From the August 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Staff knew they needed to find a way to make their communications systems more portable and flexible. To be ready for the next emergency or natural disaster, they had to be able to monitor alarms and run other operations remotely at a moment’s notice. Being tied to just one area was not only inefficient, it was potentially dangerous.
For HSS, the solution involved implementing a comprehensive communications platform that allowed a lot more portability. The system lets operators do their jobs from any location with a computer, using a streamlined process that puts all the information needed at their fingertips. Calls can be handled with just a few keystrokes, and all alarms can be monitored and responded to quickly and easily from any location.
“There are 12 different alarm systems that are now feeding into our operator consoles, including medical, gas and fire. We don’t have to monitor a single panel in the basement anymore. The system can deliver alerts to the main console and then page the department or individual needed for a particular alarm,” said Vanrell. “We have really increased the efficiency and effectiveness of our communications center.”
Operators can log in at a number of different workstations to take phone calls and respond to alarms, greatly increasing the flexibility of the department. The next phase includes plans to allow contact center staff to work from home in case of weather situations such as snow storms.
“Bringing people in at all hours, including in the middle of the night, can be difficult. If we can set it up so they can work remotely, it would make a big difference for our contact center," said Vanrell.
One year after the storm, Gary Cohen, co-founder and president of Health Care Without Harm, warned that natural disasters like Sandy are “a wake-up call for health care providers to change their operations.”
When disasters hit, hospitals need to be as resilient as possible, providing service without interruption.
By improving the adaptability of their communications system, HSS staff has ensured that their organization will be prepared to help a city in need — if and when — they have to confront another major disaster.
About the author: Dr. Andrew Mellin is chief medical officer at Spok, Inc., and has almost 20 years of experience as both a practicing physician and health care executive. He has an extensive background in health information technology, including leading physician adoption programs for new technologies and developing innovative clinical solutions.Back to HCB News
