How a Surgery Center Achieved Streamlined Excellence with PHP

Amidst their state-of-the-art facilities and unwavering commitment to unparalleled patient experiences, Vivere-Audubon Surgery Center faced a daunting challenge: the intricate balancing act of managing a multifaceted ambulatory surgery center without losing sight of their mission. That's where Performance Health Partners (PHP) came in.

Read on to learn how the organization achieved streamlined excellence with the tailored solutions of PHP, transforming operational hurdles into opportunities for enhanced patient care and organizational efficiency.

Organization Snapshot

Vivere-Audubon Surgery Center, opened in 2013, is a thriving multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in New Orleans. With state-of-the-art operating rooms, the center offers a range of specialized surgeries, from advanced reproductive procedures to orthopedics.

Their mission goes beyond just surgical precision — it's about crafting an unparalleled patient experience, ensuring each patient feels the warmth, comfort, and confidence that they're in the best hands. Upholding this core philosophy, Vivere-Audubon has consistently surpassed national standards in terms of quality and patient care.

The Challenge

While equipped with cutting-edge facilities and an exceptional team, Vivere-Audubon grappled with an organizational quandary. In an environment where efficiency is paramount, the center’s leadership faced the intricacies of managing multifaceted tasks of overseeing an ASC.

Colby Airado, RN, Administrator/Director of Nursing, noted, “In larger hospitals, you have dedicated teams handling everything from HR to infection control. Here, I wear many hats. I'm juggling various roles.”

This multi-tasking, while commendable, brought its own set of challenges. The center urgently required a centralized organizational approach – an objective easier set than achieved. Overseeing a spectrum of tasks, from daily operations and patient care coordination to steering the infection control program, Airado frequently felt overwhelmed by the weight of administrative duties. “The hours I spent trawling through paperwork and spreadsheets were hours taken away from our primary goal – ensuring safe patient care."

“We were in dire need of a user-friendly platform to seamlessly streamline our day-to-day tasks, provide consistency in follow-up, and deliver real-time dashboards to keep us on track,” Airado noted.

The Solution

In their pursuit of a tool that could align with their unique needs, Vivere-Audubon Surgery Center discovered Performance Health Partners (PHP). What distinguishes PHP's offering is its ability to recognize and adapt to the intricacies of smaller healthcare organizations.

"It felt like PHP had designed their software exclusively for us,” Airado said. “They’ve gone beyond the generic solutions designed for large hospital systems and gave us something that fit our mold.”

PHP's centralized platform was transformative, simplifying complex processes like peer reviews, and facilitating a streamlined workflow.

One such process was incident and event reporting. Airado remarked, “Before, our staff dedicated an inordinate amount of time to filling out incident reports, ensuring they were directed to the right channels, and then analyzing and summarizing the data. PHP streamlines this entire process, significantly boosting our efficiency.”

Moreover, the introduction of patient satisfaction surveys via PHP delivered invaluable patient-centric insights. “This direct feedback mechanism offers us a window into our patients' perspectives, highlighting areas of excellence and potential enhancement.” Airado added, “PHP set us up with a really cool QR code, making it super simple for patients to scan and complete a survey. In just a minute, they can voice their experiences.”

Beyond this, Airado found immense value in PHP’s survey solution which facilitates effortless dissemination of health questionnaires during initial onboarding and tracking annual flu consents.

“This tool provides a panoramic view of our team, ensuring we maintain consistent compliance and updates,” she noted. “Before, we were using spreadsheets to keep track of all these things. Managing staff has become exponentially more efficient with PHP,” she notes.

The ease and speed of implementation further solidified PHP as the ideal choice. “I was initially hesitant about the transition. However, the entire process was smooth – much quicker than anticipated,” Airado stated. The hands-on approach of the PHP team, combined with their proactive engagement, made all the difference. “They are active listeners and made sure our specific needs were met with precision.”

Game-Changing Results

The transformative effects of PHP’s healthcare technology were game changing. Airado observed a significant uptick in operational efficiency, most impressively an “eighty percent reduction in time spent on administrative tasks such as tallying patient feedback.”

A task like incident report completion, which previously took upwards of 45 minutes, was now accomplished in a mere two minutes. This recalibration allowed the organization’s team to channel their energies primarily toward providing quality care.

“Every additional minute invested in paperwork and spreadsheets is time taken away from patient care and patient safety,” Airado remarked.

Shifting focus to the software's analytical capabilities, she noted, “The platform allows us to quickly discern trends. What’s causing these safety events? What do I need to improve upon? This information is all very straightforward and accessible right from the platform.”

As a result, following the adoption of PHP’s software, the rate of incident and near miss report submissions at Vivere-Audubon increased by approximately 40% over a span of twenty months. This heightened submission rate equipped the organization with richer data, enhancing their capacity to pinpoint the root causes of safety events and implement preventative measures against recurrences.

More than just time-saving, PHP's software brought with it innovative features like proactive notifications. If, for instance, an employee's flu vaccination is due, the system autonomously dispatches an email alert. Airado appreciated this, noting, “It’s automated to the point where it's out of my hands. The employee receives the necessary information directly via email.”

Such functionalities meant the surgery center team could genuinely center their attention on patient care, unencumbered by repetitive manual oversight.

Enhancing their commitment to an open and evolving care paradigm, the platform's anonymous reporting feature offered an avenue for unbiased feedback and growth.

On the patient front, feedback through patient satisfaction surveys provided a more transparent view into the patient experience. A notable six-fold increase in the survey submission rates in just six months speaks to the effectiveness of the PHP system.

Conclusion

Reflecting on the seamless customer support from PHP, Airado shares, “Whenever I reach out, there's an immediate response. The individualized attention I receive makes me feel they're genuinely catering to our unique needs.”

Vivere-Audubon Surgery Center's partnership with Performance Health Partners highlights the power of highly customized solutions to address specific needs. It's about ensuring that an organization, no matter its size, remains committed to its core values while optimizing efficiency. As Airado eloquently puts it, “With PHP, it’s not just about a platform. It’s about a partner who truly understands and resonates with our challenges and aspirations.”

For those in similar situations, she offers a piece of advice: “Seek a partner, not just a provider. The distinction makes all the difference.”

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