Vital spokes in the healthcare delivery wheel

Each year Healthcare Purchasing News provides information on what’s brand new and still tried and true in the cart and workstation category. Our goal is to help healthcare workers (HCWs) find the most suitable and cost-effective products available to help them do their jobs as efficiently, safely, and comfortably as possible.

This year’s roundup includes a snapshot of the different types of carts and workstations HCWs use in various settings and why these essential items are evolving to make healthcare delivery a better experience for both patients and workers.

Keyless, connected, convenient

Kari Gumbiner, Product Manager, Armstrong Medical Industries, said wireless technology is making the use of keys to secure carts and workstations obsolete. “The technology offered with the Armstrong Wireless cart allows for managing wirelessly from a central location. From the Pushbutton keyless cart, to the Electronic Auto-Locking cart and even the Wireless Auto-Locking cart, efficiency of workflow is achieved,” she said. “Time is saved by not requiring each cart to be updated separately with personnel changes. The cart features a LCD display which provides the cart status and allows for on-screen programming. The optional controlled substance drawer allows access to specific staff only. Along with the remote management of the software, the audit trail records when and by whom the cart was accessed. This creates accountability for important medications including narcotics and ensures only the proper staff can access the drawers.”

Midmark 6282 Standard Duty Wall Mounted Care Exchange Workstation

Capsa Solutions LLC also makes mobile carts that allow clinicians to access electronic medical records at the point of care. “The newer generation of carts include built-in software for improved communication and remote cart fleet management,” added Liz Delp, Senior Marketing Manager. “CareLink Mobile Nurse Workstations elevate mobile computing to the next level. N-Sight remote fleet management with no software to install or maintain, allows for remote configuration and upgrades, asset monitoring and utilization. CareLink provides a secure, versatile connection between the IT and nursing staff.”

CareLink Mobile Nurse Station by Capsa Solutions LLC-Rubbermaid Healthcare

Justin Bjorum, Product Development Engineering, InnerSpace, a STANLEY Healthcare company, said “Consumers expect all of their products and devices to ‘talk’ to each other and provide data at the push of a button. Medical carts are evolving the same way and we can now wirelessly send status updates about where they are, if they were left locked or unlocked, and who accessed the supplies. Our goal is to reduce the steps and time required to access supplies and products in order to maximize the time that medical staff can spend with patients. We do this by offering features such as proximity card access to unlock the carts, auto-locking drawers, and anti-slam auto close slides.”

InnerSpace Series Harmony cart by STANLEY Healthcare

Eric Schuldt, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, LogiQuip, said the company’s QT Cart Series are available in several heights and widths to accommodate available space while supporting the nursing staff environment. Available in a manual key or electronic locking system with proximity card and Wi-Fi options, the carts come with drawer configurations that can be varied to accommodate storage needs, and pullout shelves expand the work surface to accomodate different clinical procedures or for computer laptop support. “Actual customer feedback cites these advantages: better height, pull-out shelf for extra space, ability to set a functional timeout to lock drawers, tactical feel of the keypad, dividers are easy to use, quiet casters that are easy to push, quiet-close drawers, potential to use other methods of login other than the keypad,” Schuldt said.

QT Cart Series by LogiQuip

Chris Art, Clinical Product Manager, InterMetro Industries Corporation, said the company’s powered and non-powered procedure carts with computers can assist with ED overflow and anesthesia. “By combining two staples, point-of-care workstations and procedure carts, clinicians can access patient information as well as supplies and equipment needed to treat patients, maximizing space in the facility,” he said. “Numerous hospitals are seeing increased patient volume, and the space to treat them in traditional settings is becoming scarce. To meet supply and equipment needs, a broad product portfolio of configurable solutions helps a facility maximize space constraints and deliver optimized storage. Introductions of wireless user management software provide healthcare facilities a greater level of efficiency and control when managing their cart fleet by allowing administrators to remotely manage users and cart configurations. Metro’s cart solutions, such as Flexline, Lifeline and Starsys, are highly maneuverable and durable exceeding the rigors of daily use.”

