As the year 2021 wraps up, be sure to recognize and thank the materials managers within your Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC). Supply challenges remained prominent as the healthcare industry continued to face COVID-19 complications.
Materials managers wore many hats to improve the quality of care for every patient despite the emerging challenges they faced. Review some of the many roles materials managers played every day in ASCs:
- Materials manager: Materials managers handle ordering, receiving, and stocking the products that clinicians rely on for every case. Without professional management, inventory levels may not match utilization needs.
- Case picker: The materials manager is looking at the next day’s schedule, pulling the right preference cards, picking the right supplies, and then organizing them all in totes, baskets, or carts.
- General troubleshooter: You never know where the next problem is going to arise. Issues can occur with equipment, supplies, instruments—you name it. But clinicians and surgery center staff know that they can turn to their materials manager for a solution.
- Efficiency expert: Materials managers are always looking for new opportunities to control costs and streamline workflow—all to help the surgery center provide better care. For example, materials managers work with their distributors to introduce clinically equivalent products with the potential to lower costs.
As you thank your materials managers for their dedication to patient care and overcoming supply challenges this past year, keep in mind your ASC strategies for the new year. Visit our Ambulatory Surgery Center resource page for more insights.