Author: Jackie Larson

Rene Letourneau, the editor of Healthcare Finance News, recently reached out to Avantas for our perspective on automated staff messaging tools. She was working on an article that highlighted the ability of some of our competitors’ healthcare scheduling software offerings to automatically blast messages to staff members when an ill call is entered into the...

Proactive communication to staff on the strategic purpose, intended use, and “what’s in it for them” is the key to achieving high adoption with regard to healthcare consulting engagements, whether they are process changes or new initiatives. There is so much change happening in healthcare currently, and in response organizations are (or should) be investing...

In light of the challenges our industry is facing, any new purchase in healthcare is under increased scrutiny, especially capital expenditures, like healthcare scheduling software solutions and EMR systems. On the Avantas blog I’ve discussed ways to gain buy-in and how to prepare your organization for change, but there are strategies to consider once an…

In a decade of healthcare consulting work with organizations of all sizes we have seen very few that are designed in a manner that makes cross-departmental communication easy. In fact, the design of most healthcare systems necessitates artful coordination to implement successful enterprise-wide initiatives. Often, a system’s various departments are located in different buildings and...

“Shift bidding” is a popular method of open shift management with advertised benefits of improving retention and reducing the costs associated with filling open shifts. It is promoted as a timesaver for managers and a staff satisfier as it puts control of the shift into the staff member’s hands. In the shift bidding process, staff...

If you were to inspect every process you do every day you would probably discover that a number of them are the result of a technology not performing ideally. Developing a process for an ineffective technology is the definition of a “workaround.” People create workarounds for a number of reasons, including: We don’t have the...

Transforming the culture and practices associated with 60% of your organization’s operating expense – and the faces of care your patients interact with – is not something many healthcare organizations are eager to do. This is understandable as an endeavor of this magnitude takes time, requires heavy lifting, and necessitates a strong desire to want...

The 45th Annual AONE Meeting and Exposition looks to be one of the best yet, assuming the March Boston weather isn’t planning any surprises. In addition to the opportunity to earn up to 20 contact hours, the schedule of speakers includes a former White House Press Secretary, a senior advisor from the Robert Wood Johnson…

Avantas recently released a white paper titled, Focusing on the Controllable: Five Strategies for Hospitals to Hedge Against Uncertainty. In this white paper we discuss the lopsided attention being paid in the healthcare industry to issues including Medicaid and Medicare Reimbursement, Government Funding Cuts, and Sliding Bond Ratings. We fully admit that these are major...

Are you too tired to care? A recent Sentinel Event Alert published by The Joint Commission called attention to health care worker fatigue and the adverse impact it has on patient safety. It makes sense: long hours mean less quality sleep, and when you're tired, you're more likely to make mistakes. The alert summarizes research...