Photo By Brandy Ostanik-Thornton | Ms. Linda Andersen, a supply tech for Perioperative Nursing Services at Bassett Army...... read more read more
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska – A civilian supply technician has transformed the supply chain of the Perioperative Nursing Services (PONS) at Bassett Army Community Hospital, saving over $10,000 in emergency order costs so far, this fiscal year, and directly improving the quality of patient care.
Ms. Linda Andersen, a supply technician at Bassett ACH since 2024, was presented with the Good Steward Award for her work establishing standards of efficiency and fiscal responsibility directly enhancing operational readiness.
According to Ms. Cynthia Oliver, clinical nurse officer in charge of surgical services, for years, the PONS supply tech responsibilities were divided among several soldiers who, detailed with numerous other duties, struggled to manage the complex inventory. Oliver felt PONS required intervention to establish supply chain stability, accurate inventory management, and cost-effective ordering practices to support surgical operations and patient care. Andersen’s hiring and expertise made that possible.
“There are a lot of line items and a lot of nitty-gritty details to keep track of in this position,” said Oliver. “Linda met the challenge and set new baselines for all our supply items.”
Upon her arrival, Andersen conducted a complete overhaul by re-baselining the entire 2,000-plus line-item inventory, allowing her to familiarize herself with the surgical packs and better understand the needs of the hospital.
“Each pack is set up for a different surgery,” said Andersen. “Everything the team needs to do the surgery is in a pack and I need to make sure that it is available for the team but also that it isn’t expired.”
Rather than focusing on surgical trends to order, Andersen uses her knowledge garnered from past supply management positions, to look at supply with a holistic approach, and according to Andersen, that goes well beyond just knowing how many of an item to order.
“I’ve done everything from ordering to warehouse and transportation, so I know what to look for,” said Andersen. “I’m always looking at weather reports in the lower 48 and news about shortages in supplies because I need to know if something will prevent the items from making it to us. I try to keep these things in mind, so we aren’t affected by something out of our control happening.”
Andersen’s attention to detail has not only ensured items are available when needed, but she’s saved money by repurposing supplies for training purposes and looking for different supply options.
“When items expire, we don’t throw them out right away,” said Andersen. “Instead, we mark them as expired, put them in a different location and use them for training new surgical techs which saves us money. Additionally, say we have an item, and we need five of them each year, but it can only be ordered as bulk in a case of 50. Rather than spending $4,000 on 50 of them, I look for other options and comparable items that allow us to purchase just five and spend less.”
It was this commitment to fiscal responsibility and efficiency that earned Andersen the Good Steward Award presented to her in April by Col. Ben Donham, Medical Department Activity – Alaska commander.
“The operating room is an incredibly complex place in terms of staff, supplies, and timing,” said Donham. “It's one of those things where if those supplies aren't there, it shuts down the operating room and potentially delays a case, delaying patient care. Your attention to detail allows us to take care of people safely and efficiently in the highly complex surgical environment.”
While fiscal responsibility earned her the award, it is her overall outlook and commitment that has changed the future of surgical offerings at Bassett ACH and the overall experience of patients.
“The newfound budget stability brought on by Ms. Andersen, enabled PONS to afford additional inventory items for orthopedics and general surgery, directly expanding our surgical capabilities,” said Oliver.”
“Linda’s work in the background, while not something the staff or patients see, has positively impacted our PONS staff and every single person that's received surgical care here at the hospital,” said Oliver. “We are thankful she has joined our team.”
| Date Taken: | 05.12.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2026 15:13 |
| Story ID: | 565061 |
| Location: | FORT WAINWRIGHT, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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