Skip the Search: Why Hospitals Can’t Afford to “Look for Their Keys”

When the average person can’t find their keys, it’s irritating. In a hospital setting, it’s a different story. Clinicians simply cannot afford to spend time searching for the items they need. That’s one reason why Baptist Health, Kentucky’s largest not-for-profit health system, has implemented Medline’s Put-Away-Ready™ Program at their Baptist Health Lexington, Baptist Health Louisville and Baptist Health Richmond hospitals.

By unpacking and organizing supplies throughout the hospital – from storage closet to O.R. – Medline is helping ensure clinicians have the items they need at their fingertips. Since adopting this process, Baptist Health has saved millions in spending on non-clinical items by removing touchpoints from the distribution process and streamlining delivery times across far-flung facilities.

“The improvement in inventory management over the past few years has been remarkable,” said Steve Oglesby, Baptist Health’s chief financial officer. “A key benefit is improved customer service to our physicians and other clinicians by ensuring access to the right supplies at the right place, at the right time, at the right price. Accomplishing this requires efficient and effective daily management. The system has also benefited from lower inventory carrying costs as expired, damaged or lost items are reduced, as well as better expense-revenue matching, which improves financial statement reporting and cost accounting data.”

The financial benefits of a hospital not having to “find their keys” add up quickly. Baptist Health, who signed a five-year prime vendor distribution agreement with Medline in 2014, has realized nearly $8.2 million savings to date from the program and other logistical improvements— savings they continually reinvest into patient care.

To learn more about how Baptist Health is using logistical savings to improve the patient experience, check out this video from “The Pulse.”