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NewsJune 10th, 2010 June 2010 Carenet Newsletter
GS1 Standards Continue to Earn Support from Healthcare Sector Canadian Healthcare Sector Set to Implement GS1 Standards GS1 Canada Initiatives Featured at Leading Canadian Healthcare Events GS1 Canada Presents 2010 Annual Clinical Services Supply Chain Conference Saskatchewan Takes Leadership Role in Modernizing Healthcare Supply Chain New Industry-Developed Implementation Guides and Education Opportunities Available Just Released! 2010-2011 GS1 Healthcare Reference Book Development Underway for Canadian Healthcare Product Short Description Standards Member Profile: Mohawk Shared Services Addition to the Carenet Healthcare Board Executive Committee Strategic Governance Board Appointments Additional Industry Representatives New to GS1 Canada Sector Boards Stakeholder Collaboration Drives Supply Chain Standards Project ForwardSince 2008, the Canadian healthcare community has taken a leadership position in supporting the GS1 Canada-led Canadian Healthcare Supply Chain Standards Project, the two-phased national initiative set to drive adoption of consistent, global supply chain standards. Through the Project, the healthcare community is working to enable electronic procurement and invoicing, systems interoperability and healthcare product traceability across the Canadian healthcare sector. The Supply Chain Standards Project has been enormously successful, resulting in the development of the framework to realize a wholly integrated healthcare Highlights of the Supply Chain Standard Project’s Phase 1 include:
The significant momentum generated is set to continue in Phase 2, when the healthcare community turns its focus to the implementation of the e-supply chain standards and processes established in Phase 1. GS1 Canada will continue to support the healthcare sector through the Canadian Healthcare Supply Chain Standards Project to enable many of the major transformations required to modernize the Canadian healthcare supply chain – set to enhance patient safety, reduce medical errors, and enable supply chain efficiencies. GS1 Standards Continue to Earn Support from Healthcare SectorOn May 14, 2010, the Healthcare Supply Chain Network (HSCN) announced its support of GS1 standards – specifically the Global Location Number (GLN) to standardize location identification and the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) to standardize product identification. Both the GLN and GTIN provide the healthcare sector with the ability to standardize the identification of products and locations, enabling traceability and data synchronization through the supply chain. Canadian Healthcare Sector Set to Implement GS1 StandardsFollowing the success of the first phase of the Canadian Healthcare Supply Chain Standards Project, Phase 2 is set to begin and focuses on supporting and assisting Canadian healthcare facilities as they move to implement the industry-developed e-supply chain standards and processes developed in Phase 1. In order to implement healthcare supply chain standards efficiently and effectively, Phase 2 of the Project has been divided into the following three key areas:
Canadian healthcare facilities are set to implement standardized EDI transaction sets with enhanced communication capabilities, including guidelines regarding product and location standards – that is, the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and Global Location Number (GLN) – in a phased approach. For the launch of Phase 2, GS1 Canada will work with a first wave of healthcare facilities, suppliers, and technology solution providers to enable EDI implementation. As well, GS1 Canada-established industry groups will be leveraged to manage ongoing maintenance of the EDI transaction sets developed in Phase 1, to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the Canadian healthcare system.
As a community builder, GS1 Canada will continue to bring together relevant stakeholders to establish several committees and groups to assist the Canadian healthcare sector as it moves towards implementing standards into internal business processes. Soon-to-be established industry groups include an advisory committee of industry executives to provide guidance to the sector in transitioning to the use of supply chain standards, and a technology solution providers committee, which will assist with the integration of standards into software solutions, ensuring compatibility among all trading partners. GS1 Canada will also continue to provide education and training on the implementation of industry-developed standards via education modules, support materials and meetings.
