July 2008

News

Read what they did and why to be named Healthcare Purchasing News’ 2008 Materials Management Department of the Year. Sometimes a fresh perspective, unfettered by history and conventional thinking, is enough to kick-start a germinating supply chain improvement project necessitated by a recent merger with another organization. Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, needed such a jolt to propel its efforts to the next level even as supply chain management’s scope expanded as the organization increased in size.

Materials Management Salary Survey:
Glimmer of hope amid the gloom

Healthcare materials management professionals may bemoan the finding that average salaries steadily have slipped for the last four consecutive years, according to HPN’s latest survey, but they should recognize a few bright spots, including two historical observations.

New advancements in patient monitoring technology focused on flexibility, mobility and connectivity are helping clinicians from the surgical suite to the bedside make critical decisions. The latest monitors can be "flexed" up or down in the parameters they measure to accommodate patients with varying acuity levels without having to transport them to another bed or bring in other devices.

Mandatory reporting of infections and the coming changes in reimbursement by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) highlight the need for advanced, and timelier, tracking of infections. Automated surveillance of infections has so many advantages over manual tracking, advantages that can result in fewer medical errors and better care for patients.

Self Study Series
The lowdown on low temperature sterilization for packaged devices

Infection Protection
Attired to make infection a rare occasion

Products and Services

Whether a healthcare organization is implementing a widespread greening initiative or just beginning to explore eco-friendly options, many experts agree that textile management is ripe for comprehensive assessment and process improvement. While textiles are certainly an integral part of providing patient care – from bed linens, underpads and patient gowns to lab coats, scrubs and a myriad of other items – it’s safe to say that managing them effectively is no easy undertaking.

New Products

What Works
Saving healthcare dollars while saving limbs

People & Opinions

Baseline
Black and white, but not gray
by Fred Crans

People and Opinions
SMI pursuing healthcare supply chain improvements
by Dennis Orthman

Capital Gains
8 steps on how to trim down "pork-filled" budgets during lean years
by Nik Fincher

Back Talk
Expressing control over agency power
by David Kaczmarek

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