How Mobile Clinical Communications Saved Valley Medical Millions

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How Mobile Clinical Communications Saved Valley Medical Millions

How Mobile Clinical Communications Saved Valley Medical Millions

As highlighted by Healthcare IT News in their article Mobile Clinical Communications Saves Valley Medical Center Tens of Millions of Dollars,” UW Medicine’s Valley Medical Center, a 321-bed acute care hospital in Seattle, faced significant communication challenges within its 18 operating rooms. Before 2015, clinicians relied on a cumbersome mix of pagers, legacy phones, and whiteboards, making it difficult to coordinate tasks such as pre-op prep, room setup, and post-op care.

To address these inefficiencies, Valley Medical Center implemented the Voalte smartphone system, a HIPAA-compliant platform designed for secure communication and alert notifications. By replacing outdated devices with shared Apple iPhones, the platform connected operating room staff with a unified patient-centric directory integrated with the hospital’s Epic Rover EHR, Connexall middleware, and Rauland nurse call system.

According to Jeremy Wyatt, Manager of Perioperative Services, this solution streamlined workflows and improved communication, ensuring that relevant staff received timely notifications. For example, bed exit alerts and emergency codes were sent directly to designated team members, reducing response times. Additionally, the ability to assign roles in the communication platform made it easier to notify the right personnel when schedules changed or emergencies occurred.

One notable improvement was the drastic reduction in overhead paging, creating a quieter, more patient-friendly environment. Studies have shown that excessive noise in hospitals correlates with poorer patient outcomes and higher stress levels for both patients and staff.

The economic impact of these enhancements has been significant. With each minute in the operating room valued at $130, even small reductions in procedure time translated to substantial savings. By cutting down case times and increasing efficiency, Valley Medical Center saved tens of millions of dollars and performed 200 additional surgeries annually.

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Article with all rights reserved, courtesy of Healthcare IT News.

 

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