Storage Systems Unlimited
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Author: Natalie Willis

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Balancing Cost and Quality: How to Budget for High-Performance Storage

Cost and quality are two concerns that often seem to be at odds with each other when it’s time to select a product or service. When it comes to their storage needs, healthcare facilities and organizations want the best product they can get for the price that’s right for them. Much is at stake beyond finances: patient and provider safety, infection control, environmental impact, and much more. Other factors might include functionality, durability, versatility, style, convenience, accessibility, security, and space.

With so many issues to consider, healthcare entities will differ widely on which bins, cabinets, carts, shelves and other storage equipment are best for a given use. Regardless of your needs, attention to these eight guidelines will help you make informed choices that balance cost and quality.

1 | DO your homework.

Market research and in-house consultation will help you define the needs of your department, facility or organization; pinpoint the available options; and determine what you can afford. What designs, materials, features and ergonomics best meet your requirements? Your previous experiences with a given vendor or product line should factor into your current deliberations. Consider the short- and long-term costs of the equipment—a cheaper option that demands frequent replacing or servicing might not be the bargain you hoped for, especially if it affects the safety of patients or staff. Explore whether it makes more sense to purchase a standard, “off the shelf” product or one customized to your specific needs; a custom solution will cost more, but it might easily pay for itself with features that enable better efficiencies.

2 | know your current inventory.

After something breaks or otherwise becomes unusable is not the ideal time to start looking for a replacement. By staying informed on the condition of this equipment, you can prepare for the inevitable wear and tear, obsolescence, and unexpected occurrences so that you are not caught off guard, left without and in a desperate situation.

3 | involve key stakeholders.

Consult with those on the front lines who will actually be using the products. In addition to ensuring that you’re weighing all the relevant factors, they can help you strengthen your case for approval of the needed purchases. Stakeholders may include physicians, nurses, administrators, the board of directors, the purchasing department, accounting and financial departments, and others. They may also include other departments whose requests may either align or conflict with yours. Are these other departments facing challenges similar to yours—and how have they dealt with those challenges? A unified front in the face of a shared difficulty can help everyone involved.

4 | make sure the timing is right.

Timing is everything when it comes to budgets. Plan ahead for your needs so you don’t get stuck playing the waiting game while your needs grow increasingly urgent. Wisely spend the money you’ve been allocated for the current year to avoid losing it, and have a backup plan for how to use that money in case you can’t get your first option.

5 | anticipate objections.

Healthcare organizations are often strapped financially, forcing decision makers to make hard choices. How well can you demonstrate that approval of your request will provide long-term value and sufficient return on investment? Is it compatible with other equipment both within your department and across the organization? What kind of training, technical support and maintenance will be required? Is there a more affordable alternative that will serve the same purpose? And why is this acquisition necessary now? By thinking like the people who hold the purse strings, and asking yourself such questions now, you can be prepared to address potential obstacles to getting what you need.

6 | develop relationships with trustworthy partners.

Look for vendors that have proven track records and that promptly respond to your needs and questions. Do your vendors offer a range of product and service options? Are they willing to work with you to determine the best solutions for your organization and its budget? Does their customer service extend beyond the sale? Do they offer related services such as installation, planning and design, and project management?

7 | keep the patient at the forefront.

More than ever before, the patient experience is at the forefront of healthcare. Your ability to demonstrate to the numbers-crunchers that a given acquisition will improve patient outcomes and experiences can be invaluable to the approval of a given request.

Storage Systems Unlimited offers an array of storage-related products, including bins and panels, cabinets, carts, high-density storage systems, infection prevention, lockers, material handling and shelving. We represent leading manufacturers including Akro-Mils, Blickman, Bowman, Capsa Healthcare, Detecto, Harloff, Metro, InnerSpace, Jeter, Lakeside, LogiQuip, Mass, Pedigo, Pipp Mobile Storage Systems, Quantum Storage Systems, Simplifi, Staxi, TouchPoint Medical, Wanzl and Waterloo Healthcare Medical Carts. Many products are available in varying configurations to fit your budget, with or without a range of accessories.

