As a Voalté project manager, I’m able to see and experience quite a bit when going through hospital installations and upgrades. Funny part is that no matter how many times I go through either, the experiences vary every time.

We commonly joke by saying, “Once you’ve seen one hospital install, you’ve seen one hospital install”. Truth is - no hospital is the same and therefore we shouldn’t expect units to be the same either.

An ER at Sarasota Memorial Hospital operates much differently from either a step-down unit in the same hospital or the ER at Heartland Health in St. Joseph, Missouri. That’s where the communication component plays such a critical role. From my experience, building in communication with leaders of each unit can go a long way in making sure a roll-out goes as smoothly as possible.

Getting clinicians involved from the start of the project helps build user acceptance and guarantee project success. Not only does the clinical team act as cheerleaders for the project - aiding buy-in from users that are less apt to accept change or may be technophobic - they also add valuable insight on how to shape the solution to the needs of the hospital and clinicians.

The concept is quite simple. Why buy tools for others to use without their involvement? It’s like having someone else buy you shoes without asking you what size you wear and how you plan to use them - to walk or to run. 

How is your hospital bridging the healthcare communication gap?