Case Studies

Alle-Kiski Medical Center - Nursing and Central Supply
Natrona Heights, PA

Customer Profile
Alle-Kiski Medical Center consists of Allegheny Valley Hospital and Citizens Ambulatory Care Center. The 250-bed Allegheny Valley Hospital serves as AKMC's inpatient and outpatient facility and offers a broad spectrum of programs, including medical and surgical services, inpatient psychiatric care, cardiology, orthopedics, sports medicine, obstetrics and pediatrics.

A member of the West Penn Allegheny Health System, Alle-Kiski Medical Center annually admits nearly 12,000 patients, logs more than 46,000 emergency and urgent care patients, and performs more than 8,200 surgical procedures. More than 300 physicians and 1,100 employees share the hospital's commitment to excellence.

Need to Treat More Patients in Less Time
With volume rapidly rising in the Emergency Department (ED), Alle-Kiski Medical Center had to improve their ED throughput without the luxury of capital investment. Alle-Kiski’s team evaluated workflow redesign and the innovative use of low-cost technology to improve throughput: enter TUG^®.

TUG: Successful Outcomes
Led by a 71% reduction in lab turn-around time, Alle-Kiski's ED was able to treat more patients without adding staff or making capital investments, while maintaining a patient visit time better than the national average. The improved ED throughput is credited for increasing admissions and driving additional revenue and profitability for the hospital.

Summary
Alle-Kiski Medical Center

• 260-bed acute care facility
• More than 46,000 ED patients per year

ED Objectives

• Increase patient throughput without increasing cost
• Improve nurse satisfaction
• Cost savings
• Reliability

Solution

• Use three TUGs to deliver supplies and lab results to nursing units

Results

• Decreased turnaround time for lab from 24 to 7 minutes
• 71% reduction in lab turn-around time allowed ED to treat more patients without adding staff

University of Maryland Medical Center - Pharmacy, Central Supply and Nursing
Baltimore, Maryland

Customer Profile
The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) was created in 1984 when the state-owned University Hospital became a private, not-for-profit organization. It has evolved into a six-hospital system with academic, community and specialty service missions.

The Medical System is a national and regional referral center for trauma, cancer care, neurocare, cardiac care, and women’s and children’s health and physical rehabilitation. It also has the world’s largest kidney transplant program.

With the University of Maryland School of Medicine, UMMC has become one of the nation’s finest academic medical centers. Its research efforts have produced many cutting-edge advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

America's Best ER
The R. Adam’s Crowley Shock Trauma Unit is a 102-bed unit specializing in the care of multi-injury, spinal cord and head trauma, critical illness, and complex orthopedic injury. In May 2004, Reader’s Digest profiled it as America’s Best ER. "To the men and women of this Baltimore trauma unit, speed saves. They’ve helped cut the murder rate in a city that’s as violent as ever. How? By playing beat the clock better than anyone."

Need to Improve Cycle Time
Prior to TUG, nurses in the Shock Trauma Unit complained that they were waiting too long for first doses, which was hindering patient care. Average cycle time was 74 minutes.

Survey Results
The University of Maryland conducted a pre-TUG and post-TUG study to determine its effect on nursing. As shown below, nursing was extremely positive. Not only did the service level increase, but nursing’s relationship with the pharmacy improved substantially.

Cycle Time
The key objective of Pharmacy was to reduce cycle time, the time from receipt of an order to its delivery at the nursing unit. With TUG, cycle time decreased from 74 minutes to 30 minutes, which dramatically increased nursing satisfaction.

Summary
University of Maryland Medical Center

• 726-bed trauma center
• 50 nursing units
• 163 full-time employees (FTE) in pharmacy

Pharmacy Objectives

• Improve patient care by decreasing cycle time
• Improve nurse satisfaction
• Cost savings
• Reliability

Solution

• Use three TUGs to deliver meds to nursing units

Results

• Cycle time reduced from 74 to 30 minutes
• Nurse satisfaction up 23%
• Saved 1 FTE
• Reliability improved 23%

UPMC St. Margaret Hospital - Central Supply, Pharmacy and Nursing
Pittsburgh, PA

Customer Profile
UMPC St. Margaret (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) is a 185-bed community and teaching hospital serving one-quarter million residents in Pittsburgh’s northern and eastern suburbs. UPMC St. Margaret is known regionally for its expertise in arthritis, gerontology, orthopedics and family medicine. Founded in 1898, UPMC St. Margaret is home to one of the oldest and largest family practice and residency programs in Pennsylvania. The hospital merged with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 1997, combining its capabilities and resources with one of the country’s leading academic medical resources.

Need to Automate Deliveries
Prior to TUG, St. Margaret's Central Supply averaged 60 hand deliveries per day to seven nursing units. Deliveries included IV pumps, medical equipment and medical supplies. Supply technicians spent nine hours per day making deliveries. Central Supply Manager, Judy Hession, recalls that "it was difficult to keep up, especially on evenings and night shifts, when staffing is at a minimum. There were complaints from Nursing about slow deliveries. My staff was discouraged."

TUG Usage
As Central Supply staff came to rely on TUG, the number of deliveries climbed quickly to about 425 per week (61 per day). They use TUG for virtually all deliveries to the nursing units. The single day record for deliveries is 86.

Uptime
TUG has been extremely reliable, averaging 99% uptime. The Central Supply TUG has never been out of service for recharging.

