Major West Coast Children’s Hospital – California

As a leading pediatric academic medical center, a major West Coast children’s hospital in Los Angeles is committed to providing exceptional patient care through streamlined processes and data-driven decision-making. Their commitment to excellence extends beyond basic care delivery to encompass innovation in technology adoption and process improvement. With a focus on creating a culture of continuous improvement, the hospital has consistently sought new ways to enhance its services and optimize its operations. This dedication to excellence has positioned them as a leader in pediatric healthcare, serving diverse populations with complex medical needs.

Under the leadership of their Director of Perioperative Services, the hospital recognized that achieving its mission of exceptional patient care required a fundamental transformation in its supply chain management. The hospital needed a system that would not only streamline its processes but also free up valuable clinical time for patient care. This realization led them to embark on a journey to revolutionize their supply chain management system, with the ultimate goal of better serving their young patients and supporting their clinical staff.

How it All Began

Like many healthcare institutions, the hospital faced significant challenges with inefficiencies and waste in its supply chain management.

In today’s healthcare, we often see inefficiencies and waste in so many different areas, ranging from overstock or excess inventory to those situations where things are out of sight, out of mind,

explained the Director. The hospital struggled with:

• Poor visibility of inventory items
• Inefficient inventory management
• Frequent stockouts
• Inefficient replenishment processes
• Unsustainable supply costs in the OR

These challenges often made critical items unavailable for surgical procedures while simultaneously maintaining an overstock of less-needed items. The situation called for a systematic change in their approach to supply chain management.

Why BlueBin?

The hospital’s decision to partner with BlueBin was driven by several key factors:

Seeing the successes of similar institutions, we were confident that we could replicate those successes here. The partnership with BlueBin, particularly through their dedicated support staff, has been instrumental in the successful implementation of the new system,

said the Director.

Remarkable Results

The implementation of BlueBin’s system has delivered impressive results across multiple areas:

Cost Reduction

One of the most striking outcomes was seen in cost reduction:

• Before implementation: $320,822.90
• After implementation: $79,357.00
• Total reduction: 70-75%

Inventory Management

The new system has dramatically improved inventory availability and organization:

• 92-100% stock availability rate
• Streamlined organization of supplies
• Reduced overordering and waste
• Prevention of supply expiration
• Simplified ordering process

Staff Impact

The implementation has positively affected staff workflow and efficiency:

• Easier access to supplies
• Reduced time spent on supply management
• Improved training process for new hires
• Enhanced staff engagement
• Better organized supply rooms

As the Clinical Services Manager noted,

It has made a tremendous impact, and my staff are learning. They’re adjusting to the change.

The simplicity of the system has made it particularly effective for new staff training, requiring only about ten minutes to learn the basics, according to the Recovery Room Lead RN.

State Recognition

The success of the BlueBin implementation was validated during a State Department of Health survey, where surveyors specifically commended the organization of supply rooms and visibility of items. This external validation has further reinforced the value of the initiative.

Looking Ahead

The hospital’s success with BlueBin has led to expanded implementation plans:

• Expansion into sterile processing areas
• Implementation in ambulatory surgery areas
• Extension to additional procedural areas
• Continued optimization of existing implementations

“The plan originally was to implement in patient areas, and select ambulatory areas,”

the Director explained.

“After recognizing the different needs of the other clinical areas of the hospital, but also incorporating the successes of the areas that have already been implemented, it was a decision that was not very difficult to make to expand to other areas.”

Final Thoughts

The partnership between the children’s hospital and BlueBin has demonstrated how innovative supply chain solutions can dramatically improve healthcare operations. Through this implementation, the hospital has achieved:

• Significant cost savings
• Improved operational efficiency
• Enhanced staff satisfaction
• Better patient care delivery

As the Director concluded,

I’m looking forward to all the other areas that will get the revamp through BlueBin. It’s only a matter of time.

BlueBin’s mission is to dramatically improve healthcare – adding value to the supply chain process by ensuring clinicians have the right supplies at the right time, maximizing efficiency.

Our solution fuses cutting-edge technology with lean methodologies and principles, providing an operating system for managing all medical supplies, in all areas of the hospital or healthcare environments.