AtHoc is an industry leader in networked crisis communication solutions. What do urgent alerts and emergency response management have to do with healthcare staffing?
As it turns out, a great deal. The same functionality that helps locate staff members and organize resources during a crisis also helps healthcare companies save time and money by automating staffing and similar personnel challenges.
Written by Paul Neyman, AtHoc Senior Sales Account Manager, for the AtHoc blog.
Save Time and Money by Using AtHoc to Automate Staffing and Scheduling
- Fill staffing shortages quickly and automatically
- Save time and money by eliminating manual personnel processes
- Generate additional return on your networked crisis communication investment
Consider a situation at a hospital designated as a trauma center. A multi-vehicle accident might require more surgeons and nurses than currently are onsite. Or, an explosion might generate a sudden need for burn and smoke inhalation specialists.
AtHoc has the ability to reach off-duty or offsite staff using automated, predefined scenarios. If 20 trauma nurses are needed, then AtHoc can contact individuals with the required skills sequentially until all 20 slots have been filled. The remaining staff can then be alerted that they are not needed, or that they should remain on call, just in case.
This same process also works for day-to-day operations. One ongoing challenge for healthcare providers, including nursing homes and hospice facilities, is predictable staffing. When a scheduled slot goes unfilled, it puts a strain on the rest of the staff to cover. Management must spend time trying to locate individuals willing to work on short notice, which leads to overtime and other unnecessary expenses.
AtHoc automates this process, using the same technology applied during emergencies. Healthcare providers can reach their workforce in minutes. Secure mobile calls, SMS messages, email, or other push notifications inform off-duty staff of available shifts – and then let slower responders know immediately when all slots have been filled.
The load on staffing offices is significantly reduced by AtHoc, enabling managers to issue sick calls and announcements from anywhere, including authorized smartphones and tablets. Contact data maintenance is handled through close integration with PS3, Ansos, and other leading healthcare scheduling tools. Staff responses are automatically collected by AtHoc, then sorted by time of response, seniority, straight time, or overtime – or any other criteria imported from the scheduling system. These communications are logged securely for use in audits and performance reports.
It may not be as exciting as helping manage emergency situations, but AtHoc’s ability to serve day-to-day staffing and operational needs carries a tremendous value for our healthcare customers.
Organizations who use AtHoc in this manner can pay for their investment in as little as a few months through reduced grievances, minimized downtime, dramatically improved efficiency within the staffing office, and an overall stronger relationship with the workforce. And, this is before factoring in the additional value that comes from AtHoc’s emergency alerting and other capabilities.
For more on how AtHoc provides a seamless and reliable exchange of critical information among organizations, their people, and devices, take a tour with an upcoming live product demo webcast or visit the AtHoc website for more resources and information.