Metro Flexline with Computerized Anesthesia Package

Portable, comfortable, capable

Kylen Cieslak, Associate Director of Marketing, Carstens, said making patient rounds while managing electronic devices, patient records, and medical supplies requires that workstations and carts transport easily from room to room. “Carstens’ WALKAroo 7920 Slimline cart keeps productivity rolling, even in smaller rooms or busy areas,” she said. “The cart’s compact design, streamlined features and maneuvering ease is ideal for getting into tight spaces to reach patients for assessments. The cart comes with an adjustable monitor mount, a built-in handle, and convenient storage compartment.” Plus, the cart’s seamless work surface and aluminum base also make it rust-proof and easy to clean with optional accessories, such as glove box and wipe holders to help reduce the spread of infection.

WALKAroo 7920 Slimline cart
by Carstens

“Healthcare professionals face greater challenges than ever before, including urgency and responsibility in a strenuous working environment,” said Greg Ramey, National Sales Manager, Sovella Inc. “With ever-increasing efficiency requirements, the well-being of healthcare personnel is key to delivering high quality care and achieving the desired results. Ergonomics have become increasingly important. Line of sight and ease of reach have become critical aspects of workstation use. With the use of computer monitors, comes the need to position these ergonomically (correct angle of view, height adjustability, etc). LED lighting can now be incorporated above the workstation or under shelves. Workstations are also now available in motorized height adjustment, allowing multiple users to use the same workspace, and allowing for sitting or stand up work. Sovella’s healthcare line of workstations and carts provide ergonomic workspaces to improve worker efficiency.”

Sovella Inc.’s Mobile Workstation MLC405

Jonathan Sabo, Vice President, Marketing, DETECTO, said the company’s new Whisper and Rescue carts were built on clinical customer input and marketing feedback. “We routinely poll nurses for their industry input into what they’re looking for in the way of mobile medical storage,” he said. “DETECTO’s Whisper carts feature the latest in wipe-down hygienic design, completely-sealed drawers and whisper-quiet rolling convenience which provides optimal patient satisfaction. Taking a page from high-end cabinetry found in homes and commercial kitchens, the Whisper carts feature soft-close drawers that gently glide shut, so nurses can simply bump the drawer closed with their hip while both of their hands are full. These carts incorporate ergonomic design with modern aesthetics, 360-degree rotation for tight corners, steering locks, and ABS bumpers to protect all four corners when bumped against the wall. DETECTO’s carts are manufactured from quality steel cart body construction that is powder-coat painted for durability with easy-to-clean ABS countertops. The keyed or EMG breakaway central lock secures all drawers at the same time for added convenience. We feature an EMG breakaway lock on the red ER crash carts, so clinical personnel never need to search for a key when a patient is coding and can simply cut the plastic tie with a pair of scissors.”

DETECTO’s Whisper brand medical carts

Sterile processing support

In the sterile processing category, Ryan Baldwin, PhD, Product Manager, Washer-Disinfectors and Cart Washers, Belimed, said high volume and increasing case variety are influencing today’s cart design. “Case carts are evolving to be easier and more comfortable to move around and features like heat resistant handles are essential for protecting the user and allowing faster use after drying,” he said. “With bariatric and robotic instrument sets, carts need to be deeper to hold larger tray sizes; workstations require more examination tools and PC support features to enable the clinician to thoroughly inspect and catalog complex instruments. Improved features such as vertical handles on carts and height adjustability on workstations help to ensure a better, more ergonomic work environment for healthcare workers. Accessory items such as footrests and task lights make clinicians’ jobs easier and more comfortable.”

PB3060 Adjustable Height Prep and Pack Table by Belimed Inc.

In addition to increasing storage capacity, Rob Freedman, President and CEO, Blickman Inc. added that today’s carts also need to accomodate limited space, tracking activities, and longer transit times. “We offer heavy duty ergonomic roller shelves to accommodate these heavier container sets,” he said.”Since space is always an issue in today’s medical facilities, space-saver carts are something we offer to meet customer needs. Our carts can also be customized to integrate with innovations at work throughout the hospital. We have fabricated carts with special chassis to integrate with facility’s Automated Guided Vehicle systems. This customization allows each cart to be robotically transported, thereby reducing labor demands. Barcode readable tracking is another feature that is more in demand. Another concept is in the highly customized nature of carts built for demanding ‘over-the-road’ applications. This concerns centralized SPD facilities that serve multiple hospitals and require the carts to be transported on a trailer from the facility to the satellite hospitals. These carts need special door closure mechanisms, heavy duty casters, heavy duty hinges and more.”

