Lack of available space in storage areas is a common problem hospitals face. This was the case at one hospital in Pennsylvania. The staff felt that their supply areas needed to be reevaluated, and materials needed to be relocated to create an organized, efficient environment. After the successful implementation of a brand new cart fleet within the hospital, it came to the attention of the critical care manager at the facility, that the hospital required additional storage. To help find the best solution, The team contacted Metro rep Jack Pavelko.
“The facility's critical care manager was ecstatic to get personalized attention from the Metro team, and my ability to meet him in person solidified our professional relationship.”
Jack stated that this relationship and the facility’s past work with Metro made it easier for the two to decide on the best storage solution.
The Challenge
The staff at the hospital faced challenges in their supply rooms. The vast number of materials that the staff needed to store had outgrown the space available within the designated storage areas. The medication room was especially lacking the space required to store all necessary medication and resources. Specifically, the team was looking for a storage solution that could hold large amounts of dialysis fluid. Due to the nature of what was being stored, the solution also needed to be secure.
To properly hold the dialysis fluid, the team wanted a solution that would be :
- Mobile
- Lockable
- Large enough to hold sizable volumes
of 5-liter bags of Fluid
This lead the critical care manager at the facility to recall another storage solution he encountered at a different hospital. The Starsys XD cabinet from Metro.
Starsys XD Cabinet
The Starsys XD cabinet is designed to take on massive storage needs securely while providing organization to make inventory easier. Starsys XD has added space to accommodate longer items and facilities use the cabinet as a part of their two-bin storage approach. Starsys XD comes in a variety of pre-configured options to choose from. If your facility is looking for something more specific Starsys units are also highly customizable.
Starsys XD cabinets offer a polymer outer construction that won’t rust, dent, chip, or peel as it is used.
Facilities have the choice of non-locking, key-locking, or electronic pin locking security add-ons to the unit. Electronic locks also have an auto relocking option that will lock automatically if the cart is left unattended for a designated period.
The flexibility and options available made Starsys XD an excellent solution for this storage project.
The Solution
Jack got to work right away, trying to take the information the critical care manager provided to create the ideal Starsys XD solution for the facility.
“When we first conversed, he thought his choices were confined to pre-configured models on the web/in the catalog. I told him that I could design the cabinets custom to his requirements (within reason, of course). He was elated that he could choose different types of configurations, locks, and door fronts..”
After going through multiple options, the critical care manager chose a Starsys XD cabinet with clear doors and an auto-relocking system.
“I had done a few iterations of the design for him, with solid front and with clear front, and with different lock options," Jack stated. " He decided on the clear front and the auto-relocking pin lock (which came out last year). He said these are the two features he LOVES the most about the units.”
The facility went on to purchase two cabinets to handle the storage
of the dialysis fluid in the hospital.
The Result
After partnering with Jack, the facility not only had a brand new fleet of Starsys carts, they were also able to find a secure and organized way to handle supply crowding in their medication storage areas.
The staff was happy with the implementation of the Starsys XD Cabinets within the hospital. The critical care manager went on to relay to Jack that he thought the Starsys XD cabinet was brilliant and the best solution to their storage issue.
Here is what the critical care manager pointed out as the best aspects of their custom Starsys units.
The clear-front design makes inventory easier because it provides the staff an immediate visual of what is in the cabinet.
Staff and management love the added safety of the auto-relock feature.
The mobility made it possible to place the cabinet where it is most needed.