We also offer installation, planning and design, and project management, making us your one-stop shop for all your storage needs, whether for new construction, remodel, expansion or one-off purchasing, anywhere in the U.S.

Storage Systems Unlimited is a contracted vendor with the following group purchasing organizations: Healthtrust, Vizient, Champs Group Purchasing, HRS (Health Resource Services), PDM Healthcare, Magnet Group and Capstone Health Alliance.

Ensuring Patient Safety and Improving Health Outcomes

For hospitals, preventing harm to patients is just as important as improving patients’ symptoms. In high-income countries like the United States, about one in every 10 patients is harmed while receiving hospital care, according to the World Health Organization, and at least 50% of the adverse events causing patient harm are preventable.

In recent years, increasing numbers of hospitals have committed to patient safety in an effort to protect patients and reduce negative health outcomes. Patient safety efforts often involve campaigns to reduce diagnostic errors, unsafe surgical procedures, and infections. But it may come as a surprise that even a hospital’s storage solutions and room layouts can play an outsized role in ensuring patient safety and boosting health outcomes.

Consider three patient safety risks that can be mitigated with appropriate storage solutions and room design.

1 | Medication Errors

 Research suggests that on average, hospitalized patients are exposed to at least one medication error per day, and those errors are both expensive and potentially harmful to patients. Research shows that every year, in the U.S. alone, between 7,000–9,000 people die as a result of a medication error.

Hospitals have worked to prevent medication errors by implementing systems such as electronic prescribing. However, specially designed medication carts can also make a difference in reducing medication errors and improving providers’ efficiency.

When a hospital pharmacy dispenses all prescribed medications to one medication room, there’s an inherent risk that nurses and other healthcare providers may mistakenly get the wrong medication or the wrong dosage for a particular patient. Software-enabled medication carts eliminate this issue: These carts contain storage drawers that are secured with digital locks, only accessible by authorized users. The correct, prescribed medicines for each patient can be dosed appropriately and securely loaded into the cart. With integrated software, the carts can track who is accessing each drawer, which medications were given and to which patient. This information helps hospitals keep track of every pill, hold providers accountable and keep patients safer.

Storage Systems Unlimited provides a large selection of medication carts that can increase security and reduce errors, improving patient safety and boosting health outcomes.

2 | Documentation Errors

Documentation errors can cause patient injury or even death. For example, when a provider gives a patient treatment or medication and then leaves the room and fails to document their actions, another provider may come in and provide the same treatment again, leading to an overdose. Failure to document treatments, writing illegibly, using the wrong abbreviations and entering information into the wrong chart are all common—and potentially dangerous—documentation errors.

Implementing the use of mobile workstations, however, can help providers improve efficiency and note-taking at the bedside, which can reduce errors. With a mobile workstation, hospital staffers can access patient information, review electronic health records, and enter new data and information right from the patient’s bedside, rather than returning to a stationary computer and having to try to remember everything they did in the patient’s room.

Storage Systems Unlimited provides a wide array of mobile workstations—or workstations on wheels—that can help healthcare professionals boost efficiencies and avoid documentation errors by completing all documentation at the patient’s bedside.

3| Patient Falls

Each year, between 700,000 and 1 million patients suffer falls while in U.S. hospitals, according to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. These falls may result in fractures, lacerations or internal bleeding, and can lead to increased utilization of the healthcare system.

Most hospitals take a number of precautions to prevent falls, but one of the most effective ways to prevent falls starts with proactive design. Research shows that patient room design can increase stability during ambulation, serving as a fall protection strategy for frail or elderly patients. For example, the design and layout of IVs, toilets, storage cabinets and other fixtures in a patient room can make a difference in preventing or reducing falls, researchers found.

Storage Systems Unlimited offers comprehensive design and planning services that consider all environmental features to reduce and prevent falls in patient rooms. Whether the hospital is a new construction project or undergoing a renovation, Storage Systems is available to participate in initial planning meetings to discuss the project details, timeline, budget and other considerations. Our team will conduct an on-site review of any existing space and products to determine whether any current products can be reused. We take measurements and pictures and make notes, coming back to the customer with CAD plans showing the placement of all planned products in every department included in the project design.

