Draft for review. This case study is written from the Vega Square
Health – NYC Health + Hospitals working relationship as a template. It should
be reviewed and approved by the customer, with real figures and a named quote,
before being treated as published.
The challenge
A New York City hospital network operating multiple acute-care sites had accumulated a mixed fleet of radiation-protection aprons — different manufacturers, protection levels and styles at each location, bought ad hoc over years. The consequences were familiar:
- Inspection was inconsistent between sites; some aprons had no traceable record.
- Interventional staff complained about apron weight and fit.
- Every site negotiated its own pricing, so the network had no leverage and no visibility into total spend.
- Replacement was reactive — aprons were bought when one failed, not on a plan.
What we did
- Standardized the specification. Worked with the network's radiation safety officers to define two apron configurations — a 0.35 mm lead-composite wrap for general fluoroscopy and OR imaging, and a 0.5 mm lead-free vest-and-skirt for interventional operators — plus matched thyroid shields and leaded eyewear.
- Set network pricing. Consolidated the volume into a single negotiated pricelist that every site draws from, with quarterly true-ups.
- Fitted staff. Ran sizing at each site so aprons were ordered to the wearer, not off a generic size chart.
- Built the replacement cycle. Tagged and logged the incoming fleet, set a five-year rolling replacement schedule, and supplied apron racks for every storage location to stop the folding that was cracking shielding early.
The outcome
- One specification, one pricelist, one inspection standard across the network.
- Lighter aprons in the highest-exposure roles, addressing the staff complaint that drove the project.
- Predictable annual replacement budget instead of reactive purchasing.
- Network-level visibility into radiation-PPE spend for the first time.
[Customer quote to be provided and approved.]
Talk to us about standardizing radiation PPE across your sites.