Implementing a Perpetual Inventory Management System in the OR

Session
Information Technology

Authors
Marisa Farabaugh
Senior Management Engineer
Shands Healthcare

Maggie Downey
Fiscal Coordinator for Perioperative Services
Shands Healthcare

William Brewer
Purchasing Manager
Shands Healthcare

Description
For hospitals today, the OR has the largest opportunities for financial savings. Come see how we have moved from a de-centralized inventory process to a perpetual inventory management system including automatic supply re-ordering and patient charging. Shands is the first 26 OR, Level 1 Trauma site to undergo this implementation!

Abstract
Most organizations today are feeling the pinch between increasing costs and decreasing reimbursements. At Shands HealthCare, we found savings opportunity in moving from de-centralized inventory process to a new perpetual management system that would also automate our re-ordering and charging process.

We were able to capitalize on this opportunity by selecting the right technology, developing a ROI, and selling the idea to our internal leadership team. With the right team in place we started working on one of the most ambitious timelines for this type of implementation. We developed project plans, re-engineered current processes, set up interfaces and re-designed OR supply locations to prepare for our go-live date.

We are one of the first hospitals of our size with Level 1 Trauma acuity to implement this type of technology. We paved our own way using processes developed internally for the entire project. We used leading innovative ideas such as our use of the preference card and other database management techniques, to move us forward with a project of this size. Through this implementation we have encountered many unintended consequences and lessons learned and feel that we are now better prepared to expand this technology to some of our other hospitals.