I imagine the topics on the cover of this month’s magazine tipped off all our readers as to what this edition is all about: automation. This topic was suggested by many of our readers and listeners of our podcast, Healthcare Hodgepodge.
The three feature stories featured in this edition cover sourcing and logistics, infection prevention, and sterile processing and how automation is making an impact in these three departments across the hospital. The healthcare industry is still facing a shortage of workers and an increased demand in care due to an aging population, and many leaders at hospitals and health systems are looking to automation to ease these burdens and others.
My article this month covers automation in the healthcare supply chain. I had a lot of questions for the experts I interviewed, particularly about the landscape post COVID, as our industry moved incredibly quickly into the automation space.
Chris Luoma, chief strategy officer at GHX made an excellent point about automation and the COVID-19 pandemic. He said, “As healthcare moves to a wider range of locations beyond hospital walls, extending supply chain automation is becoming increasingly important. The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t introduce new automation, but it did significantly accelerate its adoption. Before the pandemic, it was business as usual—manual processes, face-to-face interactions, and paper-based systems. By the end of that same week, the world shut down. Suddenly, hospitals had to operate remotely, and paper was no longer an option. This forced a rapid shift toward automation solutions.”
And now that the technology is readily available, the demand for automation only continues into 2025 as hospitals are facing increasingly tight budgets. Automation can help hospitals reduce operational costs—automating tasks like inventory management can assist with ensuring that supplies are replenished in a timely manner and avoid stockouts or overstocking. This reduces waste and ensures that resources are utilized efficiently.
Most importantly, automation empowers healthcare workers to deliver more effective and compassionate care. My article can be found on page 8.
Does your hospital or health system have a success story surrounding automation? I’d love to hear your story and feature it on our podcast. Reach out to me directly at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Janette Wider | Editor-in-Chief
Janette Wider is Editor-in-Chief for Healthcare Purchasing News.