Organizations in the healthcare sector, from healthcare institutions to suppliers to technology solution providers, are also set to carry out data synchronization activities using the GS1 Canada-managed Canadian Healthcare Product Registry, with GS1 Canada working with the community in a phased approach to implementation. In order to implement data synchronization and the necessary product and location standards to do so, GS1 Canada will establish a committee of healthcare sector representatives that have accountability for trading partner data synchronization activities to assist in driving implementation. Leadership from this committee will drive the realization of efficiencies that can be gained through effective product listing processes. The standards development process of Phase 1 of the Supply Chain Standards Project has been unanimously supported by the Canadian healthcare sector, enabling the Project’s momentum to continue as implementation begins in Phase 2. For more information on the Canadian Healthcare Supply Chain Standards Project and how to get involved in industry groups, contact Rob Bell, Director, Healthcare, GS1 Canada at Rob.Bell@gs1ca.org. GS1 Canada Initiatives Featured at Leading Canadian Healthcare EventsHSCN National Healthcare Supply Chain Conference
GS1 Canada was onhand to support speakers and Carenet Healthcare Sector Board Co-Chairs David Loukras, Provincial Director, Performance, Integration & Transformation, BC Health Authority Shared Services and Jacques Chaput, Manager eCommerce, Baxter Corp. Mr. Loukras and Mr. Chaput provided presentations that included information on the 2010 Global Location Number (GLN) Sunrise Date, the industry-agreed deadline to adopt the GS1 GLN standard by December 31, 2010. Get more information on how organizations can prepare for the 2010 GLN Sunrise Date. The three-day forum offered 284 attending healthcare decision-makers the opportunity to discuss and debate some of the challenges and leading practices in healthcare supply chain management. Other GS1 Canada Carenet Healthcare Sector Board members that made presentations at this conference included Stephen Dibert, President & CEO, MEDEC, Guy Léger, Executive VP Operations and COO, Facilicorp NB; and Jitendra Prasad, Senior VP Supply Chain, Alberta Health Services. GS1 Canada Presents 2010 Annual Clinical Services Supply Chain ConferenceGS1 Canada’s Director of Healthcare, Rob Bell, delivered a presentation at the third Annual Clinical Services Supply Chain Conference held on April 16, 2010 in Toronto on the Canadian Healthcare Supply Chain Standards Project – National Product Registry. The presentation provided conference attendees with an overview of GS1 Canada and an update on the Canadian Healthcare Supply Chain Standards Project – the initiative working to drive national adoption of consistent, global supply chain standards to enable electronic procurement, interoperability and traceability across the sector. Hosted by The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and the BPS Supply Chain Secretariat of Ontario’s Ministry of Finance, the conference was attended by over 100 decision-makers focused on improving clinical services supply chain efficiencies and improving the quality of patient care and patient safety. Saskatchewan Takes Leadership Role in Modernizing Healthcare Supply ChainIn March 2010, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health demonstrated proactive healthcare leadership via its $50,000 grant towards Phase 1 of the GS1 The Supply Chain Standards Project will help Saskatchewan meet specific recommendations outlined by Commissioner Tony Dagnone’s report, For Patients’ Sake, as part of the Patient First Review project. The Patient First Review project was initiated by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health in November 2008 to gauge the province’s residents’ opinion of healthcare service delivery and to explore ways to improve the patient experience in the province. Commissioner Dagnone’s report provided recommendations on functional e-healthcare for patients and the establishment of a provincial shared services organization (SSO) that would help to realize significant savings for patients’ tax dollars and were presented to Saskatchewan’s Health Minister Don McMorris in October 2009. As Canadian governments seek ways to effectively manage the increasing costs of healthcare delivery, there is an immediate need for provincial healthcare facilities and their respective suppliers to subscribe to consistent, interoperable supply chain standards to exchange product data – including adopting related implementation tools and guidelines. Such measures are critical to achieving cost efficiencies, patient safety and increasing the capacity of healthcare providers to focus on patient care delivery. Saskatchewan’s contribution to the Supply Chain Standards Project comes on the heels of Dale Markewich, Vice President, Corporate Services, Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) appointment