Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increased focus on remote monitoring technology within the U.S. healthcare sector. Legislation such as the bipartisan Remote Patient Monitoring Access Act has been introduced to help hospitals use federal funds for remote monitoring devices, as the demand for those devices is projected to rise. Though the role […]
Category: Supply Chain
How is COVID-19 changing provider–supplier relationships?
The current pandemic continues to affect the healthcare supply chain continuum, such as by disrupting the flow of critical supplies and equipment such as PPE, ventilators, and masks. Due to the increased demand for critical supplies, providers are incurring additional costs as they work to meet the needs of patients and staff. COVID-19 has also […]
Hospitals need these evolving metrics to gain a holistic view of their supply chain
Healthcare supply chain management is complex due to the highly regulated nature of the industry and continuously evolving consumer expectations about cost-effective care. Supply chain is one of the major expenses in any health system’s financials, accounting for approximately 30% to 40% of the operating budget[1]. Due to the supply chain’s dynamic nature, hospital leaders […]
Managing purchasing during and after COVID-19
Date:
August 18, 2020
Category:
Supply Chain
Filed under:
coronavirus, COVID-19, inventory management, purchasing, Supply chain, Vendor Management
The pandemic has had a widespread impact on supply chain operations throughout the healthcare industry. For example, in April 2020, the GPO Premier surveyed its members and reported “active cases of COVID-19 create surge demand of 17X the typical burn rate for N95 respirators, 8.6X for face shields, 6X for swabs, 5X for isolation gowns, […]
What Are Best Practices for Using Personal Protective Equipment?
News of the coronavirus continues to capture the world’s imagination. Last week, as the virus spread in Italy and South Korea, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that an outbreak in the United States was not a matter of if, but when. Healthcare organizations are doing what they can to prepare for […]
A Look at Healthcare Supply Chain Trends in 2020
Date:
February 10, 2020
Category:
Supply Chain
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 […]
Managing ED Overcrowding: Q&A With Sharp HealthCare’s Janet Hanley
Date:
January 30, 2020
Category:
Supply Chain
In the United States, ED overcrowding is a major concern in most hospitals. Recent media reports highlight the perils and challenges of busy EDs, including “A Doctor’s Diary: The Overnight Shift in the E.R.” in last month’s New York Times. That article noted, “Americans visit the E.R. more than 140 million times a year – […]
HBI’s Latest Report Focuses on Supply Chain Standardization
Date:
January 28, 2020
Category:
Supply Chain
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
Date:
November 4, 2019
Category:
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 […]