From the May 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine

Simplify steps for staff
Finding a solution that simplifies steps for staff involved is critical. In order to ensure your hospital system is being properly reimbursed for supply usage, there needs to be a streamlined process and support all the way from the surgical teams to the supply chain and revenue cycle staff. That means that the information in the surgical room should be easily sent from one department to the other. Rather than shuffling paperwork around and risking that it might sit on a desk for days to weeks, with a simple scan of an item, surgical staff can feel confident that the information is properly submitted for the revenue department to take action.

Shift responsibility to the vendor rep

In addition to improving efficiencies with the revenue cycle, it can also simplify the steps between a vendor rep and a case nurse. In cases with a supplier rep, it streamlines the process by shifting ownership away from the case nurse to the rep. Reps will only get paid once a requisition is entered. The process of scanning an item in the surgical suite makes it more efficient and easier for reps to use than manual entries. Reps can be provided access to filtered information in the purchasing system limited to their company products and not sensitive or confidential information about pricing agreements with other suppliers. This helps a rep alert the case nurse of items used so that the case nurse can easily submit a requisition without having to reenter information.

Implement new tracking technology at your facility
Operating at status quo is sometimes easier than making a change. However, adding a scanning functionality is as simple as downloading an app and does not require special hardware. Taking the time to implement new technologies for tracking and coding supply usage can provide your hospital benefits, both in terms of time and cost savings. Baptist Health South Florida, the largest health care organization in the region, with seven hospitals and over 30 outpatient and diagnostic centers, had a tremendous amount of resources tied up in the reimbursement process. The supply chain team searched for a solution to streamline the process. In 2015, the health system implemented a technology solution to help accurately track and code supply usage in the surgical suite.

Natalie Pita-Ortiz, assistant vice president of supply chain services at Baptist Health, shares her advice on how to successfully implement technology to maximize revenue on supplies.

May 2017 Magazine

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