API Installs Employee Staffing and Scheduling System at St. Claire Medical Center.

Business Editors/Health & Hospital Writers

HARTFORD, Wis.--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 11, 2000

Automating Peripherals Inc. (API):

API's ActiveStaffer Product Automates a Healthcare Organization's

Employee Scheduling Processes, Offering Ease-of-Use, Flexibility and

Tangible Cost-Savings Benefits

Automating Peripherals Inc. (API) announced today that St. Claire Medical Center in Morehead, Kentucky, has implemented the company's ActiveStaffer(R) to handle the scheduling for nearly 1,000 employees.

ActiveStaffer is API's demand-driven scheduling and staff management solution that automates a healthcare organization's scheduling process.

The table-based system utilizes parameters defined by the individual health system to create schedule plans. Continuous parameter processing and electronically distributed reports provide the most up-to-date staffing information for decision-making and analysis. Online coverage updates alert managers to staffing deficits based on patient demand, low census and employee schedule changes or no-shows. Employees can be allowed access to view and print their schedule, pick up available shifts, swap shifts with other employees and submit vacation requests. Additionally, the system makes it easier for managers to track employee trends, such as employees who consistently work extra shifts when called upon, or taking proactive steps to prevent pattern absences.

"We are in the process of converting all of our employee information management systems to API in order to gain the full benefits of integration. These benefits include a higher level of service for our staff and managers, the ability to better meet JCAHO standards housewide, and the opportunity for employees to utilize self-service and self-scheduling options," said Kelly Furbee, vice president for human resources and administration for St. Claire. "And, because the groundwork had already been laid with last year's successful implementation of API's Payrollmation time and attendance system and Navigator human resource management system, the implementation of API's house-wide staffing solution is going smoothly."

ActiveStaffer is designed for all staff, whether clinical or administrative. Developed specifically for the complex healthcare environment, it can easily be customized for each department and any specific rules or requirements. For example, administrative staff may schedule their work week in eight-hour shifts, while clinical departments can use a customized template so they can schedule in 12-hour shifts.

"Although there are numerous issues that affect the quality and cost of care in the healthcare industry, it is the people who are involved in care delivery that are the single factor wielding the most influence. As a result, employee staffing/scheduling is often the focus of efforts to improve the quality of care and reduce costs," said Luis Garcia, president and chief executive officer of API. "ActiveStaffer automates a very time-consuming, labor-intensive task, and offers healthcare organizations quick return on investment with very tangible cost savings. The system optimizes staffing, helping to cut labor costs. For example, if one department considers sending an employee home because of low census, the system can first check if any other departments need additional staff with the same qualifications. This reduces the amount of low census premium and called-in pay incurred by the facility."

ActiveStaffer Integrates with Acuity Systems, Makes JCAHO Reporting Easier

Patient acuity information is a tool that allows organizations to provide the most optimal staffing levels. However, according to the July 2000 issue of Perspectives on Staffing & Scheduling, only 43 percent of hospitals surveyed used acuity data when making scheduling decisions. Because conditions can change so rapidly, it is important that acuity/patient classification and staffing systems are synchronized and up to date. ActiveStaffer can easily accept data from any patient classification system and use that information to determine how many and when patient care hours are needed. This provides the most current information so managers can make informed staffing decisions.

ActiveStaffer also simplifies Joint Commission preparation by helping an organization prove that the right number of people with the right qualifications were scheduled to work during a specific time. Reports regarding all this information can be easily accessed, greatly improving the reporting not only for the Joint Commission, but also for Medicare/Medicaid and year-end audits as well.

About St. Claire Medical Center

St. Claire Medical Center, serving Morehead, Kentucky, and the surrounding counties, is comprised of a 119-bed acute care inpatient facility, a twenty-bed mental health unit, ten-bed transitional care unit and a ten-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit. With approximately 950 employees, St. Claire is the second-largest employer in the region. St. Claire outreach services include home health, hospice, and home medical equipment services for eight counties, as well as a cancer treatment center that provides radiation services to oncology patients. Primary care services are provided to medically under-served counties in four rural health clinics. A satellite family care center is also a part of the St. Claire Medical Center outreach program. With the mission "Patients are the center of everything we do," St. Claire Medical Center places the needs and expectations of the patient first. Providing modern technology, operated by an exceptionally qualified and caring staff, is the standard of care at St. Claire. Their web site address is www.st-claire.com.

About API

API is a leading provider of payroll, human resource, time and attendance, education tracking, scheduling/staffing, and access control software for healthcare organizations. Founded in 1982, API has more than 350 installations in the United States, with customers ranging in size from 500 employees to more than 20,000 employees. The company has a strategic alliance with Microsoft Corporation and is a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider. The company's website address is www.api-wi.com.