When Lovington, N.M., experienced a population spike due to a recent boom in oil and gas exploration in the area, the former Nor-Lea Medical Clinic likewise saw the number of patient visits jump from 32,000 to 57,000 just two years later, writes Health Facilities Management.
Patient registrations took as long as 45 minutes followed by two-hour waits before seeing a caregiver. That was after waiting one to two months just to get an appointment.
Not surprisingly, satisfaction scores plummeted, forcing health care officials to find patient flow and scheduling solutions. After doing some research, Nor-Lea implemented a real-time locating system that drastically reduced wait times, improved patient flow and also raised both patient and physician satisfaction.
