Lennart Eltzholtz and I had the privilege of giving a presentation at the 5th Nursing Management Congress. Many thanks to Helene Maucher and Robert Jeske for the great organization and moderation.

Thank you to the 70 participants for our survey.

The results of the survey? Terrifying!

❔ Our question: Cooperation between the nursing and purchasing departments works well in my hospital…
1% Excellent
35% Smooth
48% Needs improvement
15% I can’t say

❕ The larger the clinic, the worse the cooperation.

What does nursing want most? Quite simply: more exchange between care & purchasing. Transparency about decisions and processes.

Our goal with the lecture: To do a little something for mutual understanding.

Our opinion: It can only work if purchasing attaches importance to close and transparent cooperation.

The key messages of our presentation:

💡 The fewer products, the simpler the logistics, the more binding the commitments to suppliers.
💡 Purchasing must be included in all discussions with industry. It’s nice when the sales rep visits you at the station, but of course he wants to sell his product.
💡 Purchasing must know exactly what is needed and requires a neutral description of the problem to be solved!
💡Nursing must be aware that the industry invests a lot in marketing and this naturally influences the willingness to buy, whether one therefore always makes the best choice for the hospital is another question.

💡Care can help avoid waste. If a package is not torn open carelessly, it saves money.

☝ Our favorite topic? Not everyone can have a say in product selection. Clearly define in the hospital who gets to decide on which product groups and how. Of course, the physician has to have a say when it comes to a defibrillator, but does he have to do the same for a glove that 90% of the hospitals in a purchasing group already use?

💡Are you annoyed at the station because products don’t work properly? Report it to purchasing! Purchasing can only act if it knows the problems.
💡Look into the consumption evaluations every now and then! Why is consumption increasing? Put your needs to the test.

☝And in the end, remember, in large clinics, purchasing is quickly responsible for more than 50,000 products. Purchasing cannot be more knowledgeable about so many products than the users. So let purchasing share in your knowledge. Make rational decisions together.

Many caregivers sent us questions! We answer these in a podcast. If you have any questions, please send them to info@healthcarebrain.eu by 29.09.2023.

In March 2023, ChatGPT 4.0, a significantly enhanced version of the AI Chabot, was released.

Since then, interest in applications based on artificial intelligence (AI) has continued unabated.

One thing seems clear: the rapid development of AI will revolutionize the way we work. Today, however, much like when the first personal computers (PCs) were sold in 1974, we hardly know the real, disruptive potential of this technology!

There is great potential for application in medicine in particular AI enables computers to perform intellectual tasks that were previously reserved for humans.

The technology is based on self-learning algorithms that analyze large amounts of data to train and continuously improve models.

In the current issue of Klinik-Einkauf (issue 4 I August 2023), we give an overview of what AI can already do in purchasing & logistics today and what recommendations we have for you on how to deal with AI. Exclusively for the article in Klinik-Einkauf magazine, a special podcast episode HealthCareBrain with Dr. Kerstin Stachel and Lennart Eltzholtz on AI in purchasing & logistics will be released on 8.9.2023.

AI in purchasing and logistics: fields of application and benefits

In purchasing and logistics, AI opens up numerous opportunities for optimization and increased efficiency.

Some application examples are:

1. Make predictions about demand and requirements
2. Analysis of delivery times, transport costs and stock levels
3. Suggestions for improving supply chains
4. Potential savings in purchasing can be identified by processing prices, supplier information and contracts.
5. Identify risks early by analyzing data such as supplier ratings, payment delays, and quality issues

Specialized AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, help classify items and create bills of quantities.

However, it is important to emphasize that AI does not replace shoppers, but acts as a support to complete routine tasks more efficiently.

AI will not replace human labor, but complement it. By looking at AI as a partner, we can expand our capabilities and fully exploit the potential of this disruptive technology.

Our recommendation:

1. Systematically deal with the new technologies.
2. Use them to increase your efficiency.
3. Uses them to complete monotonous tasks or routine activities.
4. Create policies in your hospital to maintain privacy and information security.
5. Not AI will do your job, but people who can handle AI!

They are allowed to grow beyond themselves and develop their potential. That is exactly what personnel development is! 💡📖

Personnel development is my passion and what is particularly important to me and what I pay attention to, I tell you in #KnowledgeBite8.

The special thing:

🙂 🙂 I made a video for you: https://youtu.be/0m_qrhWx2-0?feature=shared 🙂 🙂 🙂

And for all those who are in a hurry: Here are my key messages in brief.

1st question: Who does personnel development?

There are four options:

1️⃣ Self-development: Each individual is responsible for his or her own development.

2️⃣ Central HR Department: The HR experts are responsible for personnel development.

3️⃣ Managers: Managers are responsible for their own personnel development.

4️⃣ There is a central personnel development department. She works closely with the executives. Clearly, this is my favorite. The better the cooperation, the better the result.

👉 Prerequisite: There is a human resources strategy that is aligned with the company’s strategy. 👈

What does the HR department do?

The HR strategy is developed together with the company management. It is the basis for determining the competencies and skills needed to achieve the company’s goals.

🗝 Special attention is paid to management development. After all, managers are the key to success. 🗝

If managers know how leadership works and succeed in developing their employees, imparting values to them and aligning them to achieve the company’s goals, then corporate success will follow.

Other key tasks: The HR department is a sparring partner for executives. Takes care of training and further education as well as overarching familiarization concepts.

