The Healthcare Hub

Resiliency: How Can Health 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.