Surgical Pack Changes Made 60% Faster Using Med-Pack Online Supply Management System Versus Traditional Methods

Surgical procedure pack safety analysis and component changes that used to take surgical services managers hours or even days to do can now be completed in minutes using Med-Pack, an online pack management system from Medline Industries, Inc. The interactive program gives users the ability to identify various components contained in their custom packs, perform safety analysis and make real-time modifications. Time-consuming, labor-intensive tasks such as surgical pack changes are now completed 60% faster online than using previously traditional processes.

Surgical procedure packs contain most every disposable component a surgeon will need to perform an operation housed in one conveniently contained unit. Managing the data associated with these packs is critical, as the O.R. is one of the most resource-intensive areas in many hospitals and often accounts for more than 50% of a hospital's materials management budget. Becky Hodson is O.R. Materials Team Leader at St. Vincent, the largest healthcare employer in the state of Indiana, and estimates that the facility's 10 operating rooms perform around 150 bariatric surgeries a month in addition to other types of procedures. With the hospital's high volume of surgeries, Hodson has found Med-Pack's timesaving features especially beneficial.

"Before using Med-Pack, we would have to arrange to have a sales rep visit the facility and complete paperwork to have surgical packs built. Making pack changes required more back-and-forth with paperwork," said Hodson. "Now, we view our packs online and make changes with a few clicks. This comes in handy because team leaders at St. Vincent meet once a month to discuss any changes they would like to make with the packs. That would create time-draining paperwork without this system."

Available to any Medline pack customer, Med-Pack operates through a series of iViews, which are essentially microsites of specific information on topics such as safety, analysis tools, savings, standardization and supply management. Users click on icons to get the information they need, eliminating the need to surf numerous Web sites to track down relevant information such as latex-free options and industry initiatives.

Using Med-Pack's Safety Center feature, users also can perform various analyses of pack components within the facility. For example, users can review the latex status on various pack components, with Med-Pack suggesting available latex-free alternatives. An overall safety analysis can also be done to identify sharps, radio opacity, AAMI gown levels and other potential safety issues. Information can be exported and merged into facility records.

"One of the things we hear a lot from surgical managers is that they don't have the time to sort through search engines for industry news and information," said Alecia Cooper, M.B.A., R.N., C.N.O.R., senior vice president of clinical services marketing for Medline. "Med-Pack users are able to sift through the 'white noise' information you would normally get and provides only the relevant pieces."

About Medline Industries, Inc.

Medline, the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, manufactures and distributes more than 100,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and agencies and other markets. Headquartered in Mundelein, IL, Medline has more than 800 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.

Over the past five years, Medline has been the fastest growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S., serving as the primary distributor to over 250 major hospitals and health care systems. As a leading distributor, Medline offers a comprehensive array of consulting and management services encompassing the supply chain and logistics, utilization and standardization, business tools and enhanced reporting capabilities, and on-staff clinicians.

Medline has a growing network of 34 distribution centers around the country, as well as an expanding, dedicated transportation fleet with over 160 vehicles in a variety of sizes to fit customers' specific delivery needs. The fleet is equipped with the latest navigation devices for enhanced order tracking and communication.

Meeting the highest level of national and international quality standards, Medline is FDA QSR compliant and ISO 13485 registered. Medline serves on major industry quality committees to develop guidelines and standards for medical product use, including the FDA Midwest Steering Committee, AAMI Sterilization and Packaging Committee and various ASTM committees. For more information on Medline, visit our Web site, www.medline.com .

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Media Contacts: Jerreau Beaudoin (847) 643-3011 John Marks (847) 643-3309