How a Behavioral Health Organization Unified Event Reporting

When I Am Boundless faced the challenge of managing fragmented and inefficient incident reporting across its services, they turned to Performance Health Partners (PHP). PHP’s customizable and user-friendly software streamlined their complex systems, enhancing efficiency and care quality. This solution not only resolved underreporting issues but also scaled seamlessly with the organization’s growth, propelling I Am Boundless toward operational excellence and improved patient care.

Organizational Snapshot

I Am Boundless, an Ohio-based family of nonprofit organizations specializing in person-centered care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and behavioral health challenges, has been providing comprehensive services for over 40 years. These services span from after-school and day programs to primary care, dentistry, and psychiatry.

With a diverse range of clients and services, I Am Boundless faced the complex task of managing incident reporting across multiple programs and locations. Fragmented data, cumbersome reporting processes, and disparate systems were undermining their mission to a top-notch employee and patient safety program. Enter Performance Health Partners (PHP), whose incident reporting software promised to transform their patient safety and risk operations.

Challenges: Fragmented Data & Inefficient Incident and Event Reporting

I Am Boundless’ expansion through recent mergers led to a significant problem – fragmented patient and employee safety data. Each facility operated its own incident reporting system, creating data silos that impeded the organization’s ability to analyze and respond to incidents efficiently. These systems were often cumbersome and challenging for staff to navigate, leading to underreporting of critical incidents.

Rick Kohut, M.Ed., Systems Training Manager at I Am Boundless, elaborated on the issue, “Due to the variety of services we offer, there’s quite a range of patient needs that we serve –and an equally extensive array of incidents that we need to keep track of.”

Before adopting PHP’s solution, I Am Boundless grappled with various incident and event reporting methods. Kohut explained, “We were using several different systems, each with its own complexities.” The organization’s previous incident reporting software system was “excessively complicated” on the back end and lacked essential features, like form attachments.

Navigating this portal was not only confusing for staff but made it challenging for managers to follow up on events. Rick likened the system to a circuit board that often led to submissions getting stuck. “People had to constantly log in. We were constantly getting lost. The follow-up piece just wasn’t there,” he noted.

Further, the software came at an exorbitant cost, with various hidden fees. Rick elaborated, “We were stuck with this incredibly cumbersome system, and the price we were paying was simply outrageous.”

To add to the challenge, some departments relied on Microsoft Forms for reporting, resulting in a lack of follow-up. Others were still using paper-based methods, leading to inconsistent event reporting. The organization found itself tangled in multiple, disjointed processes that were neither efficient nor cost-effective.

“We were pretty much dealing with a reporting mess all over the place,” Rick recalled. “So we wanted one solution – one ring to rule them all, if you will.”

Solution: Incident Management Tailored to Unique Care Models

The search for a unified solution led I Am Boundless to Performance Health Partners, a decision guided by the remarkable impact of PHP’s software demonstration. Rick emphasized the importance of this demonstration, highlighting the software’s remarkable customizability. “What really impressed us was that [one of the largest behavioral health providers in Ohio] relies on PHP’s system,” he pointed out.

This endorsement underscored PHP’s ability to completely tailor the system to match the organization’s distinct workflow requirements.

Rick further elaborated, “None of PHP’s competitors could fully customize to link IDD support with behavioral health support.”

I Am Boundless’ choice to partner with PHP was further influenced by the software company’s transparent pricing model. Rick emphasized, “PHP was upfront and transparent about the costs. Their out-of-the-box pricing simplified our budgeting process and provided us with a clear understanding of our expenses.”

The implementation process with PHP was a smooth journey for I Am Boundless. Rick praised PHP’s clear timelines, excellent leadership, and well-structured milestones.

“It was remarkably straightforward, and as a team, we quickly adapted to it,” he stated.

“PHP’s support has been consistently exceptional. They allowed us to sample it initially with dummy reports, providing valuable insights into the process. This helped me create efficient training materials and contributed to an implementation that exceeded all expectations.”

Key event types at I Am Boundless include abuse, neglect, threats, medication errors, and staff injuries. With PHP’s solution, the organization can effectively manage and respond to every kind of incident, ensuring the safety and well-being of those they support.

Rick emphasized the remarkable customizability of PHP’s solution, stating, “The fact that PHP not only tailored the system to our needs but continues to do so for such an expansive solution is nothing short of amazing.”

Impact & Future Growth

The adoption of PHP’s incident reporting software had a profound impact on I Am Boundless. Rick remarked, “I can’t even put into words how much it has improved our reporting process.”

The software introduced standardization to the organization’s incident reporting procedures, unifying multiple systems and workflows into one streamlined process. Meanwhile, data dashboards provided instant insights and empowered management to address issues effectively.

PHP’s solution eliminated the problem of underreporting and ensured that incidents no longer got lost in the reporting process. Rick explained, “We’ve begun to address issues that either weren’t reported or just totally got lost in the reporting.” By mining the wealth of accessible data, I Am Boundless started identifying and resolving problems at their root.

Performance Health Partners significantly reduced incident resolution times, with the majority of sites consistently achieving the organization’s goal of resolving incidents within just three days. This marked a stark contrast to their previous system, which often left incidents languishing for weeks to even months without proper follow-up.

The unification factor introduced by PHP’s solution proved invaluable, making training easy for new staff and enabling seamless transitions when employees moved between departments or sites. The software’s user-friendliness garnered praise from staff across the organization.

“I always felt overwhelmed and confused when I had to use our previous system,” Rick explained. “But I don’t feel that way with PHP. When somebody calls me up and says, ‘Can you help me with Performance Health?’, I’m eager to do it because I know how to, and that’s really to PHP’s credit for building a system that works.”

As I Am Boundless continues to grow, PHP’s scalability ensures a seamless integration process for new sites, demonstrating the software’s adaptability to the organization’s ever-evolving requirements. Moreover, PHP remains at the forefront of innovation, committed to enhancing its software to meet the evolving needs of its clients like I Am Boundless.

“Since partnering with PHP, the continuous additions, upgrades, and streamlining have been incredibly exciting. When we initially engaged with them, we’d suggest improvements, and to our delight, PHP responded with, ‘Yes, we could see how that could be helpful. Let us get to work on that.’” Rick noted. “Seeing many of those ideas materialize into new features and functionalities has been truly remarkable.”

Conclusion

Performance Health Partners’ incident reporting software revolutionized how I Am Boundless manages data and incident reporting across its diverse range of services and facilities. By unifying their systems, introducing user-friendly features, and providing exceptional support, PHP enabled I Am Boundless to streamline operations, improve event reporting, and improve overall care.

The organization is now better equipped to deliver on its mission of providing person-centered care to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges. As they continue to expand, PHP’s scalable solutions promise to remain a vital part of their journey towards excellence in care.