Estimated read time: 4 minutes
Leaders throughout the health care industry are looking to create a seamless and tailored patient experience that improves care and increases revenue. But, reaching this goal requires health care organizations to optimize their own operations. Shifts in workplace culture paired with technology aimed at advancing internal processes can help organizations increase efficiency and enhance the patient experience.
Here are five perspectives on the importance of improving the patient journey through health system operations that touch every part of the care continuum.
1. Augusta University Health uses technology and centralized logistics to achieve goals
Before its new command center came online, Augusta University Health didn’t have a way to track capacity, nursing resources or collaborate on operations. By working with the Cerner ITWorks℠ and DeviceWorks teams through their own Jaguar Collaborative, AU Health implemented a centralized command center that allowed its nursing supervisors, bed management and individual units to work together to track patients' needs.
"The flow was around people, not processes. There were times patients were held in the emergency department for two to three days and would be discharged without being assigned an inpatient bed."
– Laura Brower, MSN, RN, vice president and chief nursing officer, AU Health
Learn how AU Health used technology and centralized logistics to improve patient flow, communication and care here.
2. Jen Fogel and Lisa Gulker on building a culture of innovation in nursing
Nursing is a 24/7/365 profession that constantly changes within the fast-paced health care environment. By achieving specialty certifications, advanced education and embracing innovation, nurses can now better meet the needs of today’s health care consumers.
Northern Light Health's Jen Fogel and Cerner's Lisa Gulker joined the “Perspectives on Health & Tech” podcast to discuss how nursing leaders can use technology to enhance care delivery, reduce fatigue and build a culture of delivering smarter care.
“Innovation and technology are becoming a central component of a nurse’s practice. I started nursing 40 years ago, and I never thought that I would go beyond the three-colored pen that every nurse had as their tool. Today, our new generation [of nurses] doesn’t realize that even existed ... So, if we look at innovation, we can see how it has changed our ability to access care culturally and eliminated barriers to care because technology is everywhere.”
– Jen Fogel, vice president and regional nursing informatics officer, Northern Light Health
Listen to the full podcast here.
3. Southwest General Health Center accelerates patient journeys with capacity management solutions
After switching to an automated system and evaluating workflows using CareAware Capacity Management® solutions, staff members at Southwest General Health Center work more efficiently and save time for themselves and their patients.
"It's all about the right care, the right time, the right place. We're getting the patients in the right place sooner, so their care can start faster."
– Lori Cihon, director of nursing, inpatient services, Southwest General Health Center
Discover how Southwest General used capacity management solutions to accelerate patient journeys here.
4. Why fatigue management is essential to patient safety
Fatigue is a workplace hazard that affects the health and safety of patients, health care providers and the communities they serve. Nurses are essential caregivers who must be attentive, focused and able to react quickly.
In this blog, Cerner’s Durenda Juergensen examines how to better understand the impact of workplace fatigue, which is often caused by irregular hours and long shifts. She also offers insights on how to create a workplace culture that supports fatigue management and, ultimately, patient safety.
“The consequences of fatigue impact everyone along the care journey. A collaborative commitment to increasing fatigue awareness, mitigation and management will improve the health and safety of patients and health care providers.”
– Durenda Juergensen, MHA, BSN, RN, NE-BC, LSSGB, FACHE, director and chief nursing officer, Hospital Operations, Cerner
Read how a collaborative commitment to increasing fatigue awareness, mitigation and management can improve the health and safety of patients and providers here.
5. Central scheduling office saves money and time while scheduling fair work shifts
Meeting staffing demands and ensuring a hospital has the right personnel at the right time can be a difficult task. However, Bryan Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska developed a unique way to meet the challenge. The central staffing office uses Cerner Clairvia℠ Staff Manager and Demand Manager in a central scheduling office to save time and address scheduling issues.
Cerner Clairvia allows Bryan employees to project staffing resources, as well as create and manage schedules for the medical, surgical, intensive care unit (ICU), neonatal intensive care unit, labor, delivery, emergency and nursing departments.
“Staffing is such an important part of the day-to-day function of the units, and to have the support of the central staffing office is beneficial. The staffing office knows the resources available throughout the organization.”
– Angela McCown, BSN, RN, orthopedic/trauma and medical surgery oncology nurse manager, Bryan Medical Center
Learn how Bryan Medical Center collaborated with Cerner to save money and time while scheduling fair work shifts here.
To improve the patient experience and operational efficiency, we help health care organizations become data-driven using artificial intelligence, machine learning and digitization. Learn more about operational efficiency and take advantage of these value-added health system operations solutions.