to the GS1 Canada Carenet Healthcare Sector Board in November. Read more about Mr. Markewich’s participation on this Board. New Industry-Developed Implementation Guides and Education Opportunities AvailableNow Here! Canadian Healthcare EDI Implementation Guidelines, version 6010 After 15 months of detailed technical business process review, six Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) healthcare transactions sets are now available for adoption and use in the healthcare sector as part of the Healthcare Implementation Guidelines for EDI, version 6010. The guidelines were built upon industry consensus to enable trading partners with the tools to use healthcare-specific EDI transaction sets to enhance data accuracy and supply chain efficiencies across the country. Since 1990, providers and suppliers have been communicating using previous versions of the EDI guidelines. Now updated, national guideline version 6010 is essential to achieve successful EDI adoption in Canada, which requires a standardized approach among healthcare providers, manufacturers, distributors, group purchasing organizations (GPOs), and solution providers. Get more information on how to access version 6010 of the EDI Implementation Guidelines. New Healthcare Education Module Available GS1 Canada has recently released a new, no-cost educational module for the Canadian healthcare community, Electronic Product Code™/Radio Frequency Identification (EPC/RFID) in Healthcare. Participants will learn how to improve organizational performance by using global standards for bar codes, EPC/RFID, and track and trace technology. Get more information on how to access this education module. Healthcare Bar Code Scanning Equipment Selection Criteria Guideline Now Available GS1 Canada has released the Healthcare Bar Code Scanning Equipment Selection Criteria: A guide to choosing appropriate scanning equipment for healthcare. This guideline will assist those responsible for the selection and procurement of appropriate bar code scanning equipment for their unique healthcare facilities. Read the Healthcare Bar Code Scanning Equipment Selection Criteria. Just Released! 2010-2011 GS1 Healthcare Reference BookOn May 17, 2010, the global GS1 office released its second annual GS1 Healthcare Reference Book, which features articles written by healthcare supply chain experts from around the world to discuss industry developments regarding GS1 standards and e-supply chain adoption initiatives. The Canadian case study featured in this year’s GS1 Healthcare Reference Book was contributed by Doris Nessim, Director of Pharmacy Services, North York General Hospital in Toronto, Ontario and member of the GS1 Canada Healthcare Pharmacy Board. The article – Automating the medication use process: North York General Hospital Pharmacy Services – provides an overview of North York General Hospital’s medication bar coding strategy that set out to reduce potential medication errors at the point of care and to streamline the hospital’s pharmacy operation processes – leading to the pharmacy’s endorsement of GS1 standards. Read the 2010-2011 GS1 Healthcare Reference Book; for Ms. Nessim’s case study, go to page 17. Development Underway for Canadian Healthcare Product Short Description StandardsThe GS1 Canada Healthcare Product Description Standardization Work Group is currently developing standardized, Canadian guidelines for product short descriptions. Once developed, product short descriptions will be of immense benefit to hospital providers in managing content internally, and will provide clear and concise information to their healthcare staff to support accurate product sourcing for clinical procedures. Short descriptions can also be used in databases created by manufacturers and their trading partners in order to communicate accurate, standardized and up-to-date product information electronically. Product short descriptions will be readable expressions of a trade item or service and are:
The Healthcare Product Description Standardization Work Group is made up of industry leaders and is led by the following co-chairs:
In addition, the Work Group is collaborating with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and includes Peter Roman, Project Manager, Operating Room Supply Chain Project, who represents the OHA. GS1 Canada will inform the healthcare community when the product short description standards guideline is released. For more information or to join the Healthcare Product Description Work Group, contact Rita Laur, Director, Standards, GS1 Canada, at Rita.Laur@gs1ca.org. Member Profile: Mohawk Shared ServicesSusan Smith, General Manager of Mohawk Supply Chain Services and new GS1 Canada Carenet Healthcare Sector Board member, recently invited GS1 Canada to its facilities to provide staff with updates on healthcare supply chain standards – such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) transaction sets, the Global Location Number (GLN) and