Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/254641
39 Supply Chain In 1979 the Steelers won the Super Bowl. Saturday Night Fever was the album of the year. And AAAHC began accrediting ambulatory health care organizations. If you would like to know more about AAAHC accreditation, call us at 847-853-6060. Or email us at info@aaahc.org. Or you can visit our web site at www.aaahc.org. Improving Health Care Quality through Accreditation We've been raising the bar on ambulatory care through accreditation for 35 years. The secret of our success? Our peer review. AAAHC surveyors are physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists, medical directors and administrators. Which is why organizations routinely heap praise on us for our consultative and educational survey process. And why we are the leader in ambulatory accreditation. YEARS STRONG "The reps have to clear their trays the day of surgery before they leave so they can't call back and say their tray was missing something when they returned and charge us for it," says Ms. Reiter. "If they don't clear it, it's their cost. That is part of our vendor policy they have signed." 7. Take advantage of purchasing power. Ms. Soule uses a group pur- chasing organization to leverage the best prices available for implants. Ms. Reiter negotiates agreements for implants at DISC as well, but doesn't always feel like she has purchasing power for the cost of implants. So, she purchases in bulk for a discount with the stipulation that companies replace expired materials at no charge. "If the facility has the money on hand to purchase a certain amount of im- plants, they often get last year's prices less a certain percentage," says Ms. Re- iter. "That is much cheaper than consigning it. When we buy it, we have a prearrangement that if anything expires, it's replaced at no charge." The center keeps track of materials and marks those that are six months away from expiration. When they become four months away from expiration, they are marked to switch out. 8. Compare surgeon costs at meetings. Board or investor meetings are a great place to discuss implant costs and compare the price per pro- cedure for different surgeons at the center. Surgeons are competitive, and sharing the side-by-side pricing publicly often leads to a discussion about how to lower prices. "We allow surgeons to use the devices they feel are best, but the more I can educate my staff and surgeons about the price of things, the more I save," says Ms. Reiter. "The best opportunity we have to keep expenses down is to work with physicians and staff on supply costs. This past year we put in more pro- cesses to monitor everything coming in and going out the door." 9. Provide surgeons with data on new technology. New technology is more expensive for the surgery center, and surgeons may inquire about it before fully knowing the cost and quality. The sales rep may talk up an im- plant or instrument that really has little added clinical value. "We attempt to present the physician with independent sources of data," says Ms. Soule. "Not company brochures that show whether the item and its greater expense is really providing increased benefits that warrants in- creased cost." Ms. Soule always communicates to the physician about the price and reim- bursement of the same-quality implant before approving a physician prefer- ence item purchase. However, she wants physicians to make the final decision. "We want them to have what they feel is a quality product for the patient but we expect to pay a price comparable to the equivalent," says Ms. Soule. "If this were to be an implant to be used one time, it would be more acceptable than an item that the physician wants to keep at the center at all times. Then we would look at it on a case-per-case basis." 10. Conduct staff meetings on cost-savings. Technology advances quickly and it's important to keep staff focused on whether quality improve- ment is worth the cost. Staff meetings can point them in the right direction and inform them of the impact out-of-control materials costs could have on the center. "It is a good idea to have staff meetings to let staff know the importance of price control and it promotes engagement with the staff if they are able to contribute to cost savings," says Ms. Soule. "I believe most physicians are aware or try to be aware of the costs and are interested in helping control cost, especially if they are invested in the center." n