Due to the nature of their work, hospitals perform tasks quickly, efficiently, and frequently. Whether it is intubating a patient in the ER, or dressing a wound in the OR, hospital staff are expected to provide 100% effort at any time. In order to function fluidly, hospitals must have organized supply chains and easy access to the necessary equipment.

Three common issues within the hospital supply chain include the improper or poor organization of equipment within resupply stations, ineffective storage solutions in small areas (such as pathology labs or sterile rooms), and lack of easy access to necessary supplies. Whether resupply stations are poorly inventoried, far away, or disorganized, all of these factors contribute to the waste of critical time, which could be spent attending to patients.

1. Ensure Consistent Organization of Supplies

Spacesaver’s FrameWRX storage systems can be outfitted with color-coded plastic storage bins, which can be affixed to the pegs of the FrameWRX back-plate for hanging storage. This pairing allows for modular swapping of bins, color coding organization of medical equipment, and an overall reduction of organization errors. Additionally, Spacesaver’s metal cabinets can be outfitted with FrameWRX pegging to hang oddly-shaped equipment such as hosing and cables--maximizing the limited space available in ORs and post-op rooms.

Organizations such as the Nebraska Heart Institute have implemented Spacesaver’s Viking Metal cabinets to store oblong catheters, stints, and tubing with ease, allowing for convenient and secure storage. Spacesaver was able to design a custom cabinet that was sectioned into pull-out drawers and hanging space to best suit the needs of the OR and post-op staff.

2. Adapt to Temperature-Controlled Spaces

Temperature-controlled rooms are another imperative addition to any effective hospital storage or research lab. Hospitals store bacterial samples, tissue samples, Petri dishes, and a variety of other pathology materials that require low-temperature environments. Storage in such environments must be durable and dense, as most temperature-controlled rooms are relatively small. Spacesaver’s ActivRAC mobile shelving system is capable of functioning at extremely cold temperatures without restriction. Additionally, ActivRAC systems can be outfitted with sterile wire shelving, slotted test tube storage, plastic bins, and many other storage solutions to maximize your storage footprint.

For a pathology lab in Spokane, WA, Spacesaver products helped streamline and increase storage capabilities by at least 130%. Through the implementation of  high-density mobile storage, the pathology lab was able to manipulate the stored samples with ease, and condense inactive storage space to alleviate floor space congestion.

3. Optimize Item Access

Spacesaver can improve access to items through many additional features. This includes ActivRAC storage systems that can be synced with the TUSC Mobile Control app to quickly move shelving units and locate inventoried items. Viking metal cabinets can also be outfitted with glass doors to help staff more easily locate equipment when in demand. Furthermore, color-coded plastic storage bins can be used to organize medical supplies by use, operating room number, etc. These additions can further preserve the sanitation and security of stored products while reducing wasted search time for products.

At the Atrium Medical Center in Middletown, Ohio, designers were able to incorporate Spacesaver FrameWRX storage pegging systems with plastic bin storage. Hospital staff devised color-coding to ensure that nurse staff was able to access the proper products quickly. Additionally, the plastic bins’ open-top hanging design affords minimal physical contact with the bin itself, reducing the potential of contamination in sanitary spaces.

Improper or poor organization of equipment within resupply stations, ineffective storage space use, and inaccessibility of essential supplies are critical issues that can quickly derail efficient hospital operation. All three of these discussed factors contribute to the waste of critical time and manpower, time which should be allotted to procedures and patient care.

Our goal at Mid-America is to enhance quality while reducing the volume of critical storage spaces. Whether you are reworking a resupply station, or the interior cabinetry of an operating room, Spacesaver’s products can be tailored and customized to fit almost any storage need.

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