The role of the manager

✍ The manager should know the strengths and weaknesses of his or her employees in detail and promote them in a targeted manner.

✍ She should know exactly what competencies and skills are required in her field.

✍ She should be able to communicate clearly, give honest and factual feedback and – if necessary – also make unpleasant decisions.

✍ The manager is involved in the personal development of each individual employee in his or her team. 🌱🌎

Want to know more? Then check out my video on youtube: https://youtu.be/0m_qrhWx2-0?feature=shared

I look forward to hearing and reading from you!

How do you experience the role of staff development in your everyday life? What positive/negative examples do you know?

In the PDF you will find the slides from the video.

👥 #Personnel development #Hospital management #Leadership

The hard magic: revenues up and costs down….

Revenues up!

🧚‍♂️ The magic formula: Quantity * Price 🧚‍♂️

in other words, more patients, more severe cases, higher prices.

Showstoppers:

🛑 Falling case numbers throughout Germany. So it’s whisking patients away from other hospitals.

🛑 More severe cases? Of course, if the technical equipment is available and the quality and structural specifications are met and, of course, there are enough patients and staff.

🛑 Higher prices: Prices are set by the legislator. No chance for the magicians. Or new professional field for all those who can steer politics in the right direction with the power of thought (or argument?!).

Costs down!

It’s simple: Conjure away personnel and material costs and conjure up a modern infrastructure with low energy and logistics costs…Conjure up tertiary services such as cleaning, food supply, …..günstiger

Showstoppers: inflation, rising wage and energy costs. Old buildings, structural requirements and intensive audits by health insurers. Minimum Wage….

But clearly our magician can do it (ok a little bit) and then comes the real magic…… 💫

Curtain up for a beautiful reporting system that enchants and is even more beautiful even better even better than the last versions…

an even better lecture on the exploits ….

🤥 Our magician hopes that the facade does not crumble, hopes that the outcries of doctors and nurses do not become even louder….

Yes staff shortage, closed beds, specialist for this and that is missing….true, but that can be overlooked or?


No! You can not!

✍ Adequate funding is needed for hospitals to remain on the grid now, not in 2026.

And of course, there is a broad consensus that fewer hospitals are needed. However, this must not be left to chance. Smart regional concepts must be developed under the leadership of the federal states.

✍ Hospitals need well-trained managers, real HR managers who understand how to guide people through change and create excellent working conditions.

💫 Who knows the magician, the conjurer, the expert or the scientist, 💫…

👉 that finally makes our politicians rethink,

👉 who ensures that bureaucracy moves out of hospitals and digitalization moves in?

👉 who makes the hospital what it should be again: a place where people are allowed to put their heart and soul into caring for patients?

If you / he meets them make sure that he is not chased away 😉
What do you/they think about how to proceed?
#hospitalmanagement

As a leader, you’re there,
✍ when everyone is already at home,
✍ hold your head down when something has gone wrong,
✍ you know the soul of your employees and get the best out of them

make sure of it,
✍ that your employees will survive the one or other valley of tears well,
✍ that they believe in themselves even when the situation seems hopeless,
✍ that visions become reality.

In short:

As a manager, you serve your employees and your
✍ make them better people.
✍ makes them grow wings.
✍ Make sure they get better than you.
✍ enable them to achieve things they never thought possible.

💥 In short: You are catalyst, personal developer, coach, listener, storyteller, motivator, doer…. 💥

You ask yourself: Where am I? Where do I get my strength and energy every day?

✍ You take pleasure in the growth of others.
✍ You are happy about your successes.
You are grateful that you can make the world a little better.

What could be more beautiful?

Too dreamy? Too idealistic?

That is my understanding of leadership.

How do you see it?

Image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay

Of course, a lot of people every day. At this point we would like to thank our new and old teams, our colleagues and business partners.

Of course, we draw most of our inspiration from our numerous projects from our everyday work in purchasing and logistics.

Some books, podcasts, magazines, and influencers are with us more often than others, inspiring us to create new ideas and projects, leaving a lasting impression on…

Take a look at our KnowledgeBite No. 6 and learn more.

Who or what inspires you? Do you have any tips for us on what we should definitely read, who we should follow?

We look forward to your recommendations!

Have a successful and inspired week.

Image accompanying blog post by John Hain on Pixabay

We’ll show you how to use questioning techniques to become a better negotiator.

And yourself? Which question do you prefer to ask or go answers? What type of question do you find difficult to formulate? Share your experience with us.

Learn more in our knowledge bites. Every Monday knowledge from our book briefly and precisely prepared for you.

Want to know more about negotiations? Then listen to our podcast now in episode 2 is all about negotiations.

There are many books. But only a standard work for purchasing and logistics in hospitals.

Image accompanying blog post by Eli Digital Creative on Pixabay

Grow in your personality, become a better negotiator and develop your employees better.

Want to know more about how personalities impact negotiations? Then read the relevant Chapters in our book or listen to our german podcast:

🎙 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eZpxQrRR
🎙 Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/esY3e

Learn more in our knowledge bites. Every Monday knowledge from our book briefly and precisely prepared for you.

Image to the blog post by Oli Götting on Pixabay

There are many books. But only a standard work for purchasing and logistics in hospitals.

What’s your experience with procurement law? What tips do you have? Write us your experience.

Learn more in our knowledge bites. Every Monday knowledge from our book briefly and precisely prepared for you.

There are many books. But only a standard work for purchasing and logistics in hospitals.

Image to blog post by izoca on Pixabay