According to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Naples-Marco-Immokalee Metro Area is among the fastest growing in the country. One of the clearest indicators of that growth has been the construction of the freestanding NCH Healthcare Northeast Emergency Department, one of three emergency departments operated by the NCH Healthcare System. The community is growing.
In most hospitals, there is a central core where surgical equipment is stored and prepped for the day’s surgeries. In this new facility, however, there are no surgeries.
“The freestanding ED is very unique in that regard,” said Patterson Pope Sales Representative Julie Baumgartner. “When an ambulance will pick up a patient, they’ll triage them in the ambulance and decide if there’s a remote possibility that the patient might need surgery or admission. If there is, that patient will be sent to one of Naples’ other hospitals. If they don’t need surgery or admission, they’ll send them to the freestanding ED. Then, of course they can transfer them later, if needed.”
Located in an area that was farmland just a decade ago, the freestanding ED is designed to treat patients who are in need of immediate care. Think cuts and abrasions, fractures, and abdominal pain – any illness or injury not requiring admission. Although the facility just opened around Thanksgiving 2015, it already serves a sizeable number of patients per day.
Baumgartner was initially contacted by an architect working on the new building. The new facility had a small storage area in which the staff wanted to add a high-density mobile shelving unit to house back-up supplies. Once she saw the plans for the space, however, Baumgartner knew that idea was impossible.
“It was a really small room,” she said. “The floor space just wasn’t conducive to the kind of unit they had in mind. In addition to room for general storage for things like gloves and patient consumables, they also needed secure storage for things like IV solutions and pharmacy back-up.” Undaunted, Baumgartner relied on her extensive experience with medical clients to come up with an alternate solution: the Rotomat® Vertical Carousel, from Hanel.
The Rotomat works great in areas that are small but have a lot of height. The supply storage room at the new freestanding Emergency Department measured just over 21 ft. x 20 ft. That’s just 420 sq. ft. in total. The ceiling, however, measured over 13 ft., providing the ideal headroom for the Rotomat. Working like a vertical carousel, the Rotomat brings products to the staff instead of the other way around. Think of it as a mini Ferris Wheel. It is operated by computer control. A small horizontal opening reveals only the row of shelving that a staff member has requested. This works as a security feature.
“NCH knew a storage solution for all of the supplies was needed,” said Sue Facteau, system manager of central distribution at the new facility. “Unlike the two hospital-based NCH emergency departments, this facility does not have an on-site central distribution area. The Rotomat vertical high-density shelving system solved this issue by accommodating a large quantity of medical specialty supplies in a small area.”
Not only do the facility’s two new Rotomats make it easier to access the supplies the staff needs to do their jobs, but it makes organization more structured and compliant with industry requirements. Each of the units rows house plastic bins in which are kept non-surgical supplies that might otherwise be kept in boxes on large pallets. One of the secondary benefits of the new system – and chiefly of its capacity – is that supply deliveries were lowered to just two or three a week. That saves money for the facility.
“The Patterson Pope team was very enthusiastic,” said Facteau. “Their support was vital, and they were extremely responsive any time we had issues with the operation. They understood from the beginning that emergency department teams can’t stop and wait for essential medical supplies due to mechanical issues. We appreciate the Rotomats’ functionality and how they have proven to be a truly great solution for the given space.”
“The Rotomats have several redundancies built into them. The biggest one is that it’s a dual-motor drive,” said Baumgartner. “They have motors on either side of the Rotomats. They’re always hooked up to a back-up generator, so if the hospital loses power, the back-up generators will come on and the Rotomats will operate.”
Even though the Rotomats hadn’t been what the staff at NCH Northeast ED initially envisioned, they – and even executives – have been thrilled with the results.
“I’ve been told time and time again that everyone’s been really receptive, even those who had their doubts in the beginning,” added Baumgartner. “That’s rewarding.”
Wellness is something to be cherished – in organizations as much as individuals. In today’s medical environments, it’s all about being lean. It’s about being faster, accurate and always effective. A well-oiled machine, you might say, leads to improved health for all. That’s a prognosis anyone can get behind.
To find out more about this project, download the Success Story.
