today's surgicenter Roundtable: Equipment and Supplies Update

In today’s current climate, obtaining valuable equipment and supplies for an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) has never been more difficult. With a slow economy and a change in standards on the horizon, ASCs are left with some hard financial decisions to make in order to keep up with providing a high level of service and a healthy, sterile environment for both physicians and patients alike. So today’s surgicenter sought out ASC equipment and supplies distributing experts for a roundtable discussion on the current state of their market and what their businesses are doing to give ASCs the ability to keep up with new equipment and supplies, while remaining profitable.

Below is a conversation held with Kevin Blaser, vice president of sales and business development from Coast to Coast Medical Inc.; Seth Fechtman, director of sales and product development for Products for Medicine; and Alison Sander, product manager for the Maximus Medical operating unit of Medegen Inc.

With many ASCs in a budget crunch at the moment, how do you market your equipment or supplies to fit their needs?

Fechtman: At Products for Medicine, we believe we can provide the highest level quality of product to the market without the highest prices. For example, in today’s market, many surgical headlight systems run anywhere from $7,000 to $9,000. But we offer our White Sun Surgical Headlight system at $4,999.

Blaser: We market our equipment by offering equipment planning and consulting services. With high quality service, we extend the life of equipment currently in use.

Sanders: The Maximus MaxPlus® needleless connectors, IV administration sets, extension sets and components provide several cost reduction strategies appropriate to the ASC environment. Because these solutions incorporate Tru-Swab® technology, the surgery center is utilizing cost control strategies in conjunction with evidence based best practices to provide an economical and safe environment for patients and clinicians. Tru-swab refers to the flat, smooth surface of the access port incorporated into Maximus products that allows them to be appropriately disinfected, helping to reduce a key pathway for bacterial ingress when using a needleless access device. Tru-Swab technology is available on a wide variety of Maximus devices, including the MaxPlus needleless connector, Y-sites and the MaxPort swabable stopcock. Maximus integrates these Tru-Swab components into various configurations of IV administration sets that are cost effective, easy to use and help to improve safety for both the clinician and patient.

Another cost saving strategy for ASCs to utilize is the Maximus product group called MaxEssentials®, a collection of conventional gravity drip administration, extension and secondary sets that bring standardization and its associated cost savings to the ASC. This core group of devices will assist an ASC in its cost reduction efforts, while allowing the facility to maintain clinical superiority with Tru-Swab technology and the high quality standards of the Maximus product line.

Maximus has recently introduced the Tru-Secure® catheter securement device as a time and cost saving device with ASC applications. The Tru-Secure is a cost effective “two-in-one” catheter securement device that provides adequate securement for a peripheral catheter while protecting the access site and allowing full visibility. Tru-Secure is easy to apply, takes less clinician time to properly place than tape and is as cost effective as tape and dressing. It is an important option for a facility to consider in their efforts to streamline procedure processing, reduce costs and ensure patient satisfaction.

How important is product selection? What tips can you offer to help ASCs make the right choice?

Fechtman: Product selection is very important. When comparing competing products for your ASC, be sure to find the cost to keep the equipment running once the initial purchase is complete. This is often overlooked in the initial sale process. Surgical Headlight systems for example require a new xenon lamp and fiber optic cable quite routinely. The Products for Medicine Surgical headlight offers the lamp at $325 for 1,000 hours and $350 for a replacement fiber optic cable, as compared to the competition at $600 every 500 hours for a new lamp and $525 for a replacement fiber optic cable.

Blaser: Product selection is very important, that’s why ASCs should take the time to qualify their vendors to ensure they can deliver what they sell.

Sanders: Product selection is very important to the ASC in helping to reduce costs, conserve storage space, maintain clinical excellence and enhance safety for both clinician and patient. In addition to the MaxEssentials product line, Maximus offers a cost effective, time saving process for ordering custom configurations when a facility requires a specialized solution to resolve a particular problem.

The Maximus “Fast Sets Your Way” Program will take a facility’s exact specifications and deliver a sample for evaluation within two weeks of order placement. Maximus will assemble any combination of components required, from anesthesia assemblies, which call for three- or four-way stopcocks and two- or three-port manifolds, to specialized administration and extension sets using any combination of components. Maximus can incorporate standard, minibore and microbore tubing with the clinician’s choice of a wide variety of drip chambers, flow controllers, check valves, clamps, luers, connectors, filters and many other components to produce the perfect custom product that will satisfy a specific requirement. These products are manufactured to the healthcare facility’s specifications utilizing Maximus’ high quality standards. Once the final configuration is approved by the facility, Maximus will guarantee stock availability based on the facility’s usage estimates. Maximus offers clinical, sales and service support throughout the custom manufacturing process.

With the Joint Commission quality of care standards changing in 2009, what is your company doing to meet those needs?

Blaser: We constantly update our technology and our quality management system.

Sanders: With the enactment of the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goal NPSG.07.04.01 “Implement best practices or evidence based guidelines to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections”, all healthcare facilities are required to ensure steps are undertaken to reduce the risk and incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). One way for ASCs to document their compliance to these new requirements is to initiate the use of devices clinically proven to reduce occlusions and bacteria colonization. The MaxPlus Tru-Swab technology allows the connector’s access port to be appropriately swabbed and disinfected because of its flat, smooth surface. Most needleless connectors have indentations in the hub which even after swabbing can leave contamination. Because the Maximus products are priced competitively, the ASC can standardize to utilizing Maximus connectors, administration sets, extension sets and secondary sets throughout the facility.

In addition to the economical pricing on the devices themselves, the MaxPlus connector, IV therapy administration sets and Tru-Secure catheter securement device reduce complications associated with intravenous access, thereby reducing costs to the ASC.