Did you miss our Webinar on November 4th with Armando Tamayo, Business Operations Manager Environmental Services (EVS), for Kaiser Permanente’s (KP) Mid-Atlantic Region, and Tony Martinez from AuditPRO? Well here is a recap. Armando is responsible for over 40 healthcare facilities in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. Armando has been serving KP for over 30 years, currently leading the Quality analysis team for their environmental services program.
What was the program prior to automation?
Prior to four years ago, the EVS inspection program was manual, and that had some challenges. There was a large paper trail, inconsistent reporting, and you couldn’t quickly get to information when you needed it. Most importantly, there was a lack of accountability. It was really hard to see “the big picture”. Manual systems make it hard to get to the information and data, as well as the ability to identify trouble spots.
What improvements did you see through utilizing (AuditPRO) technology?
We had our forms, surveys, and checklists already developed, and we were happy about being able to adapt and convert those forms into our AuditPRO surveys. Procedure areas, ASC areas, AUC areas, and more common checklists were all able to be brought into the program.
But the biggest benefit was getting real-time information. We can see things right away through the reports, which include pictures. Being able to see the pictures indicated where they needed to do more training.
The last big benefit was no more carrying papers, not losing papers, not having to re-type information, or losing information that you may forget by the time you get back to your desk.
Tony Martinez then showed that the AuditPRO System has a mobile app that allows you to take pictures and do surveys from any type of mobile device. Phones, iPads, etc. KP data was shared so that you can see where most of the audits are occurring. Tony then showed how to narrow down data by dates, occurrences, facility locations, type of facility, departments, individuals, and types of inspections. He showed how the trends report increased visibility and accountability.
What would you suggest to a smaller organization?
There are a lot of programs out there that provide automation. What came to mind for Armando was the cost of AuditPRO. He thinks it is very affordable comparatively.
What is Armando’s favorite report? He likes that you can track top issues. Now he can see where he needs to focus his attention. They are a data-driven organization so seeing that data easily is very valuable.
What changes or enhancements have you made to your program now that you have this data?
Having this level of data allowed them to take their program to the next level. Overall it has helped improve their customer service.
EVS responsibilities have grown, and COVID caused it to grow even further. AuditPRO helps them keep their patients and staff safe.
Team development and training were affected by the program. They can see where they are lacking through reports and now can do focused training where it’s needed.
TM showed reports such as: Top 10 Issues
Top 10 by Location
Top 10 by Type of Inspection
You raised the visibility of the EVS team, getting you a seat at the table. How did you use the data to do that?
Going back to pictures, being able to show furniture, floor types, surface types, etc. showed how a chemical might deteriorate the fabric color. They brought this type of information to the capital team. Now the capital team is engaging them prior to new construction and renovation projects for their advice.
VP’s have asked for access to the AuditPRO system which has increased their level of visibility within the organization. This was a great experience for Armando. VP’s and Sr. Directors can see their specific sites, what data is being captured, see the pictures; all of which helps from a communications standpoint. It has also increased their level of transparency to these senior leaders. As well as helps with capital budgeting and allocations.
Next came Q&A from attendees:
How much time and cost is it to implement AuditPRO?
It took 4 weeks to get the program up and running. It took another 6 months to a year to get their inspection forms in the system and get them tweaked to exactly how they wanted them. AuditPRO is an annual subscription based on site type and size (number of beds if applicable).
Can you integrate AuditPRO with your CMMS?
Yes, AuditPRO has an open API and although KP does not have an integration in place, other customers have chosen to integrate.
Tony was asked to share what the pictures look like in AuditPRO and he showed us a report that had pictures of stained ceiling tiles as a finding.
Final words from Armando, “Automation makes your life easier. It not only saves time gathering data but also helps you analyze the data so you can improve your program performance.”