Time Savings
The average round-trip delivery time is 8.8 minutes. The time saved averages 62.3 hours per week. This is the equivalent of 1.5 FTE of time savings.

Return on Investment
St. Margaret saved 1.5 FTE in Central Supply, resulting in an ROI of 185% over the course of a five-year lease.

Summary
UPMC St. Margaret

• 220-bed community hospital
• 195 average daily census
• 7 nursing units
• 18 FTEs in Central Supply

Central Supply Challenges

• Service a 20% increase in inpatient activities without increasing staff
• Improve service to nursing
• Reduce costs

Solution

• Use three TUGs to deliver supplies and equipment to nursing units

Results

• Productivity - 20% increase, census increased by 20% while staff remained the same
• Service - 20% faster delivery to nursing units
• Cost savings - 1.5 FTE resulting in an ROI of 185%

Providence Hospital - Member of Ascension Health
Washington, D.C.

Customer Profile
Chartered by President Abraham Lincoln in 1861, Providence Hospital stands as the oldest continuously-operating hospital in the nation’s capital, and a symbol of commitment to the healthcare needs of the metropolitan area. The 382-bed medical facility and 240-bed nursing and rehabilitation center fulfills the mission to the sick and the poor with joy, care and respect, while at the same time embracing the best that medical science has to offer.

A member of Ascension Health System, the country’s largest not-for-profit healthcare system, Providence Health System serves the community through diverse and qualified teams of physicians, nurses, technicians and support staff. Programs operated in conjunction with other major healthcare providers throughout the region offer patients and the community a wide array of services for both treatment and prevention.

Simple & Affordable Asset Tracking
Providence Hospital sought a comprehensive, simple and reliable asset tracking solution. Mark Todd, Director, Materiel Management at Providence, chose TUG and its asset tracking and recovery application because it was a complete, simple and reliable asset tracking system, requiring no infrastructure. He chose TUG to:

• Identify equipment as it comes through the door
• Track equipment that moves
• Easily identify equipment that needs to be serviced or replaced
• Allow nurses to look at inventory and request necessary equipment

"Aethon's solution is much less expensive and more complete for what I had in mind for asset tracking. Aethon integrates automated delivery as part of its asset tracking solution, ensuring that we not only know where our assets are, but that they are where they should be."

Need to Automate Deliveries
Prior to integrating TUG, professional staff was responsible for delivery of medication, supplies, meals, and so forth. Nurses, pharmacists, and lab technicians had to spend their valuable time acting like hospital runners - ferrying equipment, lab specimens and medication.

Todd was introduced to TUG at an Ascension Health meeting. He immediately saw opportunities for an integrated and automated messenger service across departments. Providence started with three TUGs. Within a year, Providence adopted an additional three TUGs to expedite deliveries in:

• Materials Management
• Pharmacy
• Lab
• Dietary

Materials Management
Materials Management used to dedicate one position for staff messenger or hospital runner. Lemar McRae, Materials Shift Coordinator, laments how "no one wanted to be designated as the runner." Now, TUG fills the need for messengers, and staff members are focused on the management of materials. "Providence is moving forward with something innovative and extremely effective."

TUG delivers and picks up supplies on demand, as well as on regular rotations. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, TUG is always on duty and never calls in sick.

Nursing
In a pinch, nurses used to make runs to the pharmacy, lab and materials management. Today, nurses are able to call TUG to make those runs. Gaurdia Banister, RN, PhD and SVP of Patient Care, believes that "the time TUG saves translates into better patient care allowing nurses to stay on the floor."

Pharmacy
Much like the experience in Materials Management, Dr. Zamir Shah, Providence’s Pharmacy Director, found that he was able to "eliminate the position of messenger." Shah looks to TUG as a mechanism for both immediate needs and scheduled deliveries. TUG is especially useful in the evenings when staffing is typically lower.

Each day, TUG makes up to 40 deliveries. Ultimately, TUG ensures that medication is available on demand, and "improves patient care because there are more delivery options."

Dietary
TUG stepped in to help Beth Yesford, Providence's Director of Dietary, meet a serious challenge. Yesford faced labor vacancies and looked to TUG to fill the gap. In just two months, TUG has been able to save 100 minutes per day, and is embraced by staff that now enjoys reduced workloads. "Introducing TUG was seamless, almost as if it had been here all along." In the dietary department, TUG is used to pick up par stock and late trays. A new TUG will be added to move supplies to and from a coffee bar to open soon.

Lab
Charles Annor, Providence’s Lab Director, utilizes TUG as messenger, allowing him to dedicate employees to lab work. Each time a nursing unit calls for a pick up or for supplies to go up to the floor, he sends TUG.

At the end of the day, Annor finds that TUG allows for more time with patients and better patient care. In the past, nurses would go to the lab if a messenger was not immediately available. Now, with TUG in operation, nurses can devote their full attention to providing care without making lab runs.

Annor is "now just waiting for TUG to make my coffee." He should probably talk to Beth Yesford; she might just be able to send her TUG with a steaming cup of coffee from the new coffee bar.

Conclusion
TUG and its asset tracking and recovery application have enabled dedicated administrators and staff to focus on the big picture, providing quality patient care. Providence Hospital's key departments are now more streamlined and efficient, and staff has welcomed their new "colleagues" with open arms.

For more information about how Aethon can help save your hospital staff time, resources, and money, please contact Aethon.