Cath Lab Digest - September 2007 - (Page 32)

32 ACVP MANAGEMENT CORNER SEPTEMBER 2007 How to Purchase Endovascular Lab Equipment T he advent of endovascular laboratories has created a new era in purchasing imaging equipment for the cardiac laboratories. Because interventional cardiologists, interventional radiologists, thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons, vascular surgeons and electrophysiologists are among the specialists who are potential end users of lab equipment, they should have input during the selection phase. “What people are used to in their current lab situation or what they prefer to use is where the wheels come off the bus,” said Mark Turner, senior equipment consultant at The University of Kansas Hospital. Since there are so many individuals involved, notes Mark, the project management process has to become more formal. It is clear that there are many factors to consider when purchasing endovascular lab equipment, but it comes down to what people need versus what may be nice to have. Sorting through that is the challenge, especially when it moves you into areas outside of cardiology (your comfort zone) and into vascular imaging. Cutting through the vendor-speak makes it even more challenging. That is why it is probably best to take all of the requirements from multiple sources and craft them into an request for proposal (RFP). There are lots of firms that can assist with this process — from drafting an RFP to assisting with the entire process. Just “Google” cardiac RFP and see what you get. Perhaps the most difficult purchasing decision is developing one executive sponsor for the purchase. You can’t have all of the individuals who will use the system actively involved in purchasing it. Physicians need to realize that they should have more of a consulting role, not necessarily a decision-maker role. It doesn’t take much to imagine the interplay between a radiology product vendor and his relationship to the interventional radiologist versus a different cardiology product and that relationship. Since there is so much on the table for the individual vendors, you should expect some behavior that will annoy the formal sponsor of the purchasing decision. It is clear that the integration piece brings a whole new dynamic to the purchasing process. You are essentially combining another entire practice with the existing practices, which creates a whole new set of space and disposable equipment scenarios. One of the biggest challenges for us was image processing and storage. When cardiology and radiology sections are on different PACs systems, it requires careful thought about how to move images to each of these storage systems. It will quickly become apparent that your information technology department should also be involved in the process. • Prevent infections; • Create a safer environment for patients; • Reduce staff stress and ultimately, staff turnover. Overall, the design focuses on creating an experience of total care for patients and their families. The healing environment concept suggests that a facility’s design has therapeutic effects on patients. Perhaps the earliest description of this concept can be found in passages of Florence Nightingale’s “Notes on Nursing, What It Is and What It Is Not.” Written and published in 1859, she says, “I have seen in fevers (and felt, when I was a fever patient myself) the most acute suffering produced from the patient not being able to see out of the window and the knots in the wood being the only view… Little as we know about the way in which we are affected by form, by color and light, we do know this, they have an actual physical effect. Variety of form and brilliance of color in the objects presented to patients are actual means of recovery.” “The physical environment does indeed play a role in patient outcomes and staff productivity,” says Donald R. DeBord Jr., AIA, vice president of RTKL, the architecture firm that designed the Center for Advanced Heart Care. “Current research continues to validate that private rooms, quiet environments, positive distractions, and natural light all aid healing. Furthermore, well-designed floor layouts increase staff efficiency and satisfaction. The Center for Advanced Heart Care is an exceptional example of how the many characteristics of healing environments can be incorporated into hospital design.” Evidence-based healing environment is apparent throughout the Center for Advanced Heart Care, from the front door and the public spaces to the back corridors and behind-the-scenes systems. Lobbies and waiting areas feature large, open spaces with a great deal of natural light. Careful attention was paid to colors, which include purples, greens, blues and teals, suggesting comfort, balance and tranquility. The building itself is very high-tech, with high-performance systems throughout. There are lots of quiet zones, and visitors often comment that there is almost no noise. Great attention was paid to patient privacy. There are separate elevators for patients and staff movement and for the public. Seating in public spaces takes the family into account, by grouping chairs for family members to gather and relax. There is enough space between groupings to give a feeling of privacy. The seating takes advantage of natural lighting whenever possible and is supplemented by lots of indirect lighting at night. The lobby areas resemble the public spaces in an upscale hotel, once again offering a calming effect on guests. Safety for guests and staff is another important consideration of design. The facility has many card access control zones to include elevators, security checkpoints and an extensive video surveillance system with automated features. Detailed employee input helped define the overall project, which sought to bring caregivers closer to patients. Decentralized nursing stations and nursing stations within specialized procedure areas facilitate treatment and minimize staff movement. Hotel-style amenities abound in the building and include valet parking, room service food and a concierge service. Elizabeth Clark, Director of Clinical Services for the Center for Advanced Heart Care, summarized everyone’s feelings when she said, “It’s thrilling to see how many features of the Center for Advanced Heart Care reflect our vision.” The Finishing Touches The new Center for Advanced Hart Care promotes an atmosphere of comfort and convenience, as well as an inspiring environment for healing. Art showcased throughout the facility contributes to the healing atmosphere and the overall wellbeing of patients and their families. Thirty-one original paintings by a prominent Kansas City artist are displayed in the public atriums on the first three levels and a remarkable glass installation, called Pulse Flow, hangs in the foyer. The long, curving line of the sculpture is meant to suggest a cardiogram. A glass “chandelier” made of the same glass elements hangs near the grand staircase. This represents the heart. Close to 1000 other framed pieces of art are hanging in corridors and guest rooms throughout The Center for Advanced Heart Care, including close to fifty in the cardiovascular treatment and recovery area. From curbside to bedside, for staff, physicians, patients and families, the Center for Advanced Heart Care is an inspiring environment for healing. It is a place where patients and their loved ones come for the region’s most compassionate, highquality care. ■ John Florio can be contacted at: jflorio@kumc.edu

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cath Lab Digest - September 2007

St. Dominic Hospital The Genous Bio-engineered R Stent Percutaneous Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Chronic Total Occlusions: Device Options and Clinical Outcomes Contents Clinical Editor’s Corner Percutaneous Revascularization of Peripheral Chronic Total Occlusion — Which Patients, Why, and How? Myocardial Infarction and Syncope: A Manifestation of the “Raynaud-Prinzmetal Syndrome”? Essential Technical Components of the Transradial Approach If You Build It, Will They Come? Evidence-Based Medicine with Drug-Eluting Stents Back to School: The Value of Education in Cardiovascular Services The ACVP Standards and Competencies: Are You Using Them Effectively? What Do You Think? My Experience with Fibromuscular Dysplasia and Stroke A Brief Review of Fibromuscular Dysplasia Letter to the Editor A Look at On-the-Job Training: Perceptions, Reality and Our Profession Doing the Wave: Inventory Management with RFID The Ten-Minute Interview with… Paul Pinsker, RCIS CLD’s Annual Salary Survey Harrisburg Area Community College Volunteer Survey CEU Education Center SICP* Section Ask the Clinical Instructor: A Q&A Column for Those New to the Cath Lab Clinical & Industry News

Cath Lab Digest - September 2007

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