Supply Chain

HealthTrust Purchasing Group, a subsidiary of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Resource Optimization & Innovation, the supply chain management division of St. Louis-based Mercy.

A New Jersey hospital is saving up to $30,000 annually thanks to one nurse's creative idea to reduce waste, reports ROI-NJ.

Quality purchasing and utilization data is key to identifying which products and componentry are ideal candidates for standardization. Data analytics can be used to improve your standardization efforts by:

Procedural department managers, such as cath lab directors and OR directors, see the challenges facing hospitals from a unique vantage point.

Vitalant, a blood donation center in Washington, Pa., will close June 15 because of a shortage of donors, according to the Observer Reporter.

The FDA published an executive summary report this week revealing that more than 56,000 surgical stapler malfunctions were concealed from the public between 2011 and 2018 using a hidden database, according to Kaiser Health News.

Four drugs or medical devices approved by the FDA since May 24:

Amazon is donating $1 million in Amazon.com gift cards to the American Red Cross to help entice more people to donate blood and reduce shortages.

LifeShare Blood Center, a major blood supplier to hospitals in Louisiana, eastern Texas and southern Arkansas, is rationing blood.

Most healthcare leaders view supply chain as a strategic asset that can be tapped to cut costs amid declining reimbursements and tightening operating budgets. But many health systems have yet to use the supply chain to effect clinical change.