Storage Systems Unlimited provides a multitude of storage-related products to help hospitals improve patient safety. We also offer preferred pricing, planning, design, installation and project management for healthcare organization and storage systems. Contact us at 1-888-614-0004 or visit storagesystemsul.com to learn more or request a quote.

Creating Functional and Aesthetic Spaces

In developing storage solutions for healthcare facilities, it’s easy to focus only on functionality. Traditionally, the focus has been only on the healthcare professionals who will be using the supplies. However, as the healthcare industry has transformed to become more patient-centric, facility leaders have become increasingly interested in creating spaces that are also aesthetically pleasing and inviting for patients and their families.

As supply chain professionals work to determine storage solutions in the healthcare environment, it’s crucial to focus on creating spaces that satisfy both functional and aesthetic requirements.

Why Function Matters in Healthcare Spaces

A focus on function is important in designing storage solutions because healthcare staffers must be able to easily access the supplies they need when they need them. In addition, supplies must be tracked carefully and replenished regularly.

Functionality involves the layout of the room, the layout and installation of storage products, and the features and benefits of each product selection.

Why Aesthetics Matter in Healthcare Spaces

Aesthetics play an important role in communicating the attention to detail, organization and functionality of any space, and, ultimately, the perception of quality care being delivered.

Studies have shown that well-designed healthcare environments with a home-like feel can help reduce a patient’s anxiety and stress, speed up their recovery time, and provide a sense of well-being. Healthcare facilities focused on aesthetics often attempt to make their environments feel more home-like and less clinical.

How Storage Systems Balances Both Function and Aesthetics

 At Storage Systems Unlimited, we understand the importance of creating spaces that meet both the functional and aesthetic needs of a healthcare facility. Through our planning and design services, we specialize in helping healthcare clients create spaces that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, meeting the needs of healthcare professionals as well as their patients.

The Planning and Design Process

To launch the planning and design phase, Storage Systems will hold a preliminary meeting with a client to determine the specific needs of the facility. That discussion might include environmental factors such as temperature and humidity; which products will be stored in each area; safety protocols; and needs for sterility, security and inventory tracking. We also discuss whether any current storage solutions can be reused, and how to ensure Joint Commission compliance.

“Storage Systems will always ask if a site visit can be made, or that we be included in design and development meetings,” says Catherine Adkins, project manager at Storage Systems Unlimited. “Our ability to see existing departments allows us to see if existing product can be reused and what current capacities are. We will also ask if an equipment list has been compiled, and if we can have a copy of it.”

After Storage Systems has the drawings or an equipment list, or has made a site visit, we develop a quote for the project. The quote involves selecting recommended storage products for each room or area. “When choosing product for a particular room, we take into consideration the equipment list provided to us, the results of our site visit, how the product will be used and, finally, budgetary restraints,” Adkins says. “Once the quote is complete, we turn it over to our CAD department, which places the product in each room and creates an elevation for each product. We take into consideration all codes that apply to storage products, including ADA, fire codes, OSHA, seismic, and life safety.”

A quote from Storage Systems includes a detailed written quote, architectural drawings and spec sheets to go with each product. Storage Systems is always available for on-site visits to review the quote and drawings, and to make revisions until the client is satisfied with both the quote and the drawings.

Planning and design services aren’t needed just for new facilities; Storage Systems often has the opportunity to work with facilities that are expanding or relocating departments within an existing building. For example, a hospital pharmacy director in Longview, Texas, selected Storage Systems to help relocate the current inpatient pharmacy to another floor in the hospital and expand the space at the same time. The 5,000-square-foot project presented several hurdles based on the existing structure and layout of the planned expansion space, but Storage Systems was able to help the department with both technology and workflow changes to increase efficiencies and safety, including customizing products and creating products that would work around existing facility infrastructure beams.

The pharmacy director selected Storage Systems because of its customer service responsiveness and cost. “We gave a tour of the new pharmacy to our executive management and board members and a repetitive remark was made about the units Storage Systems built for us and how well they looked,” he says.

