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Smart Inventory Solutions forOutpatient Healthcare CentersMake Your InventoryManagementProgram Work toYour AdvantageAN EBOOK FROMNIXON MEDICAL
Outpatient facilities spend around 20% of revenueon supplies.1 That’s a lot, and it demonstrates justhow important the right inventory levels, solutions,and management are to outpatient centers and staff.With inventory so critical to a well-run facility andthe delivery of quality patient care, it’s essential thatyour inventory program and laundry service caterspecifically to your needs, which differ from thoseof inpatient healthcare centers. Services designedfor inpatient healthcare centers or general practiceswon’t necessarily work for you because you havedifferent supply needs, patient volumes, appointmentcadences, and cashflow.Read this eBook to learn what smart medical appareland linen inventory solutions for outpatient healthcarecenters look like, and how they can lead to better care,patient experiences, and savings.eBook: Smart Inventory Solutions for Outpatient Healthcare Centers Page 2
What’s InsideThis eBook will focus on specific inventory solutions that benefitoutpatient healthcare centers.Use the contents of this eBook to assess your facility’s inventorysolutions and implement an effective inventory managementprogram that will benefit your staff, patients, and bottom line.Top Outpatient Inventory Mistakes & MissesSmart Inventory Solutions for Outpatient CareUsing Inventory Management to Your AdvantageWhere to Start? Free Inventory Program RevieweBook: Smart Inventory Solutions for Outpatient Healthcare Centers Page 3
Top OutpatientInventoryMistakes & MissesLacking Holistic Oversight or ControlOver All InventoryInventory management is a tedious task that all businesses needto deal with. In busy outpatient healthcare centers, however, itcan be an extremely laborious job that practice managers simplydon’t have time for while managing a revolving door of patientswith more urgent and pressing needs.Struggling with On-Premise or DIYMedical LaunderingPractice managers who are still juggling inventory managementwith other responsibilities often lack holistic oversight acrossall inventory, creating more work through DIY or on-premiselaundering, and using disparate inventory management tools.Trying to oversee all of your medical apparel and lineninventory is a big job that practice managers don’t havetime for. Improper oversight, however, can lead toscrub loss and disorganization, causing expenses to riseand supplies to be unavailable to clinicians when theyneed them.On-premise or Do-It-Yourself laundry is not onlytime-consuming and cumbersome but goes againstguidelines set forth by the Healthcare LaundryAccreditation Council (HLAC), which mandates medicallaundry be handled off-site at an accredited facilityfor the utmost sanitation and safety.Using Disparate or Manual InventoryManagement ToolsDisparate or manual tools, like Excel spreadsheetsand separate invoicing programs, are frustrating andinefficient and make inventory management way moretime consuming than it needs to be.eBook: Smart Inventory Solutions for Outpatient Healthcare Centers Page 4
Smart Inventory Solutionsfor Outpatient CareIf you relate to one or all of the mistakes and misses discussed,we empathize with you. We know it can be cumbersome tofind and implement new solutions. That’s why we rounded upthe antidote for each issue to help you assess your options andalleviate your burdens for good.» Centralize and Outsource Your Inventory Management» Partner with an HLAC-Accredited Laundering Service» Leverage Helpful Inventory Management TechnologyeBook: Smart Inventory Solutions for Outpatient Healthcare Centers Page 5
Centralize andOutsourceYour InventoryManagementWhen you centralize and outsource your inventorymanagement to a third-party provider, you get back morethan just time in your day. You get an inventory programthat is constantly looked after and updated, ensuring yourclinicians have everything they need when they need itwhile containing costs by reducing or eliminating suppliesthat fluctuate in demand.WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU ical Apparel and Linen Inventory ManagementHLAC-Accredited Medical Laundering ServicesDelivery and Pickup on OSHA-Compliant VehiclesFolding and Packaging for Tidiness and SanitationTrackStocking Inventory in the Right Places for CliniciansTracking Inventory to Prevent Loss and ExpensesOptimizing Inventory to Ensure the Right LevelsInvoicing Through a Centralized and Secure PortalCleaning Your Facility to Improve Patient ExperienceEmbroidery to Give Your Center a Professional ToucheBook: Smart Inventory Solutions for Outpatient Healthcare Centers Page 6Optimize
Partner with anHLAC-AccreditedLaundering ServiceIf you’re using DIY or on-premise laundering, it’s time to increase your sanitationand safety and rid yourself of laundry burdens by using a Healthcare LaundryAccreditation Council (HLAC)-accredited laundering service. If you’ve decided tooutsource your inventory management, your provider likely offers a launderingservice—just check to ensure that it’s HLAC-accredited. Here’s why.HLAC accreditation means that a laundry service meets HLAC AccreditationStandards, which have been developed based on federal regulations andbest industry practices. It affirms that a healthcare laundry organizationhas passed an inspection of its facility, policies, procedures, and trainingprograms. It also means that soiled products are being laundered atan off-site, accredited facility, and not taken home or launderedon-site, which could put people at risk. HLAC-accredited laundering:» Meets CDC, OSHA, APIC, & Joint Commission Standards» Eliminates Risk of Cross-Contamination» Uses State-of-the-Art Laundering Techniques» Features Healthcare-Specific Facilities and Delivery Vehicles» Provides Clinicians and Patients with Peace of Mind» Ensures Maximum Sanitation and Safety of Apparel and LinenseBook: Smart Inventory Solutions for Outpatient Healthcare Centers Page 7NEED ANOTHER REASON TOOUTSOURCE YOUR MEDICAL LAUNDRY?The average human launderer can fold and stackabout 120 linens by hand per hour.2 However, automatedfolding machines can sort, fold, and stack up to 1,000 piecesof laundry per hour with a single operator.This savings in both time and labor means fast serviceand competitive prices.
