It’s no secret that health systems need more efficient ways to manage their supply chain products and spend in the operating room. And while ORs can drive significant revenue, inefficiencies in supply chain can undermine quality and affect patient outcomes.
Successful OR management strategies update inventory, reduce waste and ensure needed products are available. A surgical navigator is someone who brings the needed expertise to manage OR supply chain.
What is a surgical navigator?
Surgical Navigators are the boots on the ground when it comes to inventory management in the operating room. They are certified surgical technologists who manage real-time inventory status in the OR, staying on top of expiration dates and adjusting product levels to avoid waste.
Surgical navigators perform key roles for your OR:
- Identify your true needs and reduce waste
- Know your inventory and reallocate as needed
- Predict and prepare for future supply needs
Meet Surgical Navigator Janine Vollmar
Janine Vollmar is a surgical navigator at Advantus Health Partners. She recently identified potential OR product waste and reallocated resources to create significant savings.
Janine was using our integrated reallocation app, which gives insight into resource management for a larger health system. Janine discovered that the cath lab at Mercy Health — St. Anne’s Hospital in Toledo, Ohio, had extra product that would soon expire. She then easily matched it with another Mercy Health site that needed that product. By reallocating the supplies, St. Anne’s avoided wasted unused product and saved $10,000 in the process.
This is just one example of how Advantus Health Partners can help you develop, implement and communicate your OR inventory management program, sustaining quality and optimizing resources. Our Surgical Navigation program provides the expertise you need to create an effective inventory management strategy across your organization – and do so leading with clinical efficacy.
Find a Surgical Navigation Program that Fits your OR
Learn more about the Surgical Navigation program offered by Advantus. We offer two levels of engagement, from a training program for your staff to a fully management program. Learn more about the Surgical Navigation program by reading the guide.
