Surgical Materials Specialist

Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:30pm At Children’s, the region’s only full-service pediatric healthcare center, our people make us the very best for kids. Come cultivate your passion, purpose and professional development in an environment of excellence and inclusion, where team members are supported and deeply valued. Opportunities for career growth abound as we grow our services and spaces, including the cutting-edge Hubbard Center for Children. Join our highly engaged, caring team—and join us in providing brighter, healthier tomorrows for the children we serve. Children's is committed to diversity and inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer including veterans and people with disabilities. A Brief Overview The Supply Chain Surgical Materials Specialist is a key member of the supply chain and surgical support team, responsible for managing the accurate and efficient flow of materials within the Operating Room (OR) and Catheterization (Cath) Lab environments. This role focuses on optimizing supply chain processes to ensure that high-quality, sterile medical supplies, and equipment are always available to support surgical teams and meet patient care standards. Working at the intersection of supply chain operations, clinical needs, and regulatory compliance, the Specialist plays a vital role in controlling inventory costs, minimizing waste, and supporting patient safety. They are accountable for overseeing inventory replenishment, ensuring accurate case supply picking, managing expiration dates, and conducting comprehensive tracking and documentation of tissue and implantable devices in compliance with FDA regulations. The Specialist also serves as the primary point of contact for OR and Cath Lab teams regarding supply issues, providing critical support to ensure that surgeries proceed without delays or disruptions due to supply shortages. This position requires a detail-oriented professional with strong organizational and analytical skills, as well as a deep understanding of clinical supply needs, regulatory requirements, and inventory management best practices. The Specialist works closely with OR/Cath Lab supervisors, clinical staff, suppliers, and the broader supply chain team to establish and maintain optimal par levels, respond quickly to urgent supply needs, and adapt to changing surgical demands. By balancing operational efficiency with stringent quality and safety standards, the Specialist directly contributes to the effectiveness, safety, and success of surgical procedures. Essential Functions

