Healthcare Logistics and Supply Chain Management: From Foundation to Best Practices

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of hospital logistics management, a critical component of modern patient care. Starting with the Foundations of Hospital Logistics Systems (Chapter 1), it moves into practical strategies for Effective Inventory Management (Chapter 2) and Optimizing Logistics Flows (Chapter 3), introducing innovative concepts like central warehousing. The book provides actionable frameworks, including a detailed Action Plan for Enhancement (Chapter 4) and guidance on Building Robust Logistics Infrastructure (Chapter 5), featuring a case study on the COVID-19 vaccine cold chain. It also delves into Cutting-Edge Research (Chapter 6), such as simulation models and new IT applications, and culminates with Best Practices (Chapter 7) drawn from studies of 16 hospitals. This is an essential resource for healthcare professionals, logisticians, and researchers seeking to transform hospital operations and enhance patient care.