Blickman Inc. Multi-Purpose Case Cart

Dan Gusanders, President, Pure Processing LLC, said his comapny’s workstations promote smoother movement and are height-adjustable to keep SPD staff comfortable and productive. “They also need to provide benefits that reduce total steps, such as providing extra storage capacity that can reduce trips,” he said.”Any impact it can have on supporting reprocessing compliance is an added value to the department. Our newest mobile cart, the PureStation Mobile Four Tier Cart, is a transport and staging unit that easily accommodates up to four PureStation Sink Inserts. It’s ideal for tight reprocessing departments that need to optimize vertical storage and create a pre-cleaning staging area for multiple scopes. The stainless steel Four Tier cart can be used to collect and safely transport scopes from multiple rooms in a single trip, or to stage multiple scopes waiting to be cleaned. As soiled scopes soak, covered, in the three lower sink inserts, the top insert can act as an additional processing station during peak reprocessing hours.“

PureStation Four Tier Transport Cart
by Pure Processing LLC

Polishing the EVS image

Jeff Amrein, Director, Brand Marketing, Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP), said carts used by environmental services staff should make tough cleaning jobs easier and more efficient while presenting a professional appearance. “Buyers expect equipment to be truly commercial grade, stand up to abuse, and contribute positively to the overall health and well-being of workers, patients, and other staff members,” he said. “Additionally, there is an increased focus on the perception of ‘image’ in hospitals and other commercial environments. Historically, things like carts were very utilitarian in nature — delivering the functional benefit or delivering something from point A to point B but nothing more. Now, EVS directors and facility managers take great lengths to ensure cleaning/ops staff are not intruding on the guest/patient experience in any way.” Funtional yet inconspicuous, RCP’s Executive Series carts feature quiet casters, concealed supplies, and muted colors.

Executive Janitorial Cleaning Cart-High Security by Rubbermaid Commercial Products

“With the importance of patient satisfaction scores, the image and professionalism reflected by the environmental services team is important, and having a work station that reinforces that image is important,” said Carolyn Cooke, Vice President, Healthcare, NA, Sealed Air Diversey Care. “Disorganized carts, or those with trash bags hanging off the cart, may not reflect the image required in today’s competitive healthcare market. The TASKI Mobile Work Station (TMWS) is part of a complete cleaning system, an integrated approach that seamlessly incorporates tools, chemicals and processes to deliver improved cleaning results and an enhanced facility image.” The Work Station has dedicated areas for cleaning tools, chemicals and consumable supplies as well as locations for gloves, other personal protective equipment and wet-floor signs to help drive greater compliance to safety protocols. “During an extensive study, workers using the TMWS also exerted up to 80 percent less effort when using the system, and were able to increase the speed of patient room cleaning by up to 30 percent,” Cooke said.

TASKI Mobile Work Station by Sealed Air Diversey Care

Versatile storage

David M. Phillips, Marketing Manager, Hänel Storage Systems, said the company’s vertical storage carousels provide high-density storage for areas with limited space. “The Hänel Rotomat vertical carousel is essentially a Ferris wheel inside a box, and its compact construction enables up to 60 percent more storage capacity, which frees up existing floor space and eliminates the high cost of renovation or new construction,” he said. “Many hospitals and surgical centers have adopted the vertical carousel for sterile and clean storage for Central Sterile Processing and in the Operating Room, as well as for patient records, x-rays, lab samples, pharmacy and even laundry.

Rotomat vertical storage carousel
from Hänel Storage Systems

Hänel vertical storage solutions bring sterile and clean supplies to the hospital staff, rather than the hospital staff needing to search for those supplies. The staff no longer needs to walk through rows of carts, searching for the necessary supplies, and then stooping or climbing on stepladders to reach them.” 

Spider Shelving by Rousseau Métal Inc.

Rousseau Métal Inc. offers storage solutions for customers who need added flexibility. “Our shelving offers a complete system with accessories and a lot of possibilities,”said Eliane Lavoie, Communication Agent. “The polycarbonate doors are actually great for healthcare as the user can see what is inside without opening the doors. We also offer accessories like hook and perforated panels. It’s also possible to add drawers in the shelving to optimize the space available and put dividers inside to organize objects. It’s always possible to add more shelves and add accessories or remove them from the shelving system when you don’t need them anymore. Our drawers, which open at 100 percent, optimize the space available.” HPN