Renown Health Opens Care Traffic Control Center

Local Non-Profit Healthcare Provider, Renown Health announced the opening of the Renown Transfer and Operations Center (RTOC). Powered by Renown doctors, nurses, technicians and national technology partners, this state-of-the-art facility helps ensure seamless care for patients and providers for 27 counties across northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. See the original press release.

The Transfer and Operations team ensures a better experience for every Renown patient and family. Through this highly coordinated care logistics system, Renown is now able to customize health care to the needs of every patient; delivering the right care, at the right time and place across the integrated delivery system. The new system enables providers to provide care closer to home, in lower-cost ambulatory, outpatient surgical, and skilled nursing settings- instead of the hospital, and to deliver a sizeable portion of care to patients where they want to be, in their homes. (Source)

What is a Care Traffic Control Center?

The Care Traffic Control Center is a highly coordinated care logistics system that allows providers a birds-eye view of the patient’s journey and what’s happening across the entire integrated healthcare delivery system. The logistical approach enables providers to refer and provide care closer to home and will be integrated with remote care and live monitoring tools. It is similar to an air traffic control center as it provides real-time information about the patient.

See the b-roll of the Renown Regional Transfer and Operations Center here.

The Facility

The new facility is amongst the largest in the country. It is run by a team of logistic experts, which frees up the providers and clinicians across the state so they can dedicate more time to serving patients, and improving outcomes. The Renown Transfer and Operations Center is the grandest facility of its type and acts as a model of coordinated patient care for the nation.

The Transfer and Operations Center spans 6,000 square feet, and is one of the largest centers of its kind in the nation, equipped with 28 high-definition dashboards on the front wall, two in the center of the room and four hanging monitors toward the back. Large plasma screens display important metrics such as patient vital signs, bed availability, facility capacity, staffing, technology and more. Registered Nurses and dispatchers continuously monitor activity around the clock, across Renown’s 100,000 square mile service area, 100+ locations and partner facilities to make the best decisions for patients, providers and care teams.

“In addition to offering the most advanced technology, the team supporting the Transfer and Operations Center works in the most beautiful setting; one that inspires good health. The Center features large windows with views of the surrounding mountains, natural light, soundproof barriers, under-desk exercise equipment, a full kitchen and guest hoteling work spaces,” said manager, Kelli McDonnell, MSN, RN. “All these elements contribute to building a collaborative and enjoyable work environment for our health care teams to do their best work.”

Benefits of the Renown Transfer and Operations Center

• Coordinating all incoming patients transferred from neighboring hospitals and 27 counties across northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe, northeast California and neighboring states, as well as direct patient admissions into Renown Health and partner ambulatory, outpatient surgical, skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities;
• Matching patients to the most appropriate bed placement using diagnostic, triage and EPIC® electronic medical record clinical information in conjunction with medical staff expertise to outline a plan of care that determines the best bed assignment given the patient’s needs, matching this to the most appropriate unit or facility, and estimating a discharge date. Dashboard metrics measure efficiency — including patients receiving treatment, being admitted or ready for departure, the number of procedures performed and the quantity of laboratory and radiological services performed;
• Providing in-house hospitality. An environmental service dispatcher ensures that every patient receives a clean and sanitized hospital room in a timely manner, and a centralized transport dispatcher provides patients with smooth and efficient transport to the right place at the right time. Patients may receive additional transportation assistance as needed, as they depart the hospital for home or another sub-acute care facility; and a REMSA Health “care coordinator” may arrange for air flight or ground emergency medical services as needed.
• Coordinating Video-Enabled Telehealth monitoring capabilities for Renown’s four Intensive Care Units (ICUs), facilitating clinical collaboration and communication around all aspects of patient care, as well as Renown patient Telehealth and virtual visits.
• Monitoring Remote Home systems with Masimo, where some patients may now receive hospital-level care in the comfort of their own homes while Renown clinicians monitor and evaluate their data and plan of care.
• Serving emergency and disaster management for area hospitals, first-responders and the community with local, regional and statewide emergency and disaster management for sudden-onset emergencies.

As a non-profit organization, Renown and the Transfer and Operations Center are funded, in part, by generous donors. Individuals wishing to support future innovation and life-saving work performed at this Center may submit a charitable donation to the Renown Health Foundation at renown.org/give, 775-982-5545, Venmo: @RenownFoundation.

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About Renown Health
Renown Health is a locally governed, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. Renown has a long tradition and commitment to improving the care and the health of our community. For more information, visit renown.org. For the fourth year in a row, Renown Health earned the “Digital Most Wired” honors by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). The CHIME annual survey accesses how effectively health care organizations apply core and advanced technologies into their clinical and business programs to improve health and expand access to care in their communities.

Marie Wikoff is the creator of Wikoff Design Studio based out of Reno, Nevada. Her expertise in healthcare design has helped modernize healthcare organizations locally, regionally, and internationally, improving patient experience and outcomes. Her credentials include Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and Certification (EDAC), American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designer (CHID), the National Council of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) and LEED AP. Contact Marie Wikoff

Source:

“Delivering the Right Care.” Delivering The Right Care | Renown Health, Aug. 2021, www.renown.org/about/newsroom/delivering-the-right-care.