Success Stories

Rush University Medical Center Expands Capacity to Achieve 26% Increase in Daily Completed Appointments

26% Increase in Daily Completed Appointments

16% Increase in Daily Completed Patient Hours

50% Reduction in infusion Wait Time

29% Reduction in Drug Wait Time

Summary

Rush University Medical Center (RUMC), a leading academic medical center in Chicago, Illinois, is well-known for its innovative approach to healthcare. In 2024, as part of its expansion efforts, RUMC opened a new infusion center on the 7th floor of their facility. The goal was to enhance patient throughput and resource efficiency while maintaining high-quality care. However, the opening of this new space demanded the need for precise capacity planning, efficient resource allocation, and seamless integration with the hospital’s existing systems.

Profile

90 Chairs

4 Sites/Center

Epic EHR

Academic Health System

Midwest/Chicago Area

Problem

Opening a new floor in a busy hospital like RUMC presented several challenges. First, RUMC needed to accurately predict patient volume to ensure appropriate staffing levels and resource availability. Additionally, integrating data from the new floor with the hospital’s existing systems was essential to ensure smooth operations and continuous performance monitoring. Without proper planning and real-time data integration, the hospital risked delays, inefficiencies, and underutilization of resources.

Solution

RUMC first partnered with LeanTaaS in 2018 to optimize infusion operations at two sites. In 2024, when it came time to ensure the successful launch of its new 7th floor and lay the groundwork for future expansions, RUMC once again turned to its longtime partner. LeanTaaS’ iQueue for Infusion Centers solution and critical change management support provided:

Capacity Planning and Predictions: Rush used iQueue data to analyze appointment volumes shifting from 9th to 7th Floor. LeanTaaS then applied advanced predictive modeling to determine the optimal number of chairs and nurses required to meet the anticipated patient demand on the new 7th floor. This enabled RUMC to make data-driven decisions regarding resource and staff allocation that dramatically reduced wait times to improve the patient experience.

AI-Generated Templates: Prior to the launch, LeanTaaS developed AI-powered scheduling templates to optimize resource utilization. These templates helped balance appointment loads and support reduced patient wait times, allowing RUMC to handle a significantly higher number of daily appointments.

Seamless Data Integration with iQueue: LeanTaaS integrated the 7th floor’s new data with RUMC’s existing iQueue platform, allowing real-time data ingestion and analysis. This aligned the new floor’s operations with the rest of the hospital and supported precise scheduling and resource allocation.

Go-Live Support: LeanTaaS provided hands-on support during the go-live phase to ensure a smooth launch. This enabled the 7th floor to immediately reach its full potential, accepting volume from the busy 9th floor on the first day.

The integration of iQueue’s analytics fostered continuous performance monitoring, enabling RUMC to make data-driven adjustments for ongoing operational improvement. Building on the success of the 7th floor launch, RUMC applied this model at Lisle and plans to replicate it in future expansions.