Storage Systems Unlimited provides all storage-related products for every department with a choice of multiple manufacturers. We also offer preferred pricing, planning, design, installation and project management for healthcare organization and storage systems. Contact us at 1-888-614-0004 or visit storagesystemsul.com to learn more or request a quote.

How to Optimize Storage Spaces to Be More Efficient

Delivering high-quality healthcare depends on having tools and supplies available and ready to use when they are needed. But to provide access to the right supplies at the right moment, healthcare organizations must have those supplies stored properly with the right amount of inventory to avoid both waste and scarcity.

By optimizing their storage space, hospital leaders can effectively tackle the ongoing challenges of inventory and supply management, ensuring that their clinicians will always have access to the supplies they need to provide safe, efficient care. An important key to creating optimized storage spaces is choosing and using the right storage solutions.

High-Density Shelving

 Rather than relying on the traditional shelves and cabinets that may have been installed in your facility years ago, optimize your storage with high-density shelving. These systems are available in manual, mechanical-assist and electrically operated styles, depending on the type and weight of supplies to be stored.

“High-density solutions can more than double your storage capacity or free up space for other uses,” says Catherine Adkins, project manager at Storage Systems Unlimited. “These systems maximize space utilization by eliminating aisles and compacting several storage cabinets or shelving systems into a much smaller amount of space. An aisle or access to your supplies is opened only when and where you need it by easily shifting entire rows of shelving.”

This type of shelving has become increasingly popular for optimizing storage space in all sorts of commercial buildings. Storage Systems Unlimited installs high-density storage solutions in hospitals as well as golf courses, college athletic departments, attorney offices and prisons.

Hanging Wire Baskets

Another powerful product for optimizing hospital storage space is the wall mount louvered panel, which can hold wire baskets. These panels with hanging wire baskets can drastically increase capacity and efficiency in supply rooms.

“By using the wire baskets, you eliminate most of the dust that can collect in plastic bins,” Adkins says. “The wire baskets allow for better line of sight for the nurses and supply chain staff when locating certain supplies.”

Many healthcare facilities use wire shelving, but that can create too much wasted space and lead to wasted resources. Supplies often fall behind the wire shelving and are not found until they have expired. Hanging wire baskets, on the other hand, reduce wasted space all around. The supplies cannot fall behind the louvered panels, so inventory control is much easier. Also, the baskets are available with modular dividers as well as label holders of various types and colors, all of which can help staffers keep supplies organized and readily seen.

Carts of All Types

Aside from shelving and cabinetry, carts are an important product for optimizing storage—and there is a wide variety of carts that can help hospitals better manage supplies. Crash carts are always popular, and hospitals are increasingly using in-room or bedside carts.

“Sometimes the supply room is not conveniently located to all exam rooms or patient areas, and having supplies at the bedside will improve patient experience and increase the time staff can spend with the patients,” Adkins says.

In addition, procedure-specific carts can be helpful during traumas or surgeries, when specific items are needed immediately. For example, these carts may be useful in an ER or OR with cases such as malignant hyperthermia, casting or difficult airways.

Computer carts enable safe, secure and efficient solutions by utilizing technology. Healthcare providers can improve data accuracy and patient safety by using computer carts to deliver high-quality patient care. And with point-of-care solution carts, caregivers can readily enter and access patient information by using secure technology at the patient’s bedside.

Storage Systems Unlimited offers 47 cart types, with dozens of variations for each type. Selecting and using the right carts can be a powerful solution for optimizing storage across your facility.

Customized Design

Because every healthcare facility has unique storage needs and available storage spaces, it can be helpful to utilize customized planning and design services for optimizing storage solutions. For example, Storage Systems Unlimited offers planning, design, installation and project management—and, by leveraging long-standing relationships with numerous manufacturers, can mix and match carts and solutions from various manufacturers to meet the needs of each department.

“We aim to be a one-stop shop for material managers and supply chain managers for hospitals, surgery centers and private physician groups across the United States,” Adkins says. “Our ability to customize any shelf, table or cart ensures that we are providing exactly what the end user wants at very competitive pricing.”

