HOW EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS SUPPORT EXCEPTIONAL, COST-EFFECTIVE HEALTHCARE Case Study 2, continued and notices if a surgeon is upset and can say, ‘I’m here. As the partnership with Surgical Solutions progressed, I’ve got what you need.’ This partner has the experi- Baystate Health enjoyed rapid operational and finan- ence to anticipate and preemptively solve problems. cial improvements. When describing the benefits, It’s like a 24/7 concierge service. That makes everyone Casey states that the workflow problems are gone: feel more comfortable, which creates trust and then “Equipment-related cancellations in MIS and robotics leads to identifying and addressing more problems. are non-existent,” she says. “There are no more prob- Surgical Solutions didn’t just bring equipment-related lems with trays. We’re saving money on supply costs best practices—it brought leadership and improved and no longer having issues with breakage of expen- the culture of the OR. And the intent of all of that is to sive, delicate instruments. Most importantly, we now better care for the patient.” have people with great knowledge and expertise trou- bleshooting equipment issues. That lets our staff stay in “It’s not just about cost savings or improved turnover the room and care for the patient.” time. What I was looking for [in a contract partner], and what I found, is a partner who cares about Although those improvements are significant, Casey is customer service. . . . This quality of partnership is quick to note that the biggest benefits from the part- difficult to find.” nership went beyond operational changes to important intangibles like customer service orientation and the Although many vendors can offer knowledge, Casey ability to spur culture change. points out that few provide the intangible support she wanted for her health system. “This quality of partner- “It’s not just about cost savings or improved turnover ship is difficult to find,” she says. “It sometimes seems time,” explains Casey. “What I was looking for, and what too good to be true. But it’s working for us.” I found, is a partner who cares about customer service Partnerships for the future model is helping health systems reduce costs and Today’s health systems are at an inflection point. improve care. “Traditional business models no longer guarantee suc- cess,” says Dawson. “Indeed, old models may position “Surgical Solutions believes in this model,” adds a hospital for failure.” Dawson. “We have made a significant investment into building best-in-class operations and developing By contrast, and as the case studies in this whitepaper protocols in cutting-edge equipment and technology. illustrate, contract partners allow modern ORs to adapt We’ll continue to make these investments and to form to changing needs. In doing so, the hospital-contractor superior partnerships.” 8