Shaving money off a tight budget
When asked to cut expenses on non-salary budget items, Nell Kapeghian, MSN, RN, patient education coordinator at Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, NJ, came up with several cost-cutting strategies.She reduced expenses for mailings by using bulk rate vs. first class. Also, she created self-mailers (information sheets were folded with mailing address printed on sheet) rather than using hospital envelopes. "We use a desktop publishing program called Microsoft Publisher, so now we can easily make our newsletters and fliers into a self-mailer," explains Kapeghian.
Most of the mailings go to support groups that meet at Deborah Heart and Lung Center. Kapeghian estimates that she has saved $2,000 in the past fiscal year with self-mailers and bulk rate postage. Also, she has reduced expenses for printing by getting more involved in the selection of materials, such as paper choices, and the selection of vendors.
"I have worked with the hospital foundation to obtain grant money to cover the cost of several printing projects," says Kapeghian.
For more information on money saving strategies, contact: Nell Kapeghian, MSN, RN, Patient Education Coordinator, Deborah Heart and Lung Center, 200 Trenton Road, Browns Mills, NJ 08015. Telephone: (609) 893-1200, Ext. 4259. Fax: (609) 893-1212. E-mail: [email protected].
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