Purchasing managers are used to walking a tightrope between tough bargaining with suppliers and respect for the product preferences of physicians. Eventually, purchasing professionals, as well as physicians, realize these goals need not be inconsistent. The best value often is in the best product. At many ambulatory surgery centers (ASC),…

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Pilot survey: ASC infection control lapses Infection control category Facilities with lapses* Examples of lapses Hand hygiene, use of gloves 12/62 (19%) 4 facilities had providers who failed to perform hand hygiene after contact with blood, body fluids, or nonintact skin. Injection and medication safety 19/67 (28%) 18 facilities used…

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The tough economy has meant leaner budgets and fewer OR staff vacancies to fill. But OR leaders know they still face staffing challenges in the years ahead. Eventually, nurses who have been asking for more hours will start to retire. ORs need to keep the pipeline open for new candidates,…

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Physician preference savings opportunities Price improvement: 5% to 10% Standardization (fewer companies or brands): 20% to 25% Utilization (changing consumption behavior): 65% to 75% Source: Wellspring Partners. As one of the hospital's biggest revenue and cost centers, ORs are a big target for expense reduction in these tough economic times.…

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With no bailout in sight, health care needs to invent its own version of the hybrid car—become more efficient and cost-effective—to survive the economic downturn, one consultant quips. The times will challenge OR leaders to do even more to reduce costs and streamline operations. "We will all need to pitch…

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Managing the costs of procedures with implants continues to be a juggling act for OR directors and business managers. Total joint replacements, once profitable, have seen prices climb while Medicare reimbursement slides. Some spinal procedures still have a positive margin because the surgery is more often performed in younger patients…

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Spinal surgery is a costly specialty that strains OR budgets. The wide variation in techniques and costly technology make it difficult to manage. Challenges go beyond rods and screws. An array of biologics, such as bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and demineralized bone matrix (DBM) can add thousands of dollars to…

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Health care facilities like other businesses face tough economic headwinds. Tightening credit, plummeting investment values, and the prospect of less philanthropic giving make for a difficult financial climate. There's also likely to be more uncompensated care as unemployment rises, and state Medicaid programs cut back. OR directors and business managers,…

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You've had a value analysis program for a number of years. You think it might have run its course. What's next? Value analysis, which has been in the forefront of supply chain management for years, is a systematic process for making purchasing decisions and identifying savings opportunities that consider not…

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With no margin for error in the operating room supply chain, the cost of obtaining the right products in the right quantities can easily get out of hand. While product prices can be somewhat regulated by contract, in an emergency, there is little point in quibbling over freight charges for…

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