Halifax Health Ensures Communication Security, Ends Up Reducing Patient Stress And Wait Times

Halifax Health, the largest medical provider in east central Florida, with two hospitals, 678 licensed beds, a medical staff of 500 physicians, and a group of community care centers, wanted to increase the communication efficiency between clinicians and physicians, with the goal of an overall better experience for patients.

Putting Patient Data at Risk with Inefficient Communication

When Halifax Health clinicians needed to consult a physician who wasn’t physically present in the unit, they were required to call a central operator who would then call the physician, relay the query, and coordinate a response. Because this was an inefficient process, care teams naturally turned to their personal smartphones. Halifax Health wanted to improve this situation and enable clinical staff to text each other securely so they could better communicate about patients.

Halifax Health information technology leaders immediately launched a search for a solution that would provide secure communications among all patient care providers. By the time they had solved the problem, they had uncovered additional unexpected benefits that transformed how the hospital delivers patient care.