Reducing Some Disposable Costs - Suggestions

[NICURNforLife]

I have been put in charge of looking at and evaluating all of our disposable products. Now you know as well as I do, that I don't have time to meet with thousands of sales reps just to hear how their product is better and cheaper. Of course, I need to have the preliminary numbers together within three weeks and I'm frantic so I'm hoping I can depend on all of your expertise to help me out.

Without burdening you with a list of 10 thousand items....we have limited this request to our top 5 because this is where we are having discrepancies between supply chain and quotes vendors have given us. Please keep hospital name anonymous for this survey. I really appreciate ALL of your help.

#1: Colostrum Feeding Container:

Make

Price per case

How are they packaged (individually or in a small grouping)

How may do you give mom?

#2: 80 ml Breast milk Collection Container

Make

Price per case

How are they packaged (individually or in a small grouping)

How many do you give mom? Especially if her baby is in the NICU? How many do they go through a day?

#3: Let's say after 6 months you didn't like item # 2 anymore, could you request supply chain to order you a new 80 ml collection container or are you bound by contract? and for how long?

4. My supply chain manager is down my throat about the breast pump kits that we give out to the moms upon delivery if she chooses to breast feed. Apparently the kits we use are ridiculously expensive and so I ask you all, 1) What pump do you prefer and how much do you pay per pump kit?

5. And finally...we just got spoken to by an accrediting body for note having a milk warmer and now we are looking into both on the market. There is one warmer my staff preferes because the science is there to back it up and the liner price is pretty. For those of you who have warmers, how many liners comes in one case and what is your case cost?

Thanks again everyone for helping a sister out!

Cindy

[firstinfamily, RN]

I really cannot help you with the individual questions as I have never worked in Postpartum or L & D. However, question #4 that deals with the breast pump issue I feel I can contribute to from the views of a breast feeding mother/patient. I was given a manual breast pump from the hospital back in 1985 when I had my first child who was breastfeeding successfully when we were discharged from the hospital. I was also given a kit for the huge breast pump machine used in the hospital. Both of these devices were used diligently and I would not have had such a successful breast feeding experience if they were not given to me. My insurance did pay for these devices, it was not like the hospital "gave" them to me. Later, I ended up buying my own battery operated breast pump, but it never worked as good as the manual one the hospital gave me. I would not have had such a successful experience if these items were not available to me from my hospital. Public relations should be more important than the cost of such equipment that is being provided to breast feeding mothers----the benefits of breast feeding for the infant should out weigh any cost. Is the hospital willing to assume a higher rate of infant admissions because of endorsing a less nutritious/beneficial method of feeding?? I know you want numbers to crunch, but also consider the benefits of breast feeding as one of your weapons to challenge with!!!

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

recycle pulse ox probes... not sure if your unit already does.