Tucson Medical Center HealthCare

Tucson Medical Center HealthCare is a five-hospital health system dedicated to providing quality care and a positive experience for the communities of Southern Arizona. TMC HealthCare has been named among the best regional hospitals by U.S. News and World Report and has earned The Joint Commission Seal of National Quality Approval.

TMC HealthCare uses CBORD’s full suite of seamlessly integrated solutions to manage the entire food and nutrition operation—from back-of-house food production and patient nutrition with on-demand room service to employee cashless accounts and point of sale.

Challenge

While the foodservice department is operating effectively overall, the TMC HealthCare team noticed the call center was becoming overburdened and patient satisfaction was being impacted.

The nursing staff was also spending too much time assisting patients with meal ordering instead of focusing on their nursing duties. It was often a three-way conversation to place the orders in that manner, making the call lengthy and adding volume to an already overloaded call center.

Solution

The team realized they needed an additional method of meal ordering to offer patients, and decided to implement the CBORD Patient app to provide a new level of convenience and personalization while reducing the number of calls coming into the call center.

The CBORD Patient app allows patients and family members to self-order from personalized menus by securely connecting to CBORD food and nutrition systems for diet order safety and compliance. Menus in the app also include personalized nutrition goals, helping hospitals provide a better patient experience that improves engagement and satisfaction.

Result

TMC HealthCare is pleased with the results of implementing the app. They are meeting, and often exceeding, their goals for the number of orders coming in through the app. Their call center volume has improved and, patients appreciate the convenience and customized experience the app provides.

Improved Operations

Before implementing the app, the call center was the only method for taking meal selections. The lines were often backed up and patients experienced long waits on hold. Now, with the app, TMC HealthCare has been able to reallocate two full-time employees from the call center.

The app also proved its value several times over when the pandemic hit. “We lost a lot of employees during COVID-19, and it was fortunate we had the app in place at that time,” commented Ruth Halter, patient services manager for Tucson Medical Center.

Effective Ordering Option

The health system identified a target number of 800 orders that needed to come in through the app for it to be considered a success. “The majority of the time I meet my goal, and I’ve surpassed it many times,” stated Halter.

To keep app usage up, hospitals need to continuously promote it throughout the facility and in a variety of ways. “We include step-by-step instructions in the welcome packets, and we promote the app during nursing shift huddles,” noted Halter. “We also include a message, in English and Spanish, about the app for patients to hear when they are waiting on hold for the call center.”

Better Hospital Experience

The leadership team at TMC HealthCare appreciates the app and how it is helping them provide a modern, elevated hospital experience. “Making good use of technology that helps patients and staff is a priority with our leadership team,” commented Halter. “The app is receiving positive feedback and is proving to be a valuable part of our processes.”

The CBORD Patient app fits in with TMC HealthCare’s commitment to technology and improving the way patients view their stay. The health system developed its own app to provide one place for patients to access their patient portal for medical information, the CBORD Patient app for meal ordering, and more. “They didn’t want the patient to download multiple apps,” Halter said. “They want them to have it all in one spot for ease and convenience.”

Ready to learn more? Read about our foodservice and patient nutrition solutions, and check out the El Centro Regional Medical Center case study that also discusses the benefits of using the CBORD Patient app.

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