Central Hospital Supply
Central Hospital Supply (CHS) promotes the mission, vision, and values of the organization by providing medical and patient care materials throughout the NIH Clinical Center. The staff in CHS not only delivers supply to the patient care units it is their duty to decontaminate, inspect, package and store medical supplies in support of the NIH Research effort. CHS conducts its services in an effective and professional manner using industry standards and recommended practices. CHS achieves excellence in customer service by providing safe and timely products for patient care support. Through its seven-day-a-week operation, CHS provides medical-surgical supplies in a cost-effective, accurate and timely manner for clinical care and protocol support.
Inventory Management
The Inventory Management Section (IMS) diligently works to identify and eliminate waste of materials through continuous improvement in pursuit of perfection. IMS plans, forecasts, manages, controls, and maintains the right medical and surgical supplies and equipment in stock for patient care and clinical research. The Inventory Management Section coordinates supply needs with the Clinical Center (CC) staff in conjunction with Central Hospital Supply (CHS) and the Nurse Consultant Service within the department. Additionally, the IMS is responsible for review, coordination, procurement, receiving and the delivery of stocked and non-stocked supplies, services and equipment required for routine clinical use and urgent medical need to support Clinical Center activity for both direct patient care and clinical research efforts.
Storage and Distrobution
Storage and Distribution Section (S&D) receives, warehouses, stores, and distributes bulk supplies and equipment. This includes counting and inspecting items received, and properly documenting such actions in the NIH computer system and the MMD Lawson Inventory Management system. S&D is also responsible for managing the MMESD Moving and Distribution contract whose duties include set-up support to the CC Special Events Section, as well as emergent Patient Care moving services. S&D is responsible for, and has authority as the operational center for the B2 Loading Dock; and the impact of these associated activities on the Bld10/CRC complex related to distribution activities. This authority extends to the Building 10/CRC Complex in assuring safe and efficient services to the occupants of this Complex.
Environmental Services
The Environmental Service section maintains environmental and infection control standards within established policies and procedures. The staff performs a variety of general cleaning tasks to maintain patient rooms, offices, hallways and other assigned areas including: (1) the NIH CC including the outpatient and clinical areas in the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center, (2) all space in the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center), (3) the Edmund J. Safra Family Lodge, and (4) the Children's Inn. In addition, the staff is also responsible for checking and replenishing all disposable supplies daily as needed (e.g. soap, paper towels, toilet tissue) in all assigned areas.
Biomedical Engineering and Property Management
The Biomedical Engineering (BIOMED) and Property Management Section manages the maintenance, calibration, safety, and performance monitoring of clinical and nonclinical equipment and ensures that all clinical equipment meets regulatory agency(s) regulations and industry standards. The section gathers data and formulates, with the help of the Department Head, the Capital Replacement Plans for each department in the Clinical Center. The section works closely with MMESD's Nurse Consultant and other pertinent Clinical Center committees in forecasting, planning, and integrating current and future clinical equipment requirements for researchers. BIOMED strives to promote patient safety by: the selection of appropriate medical equipment for clinical care and treatment of patients; effective preparation and competencies of staff responsible for the use or maintenance and repair of the equipment; third, continuous availability of safe, calibrated equipment; assuring that CC property is accounted by decaling; reviewing shortage reports; and ensuring that passes or loans from separated/ transferred employees are valid so that patient and/or clinical research data integrity is maintained. BIOMED tracks all patient care equipment which includes a variety of highly specialized, protocol-driven medical-surgical items for specific research-related needs of Clinical Center departments and other Institutes and Centers within the NIH. BIOMED responds to about 3,400 unscheduled service requests annually, processes more than 500,000 medical supply requisitions per year, and provides quality assurance for all operations. Equipment property assets are also managed, which includes protecting, managing and controlling these items by: performing property inventories; maintaining the inventory through the NIH property system; labeling, surplus, and disposing of property properly; and coordinating the training of Clinical Center-wide departmental property custodians. BIOMED maintains approximately 16,027 items valued at $113 million.