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Hospital Materials Management provides timely market news and detailed reports on hospital and group purchasing trends and practices across the country.

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Hospital Materials Management

Issue 12, December 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Donate supplies to receive tax deduction, reduce waste costs

  Your organization makes a lot of waste, and much of it is in the form of medical supplies. Some of...

• Vendor duopoly for surgical staplers and staples keeps prices unchallenged

  The dominance of two manufacturers-Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., and Tyco...

• Request waste characterization of chemicals to save money, avoid fines, improve safety

  When you are considering ordering lab chemicals for your organization, it is important that you...

• Use New Year's to identify missions, new ideas

  As New Year's Day approaches, there is often talk about making resolutions. What do we want to...

• If you can measure it, then you can improve it

  Value analysis is all about identifying ways to improve the cost and quality of the products...

Issue 11, November 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Pursue these four EPP initiatives to help save your hospital money

  Last month, we offered several reasons why organizations would benefit from an environmental...

• Future of knee implant prices hinges on benchmarking, number of vendors

  The growing desire by hospitals to benchmark device costs, coupled with intense competition among...

• Don't overlook potential hidden 'budget busters'

  Back when I worked at a hospital, this time of year (i.e., budget season) often reminded me of that...

Issue 10, October 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Go green to save green: Tips for practical environmental purchasing

  Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series. It was not too long ago that trying to...

• Control conflicts of interest with these seven practices

  Real and even perceived conflicts of interest (COI) can wreak havoc on you, members of your staff...

• Ensure your ROI remains high for value analysis projects

  We would all like to think that we're achieving high return on investment (ROI) on our value...

Issue 9, September 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Standardize and clean up your data for current and future success

  Does your organization use any items manufactured by 3M? Are they listed in your item master as...

• Focus on people to overcome four common challenges

  This is the third and final part in an ongoing series revealing common errors experienced by many...

Issue 8, August 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Develop strong procurement card programs to save and make money

  One of your job responsibilities is to save money, and there are many ways to do so. A few of the...

• Experts tackle challenging benchmarking questions

  Editor's note: The following is an adapted transcription of the question-and-answer portion of the...

Issue 7, July 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• More tips to help build a successful, supportive diversity program

  In the June issue of HMM, we discussed why you should develop a supplier diversity program and...

• Prices to rise; healthcare industry expects employment boost

  Healthcare will not be among the industries paying higher-than-average prices for supplies this...

• Follow these six suggestions to ensure obese patients do not jeopardize safety

  The U.S. population is getting heavier, and as a result, your hospital is probably seeing an...

• Overcome three more common materials challenges

  This is the second in an ongoing series revealing common errors experienced by many materials and...

Issue 6, June 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Diversify suppliers to identify savings, increase vendor competition

  Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series. Whether the pressure is coming from the...

• Establish tracking program to keep your equipment

  Q: Help! We keep losing equipment-usually infusion pumps-when our patients leave our hospital. Is...

Issue 5, May 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Put onus on vendors to meet your security and safety requirements

  In the March HMM, ("Develop vendor management policy to control new products," p. 11) we discussed...

• Expect rise in suture prices until increase in market pressure

  Despite increase in the use of alternatives to sutures, prices of the stitches are likely to...

• Illinois health system realizes millions in cost savings

  The combination of persevering, brainstorming, identifying new areas for savings, and joining GPO...

• Three top areas where supply chain execs go wrong

  Even the most seasoned supply chain executive must admit to making at least one serious mistake in...

Issue 4, April 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Texas health system identifies numerous cost-savings opportunities

  Every year, administrators at Trinity Mother Frances Health System in Tyler, TX, must identify ways...

• Develop an evaluation form to help determine value and needs

  The decision to upgrade or add any new system to your organization is not an easy one. Besides the...

• Sample supply automation evaluation form

  Sample supply automation evaluation form

Issue 3, March 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Five successful methods to control spending on physician preference items

  Your surgeons want the latest and greatest devices for their patients, and you would probably let...

• Supply execs expect price hikes to continue in 2007

  Purchasing and supply executives expect to spend an average of 8.5% more on capital equipment in...

Issue 2, February 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Red flag or include these 15 clauses in your vendor contracts

  The contracts you sign with vendors are a major factor in determining the financial success and...

• Attach your own contract addendum before signing

  Prior to finalizing any contracts for equipment, products, or services that vendors submit, Richard...

• New medication process helps garner award

  Developing an initiative that improved patient safety and saved millions of dollars was probably...

Issue 1, January 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Follow these six steps to becomea benchmarking process expert

  Many materials managers struggle to raise their visibility within their organizations. They are...

Issue 1, January 1, 2007

• Hospitalist phone consults with ED physicians expedite admissions

  Hospitalists are rarely free to drop everything and trek across the hospital the moment that an...