Preserving Your ERP as the Source of Truth

• Steve Herz, Chief Product Officer, Syft, a GHX company

6 Reasons It’s Critical for Your Supply Chain Platform

Healthcare supply chain management (SCM) is extremely complex. At Syft, we strive to make it easier for you in a variety of ways. One is by focusing on augmenting and enhancing your ERP, rather than disrupting it.Holistic Supply Chain OptimizationHospital Inventory Count Services

Resiliency and the New Normal: How Can Health Care Systems Better Manage the Supply Chain?

The critical PPE shortages that overwhelmed so many hospitals in the early days of the COVID pandemic raised broader issues about supply chain resiliency. Health systems continue to deal with the impacts of shortages and cost overruns and the need to balance a return to “business as normal” with the recognition that COVID-19 rewrote the rules for what “normal” even means.

Now, as health systems look to recoup lost revenue through elective surgeries, a new variation of the resiliency question is being asked: How can the industry better manage the supply chain to both improve patient care and control costs? Healthcare leaders addressed this question from multiple angles during a recent GHX webinar

Standardization and Measurement: Keys to the Next Phase of Healthcare Compliance

We are in a new era of healthcare compliance. The landscape has changed. As health systems emerge from the worst days of the pandemic, it's imperative that providers reengage their staff to continue the ongoing process of compliance.

The relaxed HIPAA restrictions and compliance regulation waivers that were designed to help hospitals provide care without the red tape are unlikely to last forever. Regulations may become even more stringent as a result of the pandemic, which will increase the need for compliance and safety just as 9/11 did for travel and airport security.

Why Optimizing the Supply Chain Matters Most to Nurses

• Lori Martin, RN, MBA, Senior Clinical Specialist

Healthcare labor costs are getting way out of hand. Clinical labor costs increased 8% from 2019 through August 2021, which equates to $17 million for a 500-bed hospital annually, according to research reported by Becker’s. The cost burden is even higher for hospitals that are asking staff to work a significant amount of overtime, or that are turning to agency staff to help fill clinical gaps. These factors add about 50% or more to a regular employee’s hourly rate, according to the research.

Finally, a Kanban System That Works for Nurses

• Whitney St. Pierre, Executive Director, Product Marketing

A senior nursing director speaks on Syft’s “Smart” Kanban system

In a recent interview with a senior nursing director at a 10-hospital health system, I had the opportunity to hear first-hand how their clinicians are using and benefitting from the Syft Synergy 2-bin Kanban inventory management system. The Syft Kanban solution has been adopted by 8 of the 10 hospitals and medical centers that make up this East Coast-based network. Here’s what the Senior Nursing Director who leads the Critical Care/Emergency Department/Trauma Services at one of the locations shared about Syft’s “really smart Kanban design” and how it has driven user adoption at the point of use.

GHX Acquires Explorer Surgical to Accelerate Value-Based Healthcare Delivery

At GHX, we believe the democratization of data and knowledge is fundamental to value-based healthcare delivery, helping to reduce variability, improve clinical and financial outcomes and break down the walls of healthcare inequity. To accelerate value-based healthcare adoption among U.S. health systems and hospitals, the industry needs more efficient and effective ways to share impactful information on a broader scale. 

Healthcare Credentialing is More than a Badge: 5 Reasons Your Business Should Lean into Managed Services

To comply with state and federal laws such as OSHA and HIPAA, most health organizations have adopted procedures to vet and validate the legitimacy of any vendors with whom they are doing business. They may also require background checks and health records of the vendor's employees. This is especially relevant for any representatives who may need to enter a facility or have access to electronically protected health information (ePHI) information.

National Health Care Supply Chain Week: Celebrating 10 Inspirational Leaders

In honor of the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management’s (AHRMM) annual National Health Care Supply Chain Week (October 3-9, 2021), we are proud to recognize several healthcare supply chain professionals who exemplify an exceptional commitment to collaboration, improving patient care and innovation. 

Compliance and Credentialing: Does an Open-Door Policy Leave Your Organization at Risk?

• Jennifer Williams, GHX Director of Market Development & Education, Credentialing

Until recently, almost anyone could enter a hospital or physician’s office with relative ease. Facilities were designed to allow access. Today, while many professional office buildings require check-in and access badges, countless healthcare facilities have not adopted safety protocols to this degree. But that’s changing and for good reason.

Four Ways to Engage Nurses in Supply Chain Optimization Initiatives

• Whitney St. Pierre, Executive Director, Product Marketing

Supplies follow a long pathway through the hospital, from the warehouse to the clinical care team. As a critical end user, nurses have unique visibility into supply chain inefficiencies and problems. This is one of many reasons it’s so critical for hospital leaders to incorporate nurses’ input before embarking on a supply chain improvement initiative. Nurses can reveal key supply chain vulnerabilities and weaknesses that other hospital staff members don’t see.

How a Value Analysis Evolution Led to a Performance-Based Contract Revolution

• Suzanne Smith, Solution Advisor, Lumere

When Value Analysis Director Kristin Sinke joined Michigan-based Spectrum Health in 2017, the value analysis team for the 14-hospital system consisted of herself and one other person. Within two years, she had helped create a completely centralized program comprising 14 full-time employees (FTEs), and in March 2021, the team launched its first strategic outcomes-based partnership with Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology.

Pandemic Presses Supply Chain to New Levels of Automation

Top Supply Documentation Challenges Nurses Face and How To Solve Them

• Lee Smith, DHA, MBA, BSN, RNFA, Chief Nursing Officer, Syft, a GHX company

As the conduit between patients and care, nurses have many critical responsibilities. One of the many tasks in a nurse’s day is properly documenting supplies, however, for many nurses, this is laborious and time consuming. In fact, a recent survey of 100 hospital nurses and frontline leaders found that more than 85% have difficulty documenting supplies used during procedures.

WATCH ON-DEMAND: PennState Health - Finding Opportunity in Crisis

During this highly interactive roundtable discussion cohosted by Lumere, a GHX company, and Becker’s Health, senior supply chain leaders from PennState Health discuss their journey to creating a clinically integrated supply chain, including the evidence, data and analytics they needed to achieve their goals.

Selecting a Cloud-Based Supply Chain Management Solution

• Kishore Bala, Chief technology Officer, Syft, a GHX company

3 Critical Attributes for Hospitals
Hospitals across the country are evaluating their options when it comes to transitioning to a Cloud-based supply chain management solution. From an infrastructure and resource-optimization perspective, the advantages of the cloud over on-premise solutions are clear. Key benefits include flexibility and scale, enhanced security, automated software updates, and peace of mind that your hospital can continue operations in the event of an on-premise outage or other IT disruption.

Three Actions Required by Healthcare Leadership to Drive Compliance & Standardization

• Jennifer Williams, GHX Director of Market Development & Education, Credentialing

Standardization is a primary goal for today’s health systems. Hospitals highly regard standardization as a valuable approach that promotes quality patient care at a cost-effective price. An additional benefit is the opportunity to reduce supply chain costs.

Compliance also benefits from standardization. The laws, regulations, guidelines, and best practices that govern healthcare are necessary to protect both patient and staff. However, driving compliance consistency across multiple venues can be challenging. 

Suppliers Share the Unintended Consequences of COVID-19

• Denise Evans, Executive Director, Healthcare Payments Sales and Strategy

The clinical, operational and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare organizations have been well documented and publicized. As virus cases surged, hospitals were forced to cancel or delay elective procedures, stifling their most lucrative revenue stream.