With more than 40 years of experience providing customized storage solutions, Storage Systems Unlimited is able to give recommendations for the entire floor plan in a brand-new hospital and provide consulting on revamping existing storage space that needs to be reshaped or updated.

Six Benefits of Organization

Every day, thousands of items are used in a hospital by various staff members. Some materials must be sterile, and some need to be secured. Others must be in close proximity to the operating room, must be cleaned regularly or need to be readily available to clinicians. 

Organization is the key to managing all this varied inventory and keeping track of individual requirements. However, many hospitals and healthcare organizations struggle to establish and maintain an organized system. In many cases, instruments and supplies are crammed into small spaces that are cramped, unorganized and difficult to access. When doctors and nurses have to spend time searching for the items they need, that means less time providing care to their patients. 

Creating a plan for organizing hospital supplies and instruments can provide important benefits for hospital staff and patients. Consider these six valuable benefits of organization. 

1 | Better Inventory Knowledge

An effective organization system includes inventory tracking. Knowing what you have makes for a more efficient supply chain and limited waste. When hospital supplies are unorganized, there is often a tendency to overstock in an effort to compensate for potential stockout situations—and extra supplies translate into even more overcrowded, unorganized spaces.

On the other hand, when hospitals have an organized supply and replenishment system in place, material managers can quickly gain visibility into current inventory and potential needs. 

2 | Increased Efficiency

When supplies are organized and always available in the right place, hospital staff don’t have to use their time searching for the items they need to care for patients. Organization results in better time management and more efficient outcomes.

The healthcare industry is increasingly focused on doing more, doing it more efficiently and doing it with fewer resources, as evidenced by the new Certified Lean Healthcare Professional (CLHP) designation, says Catherine Adkins, project manager at Storage Systems Unlimited. To earn the designation, healthcare professionals must demonstrate proficiency in various topics including creating a lean culture, understanding process flow, improving process flow, building flow charts, reducing waste, eliminating delays and errors, managing process flow using Kanban, monitoring lean processes, following the principles of lean leadership, and initiating a program of continuous improvement. 

For many healthcare providers, designing and implementing an organization system for supplies is the first step toward building a leaner hospital. 

3 | Improved Patient Care

Streamlining the organization of instruments and supplies doesn’t just make staffers’ jobs easier; it also improves patient care—and patient satisfaction scores.

“From a patient’s perspective, they want to be comfortable and see cleanliness and organization,” Adkins says. “They want the staff to be calm and confident versus frantic and lost. They also want their nurse or doctor to have immediate access to the instruments and tools they need to provide the necessary care and, in some cases, save their life.”

4 | Patient Safety and Regulatory Compliance

When supplies are unorganized, hospitals often over-order supplies because they are unsure about their inventory levels. But with too much supply on hand, some of those supplies will expire before they can be used. And poor organization, clutter and a lack of visibility make it difficult to keep track of when those supplies expire—which can become a liability for the hospital. Using expired supplies can endanger patient safety and make hospitals noncompliant with regulations.

An efficient organization and supply replenishment system, on the other hand, can help ensure that hospitals have just the right amount of supplies at any given time, and that the supplies on hand will be used before they expire. 

5 | Sterile Storage

Regulatory agencies require hospitals to carefully monitor the storage of sterile supplies to avoid contamination. But when hospitals don’t have an effective system for organizing and tracking supplies, meeting those standards can be difficult. A standardized organization system can automate the process of monitoring and guaranteeing sterile storage compliance.

6 | Simplified Staff Training

Consistent organization within a healthcare system helps create systematic processes, and the system can use these processes to train new hires and maintain consistency for travel nurses rotating within the same system or even within the same hospital, Adkins says.

“Healthcare providers are seeking to collaborate with suppliers in new ways to address system integration, industry consolidation and economic pressures,” she says. “Pressure on margins for hospitals is intensifying and may require creative cost management solutions to sustain procurement in the short term as well as the long term. Eliminating wasted product and time is critical to the success of a hospital.”

