by
Lars Thording, Senior Director of Public Affair,
Stryker Sustainability Solutions | May 31, 2011
From the May 2011 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Endo-Surgery has begun to issue.
What hospitals can do
There are measures hospitals can take to avoid negative consequences to their reprocessing program results and protect their bottom lines. Hospital leaders should have proactive conversations with OEMs about the critical role reprocessing plays as a sustainable supply chain solution for their health system. OEMs don’t have to agree with reprocessing, but they shouldn’t be preventing it.
When your facility is approached with new equipment contracts, device technology upgrades, or “free” capital equipment replacements, take the time to thoroughly review and educate yourself on what’s really being offered so your reprocessing savings are protected.
The health care industry is at a critical juncture. For change to happen, the pressure to find innovative solutions to reduce costs and increase quality care must be shared equally by all stakeholders, including suppliers. Suppliers must adapt to the unequivocal paradigm shift. Fortunately, two groups have emerged: OEMs that embrace reprocessing as a strategic imperative and those that cling to out-of-touch practices designed to maximize sales. It’s not just about having the best product anymore; it’s about having the best product while considering how using that product impacts the hospital’s performance overall. Hospitals need partners that can help them control costs and redirect funding to quality care initiatives.
The best OEMs will rise to the occasion. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on advertising campaigns or engineering products that hurt hospitals’ bottom lines, OEMs should focus on what really matters – helping hospitals deliver quality health care.
Lars Thording is Ascent’s senior director of marketing and public affairs. Ascent, a Stryker Sustainability Solution, is the industry leader in third-party medical device reprocessing and remanufacturing.
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