Moving Patients From ER to Rooms Faster at Phelps Memorial Hospital
February 1, 2006
Vocera wireless communicators help Phelps Memorial Hospital get patients out of emergency and into inpatient rooms faster.
When Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow, New York, was looking for a partner to help improve communications within its 235-bed, acute care facility, the hospital turned to local communication solutions provider TPC Healthcare.
In 2005 alone, almost 23,000 patients went through the Emergency Department at Phelps, with one-quarter requiring inpatient admission. Management recognized that to reduce the time it took to place these patients into rooms, a more efficient communication system was needed.
“We are always looking for tools to improve productivity and efficiency,” explains Kerry L. Pisano, Phelps’s vice president of support services, who championed the Vocera implementation. Having recently deployed a Vocera wireless communication system at nearby Greenwich Hospital, TPC Healthcare was one of the few local companies experienced enough to provide Phelps the technology, implementation services, training and support the hospital required.
TPC worked closely with the hospital to minimize technology issues and sent a team of customer care specialists to work with the doctors, nurses and technicians who would be using the system. “Customers often wind up struggling to get a good return on their technology investments,” says Kenny Schiff, TPC’s chief technology officer. “We understand our customers need the proper tools, as well as strong project management and support to make each implementation successful.”
After initial trepidation, the Phelps staff quickly appreciated the new hands-free communication system, which is accessed through sleek, lightweight badges worn on a lapel, collar or lanyard. “People are so comfortable with the system, they call it a stress reliever,” says Pisano.
The old overhead paging system at Pehlps is now no longer used and even beepers have become obsolete, thanks to the efficiency of the Vocera system and its ability to directly connect users throughout the facility.
Phase Two of the Vocera went live in January, bringing the total number of Vocera users at Phelps to 250 (approximately 2.5 users per badge). And Pisano and his team are eager to continue their work with TPC Healthcare to bring the rest of the clinical staff — some 150 more users — up to-speed with Vocera.
About TPC Healthcare
Headquartered in Stratford, Connecticut, TPC Healthcare is a full-service technology and communications solutions provider delivering wireless voice, workflow/middleware messaging applications and managed support services to healthcare organizations. TPC Healthcare focuses on offering customers technology expertise, exceptional levels of service and years of experience developing healthcare communications solutions. For more information, visit www.tpchealthcare.com.
