An innovative program at The University of Kansas Hospital (TUKH), Kansas City, for managing vendor partnerships has saved the hospital $1.9 million in just 8 months of operation. “We’ve found that pricing and inventory management requires key partnerships with suppliers,” says Brian Dolan, MHSA, CMRP, RHIA, CHDA, SSGB, director of…

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OR Business Performance is a series intended to help OR managers and directors improve the success of their business.   Surgical supplies are a major component of OR expenses. In the July issue of OR Manager, we showed how controlling spending on low- and mid-priced supplies can reduce overall costs.…

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Negotiating with orthopedic vendors can be frustrating as OR leaders strive to balance competing agendas among companies, surgeons, and the hospital. Kimberley Murray, MS, RN, CNOR, administrator for the orthopedic and spine service line at St. Joseph’s Hospital (SJH) in Syracuse, New York, reduced frustration by adopting a program that…

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An effective plan to manage vendors is crucial for any OR, but designing such a system for a large health system is complex. Nurse leaders at the Sisters of Mercy Health System, based in St Louis with 19 hospitals in 4 states, have collaborated with their colleagues to craft a…

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Vendors bring many contributions to the OR, such as staff education and support to surgeons for new products. Like any external visitor to the OR, however, vendors must be managed appropriately to meet regulatory requirements. It takes collaboration to create a policy that works and to establish ongoing monitoring to…

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