Introducing Tyson Tuamtong - DeliverEASE Operations and Process Manager, HealthShare NSW
Date published: 21 Dec 2022
Author: Celia Pozzecco
Tyson is DeliverEASE Operations and Process Manager. Along with his team of 10, Tyson has commenced work on upgrading storerooms across 46 clinical areas at Nepean Hospital with the DeliverEASE best-practice stock inventory framework.
Prior to joining HealthShare NSW in mid-2022, Tyson worked for EnableNSW.
‘The Team and I have been excited to meet the clinical staff and roll out the DeliverEASE project at Nepean Hospital,’ said Tyson.
‘This project demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration as the HealthShare team work closely with the LHD project team and the Nepean clinical staff to embed DeliverEASE principles.
‘Like with many projects, there will be challenges along the way and opportunities to grow, and this will only make us a stronger team.”
Re-designing medical consumables storerooms
DeliverEASE is a HealthShare NSW-led initiative to reorganise medical consumables storerooms in the state’s public hospitals and improve inventory visibility and management controls.
Tyson and his team are collaborating with Nepean Hospital ward staff to assess individual medical consumables storerooms and to understand inventory and procurement/supply-chain challenges. The team creates a customised re-design of each storeroom; they thoroughly clean out the storeroom; colour-code and barcode stock categories; and then restock the storerooms according to DeliverEASE principles.
Hospital staff also receive training in using DeliverEASE dashboards and tools that have been developed by eHealth NSW (including the StaffLink Requisitions and Receiving Mobile Application - or STARR app), so they can order products directly from the shelf using a smart device, gauge stock consumption and spend, and create inventory reports.
‘The DeliverEASE project is all about creating more visibility of, and accessibility to, medical goods in storerooms, and reorganising colour-coded categories to make it a lot easier for staff to find the equipment they need,” said Tyson.
Proud to be working with DeliverEASE
Prior to joining the DeliverEASE team in mid-2022, Tyson spent 11 years working with Enable NSW, including time in the role of Equipment Centre Site manager.
Tyson and the DeliverEASE team are busy transforming Nepean Hospital storerooms and treatment rooms.
Tyson says he enjoys the positive work culture at DeliverEASE, loves his role, and feels proud knowing the DeliverEASE system and processes are “helping to give more time back to clinical staff, so they can look after their patients”.
An important part of the implementation process, says Tyson, is the initial “massive spring clean” of each storeroom, including unloading of stock, removal of cardboard boxes, safe disposal of expired stock, relocation of excess stock, and reduction of excess stock levels.
“It’s all that stuff the clinical staff don’t have time to do because they are working in high-pressure situations,” said Tyson.
Nepean staff will also be using the new Inventory Visibility Dashboard for the first time: ‘This means staff can check the estimated stock-on-hand volumes; they can check backorders and also search for items if a ward needs to borrow stock,’ said Tyson.
‘They will now have optics about what stock is being held at any hospital. It’s a very powerful tool.’
Once implementation concludes at Nepean Hospital, Tyson believes one of the biggest benefits will be consistent storeroom organisation across wards – and eventually, across the Nepean Blue Mountains LHD – making it easier for clinical staff to find and order products.
Change can be challenging
Tyson and the DeliverEASE team also recently upgraded Ryde Hospital storerooms.
Nepean Hospital is Tyson’s second DeliverEASE site: in August 2022, Tyson and his team completed implementation at Ryde Hospital, upgrading storerooms across 12 clinical areas.
Tyson says during DeliverEASE implementation, one of the biggest challenges for hospital staff is adjusting to change.
‘Staff can really see the benefits in what we’re doing, but like anything new, initially they need time to adjust to the changes.
‘But overall, the reaction from staff is very positive and they know it’s making their jobs easier.
‘They love that their storerooms are neat, tidy and well organised and they can easily find what they need.’
DeliverEASE – part of the NSW Health Procurement Reform program
DeliverEASE is one of the major projects within the NSW Health Procurement Reform program, and is led by HealthShare NSW in collaboration with eHealth NSW.
During 2023, DeliverEASE will be extended through the state, meaning that if you are ever in another NSW public hospital (where DeliverEASE has rolled out) and you need to access a storeroom, it should look and feel like the ones from the hospital you now work.
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