Wireless Monitoring Empowers Faster Response — Emergency or Not!

May 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Wireless emergency call systems have long been used to call nurses in hospitals, and now this monitoring technology is finding new functionality in general business applications. For example, monitoring systems such as Cornell Communications’ Aura 2 make it possible for teachers or municipal officers to discreetly press a silent panic button that will immediately notify authorities and staff in the case of an emergency. Either hard-wired or wireless, the system is dependable and increases security and response time.

The same system can also be used as a wireless monitoring system that notifies real estate investors and building owners of fire, flood or equipment malfunctions, such as failed sump pumps, water heaters and furnaces. These monitoring systems can track and record door entry data and can be used as a notification system for tenant safety concerns.

Other practical applications include but are not limited to use in refrigerated warehouses as a wireless temperature monitoring alert system, thereby reducing the need for a 24-hour maintenance staff. This type of system can prevent a company from losing frozen or refrigerated product due to unreported equipment malfunctions.

This type of monitoring solution can also include call reporting software, which allows supervisors to monitor employees’ response times for improved operational efficiency. As an added benefit, wireless e-call systems can send notifications via pager, text, email and call alerts.

Today, the panic button isn’t just about responding to emergencies; it lets companies be more profitable, efficient and successful.  Whether it’s lives, sump pumps, frozen foods or employee efficiencies, fast notification can mean the difference between success and disaster.

 

This post is courtesy of Cornell Communications. Located in Milwaukee, WI, Cornell provides a complete range of Alert Systems, each specifically designed for its unique application including: hospitals & medical clinics, senior living (skilled care, assisted & independent), commercial office buildings, and school systems.

 

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Compliance, Customer Care and Cost

June 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Axium Healthcare Pharmacy optimizes for all three with its IP communication system.

Axium Healthcare Pharmacy Inc. is a mail-order pharmacy that serves physicians, patients, health plans and other healthcare providers in all 50 states.

This is not a business where you can keep a busy physician waiting on hold.  Or mix up an order.  Or compromise patient privacy.  In a highly regulated industry, you have to be able to validate, report and protect every transaction.

Central to those expectations is a solid, reliable business phone system.  Working with American International Communications Inc. (AIC). Axium chose a Toshiba’s Strata® CIX™ IP communication system with advanced call center capabilities to serve headquarters in Florida and a satellite location in Puerto Rico.

The VoIP system immediately offered a host of benefits.  For example:

  • The system quickly routes callers to the right group with the right language and clinical specialties.  That’s important when you need smooth call handling for 20,000 calls a month.
  • Calls are recorded to ensure order accuracy and provide audit trails.  Custom call center reports meet regulatory requirements.
  • The company’s IT team can remotely manage the entire telephone system from their desks, or from their laptops while they are on the go.  There is no need for a technician in Puerto Rico.
  • As Axium grows, the system can grow with it by networking multiple Strata CIX systems over IP – or by adding IP phones in virtually any location, with or without a Toshiba system on-site.  Applications can also be added or changed as needed on an a la carte basis.

The bottom line results have been decidedly positive.  For one, Axium saved more than $60,000 by being able to reuse phone sets and other equipment from its previous Toshiba digital telephone system.  By networking its two locations over IP, the company saves $3,200 a year in long-distance charges.  That’s an outcome anyone would appreciate.

Filed Under: Call Centers, Call Recording, Health Care Tagged With: , , , , ,

“This call may be recorded…”

March 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A Prescription for Medical Practices

Healthcare in general has been a hot topic for years.  Navigating through the maze of regulations and compliances can be daunting.  In this segment we’ll discuss a specific issue common to private and group practices.  In both instances patients visit doctor’s offices typically as an outpatient.  Most offices include nursing staff, a receptionist, office manager and an accounting department.

Common obstacles include treatment verification and payment collections from insurance providers.  Similarly training office staff on phone etiquette with patients or gathering appropriate information from an ISP does dramatically affect the efficiency and profitability of the practice.  Insurance verification numbers who you spoke to months prior can be called into questions and often hard to remember.

Call recording can elevate many of these common issues.  Image being able to listen to live conversations and coach office staff in real-time.  Training can be most effective when presented with real life situations and resolutions. 

Call recording tilts the balance of dispute resolution in favor of the medical practice.  A copy of the conversation can be sent to ISP’s or used for other legal purposes.  Efficiencies are made by using call recordings as a collaboration tool to be shared among other healthcare professionals.   Call recording applications deliver on the promise of efficiency and overall financial well-being to any medical practice.

 What are the challenges and resolutions you’ve experienced with medical practices?

Filed Under: Call Recording Tagged With: , , , , ,