TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. and DAYTON, Ohio, March 15, 2017 — Billings Clinic, named the top hospital in Montana by U.S. News & World Report, has implemented Versus Advantages™ Asset Management and the V-Net™ Wi-Fi real-time locating system (RTLS) to effectively manage their fleet of mobile medical equipment for efficient patient care.
The 304-bed hospital in Billings, Mont., spans a 56-acre campus and four stories, which complicates keeping track of the hundreds of pumps, beds, lifts, wheelchairs and other assets that move about the facility every day. The biomedical department, clinicians and caregivers spent valuable time searching for equipment — time that could have been spent in direct patient care, efficient asset maintenance, or other value-added tasks.
Billings Clinic found the solution from Beacon Communications, a regional systems integrator in Denver, Colorado. Beacon had already installed the Versus RTLS to automate the hospital’s Rauland R5 nurse call system, and encouraged Billings Clinic to expand on the same infrared (IR) sensory network, augmented with Wi-Fi, to track assets. By leveraging two existing systems, the hospital significantly reduced the costs normally associated with RTLS installations, while ensuring facility-wide coverage.
“The combination of Versus’ IR network with our Cisco Wi-Fi gives us campus-wide visibility into our asset locations in one software view,” explains Tim Killmer, Information Systems Analyst at Billings Clinic. “Where we have IR sensors in our inpatient clinical areas, we can tell precisely and reliably where an asset is, down to the room. In ancillary areas without sensors, Versus conveys the general location as determined by our existing Wi-Fi access points. It’s really the best of both worlds.”
With the precision provided by the Versus V-Direct™ infrared sensory network, the hospital is able to not only locate equipment, they also manage periodic automatic replenishment (PAR) levels on 12 units. The ICU, for example, determined their PAR level as 10 IV pumps. When their number drops below that level, the Advantages Asset Management software sends an alert that replenishment is needed, helping to ensure clinicians always have pumps available for patient care.
Billings Clinic also has access to RTLS data through Versus Reports Plus™ Analytics, software that details asset utilization, movement history, census counts and more.
“Reports Plus Analytics has given me the tools to respond to clinical leadership’s requests for information on their assets and staff,” Killmer said. “Whether they are wondering where equipment has disappeared to or where their staff was during an incident, I can provide the information they need, or even schedule a report to email them weekly.”
Utilization reports and PAR-level asset management require highly accurate location data as well as effective software and analytics. In a 2016 report from the healthcare research firm KLAS, Versus received the highest rating among vendors that provide both hardware and software. Versus also received the highest rating for location accuracy, as well as for many other categories.1 For more on the KLAS report, visit versustech.com/KLAS.
Midmark Corporation acquired Versus Technology, Inc. in May, 2016, creating a unique offering of clinical workflow solutions that encompass clinical workflow services, RTLS technology, medical equipment, diagnostic devices and design assistance for improved efficiency within health systems.
1 Source: “Real-time Location Systems (RTLS) 2016,” July 2016. © 2016 KLAS Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. www.KLASresearch.com.
About Billings Clinic
Billings Clinic is Montana’s largest health system serving Montana, Wyoming and the western Dakotas. A not-for-profit organization led by a physician CEO, Billings Clinic is governed by a board of community members, nurses and physicians. At its core, Billings Clinic is a physician-led, integrated multispecialty group practice with a 304-bed hospital and Level II trauma center. Billings Clinic has more than 4,000 employees, including more than 400 physicians and advanced practitioners offering more than 50 specialties. More information can be found at www.billingsclinic.com.
About Beacon Communications LLC
Beacon Communications is a leading full-service crucial communications and security solutions provider, specializing in delivering solutions with the design, sale, installation, training and service of the industry’s best electronic communication and security systems. Beacon focuses on helping companies in healthcare, government, education and commercial real estate operate more efficiently, cost-effectively, and safely. They provide support and service nationwide to a variety of institutions that require crucial communications on a daily basis.
About Versus Technology, Inc.
Versus Technology, Inc., a Midmark company, provides healthcare facilities with operational and clinical workflow intelligence using real-time locating system (RTLS) technology. Since its inception in 1988, more than 850 hospitals, clinics and senior care facilities have used Versus solutions to support healthcare’s ultimate goals: enhancing the patient experience while providing high-quality care at lower costs. With enterprise solutions for patient tracking, workflow automation, staff safety, hand hygiene and asset tracking, Versus improves patient flow, communication, and productivity to ultimately increase capacity. To learn more about Versus Technology, Inc., our technology and client successes, visit versustech.com.
About Midmark
Midmark Corporation, a privately held company founded in 1915, is a leading provider of medical, dental and veterinary equipment and technologies. Our more than 1,600 teammates worldwide are passionate, courageous leaders focused on making a positive difference in the lives we touch by improving the experience between patients and their caregivers. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, Midmark maintains production and administrative offices in Versailles, Ohio, as well as seven other locations in the United States and international subsidiaries in India, Italy and the United Kingdom. To learn more about Midmark, visit midmark.com.
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