Charting course of carts, storage over four decades

Healthcare Purchasing News asked executives from cart and storage system manufacturers what they thought were the “most intriguing advancements and innovations” to carts and storage systems from their own companies within the last 40 years that healthcare organizations couldn’t have missed to perform their duties. Here’s what they shared.

“Hänel vertical storage solutions have been embraced by the healthcare industry because they save time and money. Due to the time saved in having to search for items, the overall productivity of healthcare workers can be boosted significantly. In Central Sterile Processing and in the Operating Room, surgical containers, wrapped sets, implants, instruments and other types of supplies can be stored in a single location, using a variety of shelves, bins and drawers. With so many items in a much smaller space, Hänel offers inventory management options, including FIFO, expiration dating, and lot number control, that can improve inventory accuracy to over 99 percent, which reduces overstocking, shortages, expired items and time wasted in correcting errors.”

Amy Flynn, OR/CS Market Manager, Hänel Storage Systems, Pittsburgh

“When we launched Ringbinder charting systems in the late 1960s we were working with front-line care teams integrating paper into clinical workflow. Since the early 2000s we have been integrating computers into clinical workflow. Computers have made more and better quality information available to healthcare providers, but we still need to make that information easier to enter or access while working hands on with patients. FIRST Healthcare is custom tailoring digital device positioning for each care giver to create a perfect fit for them and their data devices because we know that the more seamlessly these devices fit into existing workflow the more accurately data is collected and used; and better data accuracy drives better quality outcomes with lower risk. Something as minor as a mouse tray can have a dramatic impact on healthcare quality.”

Paul Smith, President and CEO, FIRST Healthcare Products Inc., Sanborn, NY

“Using innovative modular construction, Midmark produces casework and mobile treatment cabinets/carts that are designed for today’s needs but flexible enough to meet the changing demands of the clinical space. Our solutions provide caregivers with internal and external flexibility that is easy to reconfigure, keeping their focus on the patient at the point-of-care, rather than searching for supplies.”

Michael Couch, Marketing Manager, Medical Casework, Seating & Care Exchange Products, Midmark Corp., Dayton, OH

“[For carts] Our QT series, introduced just three years ago, incorporates design aspects that provide for very quiet operation to compliment ‘quiet initiatives,’ efficient storage and easy to clean. New drawer organizers provide for efficient supply organization and access. QT cart now incorporates manual, electronic and proximity card reader locks. WIFI option is available. More secure access is provided with more central control of who can and can’t access the carts and their contents.

“[For storage systems] LogiQuip has introduced immensely improved open and closed storage systems. Our LogiCell line is an enclosed storage system with a cell system that supports bins, baskets and shelves. This greatly compresses storage space inside the cart while protecting its contents. For open storage systems, newer products such as PAR WALL provide open, accessible and highly visible inventory storage that will not trap dirt, dust and debris. PAR WALL works well in ‘5S’ campaigns. In addition, we have introduced new products like LogiFlex for two bin Kanban systems and new accessories like our Kanban ‘flippers’ that have provided dramatic Kanban capabilities for storage products like PAR WALL.”

Dustin Patterson, Director of Operations, LogiQuip LLC, Galesburg, MI

“We at PAR Excellence created the open, automated, point-of-use solution that complemented any storage method in the early 1990s. In the mid-2000s we changed ‘automated’ replenishment storage solutions to completely ‘automatic’ replenishment storage solutions by introducing weight-based options. We successfully eliminated any trip to a supply area to assess supplies for re-stocking orders. There is no human compliance factor required of a caregiver or a materials tech to control inventory. As one of our clients put it… ‘No more replenishment on mood (ROM).’ Since you only order what is needed, the orders, picks, transports and re-stocks are all reduced.”

Dick Felger, Vice President, Sales, PAR Excellence Systems Inc., Cincinnati

“Patient and employee safety has become a spotlight issue over the years for healthcare organizations and rightfully so. Musculoskeletal injuries (primarily back injuries) remain the number one type of injury for healthcare professionals. According to OSHA, direct and indirect costs associated with back injuries in the healthcare industry alone are estimated to be $20 billion annually. While much attention has been placed on the injury issues of clinical staff (nurses, PTs, aides), very little attention has been given to those hospital employees usually working in the innards of the hospital unloading and stocking supplies each day as well as those non-clinical employees whose job is to push all day beds, wheelchairs, linen carts and other equipment.

“To this point, Tollos prides itself on manufacturing and/or distributing powerful, safe, and easy-to-use ergonomic transport solutions. The greatest advancement is just adding power to a wide range of material handling devices. This can be a motorized cargo or equipment cart that is now self-propelled (thereby eliminating all the excess push-pull forces that lead to often career-ending injuries) to specialized motorized devices that attach to beds, wheelchairs, or linen carts. In this area, Tollos was the first company to introduce the leading bed mover to the U.S. market and then developed one of the first healthcare-focused material handling programs to address all items of equipment or product being moved. These solutions with their ergonomic advancements lead to a reduction in employee injuries and an increase in staff productivity.

“Today, Tollos has cart and storage systems that are electric and run on rechargeable batteries, have unique ergonomic designs that adjust to a wide range of user heights, regenerative dynamic braking technology (ensuring a controlled stop at any speed and load), and more. These ergonomic advances not only save organizations time and money by preventing injuries but also allow healthcare professionals to do more work as cart and storage movers can move faster and with less physical exertion than just five years ago.”

Jon Winer, CEO, Tollos, Owings Mills, MD

“Metro has been leading the way for years with the addition of Wi-Fi, offering various powered mobile solutions helping to make both computers and devices, such as bar code scanners, vital signs monitors, etc., more mobile and available to caregivers in any setting at any time; increasing the amount of time nurses can spend with their patient, improving medication administration accuracy and speed of response.”

Craig Orlove, Director, International Marketing, InterMetro Industries Corp., Wilkes-Barre, PA