OR Manager August 2022 - 12

Cost Savings
BY JENNIFER LUBELL
Breaking down the Silos: An ASC success story
Continued from page 11
aced with delayed transport times
and a lack of communication
among its ambulatory surgery centers
(ASCs) and clinics, Ann & Robert H.
Lurie Children's Hospital
in Chicago decided it
was time for a makeover
of its supply chain.
The main hospital,
located in downtown
Chicago, faced traffic
constraints as it tried to
supply its suburban locations
with instrumentation
trays and other
equipment needs, says
F
W. Zeh
Wellington,
DNP, RN,
NE-BC
W. Zeh Wellington, DNP, RN, NE-BC,
director of procedural care and surgical
services. Sometimes the turnaround
took as much as 8 hours.
Adopting a model used by the airline
industry, Lurie Children's created a
streamlined approach that resulted in
safer surgeries, quicker turnaround of
trays, and a happier staff. " We wanted
to ensure that
the ambulatory sites
were not in silos-that they could rely
on each other instead of the main unit
to supply all their needs, " explains Wellington.
Boosting
education
Lurie Children's began its journey
looking at what the ambulatory sites
needed, what types of cases they
worked on, and what types of trays they
relied on daily to see how all the sites
could work as one cohesive team.
" It was so important for us to make
sure ASCs were safely staffed-that
they had the tools to do their job and
the capability to reprocess their equipment
if an instrument was dropped or a
tray wasn't sterile, " says Wellington.
To accomplish this, all personnel,
including those in the sterile processing
department (SPD), received training at
the main hospital site. " Our educator,
who looks after all the sites, made sure
we were doing all of the competencies
and that everyone was well trained, not
only for trays but for processing scopes,
to make sure everything was done
safely and correctly, " says Wellington.
Lurie Children's educator continues
to do rounding at every SPD processing
site to ensure that instructions for use,
competencies, and other requirements
are up to date.
Streamlining transport pathways
Lurie Children's leveraged this training
toward a path of independence for its
satellite sites. Instead of relying on the
main hub for supplies, the health system
adopted a model like the airline
industry, which ensures a seamless
transport between all
sites. ASCs and clinics
began communicating
with each other to process
and house trays.
" We looked at
travel
times and zones to see
how far these locations
were from downtown, "
says Charles Williams,
CSPDT, Lurie Children's manager of
SPD. Previously, it took 8 hours to transport
equipment from Lurie Children's to
a clinic in New Lenox, Illinois. Because
New Lenox was located near one of
Lurie Children's ASCs in Westchester,
it made more sense for the clinic to get
its items from that ASC. " We made sure
Westchester had all of the functions of
the main hospital so they could support
New Lenox instead of everything coming
down to Lurie, " says Williams. Redirecting
transport routes meant that surgeons
could get what they needed much
faster, whether it was a scope or a tray.
Charles
Williams,
CSPDT
Savings achieved through
efficiency
Revising transport routes cut down on
travel costs and resulted in fewer equipment
drop-offs, says Williams. Staff
Improving staff and patient
morale
Surgeons seem much happier, now that
they have readier access to the tools
they need, says Wellington. " I believe
that our patients and families can rest
assured that they are receiving a very
safe surgery with properly processed
equipment in a timely fashion. There's
no canceling of cases or waiting because
we're waiting to transfer instruments
to an outside ambulatory center. "
The changes have also boosted
the morale of SPD staff. " They've
challenged themselves to learn, do
more, and be responsible for trays and
scopes. They're keeping their skills up, "
adds Wellington.
Lurie Children's has worked hard to
break down its silos with education and
team meetings. " We want our ASCs
to be successful, and we want every
patient to have a safe surgery and experience.
It took time, but I think we're
succeeding, " says Wellington. ORM
members at ambulatory sites added
technicians to support the staff. By establishing
these localized support systems,
staff became more familiar with
the instruments and other items transported
between sites.
Reorganizing trays
Lurie Children's also revised some of its
trays to customize them for certain ambulatory
sites. This involved the input of
nurses, physicians, and SPD personnel.
" A multidisciplinary team looked at all
of our trays to ensure that they had all
the equipment they needed in case they
fell into a dangerous situation, " says
Wellington. A new color-coding system
made it easier to identify and prioritize
trays. A tray with a red top for example
signifies a tray that needs processing
of certain instruments. " When we see
a purple top, that's a transplant, so
we know those trays are a top priority, "
says Williams.
12
OR Manager | August 2022
www.ormanager.com
http://www.ormanager.com
OR Manager August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OR Manager August 2022