• • Oversee the replenishment process for all OR and Cath Lab pars to maintain optimal stock levels. ◦ Determine and set par levels for each surgical supply item, based on historical usage data, surgery schedules, and anticipated demand in the OR and Cath Lab. This ensures a well-stocked inventory that aligns with expected patient needs without overstocking, which can lead to unnecessary costs and increased expiration risk. ◦ Continuously monitor inventory levels to identify when supplies fall below the established pars, triggering the replenishment process to maintain stock consistency. ◦ Work closely with suppliers and procurement teams to manage supply ordering and restocking timelines, especially for critical, high-use, or specialty items that must be readily available. ◦ Support par utilization and updates for Out Patient Surgery Center
  • Surgical Case Supply Management: ◦ Ensure that all items required for scheduled surgical cases are correctly documented in the MMIS, allowing for precise case costing and accurate supply availability. ◦ Work closely with clinical staff to ensure all items in the system reflect the most current surgical needs and preference cards, adjusting data as surgical techniques, tools, or equipment evolve.
  • Replenishment and Inventory Optimization: ◦ Continuously assess the surgical case supply list to avoid overstocking or understocking, balancing supply availability with inventory costs. By refining case-picking lists and eliminating redundant items, the Specialist can reduce instances of unopened and unused supplies, which may otherwise contribute to expired inventory or increased costs. ◦ Implement First-In, First-Out (FIFO) principles during case preparation to prioritize the use of items closest to their expiration dates, particularly for high-value or short-lifespan items like sterile products and implants. ◦ Manage expired items across the Sterile Inventory, Sterile Processing Department (SPD), Operating Room, and Cath Lab, ensuring compliance with safety standards and minimizing waste. ◦ Manage the Implant inventory and Consignment inventory.
  • Data and System Accuracy: ◦ Ensure the accuracy and completeness of item data within the Supply Chain Information Systems, with attention to expensing, charge capture, and billing needs. ◦ Regularly update the MMIS (Materials Management Information System) to maintain accurate records for surgical case supplies. ◦ Conduct periodic audits of the MMIS data to identify and correct any discrepancies or inaccuracies that may affect inventory counts, expiration tracking, and billing. ◦ Generate regular reports on supply usage, expiration trends, and stock levels to provide insights for forecasting and cost management. These reports support decision-making for supply ordering, budgeting, and identifying areas for potential savings.
  • Supply Chain Clinical Integration: ◦ Coordinate the daily ordering, restocking, and case-picking activities for Operating Room (OR) supplies to meet scheduled surgical demands. ◦ Collaborate with OR clinical staff to ensure preference card accuracy, facilitating efficient case picking and reducing waste from unused supplies.
  • Supply Cost Management and Collaboration: ◦ Partner with OR Managers and Supply Chain teams to implement cost-saving initiatives, ensuring efficient use of resources without compromising quality. ◦ Act as the primary liaison with sales representatives, addressing supply inquiries and coordinating new supply needs. ◦ Support VA and OR/SPC collaboration committees by adding new items and contributing to supply chain strategy discussions.
  • Project Management and Support: ◦ Engage in ongoing projects aimed at enhancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the OR/Cath Lab supply chain. ◦ Collaborate with key stakeholders, including Supply Chain, OR Managers, and Educators, to support OR supply chain improvement initiatives.
• • FDA Tissue Tracking & Compliance: ◦ Verify and document the receipt of all tissue and implantable products upon arrival, ensuring each item is correctly logged in the FDA Tissue Tracking system with detailed information, including batch/lot numbers, expiration dates, and supplier data. ◦ Inspect packaging and labeling for accuracy, verifying that all required FDA-compliant information is present and intact, and coordinate with suppliers to address any discrepancies immediately. ◦ Organize and store all tissue and implantable products in designated, temperature-controlled areas in compliance with storage guidelines to maintain product integrity. ◦ Regularly monitor storage conditions to ensure they meet regulatory requirements and prevent contamination or degradation of tissues. Collaborate with sterile processing teams to manage sterilization as needed and maintain a clear chain of custody for each item. ◦ Enter each item’s information into the FDA Tissue Tracking system, maintaining accurate and comprehensive records to track the journey of each tissue product from receipt to implantation or disposal. ◦ Utilize system alerts for expiration tracking, restocking, and recall notifications, ensuring that products are used within safe timeframes or removed promptly if a recall is issued. ◦ Collaborate with OR staff to ensure that all tissue and implantable materials are correctly documented when they are used in surgeries. This involves recording the date, time, patient details, implant location, and surgical team information, as well as confirming that the tissue matches the surgical procedure requirements. ◦ Confirm that documentation includes unique identifiers (such as lot and serial numbers) and proper labeling for traceability, which supports post-surgical follow-up and meets FDA tracking standards.
  • Post-Implant Documentation and Compliance: ◦ After the tissue or implant has been used, complete all post-implantation documentation, validating that all details are accurately recorded in the tracking system. ◦ Ensure that all documentation is complete and compliant with FDA requirements, including information on tissue handling, patient outcomes, and any issues encountered during the procedure.
  • Vendor Certification and Documentation: ◦ Obtain and maintain vendor certifications and regulatory documentation for all tissue suppliers to ensure they meet FDA standards and maintain quality assurance. ◦ Collaborate with vendors to secure up-to-date certifications, especially for new or high-risk tissue products, and file these certifications as part of the facility’s compliance documentation.
  • Quarterly and Annual Inventory Audits: ◦ Conduct quarterly and annual audits of all tissue and implant products in stock, cross-referencing physical inventory with the data in the FDA Tissue Tracking system to verify accuracy. ◦ Review audit results to identify discrepancies, implement corrective actions as needed, and prepare reports for regulatory inspections or internal quality control assessments.
  • Staff Training and Compliance Enforcement: ◦ Train OR staff, central supply, sterile processing teams, and other relevant personnel on FDA tissue tracking requirements, including proper documentation, storage, and handling practices. ◦ Enforce compliance with tissue tracking protocols by conducting regular reviews of staff practices and providing ongoing education to ensure adherence to FDA standards.
  • Reporting and Record Retention: ◦ Maintain accurate, accessible records of all tissue and implant tracking information to meet FDA documentation retention requirements and support traceability. ◦ Generate reports for internal audits, compliance reviews, and FDA inspections, summarizing tissue usage, stock levels, recalls, and overall tracking accuracy.

Education Qualifications

• High School Diploma Required
• Bachelor's Degree Preferred

Experience Qualifications

• 4-6 years Healthcare experience in Supply Chain or Materials Management Required
• 1-3 years Surgical purchasing experience Required

Skills and Abilities

• Strong organizational skills with a keen attention to detail and accuracy. (High proficiency)
• Proficiency in using MMIS systems for data entry, tracking, and management. (High proficiency)
• Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse group of healthcare and supply chain professionals. (High proficiency)
• Effective communication skills to liaise with stakeholders and manage vendor relationships. (High proficiency)
• Familiarity with regulatory standards for medical supplies and implants. (High proficiency)
• Capacity to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with a focus on safety and efficiency. (High proficiency)
• Commitment to continuous improvement in supply chain processes to support high-quality patient care. (High proficiency)

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