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dors, and ensure you partner with good ones, they can provide you quality prod-
ucts that benefit your facility. Finally, I think a lot of facility leaders miss the
importance of case costing, which gives your surgeons insight into exactly what
their cases are costing you.
• The critical importance of cost-cutting measures.
Ms. Friesen: With increasing costs and decreasing reimbursements, most facilities
are being forced to find creative cost reductions in order to maintain profitabili-
ty. It's a problem that's been plaguing health care in recent years, and it seems to
be getting worse. We're hoping to show facility leaders that there are tactical
methods and approaches available that can increase your volume, reduce your
costs and create an exceptional patient experience.
• Strive to standardize 80% of supplies.
Mr. Wilham: One relatively simple way to help streamline your operations is to
review preference cards. Check for consistency among your surgeons, and look
at whether the items listed follow best practice and are cost-effective. The ulti-
mate goal is to eliminate variability. You should aim to standardize 80% of the
products listed on the cards, since it's nearly impossible to get to 100% standard-
ization with multiple surgeons. This idea of standardization is important for
many aspects in the OR, from set-ups to turnovers, to supply organization.
There can be a high level of variability among these practices that can lead to
decreased efficiency and increased costs.
OSM