HIT Consultant Media closed 2020 out by conducting a survey of healthcare executives on their predictions and trends for 2021. Of the findings, smart hospitals and centralization were top of mind as health systems work to re-build a sustainable model that scales.
Scalability is not the only priority. During CBORD’s recent State of Healthcare webinar, nearly 45% of attendees stated cost management as a leading priority. It’s apparent that as society moves forward, creating adaptive, lean operations will help hospitals and health systems that, according to an America Hospital Association report, lost an estimated $323.1 billion in 2020 due to the immense financial strain of the pandemic.
Times of crisis often shine a light on areas that need improvement, and it’s clear that a lack of scalability and centralization in a post-COVID-19 world is no longer an option. In fact, gaining centralized control should be a priority as it will help operators drive operational efficiency and labor savings, reduce costs, improve patient safety and standardize across the health system to ensure consistency and compliance.
Here are three things operators should consider when evaluating enterprise management tools to drive centralized control.
Cost management
It’s a topic at the forefront of many operators’ minds, and a successful enterprise solution should have built-in tools that help to control costs. Having enterprise purchasing control is key to driving cost savings. This helps drive volume purchasing across an organization, allowing operators to maximize rebates and reduce SKUs.
Increase safety
It’s no secret that the healthcare industry is patient driven, which means that the care delivery model must embrace those various needs and preferences. Integrating a tool that not only helps standardize workflows but offers personalization, safety and consistency is a vital part of enhancing the patron experience in each segment of an enterprise.
Patient feeding is complex but selecting a tool that allows sites to choose from one set of accepted and approved procedures will help facilities maintain compliance. Ensure that the chosen enterprise management tool also helps meet individual nutrition requirements for each meal.
Centralize control
Having the ability to centrally control a health system enables operators to standardize their foodservice operations. Seek an enterprise management tool that will help create an integrated patient meal service and back-of-house foodservice operation, which is essential to maximizing efficiencies. Centralization not only helps to enforce standards, but drives improved quality of care and consistent outcomes, and seamlessly shares data in real time at each location.
In 2021, it’s apparent that moving the food and nutrition department to a single integrated solution for enterprise management is the strategy of choice.
For more information about the benefits of centralized control, click here.
This post is sponsored by CBORD