By Healthcare Facilities Today

In a recent article on the Becker's ASC Review website, Elizabeth Toony, BSN, RN, CASC, offers ideas to trim the main areas of material waste in ambulatory surgery centers.

BAR: What are of the few most common areas of waste found in a surgery center?

Elizabeth Toony: I am currently working on a Lean Six Sigma initiative that hones in on minimizing waste, improving quality and increasing cost savings. There are several strong issues to focus on. 

Inventory is one of the biggest issues. In nearly all of the ASCs I have seen, overstocking is a problem. I am a nurse first; I appreciate that you don't want to be caught unprepared, but surgery centers do not need a month's worth of inventory sitting on the shelf. 

BAR: Where can administrators cut down on inventory?

ET: Purchase items on consignment, especially implantable items. You still have to store them, but there is no longer a big chunk of cash sitting on the shelf. Another way would be to begin ordering supplies twice a week. If you order in bulk once a week, you will always have buildup. Most ASCs work with a manual inventory process. Take advantage of the time this takes and assess your inventory. What hasn't moved? It takes time, but you can accomplish a thorough spring cleaning each time you do inventory. 

Read the article.