Time is a limited resource, especially at surgery centers. ASCs can free up time for clinicians by combining the supplies used most often into a procedure pack, streamlining operations and reducing supply costs, according Mandie Shipp, senior consultant in clinical operations for healthcare supply chain company Cardinal Health.

ASCs can pressure vendors to be more price-transparent, according to Ann Castro, vice president of non-acute sales for healthcare data insight company BroadJump.

Independent practice coalition Strategic Radiology entered into a vendor agreement with Neurologica to provide discounts to outpatient imaging centers.

Modernizing Medicine upgraded its EHR platform, EMA, providing users with better price transparency and patient engagement tools.

Cheryl Poplaski, Vizient's senior director of supply chain operations, outlined what ASCs can do to prepare for supply chain disruptions.

As more surgeries transition to the outpatient setting, ASCs are under increased pressure to have the necessary supplies and support available to nurses and surgeons to meet increasing demands. 

Physician brand loyalty is one of the biggest challenges for ASCs that want to optimize supply chain operations, according to Westchester, Ill.-based Regent Surgical Health.

Here are four recent supply chain partnership and software releases:

Medical technology company Carlsmed is developing a surgical workflow platform for spine deformity intervention through a merger with Precisive Surgical.

ASCs can cut costs by controlling how supplies are shipped, according to FreightCenter's Terese Kerrigan, director of marketing communications.

Hospital-based supply chain strategies often work for ASCs too, said Molly Ehrlich, Vizient's consulting director of advisory solutions for supply chain operations.

HealthBanks and athenahealth entered into a partnership to provide HealthBanks' patient engagement solution to clinicians.

Casetabs, a developer of cloud-based surgery coordination technology, has received $3 million in funding for its surgery coordination application.

Educating ASC staff on supply chain best practices can be fun, according to Quorum Purchasing Advantage Vice President Tony Bramer.

EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, a specialty biopharmaceutical company, has appointed Wendy DiCicco to the company's audit committee and board of directors.

Alpharetta, Ga.-based Surgical Information Systems Chief Nursing Officer Ann Geier, RN, shared three tips on the company's blog for ASCs looking to improve inventory management.

Ospitek, a developer of software for ASCs, has launched its View surgical center management platform.

Alpharetta, Ga.-based Surgical Information Systems Chief Nursing Officer Ann Geier, RN, shared tips for ASCs to improve inventory management practices on the company's blog.

Beverly Bryant, MSN, RN, administrator and director of Yuma (Ariz.) Endoscopy Center, shared supply chain insights with Becker's ASC Review.

Fewer hospital purchasing managers are buying supplies from Amazon than last year, according to a survey from UBS Group AG cited by Bloomberg.