With ongoing staff shortages and rising costs, hospitals and health systems are looking for ways to do more with less. Product changes, standardization and fewer suppliers can help enhance efficiencies, reduce costs, and ultimately, improve care. The challenge is getting busy clinicians together to test and discuss new product offerings.
Advantus Health Partners, a supply chain solutions company that also has a group purchasing organization, had planned to send 45 clinicians from one of their large hospital systems to Medline headquarters in September for an in-person product fair—a standard opportunity to see, touch and learn more about the company’s various offerings. However, staffing, time and cost constraints made the visit impossible.
Pivoting to a hybrid event
Instead, Advantus Health Partners and Medline quickly pivoted, creating a two-day hybrid product fair showcasing 150 supplies to more than 200 clinicians across 11 locations. The products, representing 11 perioperative and general medicine categories—from surgical instruments and accessories to urological, central venous and orthopedic goods—were sent in advance to participating clinicians. To execute the hybrid event, Advantus Health Partners secured a large conference room where Medline subject matter experts conducted live demonstrations and discussed the various products and capabilities. Simultaneously, the product demonstrations were livestreamed so clinicians across the 48-hospital system could engage as well as see and test the physical product samples.