Maintain Track
Maintain Track: Improving the Patient Experience Through Facilities Maintenance Programs
Studies have shown that the environment of care affects outcomes and has an impact on factors such as patient and employee satisfaction, health outcomes and overall health care quality. This research has led to an increase in the use of “evidence-based design” in hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country. Improving the appearance, the environment and the safe, efficient operation of your medical facility requires careful, long-term planning but is well worth the effort. To help your organization anticipate, prioritize, and budget for repair and replacement of essential building components and for improved spaces for patients and employees, it is vital to develop a planned “CAPITAL” maintenance program that prioritizes needs and supports capital budget planning.
As a result of budget constraints over recent years, facilities managers are realizing the effects of deferred maintenance in both the reliable function of systems and the appearance/condition of the facility. Competition for capital dollars against the request for new services, spaces, and technology is fierce. Asking for emergency funding for repair/replacement when equipment fails is always more expensive and the impact of unplanned downtime can be significant on hospital operations as well as question the credibility of the facilities department. Developing a “planned” program can have great influence on others to not only understand the financial investment necessary to maintain an appropriate healthcare environment but also demonstrates a facility department’s planning and organizational skills.
The planned program should also include opportunities to improve patient experience, clinical outcomes, research, and education. Part two of this session will detail how Cleveland Clinic addressed the intrinsic link between a person’s health and their environment. In this sense, environment includes the air one breathes and the water they drink, their behaviors, including exercise and nutrition, and their values, including their choice of health care system. When it came time to build a new home for Functional Medicine, Cleveland Clinic used the WELL Building Standard to tie these elements together. Completed in late 2016, Mark Hyman, MD and his team are seeing outpatients at the new Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine located on the Main Campus. The space is planned with windows with beautiful views, ready access to natural settings, fitness opportunities, and healthy foods, all of which are included in new standards defining healthy environments. The water and air quality will meet the highest standards and the space will feature Cleveland Clinic’s aesthetic standard that emphasizes beauty and contemplative spaces.
Learning Objectives:
- Outline design strategies and processes that will improve patient experience.
- Define methods to represent and prioritize your organization’s facility needs in an objective, risk-based plan.
- Recognize the challenges that are inherent in maintaining and improving healthcare facilities.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the components of the WELL Building Standard.
View the PowerPoint presentation here.
Maintain Track: Future-proofing Your Capital Equipment Maintenance Programs
The management of medical devices and equipment has taken on a new level of complexity in recent years, due in part to the increased sophistication and specialization of equipment, integration with electronic networks, dependence on outsourcing for specialized maintenance and repair, and ever-increasing requirements for compliance, safety, reliability, and accuracy. A capital equipment maintenance program provides for the early detection of problems and is designed to increase the useful life of buildings, technology, and equipment; ensure the safety of patients and personnel; prevent costly emergency repairs; and prevent inconvenience and expense due to unscheduled down time.
This session will review the creation, setup, and ongoing assessment of an equipment maintenance program. Discussion will include factors to consider when determining who should complete the maintenance, how to identify roles and responsibilities for support, tools to document those roles and responsibilities, and ways to measure and monitor your program. Understand options for ongoing maintenance of capital equipment and considerations when assessing whether to insource or outsource maintenance. The presenter will also review Support Plans, RACI diagrams, Service Level Agreements, Vendor Management Assessment Tools, and ways to measure and monitor your program.
Future-proofing connected devices requires building robust security mechanisms into connected medical devices and equipment. Tracking inventory of what you have is pivotal for successful management. Learn how to evaluate connected medical devices so that they can still be used in the future, even when technology changes, as well as how to set up an RFP process and evaluation guidelines. It is also important to enlist stakeholders to participate and weigh in on what attributes are essential. Other methods of monitoring and maintaining network-connected devices will also be covered.
Learning Objectives:
- Outline the strategic benefits of an organized capital equipment maintenance plan.
- List the components to consider when determining whether to insource or outsource equipment maintenance.
- Discuss the unique challenges that maintenance of connected devices presents.
- Specify methods of tracking network-connected medical devices.
View the PowerPoint presentation here.
Maintain Track: Facility Sourcing Practices and Joint Commission Update
The redefinition of healthcare continues. Changes in population health and reimbursements and the move from acute care settings to outpatient care, home health, and “virtual” care are just a few of the factors that have diversified the portfolio of care offered by most healthcare systems. As a result, the number and type of facilities have increased. A system’s locations are often spread out over a large geographical area. Buying services and equipment for these facilities is a challenge, with competing influences, tight budgets, multiple decision makers, and the insource vs. outsource debate. Changing compliance standards must also be met, as facilities seek to maintain best practices to meet Joint Commission requirements, in order to provide the best possible care for every patient.
This session will provide insight on facility sourcing opportunities in light of these realities. We will examine common obstacles and provide solutions to impact your organization. Examples from other industries that can offer an understanding of best practices will be shared. Hear how to take a holistic approach to buying, the importance of proper execution and clear communication, and the value of transparency and decisiveness. Changing responsibilities means changing processes, which can sometimes meet with resistance, but proper execution leads to lower costs and higher quality.
There are more than 20,500 healthcare organizations and programs accredited or certified by The Joint Commission in the United States. Healthcare providers are cognizant of the need to remain vigilant to meet the evolving compliance requirements in order to maintain Joint Commission accreditation. Larry Rubin will provide an update on the changes in standards that were made in 2017 and highlight some of the new standards for 2018. Gain insight into the key benefits of Joint Commission accreditation and methods to continue to improve your organization’s performance.
Learning Objectives:
1.Outline the impact that improved sourcing processes can have on construction, resulting in safer buildings of higher quality.
2.Formulate opportunities to improve sourcing practices for multiple facilities while also improving the construction of secure and safe environments.
3.List recent and imminent changes in Joint Commission standards that affect your staff and your patients.
4.Streamline your organization’s preparation for the Joint Commission accreditation process.
View the PowerPoint presentation here.