Healthcare supply chain management and SSS: Partners in successful reprocessing

At Stryker's Sustainability Solutions (SSS), we know that efficient supply chain management is critical to a hospital’s bottom line and to its patient care. Today, we’re working with supply chain teams at roughly 3,250 health care facilities across the U.S. and Canada to ensure that our reprocessed medical devices are on hand and can flow seamlessly into physicians’ hands when needed. In the past five years alone, our reprocessed medical devices have supported the health and well-being of 90.8 million patients.¹

Medical device reprocessing: a critical link in supply chains

Medical device reprocessing is a valuable practice for hospital supply chain management teams. Reprocessing allows hospitals to reduce expenditures on single-use devices by reusing approved devices.¹ Because reprocessed medical devices are regulated by the FDA and must meet strict safety and quality standards, cost savings can be achieved without compromising the quality of care. 

Benefits start with the bottom line

Over the last five years, our partnerships with healthcare supply chain managers have saved hospitals $1 billion.¹ Those savings can go a long way toward helping hospitals allocate resources more efficiently and invest in critical areas. Reprocessing also plays a huge role in helping hospitals reduce waste² and meet their commitments to environmental sustainability goals. In the last five years, Stryker Sustainability Solutions’ partnerships with healthcare facilities have diverted 26 million pounds of waste from landfills.¹

Collaboration, collection, success

At SSS, we dedicate an entire support team to each of our partner facilities to help health care supply chain management maximize and standardize device collections throughout the hospital. Together, with hospital staff, our teams determine optimal collection points, manage communication and training within the hospital and ensure the timely removal and replacement of containers. We understand that the sooner we collect used devices, the sooner we can get them back into inventory, reducing the risk of stock-outs. Over the last five years, our collections have resulted in the successful reprocessing of 145.2 million single-use medical devices.¹

Managing inventory for cases

A successful reprocessing program can also be instrumental in helping health care supply chain managers optimize inventory management. Programs give supply chain managers greater visibility and control over the inventory required for cases. In addition to reducing waste¹ and optimizing storage, this allows supply chain managers to be more strategic in purchasing decisions and to command better pricing from suppliers. Money saved can be redirected to patient care, equipment upgrades or other crucial areas.

Give your hospital’s sustainability goals the green light

Health care supply chain managers wear many hats. At SSS, we work hard to make sure reprocessing doesn’t add to their workload. Instead, we focus on helping our partners streamline workflows, reduce costs, improve inventory management and maintain high quality. We believe that reducing a hospital's carbon footprint is a natural by-product of smart business decisions that include the high-quality medical device reprocessing that only SSS provides. 

Want to learn more about how SSS help your facility implement a reprocessing program? Connect with SSS today by filling out the form below. An experienced SSS representative will reach out to you. 

¹Internal Data 

²AMDR. (n.d.). Best practices from top reprocessing hospitals. https://amdr.org/portfolio-items/best-practices-from-top-reprocessing-hospitals/