“Although this was a resource and time intensive exercise, the effort was worth it because of the very positive and encouraging results, and further potential for savings.” - Dr Jin Ho

Simple changes lead to big cost savings

Dr Jin Ho, Head Division of Gastroenterology at Lions Gate Hospital believed that there were significant potential savings within the Endoscopy Unit’s expenditure - he just needed the time and resources to help him prove it and execute change.

Sourcing more efficient equipment, products, costs

With funding from the Physician Engagement committee, Dr Ho gathered a small team of two nurses to price equipment and accessories used by the Unit.

They then put out bids to vendors, negotiated prices, trialed new products, gathered feedback and implemented changes that resulted in savings without compromising quality and patient care.

Unit orders instead of central orders

The team now order some of the Unit’s supplies instead of it being the responsibility of the Medical Device Reprocessing (MDR) Unit.

MDR recognized that Unit staff have a better idea of the quantity of supplies needed. The change saw items ordered in a timelier fashion, and avoided over-orders and being left with expired, unused supplies.

Result and impact: sustained cost savings: $90,000 annually

The Unit is now saving almost $90,000 each year from the changes implemented and they have identified possible further savings of over $50,000 a year, by potentially switching to a new provider for endoscopic accessories.

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