Sanford Health Sterile Processing Case Study

This case study documents the efforts of the Sanford Health Fargo Sterile Processing team to optimize physician preference cards, achieving over 90% accuracy. The initiative involved collaboration with Supply Chain and Perioperative teams, focusing on automating data capture and closing the data loop on preference card picking cycles. The team faced challenges such as significant waste and inefficiencies due to unused items being prepared for surgical procedures. By implementing an automated, data-driven approach, Sanford Health aimed to eliminate waste, maximize human resources, and improve patient care and safety. The project resulted in $1.4 million in savings through inventory reduction alone. The case study outlines the journey of the team, including obstacles faced, solutions implemented, and lessons learned, providing best practices for other health systems pursuing similar optimization efforts.