MobileAsset: The Right Prescription for Truxtun Radiology Medical
Truxtun Radiology Medical Group (TRMG) offers the very latest in diagnostic radiology services. Founded in 1988 in Bakersfield, California, Truxtun opened its doors with only one radiologist and a total of five employees, yet today it stands as the largest radiology center in the area. Presently, with over 150 employees, four buildings on the main campus, and two remote sites, TRMG serves over 600 patients each day. Key to their success is the state of the art equipment, which allows for speedy and accurate diagnoses, as well as rapid reporting of diagnostic information, making it possible to initiate treatments sooner. In fact, adding to the long list of high quality diagnostic equipment, TRMG recently installed a new 64 slice multi-detector CT system that is unsurpassed in image quality and speed. TRMG is committed to providing not only the best diagnostic radiology services, but also the best in patient care.
The Technical Problem
While the expansion and growth at TRMG enables the company to provide the very latest in diagnostic services, the increase in valuable diagnostic tools and equipment creates added asset tracking demands. Chris Freels, the IT manager, found the traditional spreadsheet method to be not only time consuming but inaccurate. “When dealing with equipment of this nature it is important to have precise data when it comes to location, but even more importantly accurate data on maintenance and repair,” states Freels. The present manual tracking system allows for a huge margin of error resulting in misplaced equipment as well as the possibility of deliberate theft. Moreover, each modality, from the ultrasound units to the x-ray machines, is on a strict schedule for maintenance and repair, and keeping a clipboard history on each unit is time consuming.
Freels’ objective is two fold: to find an automatic asset management system to track basic computer equipment, but more importantly, a method to inventory and monitor the multitude of high-value diagnostic equipment. With time being a critical element in the health care industry, the asset tracking system must offer speed, without sacrificing accuracy, when it comes to providing complete reports on location as well as current maintenance history for each state-of –the art diagnostic unit. Freels began his search for a solution only to find many products were just too difficult to install and customize to the special needs of TRMG. “Implementation was not easy and the data collection process did not allow portability nor compatibility with bar coding that already was on the equipment, states Freels. It was not until he discovered MobileAsset Network that Freels realized there is an easy, cost-effective solution to asset management.
Wasp Barcode Technologies’ Asset Tracking Solution
TRMG needs a ready-to use asset tracking solution to streamline IT management processes while adapting to the special needs of the healthcare provider. TRMG requires the system to be barcode friendly, portable and provide real-time information about diagnostic equipment that can potentially effect patient care.
MobileAsset Network allows for easy implementation and customization with the ability to track assets by location, item ID, or serial number, while also accurately recording the maintenance of units to insure proper service. “I was able to use my existing barcodes and this was an immediate time saver. The entire system was very intuitive and the handheld PDA device allows data entry at the site,” explains Freels.
The WPA206 used in this solution is a handheld portable unit, designed for heavy data entry that is both fast and accurate and when used with MobileAsset combines for a complete solution for asset tracking.
As a direct result of using the MobileAsset solution, Freels reports that the company is now in a position, “where we can reduce our inventory audit time from a process that did take two or three full business day to a half-day procedure.” Results like this offer immediate returns on the MobileAsset Network investment. As far as attacking the problem of missing, lost or inoperable equipment, the accurate data that is immediately available on each unit has addressed this issue with outstanding results reports Freels. This is another ROI because employees no longer waste time trying to locate needed equipment and more time focusing on quality patient care. Finally, the integration of the MobileAsset solution could not have been easier especially since all the components came from the same provider. With MobileAsset network TRMG found a single, economical source for a complete solution to healthcare asset management.
