Evolving regulations and uncertain demand for elective procedures combined with clinician burnout and turnover have resulted in widespread staffing challenges for hospital systems across the country. While hospital staff have never had time to spare, their workloads are especially taxing as the nation navigates the ongoing pandemic response and hospital systems adjust following years of uncertainty and budget constraint. With these mitigating factors, more health systems are turning to trusted partners like Owens & Minor to ensure processes like inventory management remain as efficient as possible.
Owens & Minor drives efficiencies within the hospital through tailored technology solutions as well as unique industry expertise. A variety of services can help customers manage inventory including:
Owens & Minor’s on-site solutions include assigning experienced teammates to work in the hospital to manage inventory in clinical and non-clinical areas. They are responsible for all ordering, receiving, and managing.
“Our dedicated on-site teammates can provide essential relief for hospital systems already stretched too thin in terms of staffing,” said Angela McNally. “They can redeploy resources to focus on other critical activities.”
Owens & Minor can also provide strategic consultation to help build a foundation of long-term inventory success.
“When we partner as a consultant, we provide resources to go into the hospital for a certain period of time to learn their inventory management practices—their ordering and receiving processes, what technology they use, and so on,” continued McNally. “We review their practices and recommend methods for efficient inventory management. We also provide documentation for standard operating procedures so when the consulting project is concluded they are equipped to do it on their own.”
“Because we have such a range of inventory management options, customers can choose the combination that works best for them, and evolve their approach as needed,” said McNally. “Owens & Minor has proven through significant cost and time savings that we can deliver improved inventory management performance to our healthcare provider customers, so they value our recommendations in how best to structure their approach.”
While staffing constraints could easily exacerbate the already present supply management challenges throughout the industry, the right partnership can make all the difference in maintaining efficiency and appropriate inventory levels throughout a hospital system.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned in navigating the challenges of the past two years alongside our healthcare customers, it’s that healthcare doesn’t stop, no matter the situation,” said McNally. “Patients still need critical care, and hospitals still need critical supply—and we’re here to help them make sure they have what they need, when they need it, without driving up cost or creating extra work for care providers.”
With or without staffing limitations, Owens & Minor experts are dedicated to collaborating with hospital systems to drive lasting, sustainable change across the supply chain using industry-leading practices and ongoing optimization. Our dedicated team members are embedded on-site to drive processes that minimize risk and maximize efficiency in any circumstance.