At Storage Systems Unlimited, we provide all storage-related products for every healthcare department with a choice of multiple manufacturers. We also offer preferred pricing, planning, design, installation and project management for healthcare organization and storage systems. Contact us at 1-888-614-0004 or visit storagesystemsul.com to learn more or request a quote.

Health on Wheels: How Medical Carts Are Transforming Care Delivery

Timely and efficient delivery is an essential component of high-quality healthcare—and that delivery can benefit from access to a good set of wheels.

Medical carts of all shapes, sizes and functionalities are transforming healthcare delivery at a pivotal time when nursing departments, emergency departments and surgery centers are struggling to do more with less. In the face of nursing shortages, increased expectations and overworked staffs, carts ease the strain while boosting productivity. Most important, they facilitate positive patient outcomes.

When minutes or even seconds count, an optimized workflow is invaluable. Carts significantly reduce wasted time and wasted energy by giving clinicians instant access to the instruments, medications, supplies and information they need to do their jobs effectively. In ERs and ORs, particularly, the difference is potentially lifesaving as well as load lightening.

What a Good Cart Can Do for You

Today’s best healthcare is integrated, collaborative and timely. It crosses disciplines, it demands the sharing of vital information, and it responds appropriately to the urgency of the situation. It also is becoming increasingly mobile and flexible—adapting in real time, when necessary, to confront new challenges that arise.

Rolling medical carts and workstations are up to the challenge of providing responsive and portable care, expanding the range of diagnostic and treatment possibilities when space or other resources may be at a premium. When staff have on hand everything they and their patients need, they avoid making multiple time- and labor-consuming trips across the facility to obtain supplies or information.

Whatever the need, simple or complex, if it’s related to healthcare delivery, there’s probably a cart that can be easily integrated into the workflow. From transporting items to connecting stakeholders, carts reduce delays and eliminate gaps. Technology-enabled carts can increase communication and collaboration across locations. (Telehealth works, as the pandemic forced providers, patients and payers to acknowledge.) Those involved in a patient’s care can share information in real time, wherever they are, with nurses and physicians recording digital notes immediately at bedside. Clinicians now have tools that allow them to observe patients remotely and make assessments that guide their treatment. Similarly, a patient’s family can meet virtually with the care team and specialists. The right cart can help make it all possible.

Determining the Right Cart for You

So what cart is right for you? Whatever your situation, you want a cart that is:

  • Built for your specific needs. Customization is key to equipping your facility with the carts that will best meet your healthcare requirements. What kind of drawers, bins or other storage do you need? Are you looking for versatility or specialization? Do you need digital technology support for capturing and communicating real-time information?
  • Easy to transport. If mobility is important, you want wheels and casters that roll smoothly, getting your cart to where it needs to be as smoothly as possible.
  • Easy to access. For those who are authorized, easy access—to medicine, supplies, electric power, computer applications, information—is a must. Carts can be equipped with power sources and with software that manages access and permissions and tracks activity.
  • Safe and secure. The same tools that allow access by those who need it can keep out those who do not, protecting patients and limiting risk.
  • Durable, ergonomically designed, space conscious and easy to clean. Carts should be rugged enough for everyday use, designed for safe and efficient use, convenient to store, and a snap to keep clean and disinfected.

Whether you need medication carts, anesthesia carts, isolation carts, crash carts, bedside or point-of-care carts, IV fluid carts, endoscopy carts, supply or utility carts, you want a product you can rely on time after time. Even better, you want a supplier who is ready to help you define and meet your needs, from supply delivery to diagnosis and testing, from emergency response and infection control to facilitating prescriptions and discharge documents. Your staff and your patients deserve to experience the transformation that the right cart can bring to high-quality healthcare delivery.

At Storage Systems Unlimited, we offer a wide array of carts from manufacturers including Armstrong Medical, Blickman, Capsa Healthcare, Harloff, Innerspace by Solaire Medical, InterMetro, Lakeside, MASS, Quantum, TouchPoint Medical and Waterloo. We are your One-Stop Shop for storage-related products for every healthcare application: shelving, workstations, cabinets, plastic products, stainless steel and more. Contact us at 1-888-614-0004 or visit storagesystemsul.com to learn more or request a quote.