 2025.

“Bringing so many services together improves care coordination and helps our teams work more efficiently, which ultimately benefits patients,” Payne says.

Operational confidence and a blueprint for growth

Internally, the project proved that Duly could successfully execute a build of this scale—creating a repeatable model for future expansion.

“Given the number of moving parts in a buildout of this scale, the project went according to plan,” Payne says. “Medline helped us keep our product costs down and stay on track with our commitment to provide affordable care for our patients and community.”

The partnership did not end when the doors opened. Medline continues to support the Schaumburg facility and other Duly locations through:

• Ongoing medical-surgical and specialty supply deliveries
• PAR-level optimization and replenishment
• Custom procedure kits and standardized formulary support
• Dedicated local service and operational check-ins

Payne says, “Our partnership with Medline remains through constant support—timely deliveries, quality products and essential pricing that enable us to provide superior care for the community.”