Unlocking operational benefits in infusion centers: 3 creative approaches to linked appointments that increase scheduling flexibility
At some point, every infusion center leadership team has likely discussed the goal of separating the individual appointments within their center (primarily the lab draw, office visit, and infusion room appointments) to occur on different days. Different centers may use slightly different terminology to describe multiple appointments on the same day, calling them “linked”, “coupled”, […]
“We saved 36,000 minutes of under-scheduled OR time”: How UCHealth improved surgical case length accuracy with iQueue for Operating Rooms
In their efforts to unlock valuable operating room capacity that would improve patient access to care and staff satisfaction, perioperative leaders from UCHealth developed and deployed the technology that became iQueue for Operating Room’s Case Length Finder tool. Use of the tool improved and promoted better case length accuracy in surgical scheduling, which contributes to […]
OR “flip rooms” are nothing to flip out about
Awarding surgeons a flip room, or a two-room, two-team setting where the surgeon can alternate rooms to perform cases – two rooms, two teams, and one surgeon, where only the surgeon moves room to room – is a common practice and often a driving force in recruiting and retaining in-demand surgeons and service lines. But […]
Reimagining the inpatient command center through AI, automation, and change management
Inpatient areas, defined by constant unpredictable inflow and movement of patients, are ripe for technology innovation. The reality in many hospitals is leaders and frontline teams struggling with phone calls, spreadsheets, meetings, and other manual means to track ongoing patient progress and bed capacity throughout the day. Every non-clinical task inpatient stakeholders perform, including preparing […]
How healthcare leaders collaborate and innovate with technology partners
In my time as a healthcare leader, and today as part of a technology team, I have been excited to notice partnerships between healthcare and tech organizations both increase in number and expand in scope. Health systems, more than ever, are learning to trust and rely on best-of-industry tools to amplify the expertise and best […]
Understanding the impact of AI in Healthcare at LeanTaaS’ Transform Hospital Operations Virtual Summit
Calling all hospital and health system leaders looking to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to better your operations. Mark your calendar for June 6-7, 2023, and get ready to optimize your hospital performance with AI at LeanTaaS’s fifth Transform Hospital Operations Virtual Summit. Hosted in partnership with Becker’s Healthcare, the fifth Transform Hospital Operations Virtual Summit […]
5 ways to use AI and automation to optimize hospital staffing
My inpatient flow teams and I have worked with hundreds of health systems and hospitals to improve their inpatient staffing and scheduling strategies. Many of these, as they tried to navigate understaffing challenges, began by using conventional processes and ineffective staffing technology. They had approached staffing the same way for many years, and were constantly […]
Open the front door to patient access: how AI helps direct inpatient flow to unlock capacity
The best way health systems can serve their surrounding communities is to provide consistent and timely access to care, for every patient who needs it. This not only improves patient outcomes, but drives higher revenue and keeps costs low. In the wake of the pandemic, hospitals in all settings have seen an influx of patients […]
The three levels of hospital length of stay management are strategic, tactical, and technical
Hospital length of stay, the amount of time in an episode of hospitalization from admission to discharge, is a universal and critical metric in U.S. healthcare. Most U.S. hospitals have some sort of desire to reduce length of stay as well as lower hospital readmission rates. But despite being a metric with a simple definition, […]
Transform Spotlight: Unlocking system-wide surgical scheduling by making block time visible
The University of Kansas Health System (TUKHS) is extensive and growing, with 52 operating rooms that run at nearly-full capacity but only 51% block utilization. Megan Eubanks (Senior Director of Business Operations of Perioperative and Procedural Services, TUKHS) knew the health system had to deploy better surgical scheduling and block management to expand its capacity. […]