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IDEAS THAT WORK
SUPPLY SAVINGS
Put Staff in Charge of Ordering
To encourage staff
to have more ownership over
efforts to keep supply costs down, I designated
personnel to do the
ordering for each specialty while I was OR director. Doing so brought them into the loop on usage and costs
— and what waste means for our small, rural hospital. They're much more careful now, knowing that an implant in the OR costs $2,000 or $500. Staff also collaborate better to maintain
supply costs and levels,
and talk with surgeons' offices to find out what they should expect (particularly to see if we've got enough at the end of a quarter). The
bonus for me, as a manager, is that it gives me a way to manage up when there aren't any promotions to be had because of our size.
SHARED EFFORT Including staff in supply ordering has a dual benefit.
Joyce Danels, RN
Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center
Kennett, Mo.
joyce.danels@hma.com
