SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and SAN DIEGO, Feb. 23, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Scottsdale Healthcare's CIO Jim Cramer is at the forefront of patient-focused planning. Under his direction, Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn and Scottsdale Healthcare Shea were first in the nation to install an interactive patient system campus-wide. This was a significant decision, considering that when Scottsdale Healthcare first signed with Skylight Healthcare Systems, only two companies offering interactive patient systems specifically designed for healthcare existed. Skylight, founded in 1999, was the industry pioneer, having already accomplished both alpha and beta deployments of its technology at other hospitals.
By selecting Skylight, Scottsdale Healthcare acquired a robust state-of-the-art network infrastructure with a completely scalable platform. Of course, technical capability alone does not produce results. Soon after installation, staff interest and involvement steadily increased as departments found new ways of using the ACCESS platform to meet their specific patient care and workflow needs while improving the staff environment.
With Cramer's goal of supporting Scottsdale Healthcare's commitment to service excellence and Skylight's focus on innovative future applications, a collaborative partnership was born. The partnership has proved to be fruitful.
Early on, Skylight's on-demand patient education offering helped Scottsdale Healthcare amass a library of patient teaching videos. With on-demand access at every bedside, teaching sessions skyrocketed, while nursing time to initiate these sessions reduced. Sue Livengood, Associate Vice President of Nursing at Scottsdale Healthcare noted, "When JCAHO surveyors ask how we meet our patient and family education requirements, one of our responses will be the on-demand education system through Skylight ACCESS."
Scottsdale Healthcare was selected as an ideal pilot partner in utilizing the ACCESS System's capabilities to solve existing problems and add new value. The companies worked together, focusing on a well-implemented service excellence program as key to patient satisfaction. Timely and frequent patient satisfaction feedback was desired, and the ACCESS System's real-time feedback and service alerting platform was installed.
"We understood that by simply relying on post-discharge survey feedback, we were missing opportunities to identify and address service problems," said David Bean, Executive Director of Consolidated Services. "We knew that ACCESS would allow us to immediately recognize and apologize when expectations were not met. It provides us the ability to correct the situation and plan more effective service strategies for the future," continued Bean.
The hospital conducted a study to evaluate the benefits of the ACCESS System's real-time survey tool. The success was clear: Within studied units, post-discharge satisfaction scores increased an average of 8% (6.5 points) after new protocols were in place.
Scottsdale Healthcare's innovator approach continued with the launch of patient room service dining. Working with the Hospitality Services Department, Skylight quickly identified an interest in piloting electronic meal ordering at the bedside by connecting Computrition's Hospitality Suite with ACCESS.
This pilot is underway and scheduled to go live this April. Scottsdale Healthcare and Skylight again substantiate their market leadership, as the first in the nation to implement true electronic meal ordering at the bedside.
"This solution will once again call attention to Scottsdale Healthcare's pioneering mindset as an early adopter of technology," comments David Schofield, CEO of Skylight Systems. "We are honored that the Skylight ACCESS Interactive Patient System is continuing to help set the standard for excellence in personalized healthcare."
About Scottsdale Healthcare
Scottsdale Healthcare is committed to being the healthcare provider of choice for the northeast Phoenix metropolitan area. Led by a community-based board of directors, Scottsdale Healthcare's mission is to identify and meet the healthcare needs of its community and to meet or exceed its patients' expectations of service. A nonprofit organization, Scottsdale Healthcare was founded in 1962 as City Hospital of Scottsdale. Today it serves a wide geographic area through its three medical centers, outpatient services, home health services and a wide range of community health education and outreach programs. For more information, visit www.shc.org.
About Skylight Healthcare Systems
San Diego-based Skylight Healthcare Systems is the proven choice for interactive patient system technology. The company focuses on products and services that create operational efficiencies improve patient satisfaction and enhance productivity. Skylight's ACCESS Interactive Patient System provides a bi-directional patient communication platform at the bedside. Hospital services include custom content and interactive communications, on-demand health education, patient survey technology, and in-room dining service capabilities. Digital entertainment services include feature film rentals, premium cable TV, music, high-speed Internet, e-mail access and interactive games. For more information, visit www.skylight.com.