Case Study
NO BADGE, NO SCRUBS
HOW TO CLOSE PERIOPERATIVE COMPLIANCE GAPS
Overview
Challenges
Core Problem:
At Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), the lack of integration between GHX credentialing and scrub access allowed vendors to enter clinical areas without verified compliance.
Scrub dispenses often outnumbered credentialed check-ins, revealing enforcement gaps in high-risk areas like the OR and Cath Lab.
Initial Struggle:
Without real-time credential validation, HUMC staff were forced to rely on manual appointment approvals, informal checks, and time-consuming workarounds to manage vendor access.
Department leads routinely spent 30–45 minutes each day reviewing vendor scheduled appointments and attempting to confirm compliance status.
Despite efforts, inconsistencies remained – particularly in high-traffic areas such as the OR and other procedural areas.
This created workflow friction, reduced staff confidence in the enforcement process, and left the facility vulnerable to compliance lapses that could go undetected in day-to-day operations.
The Solution
Credential-Linked Scrub Access
HUMC integrated its credentialing system, GHX Vendormate, with RepScrubs to streamline the process and ensure that only fully credentialed vendors could access scrubs. As a result, vendors were required to be compliant before entering the facility. Vendors were required to complete an on-site digital check-in before receiving scrubs, leading to a significant increase in compliant Vendormate check-ins—from less than 400 to 1,200+ per month.
Real-Time Enforcement
If a vendor’s badge status was not fully compliant in GHX, the system blocked access to RepScrubs. The integrated system provided staff with confidence where they no longer had to question a vendor’s compliance status, as long as they were wearing RepScrubs. (RepScrubs became a head-to-toe badge).
Policy Clarity at the Point of Access
By removing personal discretion from the process, the system ensured consistent enforcement across all departments. Staff reported having clearer guidelines, better understanding of boundaries, and increased confidence in access control protocols.
“It’s definitely less time consuming… It’s just a better way with less steps…”
The Impact
Credentialing Compliance Surge
Within the first four weeks of launching the integration, credentialed vendor check-ins at HUMC increased from less than 400 to more than 1,200 per month. Access for non-credentialed vendors was fully eliminated, resulting in 100% compliance.
Scrub Access Control
By the end of the first month, the RepScrubs and GHX integration achieved 100% compliance for scrub access. This success helped drive the adoption of the “no badge, no scrubs” policy across the Hackensack Meridian Health System.
Eliminated Manual Oversight
Department leads who previously spent 30–45 minutes each day manually reviewing vendor credentialing statuses were relieved of that task, thanks to the real-time credential verification enabled by the RepScrubs and GHX integration. With vendors wearing RepScrubs as visible proof of compliance, staff found the new process both timesaving and more efficient.