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Layout Improvement Study to Reduce Staff Walking Distance in a Large Health Care Facility: How to Not Walk an Extra
Adriana Ley-Chavez1, Tatiana Hmar-Lagroun, Pamela Douglas-Ntagha
1Industrial Engineering, Universidad de las Americas Puebla, Mexico (Dr Ley-Chavez); and Office of Performance Improvement (Ms Hmar-Lagroun), Patient Resources Administration (Ms Douglas-Ntagha), and Patient Resources Administration (Ms Cumbo), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Optimizing healthcare facility layouts by relocating key areas significantly reduces staff walking distances and elevator usage. This improves operational efficiency and resource allocation for better patient care.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Operations Research
- Hospital Facility Design
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Background:
- Inefficient healthcare facility layouts contribute to excessive staff walking, causing delays and impacting patient care quality.
- Minimizing non-value-added transportation is crucial for enhancing efficiency and resource availability in healthcare settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a methodology for improving hospital facility layouts to enhance responsiveness and efficiency.
- To demonstrate the application of facility design principles in a large hospital setting.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing physical constraints and workflows within a large hospital.
- Utilizing traffic flow data to guide the relocation of frequently used resources.
- Implementing a facility design approach to optimize layout for maximum efficiency.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 34.8% reduction in total distance walked by staff (4740 miles saved annually).
- Reduced elevator travel by 30% (344,931 floors, equating to 842 hours saved).
- Successfully relocated 4 key areas housing frequently used resources.
Conclusions:
- Strategic relocation of specific hospital areas can lead to substantial improvements in operational efficiency.
- Optimized facility design is a viable strategy for reducing staff workload and improving resource utilization in existing healthcare structures.
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