Abstract
The Local Health Unit Entre Douro e Vouga (EDVLHU) was created on January, 2024, and includes the Hospital Center, and the Health Center Groups.
An organizational model that promotes integrated healthcare management for a geographic area, bringing together primary healthcare and specialized healthcare services under one institution and is responsible for providing healthcare to a population of 340,000 inhabitants.
The vertical integration of healthcare within a single organizational structure is highly complex, both due to the number of stakeholders involved and the geographic dispersion. This integration requires resource optimization, the creation of efficient circuits, and standardization of procedures. Therefore, effective communication, coordination, and collaboration among the various stakeholders are crucial to ensure and enhance synergies. There was an increase of 78 advanced warehouses to be supplied, including: +300 new references; +30% in the volume of existing materials; +6,000 monthly replenishment lines, +200 hours in workload.
GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
Effective and efficient management of stock processes in the new advanced warehouses: To implement good safety practices (standardize the advanced warehouses; reduce the risk of loss and damage of materials; ensure periodic replenishment of all advanced warehouses; To optimize the utilization of storage space, considering the significant increase in new references and the volume of existing ones; To promote productivity and efficiency in the execution of all tasks throughout the supply chain; To contribute to the reduction of waste and redundancies in inventories (minimization of natural resource usage and reduction of CO2 footprint).
Fundamental pillars: training, quality, safety, and innovation: Development of an action plan in partnership with Primary Healthcare and Hospital Care; Visit Primary Healthcare to understand the physical spaces and identify areas; Creation of action lines, taking into account the contribution of professionals from Primary Healthcare; Mapping of materials; Integration of two inventory management software platforms, one related to Hospitals and the other related to Primary Healthcare; Automatic replenishment of stocks, based on consumption; Conducting clarification sessions; Conducting inventories.
Implementation of an integrated stock management circuit, ensuring efficienc: No postponement of any clinical act/attendance due to lack of material, Creation of efficient circuits and standardization of procedures, Productivity and efficiency in the execution of all tasks, Optimization of storage space usage to accommodate the increased volume, Improvement of professionals' satisfaction and well-being. Increase in the community's confidence in the quality of healthcare provided by EDVLHU, Operational efficiency through the integration of information systems and standardized procedures.
It was possible to conceive an integrated, sustainable, efficient, and waste-free circuit, enhancing the service provided in a context of resource scarcity.
Organizing process flows, providing customized solutions tailored to the specific needs of patients, ensuring an improvement in the quality.
Increasing motivation and commitment among professionals to streamline all administrative and operational tasks inherent to logistical processes, consolidating the efficiency of the supply chain.
Making materials for patient treatment available in the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity, and at the right cost.
The sustainability of the supply circuit is reflected through proximity and normalcy.