Preference Card Specialist

Yale New Haven Health•New Haven, CT

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Preference Card & Product Standardization Specialist is responsible for maintaining accurate, system-level surgeon/doctor preference/procedure cards; identifying and executing product standardization opportunities in partnership with clinical teams; removing low-acuity, unused items from preference cards; and reviewing automated system recommendations, consolidating preference cards to procedure cards, & refreshes to flag and perform any required manual interventions. This role helps improve clinical workflow reliability, cost stewardship, and supply utilization across the perioperative continuum. This role collaborates closely with our Physician partners. About the Role: To keep surgeon preference cards clean and consistent across the system, using data-drive decision-making tools drive product standardization with clinical teams, remove items that aren't being used, and catch issues that automated system updates can't fix, ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective care.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited school or Nursing, or completion of a Surgical Tech Program.
Three to five years experience in perioperative services, supply chain, value analysis, or clinical operations.
Proficiency with preference card management in OR/EHR systems (e.g., Epic OpTime, Epic Slicer Dicer, Q-Site, Clarium).
Strong data skills: analyzing cost/utilization and SKU equivalency; Excel proficiency.
Excellent facilitation and communication skills for clinician collaboration and change management.
Background in nursing, surgical tech, or sterile processing.

Nice To Haves

Bachelors Degree in Nursing (BSN) or related clinical field preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage Physician Preference Cards across YNHHS
Maintain an accurate, standardized, and version-controlled repository of preference cards across all sites and specialties. Lead routine reviews with service line champions to validate case setups, item lists, quantities, substitutes, tray configurations, and sequencing.
Implement governance standards (naming conventions, categorization, effective/expiry dates, approval workflows).
Monitor utilization data and OR feedback to proactively update cards for accuracy and performance.
Ensure alignment between preference cards and catalog/master item files, EHR/OR systems, and inventory systems
Identify Product Standardization Opportunities & Collaborate to Implement Product Standardizations
Analyze item utilization, spend, and clinical outcomes data to pinpoint standardization candidates (e.g., equivalent SKUs, duplicative items).
Build evidence-based business cases with value analysis principles (clinical efficacy, safety, cost, supply resilience).
Facilitate consensus with physicians, nursing, sterile processing, supply chain, and value analysis committees.
Coordinate trialing and change management activities (education, substitution mapping, stocking changes, and preference card updates)
Track realized savings, SKU reduction, and impact on clinician satisfaction and throughput.
Remove Low-Acuity, Unused Items from Preference Cards
Identify low-acuity items with no documented use (via pick/usage reports, charge capture, waste logs, and feedback).
Execute removals or quantity reductions per governance rules and clinical sign-off, ensuring safe alternatives remain available.
Communicate changes clearly to affected teams; update par levels and inventory to prevent reintroduction.
Measure and report on waste reduction, cost avoidance, and set-up efficiency gains
Review Automated System Refreshes & Perform Manual Interventions as needed
Monitor scheduled/automated refreshes (e.g., item master updates, EHR/OR preference card syncs, price file changes).