Three Keys To A Successful Implementation of Wall-Arm Workstations
When MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Maryland decided to embark on a new EHR implementation project, it quickly became apparent that the building’s infrastructure wasn’t the only thing in need of an upgrade. The hospital’s clinicians realized they needed to rethink their nursing workflow with a bedside documentation solution.
“We were looking for wall mounts, and we really liked the design and quality of the mounts that Enovate had to offer,” said Chris Brown, Assistant Vice President of Information Technology of MedStar Montgomery Medical Center.
Brown and her team considered multiple vendors to help determine the best design and quality. Brown says that the relationship with a vendor’s sales team often becomes a deciding factor.
When Brown and her team approached Enovate Medical for a fixed solution, Kerstin Haase, Enovate’s Regional Sales Director from the northeast region, was quick to provide options based on the hospital’s new renovations and needs of the nursing staff. With more than 6 years of experience in the industry, Haase was able to provide value to the hospital by offering samples of the wall arm solution.
“Enovate really came through with quality products and the relationship we were looking for,” Brown said.
Given the challenge facing Brown’s staff at MedStar Montgomery, both she and the Enovate team knew there would be three major keys to building a long-term solution to improve patient care with bedside documentation.
Key #1: Enovate as Subject Matter Experts Conduct a Thorough Clinical Device Assessment (CDA)
As part of Enovate’s sales process, Brown and Haase worked together to determine how the wall arm solution would deliver more patient engagement and workflow efficiency overall. Enovate conducted walk-throughs with Brown to help determine the product’s optimum placement and configuration based on the room, workflow and clinical requirements.
“This was one of the keys to their success – we conducted a thorough and comprehensive assessment and made recommendations to improve beside documentation and maximize workflow,” said Kerstin Haase.
“As part of the Clinical Device Assessment, we looked at the dimensions of each room and selected a place on the wall where we could mount a solution that would work, and then Enovate made recommendations on which product configuration was the best fit,” Brown said.
“We were looking for wall mounts, and we really liked the design and quality of the mounts that Enovate had to offer. Enovate really came through with quality products and the relationship we were looking for.” … Chris Brown, Assistant Vice President of Information Technology, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
Key #2: After the Clinical Device Assessment, Enovate’s Subject Matter Experts Conducted a Live Product Evaluation
This collaborative point in the process confirmed that the right decision was made for each product. In this particular case, Brown’s team selected the Enovate Medical e997 Series Wall Arms. Once the product was chosen, a prototype room was set up with a patient’s bed, telephone, couch and an Enovate demo unit. The wall arm was left in place for a month, allowing nurses to test it out to ensure everything was positioned correctly and to determine if adjustments were necessary. Haase followed up with Brown during the evaluation process to ensure feedback from clinical and IT was incorporated into the final solution.
Key #3: Professional Installation From Factory Trained Representatives
The output of the Clinical Device Assessment is the blueprint for each room. It outlines the exact points for data and electrical drops in each room. The Enovate installation team had precise specifications to allow for a professional well-planned installation. The installation service provided by Enovate optimizes the user experience and encourages better adoption of documenting at the bedside maximizing nursing efficiency and patient engagement.
Having the opportunity to work with Enovate Medical throughout the building and installation process gave MedStar Montgomery a chance to truly get a sense for how the product would work amongst staff and patients.
Outcomes
It has been 8 years since Brown and Haase first met to build out a workstation solution for the hospital’s new renovation project, but walk into a patient’s room today and you’d think it was only yesterday.
During a recent walkthrough, Account Executive, Ryan Vena, noticed an old photograph of the original wall arm installation and commented that they look as good today as when they were installed.
Over the years, Brown’s IT team has taken charge of the maintenance and general upkeep of the wall arms. They swapped out old PCs, monitors, keyboards, mice and barcode scanners. The meticulous attention to maintenance has increased the product life.
“Enovate’s equipment has withstood the test of time and works well with new equipment, as well,” Brown said.
The engagement of Brown’s IT team has managed not only to keep the full integrity of the wall arms, but, through the years, their proactive management has reduced the overall workload.
“Thanks to the great teamwork, vetting process and planning, we’ve provided a much better solution for our clinicians and our patients,” Brown said.
“The collaboration with Kerstin Haase, an Enovate’s subject matter expert, Chris Brown’s IT knowledge, and the clinical feedback, is what makes this a successful deployment,” said Kevin Bridges, VP of Marketing and Business Development for Enovate Medical.
Thanks to a quality product, a well thought out implementation plan, a professional installation, and a proactive preventative maintenance plan, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center is set up for improved patient care, allowing nurses to document in real time – all the time.
With their clean aesthetic and ergonomic flexibility, our Enovate Medical e997 Series Wall Arms deliver more patient engagement in high-acuity patient rooms. Plus, they give your clinical staff more room to move by folding flush to the wall when not in use.
Montgomery MedStar Medical Center IT Staff: (back row, L-R): Mike Aguilar, Owen Horne, Greg Hardisty, Kyle Husband, Taiwo Olayinka, Sharon Bowser, Loretta Morrow, Paulette Hicks, Kate Parmelee, Clarence Ho, Gunvuddhi Kent. (front row, L-R:) Barbara Richards, Da Zhao, Rong Huang, Jennifer Schrumpf, Chris Brown, John Gilbert