SPRINGFIELD, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Sentara Healthcare has enhanced operator workflows and improved the
efficiency of their busy call center by more than 12 percent with the
help of Spok Consulting Services. This is especially significant because
the call center handles a heavy volume and sends more than 300,000 pages
per month.
Sentara engaged Spok to examine the non-profit hospital system’s use of
Spok® solutions and recommend process updates that would align operator
workflows with the latest industry best practices. After discussing
project goals, Spok’s team of experts delivered more than a dozen
specific action items to help maximize the call center’s paging
capabilities and fully utilize system capabilities.
“We knew a lot about our Spok system, but we certainly didn’t know
everything,” said Greg Walkup, IT director at Sentara Healthcare. “From
how we’re set up to the operation of our systems, we wanted to know if
there were functions we weren’t using and if we could modify our process
for better results.”
Walkup outlined several goals for the Consulting Services engagement:
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Evaluate call center efficiency and suggest best-practice improvements
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Increase physicians’ and nurses’ use of the online staff directory to
locate colleagues
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Promote use of Spok Mobile®, Spok’s HIPAA-compliant
texting app, so clinicians can include patient details securely in
their messages (such as filling treatment order requests)
“Although we’ve just begun to implement changes, the consulting
engagement has already been an excellent use of our time and resources,”
Walkup said. “It has been really worthwhile to uncover some things we
didn’t know about. We’re also considering bringing Consulting Services
back to do a deep dive into the clinical communications at one of our
hospitals and work on the Spok Mobile deployment at that location.”
Healthcare communications are far from static, and hospitals that use
Spok solutions can benefit from an occasional re-examination of how
products are deployed and how people are using them, noted Brenda Wurst,
Spok’s global head of Consulting Services. Wurst led the consulting
effort at Sentara Healthcare.
“We’re another pair of eyes to help companies get the most out of their
communications and collaboration,” Wurst said. “Because we’re not
involved in the day-to-day operations of a company, we often can see
efficiencies or workflow improvements that others may have missed. Also,
because we see Spok products used in different ways across a number of
industries, we often have suggestions on best practices.”
For more information on Spok Consulting Services, visit http://www.spok.com/solutions/professional-services/consulting-services.
About Sentara Healthcare
Sentara Healthcare is an
integrated, non-profit health system serving Virginia and northeastern
North Carolina. Based in Norfolk, Va., Sentara Healthcare system
operates 12 acute care hospitals, as well as advanced imaging centers,
nursing and assisted-living centers, outpatient campuses, physical
therapy and rehabilitation services, home health and hospice agency, a
3,800-provider medical staff, and five medical groups. In addition,
Sentara provides medical transport ambulances and Nightingale air
ambulance. It also extends health insurance to 450,000 people through
Optima Health, its award-winning health plan. To learn more about
Sentara Healthcare, visit www.sentara.com.
About Spok
Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok
Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPOK), headquartered in Springfield, Va., is
proud to be a leader in critical communications for healthcare,
government, public safety, and other industries. We deliver smart,
reliable solutions to help protect the health, well-being, and safety of
people around the globe. Organizations worldwide rely on Spok for
workflow improvement, secure texting, paging services, contact center
optimization, and public safety response. When communications matter,
Spok delivers. Visit us at spok.com or
find us on Twitter @Spoktweets.
Spok is a trademark of Spok Holdings, Inc. Spok Mobile is a trademark of
Spok, Inc.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150811005189/en/
Spok, Inc.
Jill Asby, 952-230-5363
jill.asby@spok.com
Source: Spok, Inc.