CASE STUDY
Riverside Health Increasing Inbound and Outbound Transfer Center Calls by 106%; Decreasing Patient Leakage

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Case Studies
I usually refer to the transfer center as ‘the magic workers.’ It’s a one-stop shop where a medical professional will listen to what you need, facilitate consultations, arrange the transfer, and help us do the right thing for the patient.
Rising From Patient Transfer Center to Multifaceted Driver of Organizational Success
Based in Newport News, VA, Riverside Health System is a nonprofit organization serving a large portion of eastern Virginia. The system consists of Riverside Regional Medical Center and five other acute care hospitals, along with more than 300 physician practices, four cancer centers, three surgery centers, nine skilled nursing facilities, home care services, and a number of other establishments. Linking all of these entities and extending the health system’s services to many outside organizations is the aptly named Riverside Connected Care Center. One phone call to the center sets in motion a well-orchestrated array of services, focused on coordinating all logistics for admission to Riverside Health System facilities. Over the years, the center has added many other services that deliver value to patients, providers, and Riverside Health System as a whole. Challenges and Opportunities Setting the stage for growth and success With the launch of a patient transfer center several years ago, Riverside’s leadership recognized the need to adopt new protocols, processes and technologies — especially with the anticipated surge in call and patient volumes, as well as expansion of the Connected Care Center’s service lines. As is the case in medical centers nationwide, budgetary restraints precluded large-scale hiring commensurate with the additional workload. Consequently, the transfer center needed to adopt new, more efficient protocols and processes, carried out by a team of high-caliber professionals. On the technology side, one of the biggest gaps was the lack of advanced reporting capabilities — and reports are critical for larger health systems like Riverside, says Melody Livengood, MSN, RN, Riverside Health System Director Connected Care Center. Data from these reports, she explains, provide decision-makers with vital financial metrics, including the impacts of patients transferring into and out of the system. “Preventing leakage is huge for health systems right now, especially for a highly diversified organization like ours. From a patient perspective, it’s also important to ensure continuity of care across all settings…for patients to feel like everyone knows them.” Early on, Riverside tried to reconfigure its existing clinical decision-support software for transfer center operations. But it required too much free-text data entry, and this was a major barrier to timely, efficient reporting, according to Livengood. “It simply didn’t meet the needs of a busy transfer center.” The Response and the Rewards Overall growth of 342% in 10 years Riverside Health System embarked on a transformation of its patient transfer center, encompassing operations, staffing and IT infrastructure. More than 10 years later, the results of this ambitious multifaceted initiative speak volumes:- Over a seven-year time span, transfer center staff handled a 106% increase in inbound and outbound calls.
- Over the same time period, the transfer center arranged 300% more patient transports.
- The transfer center achieved 342% growth in overall dispositions in 10 years; this includes fulfillment of bed requests, ED evaluations, and consults.
- 106% increase in inbound and outbound transfer center calls over seven-year time span
- 300% more patient transports arranged over the same time period
- 342% growth in overall transfer center dispositions in 10 years
- Faster, more efficient coordination of services with limited resources
- Reduced leakage of patients and revenues to other health systems
- Visibility to vital metrics that reveal new opportunities for growth and operational efficiency
- Intelligence that drives informed and timely provider recruiting
- Enhanced continuity of care for patients across all settings
- Clear, time-stamped documentation of events, enabling staff to improve patient safety
- One convenient point of contact for more than two dozen services
- Praise from physicians, who refer to the transfer center as their “one-stop shop”
HIGHLIGHTS
Riverside Health
- Based in Newport News, VA
- Nonprofit system consisting of Riverside Regional Medical Center and 5 other acute care hospitals
- 300+ physician practices, 4 cancer centers, 3 surgery centers, 9 skilled nursing facilities, home care services, etc.
- Needed to adopt new protocols, processes and technologies
- Expansion of transfer center service lines and expected surge in call and patient volumes
- Lack of advanced reporting capabilities
- Implemented Central Logic Transfer Center®
- Staff is cross-trained to handle call volume, ensuring timely and efficient responses
- Fast, efficient coordination of services and informed decision-making
- 106% increase in inbound and outbound transfer center calls over seven-year time span
- 300% more patient transports arranged over the same time period
- 342% growth in overall transfer center dispositions in 10 years
- Enhanced continuity of care for patients across all settings
Preventing leakage is huge for health systems right now, especially for a highly diversified organization like ours.
Without the reports we can generate with Central Logic, it would be difficult to understand what’s coming into or going out of our facilities.
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