For a hospital organization, moving to a new facility is stressful for everyone involved — from the leadership to the construction team to the staff. The transition results in changes to the physical environment and the operational flows of the hospital. The hospital's operations generally change because new technology and work processes are used in newly constructed facilities.
Denton Wilson, assistant vice president of design and construction at Methodist Health System in Dallas, says hospitals can follow certain practices to make the move to a new facility more efficient and less stressful. The Methodist Health System design and construction team recently completed the last phase of a 108-bed patient tower at Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas. The team is now working on a $108 million trauma tower at Methodist Dallas Medical Center and a $120 million replacement hospital for Methodist Richardson (Texas) Medical Center. Mr. Wilson recommends the following practices when planning a move to a new facility.
1. Early planning. Hospital leaders need to explicitly define the goals of the project early on. Early planning will support a strong opening day and reduce stress on the patient population and the staff, says Mr. Wilson. Early planning allows for detailed planning. The facility can ensure that every detail is taken care of by opening day, and this makes a great first impression. "I have continued to see only benefits from starting as early as possible," says Mr. Wilson. However, starting early without strong leadership to oversee the move will not be beneficial.
2. Strong leadership. This is a key aspect of planning a move to a new facility. The leadership ensures that goals are being met on time and coordinates the project. There are two types of transitions that take place during a move: a physical one and a clinical one. For each of these, there needs to be a strong leader. Of the two, the physical transition is more clearly defined and is usually handled by a design and construction team, such as the one at Methodist Health System. If an organization does not have the internal resources to accomplish the physical move, it can hire consultants. The clinical transition needs a leader who is involved in the daily operations of the organization and understands its culture. Once the leadership is in place, it is time to involve the additional stakeholders.
3. Involve stakeholders early and keep them in the loop. Have stakeholders involved in project meetings early on, says Mr. Wilson. Involving stakeholders early is helpful because input from the various groups can help solidify plans for the project. The organization could also develop a transition team with individual subcommittees for specific tasks to ensure that everyone's opinions are being heard, says Mr. Wilson. For example, the organization could set up separate subcommittees for furniture and artwork selection, supplies for the new facility and communication.
These subcommittees also help in keeping stakeholders in the loop about the progress of the project. This keeps the stakeholders enthused about the move. The transition to a new facility is challenging for them, particularly the staff, because they may have to let go of current work processes in favor of new ones and new technology, he says.
4. Familiarize staff with the facility. Having the staff be comfortable with the new facility before patients are moved in is essential. If they are still confused about new processes or new technology, they will not be able to give patients enough attention, leading to a decrease in patient satisfaction. Using mock-ups — replicas of each type of room in the new facility — is a great way to give the staff an idea of what their physical environment will look like and how they will interact with it. Everything in the mock-up room is live, so the staff can use the technology and run through any changes in work processes. Mock-ups are also useful for project leaders and the design team because the staff can tell them if any details are missing.
Another way to ensure that the staff is comfortable is giving them a few days to explore the facility before the patients are moved in. Mr. Wilson recommends organizing games like scavenger hunts for this purpose.
5. Build in time for testing. Test out all systems as well as phones, televisions and even blinds, recommends Dr. Wilson. "Test and retest technology," he says. "I have seen many things happen on that first day that, frankly, are disappointing." Ensure all the signs are accurate and installed on time. Build enough time into the schedule to test everything. Opening and then having issues is stressful and embarrassing.
6. Phased moves. If the move is a staggered one involving different phases, the organization must have a plan for it. It is important to understand and account for the impact of additional construction while the first phase is open. While constructing the first phase, also think through the construction of the second and any other phases, says Mr. Wilson. This will help ensure that the when the first phase is up and running, it won't be disturbed by the construction of the other phases.
According to Mr. Wilson, all the above concepts will help make the transition to a new facility more efficient, but having a strong team to implement them is important.
"It’s about having very strong key team members that work well together, form a plan, establish goals, assign tasks and measure accountability," he says.
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Denton Wilson, assistant vice president of design and construction at Methodist Health System in Dallas, says hospitals can follow certain practices to make the move to a new facility more efficient and less stressful. The Methodist Health System design and construction team recently completed the last phase of a 108-bed patient tower at Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas. The team is now working on a $108 million trauma tower at Methodist Dallas Medical Center and a $120 million replacement hospital for Methodist Richardson (Texas) Medical Center. Mr. Wilson recommends the following practices when planning a move to a new facility.
1. Early planning. Hospital leaders need to explicitly define the goals of the project early on. Early planning will support a strong opening day and reduce stress on the patient population and the staff, says Mr. Wilson. Early planning allows for detailed planning. The facility can ensure that every detail is taken care of by opening day, and this makes a great first impression. "I have continued to see only benefits from starting as early as possible," says Mr. Wilson. However, starting early without strong leadership to oversee the move will not be beneficial.
2. Strong leadership. This is a key aspect of planning a move to a new facility. The leadership ensures that goals are being met on time and coordinates the project. There are two types of transitions that take place during a move: a physical one and a clinical one. For each of these, there needs to be a strong leader. Of the two, the physical transition is more clearly defined and is usually handled by a design and construction team, such as the one at Methodist Health System. If an organization does not have the internal resources to accomplish the physical move, it can hire consultants. The clinical transition needs a leader who is involved in the daily operations of the organization and understands its culture. Once the leadership is in place, it is time to involve the additional stakeholders.
3. Involve stakeholders early and keep them in the loop. Have stakeholders involved in project meetings early on, says Mr. Wilson. Involving stakeholders early is helpful because input from the various groups can help solidify plans for the project. The organization could also develop a transition team with individual subcommittees for specific tasks to ensure that everyone's opinions are being heard, says Mr. Wilson. For example, the organization could set up separate subcommittees for furniture and artwork selection, supplies for the new facility and communication.
These subcommittees also help in keeping stakeholders in the loop about the progress of the project. This keeps the stakeholders enthused about the move. The transition to a new facility is challenging for them, particularly the staff, because they may have to let go of current work processes in favor of new ones and new technology, he says.
4. Familiarize staff with the facility. Having the staff be comfortable with the new facility before patients are moved in is essential. If they are still confused about new processes or new technology, they will not be able to give patients enough attention, leading to a decrease in patient satisfaction. Using mock-ups — replicas of each type of room in the new facility — is a great way to give the staff an idea of what their physical environment will look like and how they will interact with it. Everything in the mock-up room is live, so the staff can use the technology and run through any changes in work processes. Mock-ups are also useful for project leaders and the design team because the staff can tell them if any details are missing.
Another way to ensure that the staff is comfortable is giving them a few days to explore the facility before the patients are moved in. Mr. Wilson recommends organizing games like scavenger hunts for this purpose.
5. Build in time for testing. Test out all systems as well as phones, televisions and even blinds, recommends Dr. Wilson. "Test and retest technology," he says. "I have seen many things happen on that first day that, frankly, are disappointing." Ensure all the signs are accurate and installed on time. Build enough time into the schedule to test everything. Opening and then having issues is stressful and embarrassing.
6. Phased moves. If the move is a staggered one involving different phases, the organization must have a plan for it. It is important to understand and account for the impact of additional construction while the first phase is open. While constructing the first phase, also think through the construction of the second and any other phases, says Mr. Wilson. This will help ensure that the when the first phase is up and running, it won't be disturbed by the construction of the other phases.
According to Mr. Wilson, all the above concepts will help make the transition to a new facility more efficient, but having a strong team to implement them is important.
"It’s about having very strong key team members that work well together, form a plan, establish goals, assign tasks and measure accountability," he says.
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