Pulled in All Directions

Healthcare’s 9 most challenging issues identified by industry surveys are listed below. These concerns touch all areas of operations and hospital departments, including well-run support services departments that can emerge as part of the solution to these issues. Crothall’s programs contribute to solutions for 8 of these 9 top concerns.

Physician/Hospital Relations

Without physicians, there would be no hospitals. Keeping these critical and highly sought-after stakeholders satisfied with your facility involves two basic truths: first, they want to be treated with respect; and second, they place the well-being of their patients above all else.

Physicians desire to work in an environment that is attractive, clean, and comfortable for themselves and visitors. They want a facility that they can be proud to recommend to their patients. Environmental Services can be used as a differentiator, communicating a high level of excellence and attracting the best doctors. At Lehigh Valley Muhlenberg (Bethlehem, PA), after Crothall gave the ED floors a complete makeover, Dr. David Richardson, Medical Director for the ED, was so impressed, he sat down and literally ate his lunch off the floor!

The frustration for doctors and patients caused by down equipment and rescheduled appointments can be prevented with a proactive Clinical Equipment Services team. And making sure radiology appointments and tests are kept requires an efficient Patient Transportation department that respects the need for on-time patient delivery.

At Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Crothall's centralized Patient Transportation department was able to eliminate complaints and unacceptable wait times in the Non-Invasive Cardio Unit. Director Wendy Appler is pleased that wait times have been reduced to under 10 minutes, and the number of cases is on the rise.

Personnel Shortages

For the first time in its 7-year history, group purchasing organization VHA's 2007 Services Contracting Survey revealed a new #1 reason hospitals outsource: "Resources are not available internally." (This displaced perennial favorite "Reduce operating costs.") Outsourcing support services fulfills this key objective in several ways. For those services, it guarantees levels of staffing to meet your facility's needs. By removing these responsibilities from the hospital, HR can focus instead on recruiting and serving the needs of clinical staff.

According to the American Hospital Association ("Trendwatch Chartbook 2008"), graduation from nursing schools has increased slightly in the last few years, but not enough to make up for the drop off in previous years and increases in demand. In fact, by 2020, the AHA projects a shortage of 1 million nurses. Hospitals are realizing that squandering scarce nursing resources on non-clinical tasks, such as transporting patients, cleaning rooms, and even changing bed linens, keeps nurses from clinical patient care. Outsourcing these duties liberates your nursing staff.

Increasing patient throughput improves utilization of clinical staff by allowing more patients to be admitted without the need to hire more nurses. According to the Healthcare Advisory Board's 2002 "Maximizing Hospital Capacity" report, for the average 300-bed hospital, reducing length of stay by just one day is the equivalent of hiring 36 additional full-time nurses.

A well-trained Patient Transportation staff will prevent injury to clinical staff, reducing worker's compensation claims and days out of work, which are often filled by high-cost temporary agency nurses. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics, Nursing is the profession most afflicted by musculoskeletal disorders. Crothall's Comprehensive Safe Patient Handling program can directly reduce this danger. At Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, the creation of Mobilization on Demand (MOD) Squads has reduced injury claims by 57% and associated costs by 69% since the program's introduction.

Patient Safety

The safety of patients depends on the highest-quality medical care. Outsourced support services provide expertise in the areas outside the hospital's core competency so clinical staff can concentrate on caring for patients. Additionally, there are several ways support services have a more direct impact on patient safety.

Reducing hospital acquired infections (HAIs) is the first priority of Environmental Services, and several studies prove that a healthy environment reduces these risks. Crothall has had success partnering with many clients in the battle against infection.

A centralized Patient Transportation staff, trained in processes and tools to safely lift, ambulate, and transport patients, ensures that patient movement from admission to discharge is efficient, hospitality-focused, and safe.

The Clinical Equipment Services department has the important responsibility of keeping life-supporting equipment in working order-the failure of one of these devices is unacceptable for your patients.

Similarly, Facilities Management ensures that backup power generators supply the power to maintain medical and other equipment to keep the hospital running at all times. This department has primary responsibility to ensure that all Life Safety Code measures are followed throughout the facility.

A hospital's daily operations move at a breakneck pace. Maintaining harmony, satisfaction, and safety among physicians, staff, and patients can be an overwhelming responsibility. Outsourced support services can support the hospital's mission and assist in solving an administrator's most pressing concerns, and Crothall offers solutions that are both comprehensive and client focused.