Leverage Helpful InventoryManagement TechnologyThere are many helpful technologies and tools you or your outsourced provider can use to easilymanage and track your medical apparel and linen inventory, including barcode scanning, trackingsystems, and scrub dispensing machines. These tools keep your inventory organized, your levelsright, and help contain costs by identifying when it’s time to replenish or reduce certain stock.Keep reading to learn about these inventory management technologies that make lost or stolengarments and linens a thing of the past. Instead, every item in your facility is tracked by intelligentinventory management solutions, eliminating the burden of unavailable garments and linens foryour clinicians and patients, and therefore, preventing you from repurchasing costly inventory.BARCODE SCANNING TRACKING SYSTEMS SCRUB DISPENSINGeBook: Smart Inventory Solutions for Outpatient Healthcare Centers Page 8
ligent barcode scanning via handheldPDA devices tracks every clean and soiledgarment by size, wearer, and finishingmethod and bills the correct wearer formissing ones. Your outsourced providercan scan and track all your garments eachtime they visit your facility, saving youmoney by passing scrub-loss costs ontothe appropriate person, and eliminatingyour need to manually count items.Sophisticated tracking systems ensureall of your linens, from washcloths topillowcases, are accounted for everytime they come into and go out of youroutpatient facility.While barcode scanning and trackingsystems are highly effective and commonapproaches to healthcare inventorymanagement, scrub dispensing machinesare increasing in popularity.KEY BENEFITSThese solutions feature authorized accesscontrols, which means only personnelwith the access code can obtain scrubsfrom them. Most dispensing machinesalso require the return of used scrubsto get clean ones. It helps keep scrubscentralized and available, which increasesproductivity, while also providing insightinto when they were accessed, who theyare with, and when they were returned.Beyond those benefits, this methodteaches and enforces desired behaviors inyour facility.KEY BENEFITS» Save money by passing scrub-loss costsonto the appropriate person» Eliminate the time-consuming need tomanually count items» Coach desired organizational behaviorsin your facility» Ensure clinicians and patients alwayshave what they need» Don’t ever worry about missing orlost linens again» Set up a tracking system that’s uniqueto your inventoryKEY BENEFITS» Save money from eliminating scrub lossissues and costs» Increase productivity by having acentralized solution» Gain inventory control throughauthorized access controls
Using Inventory Managementto Your AdvantageTaking time to implement smart inventory management solutions today can provide major, long-termadvantages to your outpatient practice for years to come. From improving the patient experience toincreasing your bottom line, strong inventory management for outpatient centers is highly advantageous. Free Up Your Time to Focus on the Patient Experience Become Sustainable Through Professional Laundering Meet OSHA and CDC Standards With Professional Service Operate a Noticeably Tidier and Well-Stocked Practice Optimize and Standardize Your Medical Inventory Levels Manage Your Budget and Cut Costs from Needless Inventory Increase Your Safety, Sanitation, and Peace of MindeBook: Smart Inventory Solutions for Outpatient Healthcare Centers Page 10
Where toStart?We know how busy practice managersof outpatient healthcare centers are. Thelast thing you have time for is exploringmyriad solutions, companies, proposals,and so forth. As medical apparel and linenservice specialists since 1967, Nixon Medicalunderstands your challenges just as muchas we understand your need to alleviateburdensome inventory management.In a Free Inventory Program Review, wedo all the hard work for you. We willreview all the medical apparel and linensyou currently have in stock, as well asyour patient volumes, and care needs.We will provide you with an easy-tounderstand and even easier to implement,Inventory Management Program that willlead to better care, patient experiences,and cost savings.eBook: Smart Inventory Solutions for Outpatient Healthcare Centers Page 11Get a Free InventoryProgram Review Medical Apparel Patient Volume Medical Linens Type of Care Storage Solutions Service Levels Laundry Needs Custom NeedsContact us for a Free Inventory Program Reviewor a quote on medical apparel and linens.nixonmedical.com(866) 300-8870info@nixonmedical.com
Ready for Your Inventory Management Programto Work to Your Advantage?Contact us for a Free Inventory Program Review or a quoteon medical apparel and linens today.nixonmedical.com (866) 300-8870 info@nixonmedical.comAbout Nixon MedicalNixon Medical is a leading service provider of medical apparel and linens serving outpatient healthcarecenters nationwide. We provide trusted medical apparel and linen rental services, HLAC-accreditedlaundering services, expert inventory management, and custom and reliable service.We are proud of our All About Service reputation, and now we are proud to be All About Safety, too,implementing and optimizing all of the safety protocols discussed in this eBook.All About Service SINCE 1967 2020 Nixon Medical. All Rights Reserved1. 7 Tips for More Effective Inventory Management, Outpatient Surgery2. Making Sense of Automation, American Laundry News
Contact us for a Free Inventory Program Review or a quote on medical apparel and linens today. nixonmedical.com (866) 300-8870 info@nixonmedical.com About Nixon Medical Nixon Medical is a leading service provider of medical apparel and linens serving outpatient healthcare centers nationwide.
