CME Insider's Blog Posts

As medical facilities and healthcare organizations across the nation continue to experience dramatic growth and expansion of both services and facilities, they also must grapple with the logistics challenges presented by such developments.

Purchasing a single capital equipment item is usually a pretty straight forward process. The purchasing department prepares a purchase order, sends it off to the manufacturer or selected distributor and then waits for the item to be received.  

However, when multiple items are being ordered from different vendors for a time sensitive, mid-sized to large construction project, a specified purchase order tracking process may be required so things don't get lost or fall through the cracks.

Constructing or retrofitting Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals is a complicated process with many parts and people to organize.  The right medical and non-medical equipment, furnishings, along with installers, and knowledgeable personnel must be in place and operate under strict deadlines.

Adherence to government as well as local regulations is a must.  Knowledge, efficiency and pricing are the primary keys for successful project planning, implementation and on-time completion. Without them, medical facility construction can be a financial disaster.

The Architecture, Capital Equipment, and Engineering (ACE) Summit and Reverse Expo held from Feb. 1-3 in Atlanta, Georgia highlighted the biggest challenges and questions facing healthcare suppliers, vendors, architects, engineers, and other heavy hitters in the industry.  These include whether healthcare projects are in demand or profitable with some of the biggest areas of focus for participants being location and the cost effectiveness of these projects.

A Google search of “IO&T” brings up references to the "Internet Of Things", but that’s not what we’re talking about here.  IO&T is the acronym for Initial Outfitting and Transition, a federal government term used for the overall process of setting up military medical facilities.

The last several decades have seen the rise of an immersive experience in the design of publicly accessed facilities such as theme parks, retail spaces, and healthcare facilities. Yes, you read that right! Designing and planning a healthcare facility isn't all that different from planning a theme park.  

There are lessons to be learned from examining how other publicly accessed facilities successfully incorporate cutting edge technology, integrate information delivery, address traffic flow, and create a variety of dedicated spaces.

The Affordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as Obamacare, includes many stipulations.  One of these is to create a change in the way the federal government pays for healthcare services provided to patients on Medicare.  

Specifically, the change is to move away from a quantity-based payment system to a quality-based system.  Another way it is described, is the process of moving away from a volume-based, to a value-based, system of purchasing services for the Medicare patients.  

Quite literally, it is referred to as the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program, which has three objectives: 

In designing the workflow of exam/treatment areas, the patient’s safety and comfort are top considerations. Additionally, easily accessing electronic health records (EHR) and diagnostic equipment will help with the efficiency of each visit, ultimately creating a better experience for the patient.

With most healthcare organizations spending as much as 38% of their budget on supply chain activities, effective supply chain management is an absolute must in the healthcare industry.  Supply chain activities are the second largest and fastest growing expense for medical facilities, second only to labor costs.  Effective supply chain management is thus an extremely important added value to any healthcare organization's overall operations.