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Efficiency in action at Bon Secours
Dr. George Parker explains how his hospital is using GE's AgileTrac technology to better use equipment and operating rooms.
Also see story feature story from the RFID Journal: Bon Secours Saves $2 Million Annually
Transcript:
Saint Mary's Hospital, Richmond, VirginaDr. George Parker, M.C., F.A.C.S.
The Bon Secours system recognized the fact that a lot of equipment was being unutilized or underutilized because of not knowing where it was. So they've adopted the AgileTrac System, which has helped tremendously in being able to find equipment when you need it, where it is, so the nurses can find it and spend more time with the patients. And it also helps the medical staff that we have more time to spend with the nurses who aren't out looking for equipment that they just can't find.
For example, IV pumps are one of the most frequently used pieces of equipment in the hospital and frequently the nurses can't find them. And the thing that will hold up an operation more than anything is not having the right piece of equipment in the room at the time when you need it. And the AgileTrac System really helps you identify where the pieces of equipment are, especially the ones that are used by different disciplines. It really makes a big difference to getting it to the room, on time, making the operation go a lot smoother.
The AgileTrac system allows us to visualize on a number of screens throughout the operating room where each operating room is in the course of the operation. Including when the room is ready for turnover, how long the operation has been going on, and things like that which is very helpful just on a quick glance to see where things are.
In the past we used to have to run down and look at a little board on the side of one of the walls and now you can see it in multiple places. It's very helpful to know where things are so that you can plan your day accordingly.
The system has been very helpful so far, especially in organizing people and the flow of patients through the operating room. What we are hoping it will be in the future is a system that will alert everyone involved in the care of each individual patient when they are needed to be involved. It really makes it a lot simpler than literally walking around saying "Who's the anesthesiologist?", "Has the IV been put in?", "Did they get the antibiotics yet?" and asking all those questions myself it's already been ascertained by looking at a screen.
With the use of the AgileTrac system in the operating room, we've been able to increase our on-time starts to at least 45% now, which has been at the 20% level before the use of the AgileTrac System. And now we've got the turnover time down to about 20-25 minutes in most cases compared to 40-45 minutes in the past with the use of the AgileTrac System and other process changes in the operating rooms.
The hospital administration has shared with the medical staff leadership the fact that over the past 5 years they've been able to save at least $5 million dollars working with GE and the AgileTrac System.
When an operation goes smoothly, it takes less time, and time is money in the operating room.