the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN). “The purpose of the meeting [with GS1 Canada] was to ensure that my staff is up-to-date and aware of present and future supply chain standards,” explains Ms. Smith. “Just as our member hospitals continue to generate electronic purchasing to achieve supply chain efficiencies, Mohawk [Supply Chain Services] must ensure that as we implement new systems and business processes in our day-to-day tasks, we always keep in mind that we must be thinking of ways to incorporate the GS1 [System of] standards.” As one of the nine shared services organizations (SSOs) in Ontario, Mohawk Supply Chain Services covers the following provincial areas in addition to St. Michael’s Hospital in downtown Toronto:
The SSO is comprised of 15 hospital organizations at 28 locations and is responsible for sourcing and delivering products for 5,000 hospital beds. A recent move has consolidated Mohawk Supply Chain Services’ staff and operations into one location in Burlington, Ontario. The following services are provided by the organization to their member hospitals:
GS1 Canada will be continuing to meet with other SSOs to keep these organizations apprised of healthcare supply chain standards development in Canada. Along with Mohawk Supply Chain Services, presentations have been made to Central Ontario Healthcare Procurement Alliance (COHPA) and Champlain Local Health Integration Network. GS1 Canada Board AppointmentsNew Carenet Healthcare Sector Board Co-Chair David Loukras, Provincial Director, Performance, Integration & Transformation for the British Columbia Health Authority Shared Services Organization (SSO) was appointed Co-Chair of the GS1 Canada Carenet Healthcare Sector Board in March 2010. This Board seeks to improve cost efficiencies and patient safety across the Canadian healthcare system by advancing the use of global GS1 supply chain standards. In his current capacity with the British Columbia Health Authority SSO, Read the press release on Mr. Loukras’ appointment as Co-Chair. Addition to the Carenet Healthcare Board Executive CommitteeSusan Smith, General Manager, Mohawk Supply Chain Services (MSCS) has been appointed to the GS1 Canada Carenet Healthcare Board Executive Committee. The Executive Committee proactively identifies opportunities to address supply chain inefficiencies by incorporating GS1 standards, and oversees the operational and strategic direction of the GS1 Canada Carenet Healthcare Board. In her current role with Mohawk Supply Chain Services, Ms. Smith is responsible for the overall operational and strategic management of Mohawk Supply Chain Services. The organization provides sourcing, contract management, warehousing and logistics for 15 member hospitals in south central Ontario. Read more on Ms. Smith’s appointment to the Board and hear what she says about patient safety and the importance of the GS1 System of standards in Healthcare. Strategic Governance Board AppointmentsThe following industry leaders have recently been appointed to the GS1 Canada Strategic Governance Board (SGB):
The above additions to the SGB are part of GS1 Canada’s ongoing governance to ensure comprehensive industry representation on the Board, as well as relationships with leading associations such as the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors (CCGD), Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies ( Rx&D), and the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CCTFA). Read the press release on GS1 Canada’s SGB appointments. Additional Industry Representatives New to GS1 Canada Sector BoardsCarenet Healthcare Sector Board
Foodservice Sector Board
Healthcare Pharmacy Sector Board
General Merchandise Sector Board Apparel & Hardlines
Read more on the above additions to GS1 Canada sector boards. Welcome to New MembersRogue Data Corporation (RDC) – RDC is a Canadian software company providing custom messaging solutions to high end clients. Since 1996, RDC has serviced several verticals – including government, transportation, logistics, retail and the healthcare supply chain. RDC also offers consulting services in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) compliance, workflow analysis, integration and message-driven system design. Biomet, Inc. (Biomet) – Biomet designs, manufactures, and markets products used primarily by musculoskeletal medical specialists in both surgical and non-surgical therapy. Biomet’s product portfolio encompasses reconstructive products that are distributed in more than 90 countries. Upcoming Healthcare EventsGlobal GS1 Healthcare Conference Save the Date!Healthcare Industry Meeting The Canadian and U.S. healthcare sectors are transitioning to the use of GS1 Global Location Numbers (GLNs) and GS1 Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) by the industry-established sunrise dates of December 31, 2010, and December 31, 2012, respectively.
Registration details to come!
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