Twice a year, wound care nurses from Encompass Health—the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the U.S. with 162 locations—partner with Medline for skin health education and the opportunity to share best practices among their peers. The three-day Wound Summit covers a broad range of clinical topics—from wound staging and the impact of nutrition on wound healing, to strategies for caring for ostomy and other patients at high-risk for infection.

To help foster a better understanding of wound care protocols and why nurses need the right skin care products to provide optimal care, Encompass Health wound, ostomy and continence nurses were joined by their supply chain colleagues.

“The Wound Summit is beneficial for all parties involved,” said Erica Hines, Encompass Health director of strategic sourcing who attended the Wound Summit in April. The event “provides a forum to discuss the prevention and treatment of skin disorders, but it also provides insight into what happens if the product needed for treatment is not available, and the impact it can have on patient care.”

The Wound Summit education and tools “have made a difference in my line of work, absolutely, because they’re so detailed,” said Tangela Speight, BSN, a would care nurse at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota in Florida. Medline provides the protocols, and “if I have a question, there’s resources or different avenues that I can take to get my questions answered.”

The value of in-person, collaborative education

Encompass Health nurses have participated in the biannual Wound Summit for the past five years, said Beth Mooney, BSN, Encompass Health western regional chief nursing officer.

“Every nurse that comes to the Wound Summit learns something,” said Mooney. “We have some people here today who went to the last (Summit) and came back because there’s so much information. It’s like watching a movie; you see something new every time. It’s a jam-packed three days.”

Each participant also leaves with wound, skin and incontinence guidelines customized for Encompass Health.

Mooney also lauded Encompass Health’s more than 20-year relationship with Medline, the healthcare system’s primary supplier.

“The level of clinical education and training that Medline provides stands out,” said Mooney. “It has helped our staff to drive better outcomes all around.”

Supply chain and clinical’s joint commitment to patient care

“We all have a duty to provide quality patient care, and we welcome any opportunity to collaborate on education with our clinical teams,” said Hines. “Effective supply chain management is ensuring the customer has the right product at the right time. Our customer is the clinician, and we have a duty to ensure our clinicians have the supplies needed to provide quality patient care.”

Encompass Health supply chain managers and leaders have long collaborated with the health care system’s frontline clinicians. “It’s a partnership,” said Mooney. “We have a national task force, and the supply chain is part of that. They get to hear what’s on the clinician’s minds, and we get to hear what’s going on in the supply chain world.”

“Standardization improves the outcomes of patient care,” said Cody Carter, Encompass Health strategic sourcing manager, adding that “We don’t standardize without vetting products with our own clinicians with our own hospitals.”

In addition to regularly testing new products, Encompass Health has a process for clinicians to provide ongoing feedback on product efficacy and availability.

Ideally, products are cost effective while providing the best clinical outcomes, Carter continued; however, “having the right product, and knowing how much to use, can impact savings in a larger way than price alone. This is where the supply chain integrates with clinical.”

The Summit “gives us the tools to be successful,” said Hines. “It’s definitely a partnership and it allows us to provide that consistent message to everyone. They can hear from the clinicians that use these products on a daily basis; they can learn how we use them and why.”

Read more about how Medline is improving skin and wound care, from prevention to treatment.
Read more Medline Best Practice Guidance: Champion best-in-class skin and wound care with the right clinical partner.