NHC – West Meade Place

THE CHALLENGE

To improve visitor management and related health screening processes for individuals entering and exiting the community while streamlining valuable data collection.

THE SOLUTION

Implement Accushield, a visitor management solution that promotes safety and security for residents, staff, and visitors, streamlines the collection of data used to promote resident quality of life, helps identify at-risk workforce and operational opportunities, and more.

THE OUTCOME

In addition to simplifying visitor management and related health screening processes, Accushield enabled West Meade Place to capture and track all visit activity data and use it to promote resident quality of life and QAPI processes.

THE IMPACT

Improved customer satisfaction and resident quality of life; positive feedback from families, staff, and residents; and visit trend data that helps West Meade Place focus on process improvements and to promote quality.

When Tonya Loftin, Director of Quality for National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) – West Meade Place in Nashville, Tennessee, received a grant that would provide her facility funding for an automated temperature scanner, she had no idea how it would lead to discovering Accushield and its many capabilities.

“I was researching online, looking at different types of automated temperature scanners, when I came across Accushield and quickly realized that it offered so much more,” says Loftin. She ended up implementing the company’s visitor management solution. “Safety is such a crucial part of what we do, and Accushield checks off safety, security, and health screening processes in that regard.”

It’s All About the Data

What Loftin loves most about Accushield is its ability to capture data and create actionable insights they’ve never really seen before. “I had just finished our Malcolm Baldrige application (for the American Health Care Association’s National Quality Award Program), and quality was fresh on my mind. I was interested in the data Accushield provided and how that could benefit our facility and residents,” says Loftin.

The ease of downloading and reviewing reports allows for a more detailed analysis of the information for specific needs – a bonus for Loftin. “I think we’ve been able to capture a lot of valuable data regarding how often and when resident social visits occur,” she says. “Accushield’s Love Meter feature identifies our community’s least visited residents. I now use the platform to help identify residents at risk of social isolation, and I report that information to our activities department and/or our social services department. From here, our teams evaluate which residents may benefit from volunteer social visits or other activities to help reduce the risk. Since using Accushield, we’ve seen an increase in our Net Promoter Score.”

Multiple Uses for Data Reports

Loftin has found other valuable uses for the data and reports produced by the Accushield solution. For example, she sends visitor reports to her MDS coordinator each month to help track third-party care trends that could impact the MDS, care planning, and more. The data has been valuable for them in care plan meetings as well. Loftin also uses the visitor tracking log to verify provider visits, further driving their focus on resident quality of life and compliance.

Improved Customer Satisfaction

The leap in customer satisfaction scores through Accushield’s Reputation Accelerator solution also impresses Loftin. She says it has helped with prompt service recovery. That means Accushield’s visitor feedback capability enables her to respond to someone if they provide negative feedback during the sign-out process. “I found that rather than someone going home and stewing on something, we can jump on it right away,” she says. In turn, West Meade Place can effectively and timely manage feedback to prevent recurring issues while improving its online reputation and census opportunities.

This also helps with overall customer satisfaction scores that the community must produce each year for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “We can jump on something if it happens immediately before it impacts feedback scores sent to CMS. I feel like it allows us to have homework before the test,” Loftin notes. Accushield customers also use the Reputation Accelerator solution to identify at-risk workforce and opportunities to improve staff retention.

High Praise Boosts Morale

“The biggest surprise has been all the positive feedback, especially over the last few years, with COVID happening and all of the staffing concerns. It’s been hard on everyone. So to see such positive comments is a wonderful thing.” says Loftin.

Following are some of the comments that visitors have left on the West Meade surveys via the Accushield platform:

• “This facility is a model facility for others, and I am comforted that my dear friend is taken care of and happy there.”
• “Most clean and best customer and patient experience I’ve seen in nine years.”
• “I am from out of state and your facility is outstanding.”
• “Very impressed with your facility.”