Deborah Kaplan

Many companies rely on a reactive maintenance model, responding to equipment failure when it happens. Other companies prefer the predictive maintenance model, anticipating service needs based on the calendar or equipment usage. Anticipating problems before they happen can greatly reduce downtime and, thus, increase equipment availability and sales. However, this can also be a costly approach that, at best, makes guesses about a piece of equipment’s servicing needs. Artificial intelligence. Manufacturing. Production. Predictive maintenance.

Today’s most effective hospital supply chain teams are those who work with end users to identify the most cost-effective supplies while maintaining quality patient care and end-user satisfaction, says Rebecca Holt. That means looking into the suppliers’ pipelines to compare availability with the hospitals’ projected needs.
Healthcare. Supply chain. Healthcare supply chain. Hospital. Supplies.

The surgery is going well, and it’s time to close up the surgical site. The process begins to ensure soft goods and tools are accounted for. The manual count reveals that a sponge could be missing, but the surgeon can’t see it in the cavity. Looking for it could mean a longer surgery and more time under anesthesia for nothing. Not looking for it could mean the patient needs another surgery to remove it, prolonging their hospital stay and potentially causing an infection, or worse.
Healthcare. Hospital. Operating room. Medical. Technology. Healthcare technology.

The shared services model empowers clinicians with data and tools to make the right supply chain decisions, along with a new resiliency effort adopted just prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Healthcare. Health. Business operations. Health system. Procurement. Technology. Data analysis.

Job hiriing program for neurodiverse individuals. Topics include human resources, HR, ADHD, autism, software, diversity, DEI,

The Big Three all set up group purchasing organizations recently, but some industry observers question the timing of the move and who will benefit. Express Scripts PBM (pharmacy benefit manager) formed Ascent Health Services GPO (group purchasing organization), based in Switzerland. CVS Caremark formed Zinc GPO. OptumRx formed Emisar Pharma Services, based in Ireland. Drug. Pharma. Healthcare management.

Adding telenurses to the floor or unit can reduce FTE needs, while improving patient outcomes and perceptions of care. These remote "eyes on the patient" can document, observe, interact, train, and otherwise act as another set of hands, in often-understaffed environments.
Telehealth. Nursing. Nursing shortage. Hopsital. Healthcare operations. Clinical care.

The last decade of immunotherapy progress was based on decades of prior research, including other forms of immunotherapy.
Until recent years, cancer treatment revolved around surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But the FDA approval of ipilimumab (Yervoy) in 2011 led to a fourth leg of that treatment stool: immunotherapy. This enabled new treatment paradigms, sometimes with shocking levels of success.

As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s (CMS) value-based programs evolve and reimbursements are at stake, hospital systems are increasingly focused on driving down readmission rates using a comprehensive approach. Not only can preventing readmissions help health systems avoid penalties, it’s also a key factor in care quality and patient outcomes.
The priority of avoiding readmissions isn’t new for health systems, but as private payors follow CMS’ lead and threaten penalties, it’s taking o...

Building a system-wide approach to supply chain operations requires data, technology, and good vendor relationships.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers were exhausted and depleted—but they were also hailed as heroes. Community members clapped and cheered them on at shift changes. They put up yard signs with appreciation messages and sent meals to hospitals to express gratitude.
Two years later, despite the advent of groundbreaking vaccines, the pandemic continued. Vaccine hesitancy and the emergence of COVID variants again sent case numbers and hospitalizations skyrocketing. Heal...

Smaller companies may not yet face the same regulatory requirements for reporting emissions as their larger counterparts, but, like everyone facing more extreme weather and other impacts brought on by climate change, they have a vested interested in reducing their carbon footprint.
Whether driven by their own concerns, those of customers and employees, or government regulations — in 2019, the U.K. became the first major economy to require businesses to reach net zero by 2050 — every business ...

Digital workflows provide the foundation for supply chain resilience, but they must be part of a larger strategy
Blockchain technology can streamline tracking of perishable goods and eliminate waste
Data from RFID tags and bills of lading can be used to improve shipping efficiency and prioritization
The pandemic’s disruption of the global supply chain cost U.S. companies $228 million in 2021, and adding in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, supply chain turbulence appears to be sticking around for...

When Carri Chan wanted to stock up on at-home COVID-19 tests last summer, she went from one New York City pharmacy to the next. If she was lucky, they had one box.
She would buy it and go to the next pharmacy in search of more. Chan then ordered 12 sets, the maximum allowed on Amazon, in anticipation of the start of in-person school. She waited six to eight weeks for their arrival.
Just as stores are discounting the once scarce bottles of hand sanitizer, many people have more than enough rapid tests filling up their drawers.