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Customer Insights from Northeast Georgia Medical Center

September 30th, 2024
September 30th, 2024

Staff scheduling can feel cumbersome and frustrating, and many scheduling systems are simply not as flexible and user-friendly as they need to be in order to truly support workforce management.

A recent HealthStream webinar entitled “Customer Insight Session with Northeast Georgia Health System” discussed both the benefits and the ease of implementation of HealthStream’s ShiftWizard. The webinar was moderated by Wendy Nix, HealthStream’s Marketing Manager and featured presenters:

  • Renae Connor, Business Systems Analyst, Northeast Georgia Health System
  • Chris Gann, Vice President, Product Management, HealthStream

Northeast Georgia Health System

Connor began by introducing Northeast Georgia Health System. The system, located north of Atlanta in Gainesville, consists of five hospitals and approximately 140 outpatient settings. Between 12,000 and 14,000 employees work for the system, which has been using ShiftWizard for about two years.  

As the health system began the process of evaluating workforce management tools, they were hoping to streamline multiple products to ensure that the systems were able to integrate seamlessly and communicate with one another.

ShiftWizard – A Better Solution for Human Resource Management

As they began their selection process, flexibility was a priority for Northeast Georgia Health System. Their previous system was rigid, and did not allow for changes in the ways in which schedules were created and managed. Perhaps more importantly, it was not sufficiently flexible to allow additional managers to access and manage schedules.

In addition, the health system was looking for a solution that would seamlessly integrate with HCM systems while creating an efficient scheduling process. “We were looking for a flexible system that would allow staff members to schedule themselves into the areas most in need of help, and for managers to be able to manage those schedules easily and efficiently,” said Connor. ShiftWizard empowers managers by allowing them to grant others access to the system and assist in managing staff scheduling.

ShiftWizard – The Implementation

Northeast Georgia Health System’s implementation began with a roundtable where leaders were able to share their needs and the ways in which they hoped to be able to use ShiftWizard to meet those needs. HealthStream was able to help Connor and her team throughout the implementation process by establishing how positions and departments were to be set up within the system. In addition, they developed a plan for their training process, which would need to be rolled out to all five hospitals and up to 140 outpatient locations.

In addition, they planned to include HR and HCM process training. Further complicating their training initiatives, the training was planned and implemented during the pandemic. “HealthStream’s implementation specialist was instrumental in helping to make sure that we stayed on task,” said Connor.

ShiftWizard – Embraced by Frontline Staff and Leaders

Connor shared that the feedback from frontline staff and leaders alike has been positive. Leaders appreciate the ease of use, including the easy-to-understand color-coded reporting that facilitates efficient decision-making. They also appreciate ShiftWizard’s flexibility that allows them to share access to the system for scheduling purposes.

Frontline staff appreciate the self-scheduling features that simplify processes for swapping shifts and picking up additional available shifts.

Managers and frontline staff both appreciate ShiftWizard’s mobile app that allows them access to these functions without being in front of a computer or being logged into the organization’s network. In addition, Connor shared that they have found the messaging center to be useful in creating targeted messages about scheduling and other topics.

ShiftWizard – Helping Organizations Work Better and People Work Smarter

While ShiftWizard is appreciated by both staff and leaders, there are additional practical benefits as well. Connor shared that ShiftWizard has improved the visibility of agency and contingent workers, as well as new-hires. This has made it easier and more efficient to meet contractual obligations with contracted staff while reducing costs thanks to the efficiencies in scheduling and staff utilization.

ShiftWizard can also improve staff satisfaction and engagement – key metrics in the highly competitive healthcare hiring market. Increased control over schedules, improved communication, and more efficient,easy-to-use scheduling tools have contributed to higher satisfaction and engagement amongst staff and leaders.

ShiftWizard – An Evolving Solution

HealthStream has worked hard to ensure that solutions integrate seamlessly with their client’s HCM and HR systems, and Gann was pleased to announce that HealthStream was recently certified as a Workday integration partner. “Healthcare organizations can be confident that their systems will work together in ways that are scalable, effective and consistent.” said Gann.

Connor also cited a recent update that gives users the ability to save filters within department schedules. This allows managers to easily balance schedules with a safe and appropriate mix of employees for each department and shift.

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