Author: Brittni Straseske

A Look at Healthcare Supply Chain Trends in 2020

By: Brittni Straseske
Date: February 10, 2020
Category: Supply Chain
Filed under: healthcare supply chain, supply chain KPIs, supply chain operations, supply chain productivity, supply chain trends

Throughout the 2000s, the healthcare supply chain underwent a major transformation, evolving from a transactional product and cost center into an established partner able to deliver value throughout the organization. Now, as we head into the new decade, the supply chain appears set to continue along the path of holistic partnership with other departments and […]

HBI’s Latest Report Focuses on Supply Chain Standardization

By: Brittni Straseske, Enrique Bakemeyer
Date: January 28, 2020
Category: Supply Chain
Filed under: Product Variation, Supply Chain Standardization, value analysis

Healthcare supply chain professionals play a key role in helping organizations achieve not only financial goals but also goals related to the patient experience. Indeed, the supply chain has visibility across healthcare operations and is positioned to drive cost-saving initiatives that also keep the patient experience at top of mind. With that in mind, members […]

How the Healthcare Supply Chain Can Impact the Patient Experience

By: Brittni Straseske
Date: November 4, 2019
Category: Supply Chain
Filed under: Disaster preparedness, environmental services, EVS, Patient Experience, Supply chain

At first glance, the impact supply chain has directly on the patient experience may seem more obscure than unequivocal. Certainly, the supply chain often plays an important role in ensuring positive clinical outcomes—through proper vetting of new devices and holistic value analysis efforts, for example—and containing care costs, but these factors are often not characterized […]

4 Tips For Creating Better Stakeholder Surveys

By: Brittni Straseske
Date: June 6, 2019
Category: Supply Chain
Filed under: Clinician Engagement, Collaboration, Interdepartmentalism, Performance Metrics, Supply chain, Surveys

As the oversight of supply chain expands, the department is increasingly tasked with developing innovative solutions for varying issues across an organization. Many times, these initiatives involve numerous departments, positions, and responsibilities. It is often difficult to gauge the pulse or opinions such a diverse group of stakeholders have regarding a specific topic, process, department, […]

How Can I Advance Our Value Analysis Committee?

By: Brittni Straseske
Date: April 17, 2019
Category: Supply Chain
Filed under: Clinical Buy In, Procurement, value analysis

Many hospitals and health systems have had long-standing value analysis committees in place for several years now. Traditionally, these committees often approved the purchase of new items based on price neutrality or savings. However, many value analysis committees are evolving past this model, finding it restrictive to introducing new technologies and ostracizing to clinicians. As […]

Insourcing or Outsourcing Interpreter Services, Which Option Is Best?

By: Brittni Straseske
Date: January 23, 2019
Category: Supply Chain
Filed under: Insourcing, Insourcing vs Outsourcing, Interpreter Services, Outsourcing

Q&A with HBI Principal Director Tina Williams. HBI Principal Director, Tina Williams, spent three years overseeing the interpreter services program for a 1,000-bed academic medical center. During that time, she gained significant insight into the pros and cons of outsourced and insourced interpreter service models, owing to the demand for services, the culture of the […]

What’s on the Horizon for Supply Chain Departments in 2019?

By: Brittni Straseske
Date: January 10, 2019
Category: Supply Chain
Filed under: Capital Spend, Finance Integration, Product Standardization, revenue cycle integration, total cost of care, Utilization

As the supply chain has shifted from a transactional support role to more of a strategic, decision-making role, supply chain is interacting with other departments with greater frequency. Multidisciplinary collaboration at an organization creates opportunities to implement significant, impactful initiatives that bring meaningful improvements to the organization. This holistic approach to complicated questions is the […]

What Role Can Supply Chain Play in Environmental Services?

By: Brittni Straseske
Date: December 18, 2018
Category: Supply Chain
Filed under: environmental services, HAI, Healthcare-Associated Infection, UV Disinfection Robots

According to a 2016 HBI supply chain survey, environmental services falls under the supply chain umbrella at nearly half of all hospitals and health systems, with the practice being most common in organizations with 100 beds or fewer. As this is an ancillary service new to many supply chain departments, several questions have been floated […]

Responding to Frequent Drug Shortages

By: Brittni Straseske, Rachel Gerlach
Date: November 16, 2018
Category: Supply Chain
Filed under: Drug Shortage, Drug Supply, Pharmacy

Drug shortages continue to pose challenges for provider pharmacies in the final quarter of the year. While the causes for drug shortages can vary from natural disasters to voluntary recalls, one thing remains consistent: provider organizations need to have the ability to react to the inevitable shortages. Hospitals and health systems that are unable to […]