Opening a new medical facility on-time is always challenging. An MCD (Medical Construction & Design) survey in 2018 said that less than 50% of all projects open on time. If we did that poll today, it would even be less, given all the supply chain delays. One common problem when opening any healthcare facility is completing all the biomedical asset-tagging and ESIs (Electrical Safety Inspections) required in a timely fashion. These biomedical check-ins cannot happen until items are delivered and installed in rooms, which is typically near the end of the project. New healthcare facilities have anywhere from 1,000-4,000 pieces of new equipment that require biomedical attention.

The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly wreaked havoc on the healthcare equipment supply chain by increasing lead times, prices, and freight costs. Prior to the pandemic CME Corp recorded lead times for equipment between three and eight weeks on average. This week, lead times reached 12-20 weeks on average, more than tripling since the onset of the pandemic. Most industry leaders are expecting the supply chain to start to recover by the end 2022. What effect might the Ukraine-Russia War have on this recovery? It is still too early to tell what the long-term effects might be but there are already problems starting to surface. Here are three areas to watch:

Healthcare systems have varied long term goals, but most providers want to improve infection control, foster better patient outcomes, and save money. CME and Comfortex can help you do all three.

Hospital mattresses have been targets of The Joint Commission (TJC) during inspections and the FDA in a recent MAUDE (Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience) adverse event report. Comfortex has pioneered advanced mattress alternatives for nearly 40 years and addressed the issues that plague other mattress manufacturers.

Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is incredibly helpful for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of many digestive diseases. Endoscopes used for procedures are notoriously hard to clean, and there are gaps and variations in implementing effective infection prevention practices for them.

Sure, proper cleaning protocols are absolutely critical, but if the endoscopes are not dried properly, this can lead to patient infections which no one wants! Choosing the right scope cabinet can help standardize cleaning routines, decrease infections, comply with The Joint Commission (TJC) inspections protocol, and keep track of all your endoscopes.

Here are three reasons to choose the InnerSpace Ventaire™ Cabinet:

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to cripple the healthcare equipment supply chain. Raw materials such as steel, chrome, aluminum, plastic, and electronic parts are scarce, demand is high, and global transportation is bottlenecked all along the supply chain. Add a shortage of workers in the factories, at the docks, at rail yards, trucking companies, within healthcare systems, and you’ve encountered the perfect storm.

We are seeing lead times on some items increase to five and six months. These longer lead times delay the opening of crucial new medical facilities, and they also hamper healthcare systems’ financial recoveries from the pandemic.

Here are four ways CME Corp can assist you in getting your equipment on-time:

As we observe Falls Prevention Awareness Week, now is a better time than ever to review the different ways your healthcare facility can minimize and prevent patient falls. Using the appropriate equipment to lift, move, or transport patients not only minimizes falls, but it also mitigates staff injuries and provides a safe environment for all. Reducing caregivers’ injuries is especially important right now since the COVID-19 pandemic has left many healthcare facilities short-staffed. No one wants to lose a caregiver to a work-related injury.

The Joint Commission (TJC) is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. Most hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC), and other healthcare facilities are accredited through TJC. Once accredited, healthcare facilities are inspected at least once every three years.

The Joint Commission’s mandate is to increase the quality of patient care by elevating standards and delivery systems in healthcare facilities nationwide. TJC has always been laser-focused on infection prevention, environment of care, and emergency management. As we continue to live through the Covid-19 pandemic, inspections will be even more focused on these important elements.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there had been a steady growth of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) across the country. The growth was predicated on the fact that many elective surgeries - and some less complicated procedures - cost less to perform in the ASC setting than in the acute-care setting. Well, COVID-19 escalated that growth.

As hospitals treated more and more COVID-19 cases, procedures and surgeries that could've been moved to ASCs were quickly moved. Now, with an influx of private equity money, the growth of ASCs is even more accelerated.

Veterans Homes are facilities that provide nursing home, assisted living, and adult day care services for American Veterans. They are owned, operated, and managed by state governments and further funded by the federal government. In 2018, approximately 7% of our population were veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Even though the Veteran population has been shrinking, the percentage of Veterans with disabilities is growing, which makes Veterans Homes even more essential. CME Corp is proud to work with many states in providing products and services for new or renovated Veterans Homes. Recently, CME partnered with Rhode Island on their new, 208-bed Bristol Veterans Home to source, procure, assemble, and install the requested medical equipment, furniture, and physical therapy apparatus.