We have the technology
Ratner explained the thinking behind the technological advances in the Hudson Valley. “We want to make sure we have the technology to keep physicians as current as possible to allow them to do their job well, and we want to make patients comfortable with what we can do here locally,” Ratner said, noting that the creation and dissemination of medical records is much easier now than in years past. “The accessibility of being able to share data between different departments within the hospital and outside the hospital among physician groups will be a pillar for us moving forward. We’ve also worked out arrangements to share imaging with a tertiary medical provider. If someone needs to go north, we can make it easier on the patient and physicians to share some of those images if the patient consents.”
That’s one innovation in the field of customer service. Hughes pointed out another.
“Here at Saint Francis, in the cancer center we have a family liaison in the emergency department,” he said. “That’s one person who is dedicated to connecting the dots for patients. If it’s cancer care, you come in and they’re going to explain the way it works. If you’re going to need surgery or treatment, they’ll walk you over to those departments and introduce you to some of the people. If you have a question about your care or medication, you call your nurse navigator and she’ll get the answer for you. You don’t have to run around blindly trying to figure out the answers for yourself. And we have the same thing in the robotics. We have one person who is dedicated to answering questions and keeping in touch with patients afterwards.”
Ratner agreed on the necessity for communication among all parties, which he said was increasing. “One of the biggest trends we see in the industry is much closer physician-hospital alignment,” Ratner said. “Whether it be clinical integration or other models, part of keeping your patients local is really being able to effectively communicate with your patients, physicians and hospitals so everyone is aware of what’s going on with that patient’s care.”
