Grace Health is Driving Improvement in Dentistry with Automated Staff Notification

Introduction to Grace Health’s Dental Department

Dr. Melissa Keil, Dental Director at Grace Health, joined SyncTimes in a recent webinar to discuss how Grace Health is driving improvements through new technology, automated workflows and data driven decision making. This article covers key takeaways from the webinar including the functionality of technology in automated workflows, cross department communication and automated safety workflows.

Dr. Keil leads the dental department with a commitment to excellence and innovation in patient care. Grace Health, a high performing Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Battle Creek, Michigan, provides comprehensive healthcare services: family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, behavioral health, dental, optometry/vision care, physical therapy, podiatry, and pharmacy. Under Dr. Keil's direction, the dental department boasts 25 chairs, including 8 chairs surrounding a hygiene station in an open floor plan.

SyncTimes in a Dental Setting

In Grace Health's dental department, each operatory and dental chair is equipped with two SyncTimes tablets, part of a real-time location system. Dental staff and providers wear lightweight SyncTimes badges, allowing the tablets to locate each staff member for improved exam room visibility and communication ease.

Communication and Workflow Automation

“Without the system, my staff would be much more frustrated daily with the communication piece, spending so much time trying to communicate with each other that we're not able to take care of our patients to the best of our ability.”  - Dr. Keil

Before SyncTimes, hygienists and staff had to leave patients physically to locate and alert providers about the next steps. With Synctimes, hygienists and staff can call the dentist directly from the chair by pressing a workflow icon on the station's SyncTimes tablet. The dentists are alerted in their office via an icon and sound, enabling them to respond in the order needed.  

‍

‍

‍Automated Staff Notification Examples:

Anesthesia Icon: When a patient is ready for anesthesia, dental assistants can push the anesthesia icon on the SyncTimes tablet. If the patient’s assigned dentist is busy, any available provider can see the alert, and respond by going to the operatory to start the process. This automation increases provider time with patients and reduces patient alone time.

‍

‍

‍

Intern Support Icon: Grace Health’s Dental Department hosts 4 dental students from the local universities as interns. During each appointment, interns need 2-3 checks from a provider. The SyncTimes system allows interns to press the intern support icon from the dental chair, calling the provider to them and eliminating the need to physically find the provider. Interns stay with the patient while waiting for the provider to respond, decreasing patient alone time.

‍Safety Boost

“We're able to push an icon and the medical triage team knows right where to go.” - Dr. Keil

Safety icons allow departments to communicate internally and across departments. Many FQHC’s, such as Grace Health, often have multiple departments providing an array of services. Grace Health for example includes family practice, pediatrics, optometry/vision care, OB/GYN, behavioral health, and more. In a medical emergency, cross department communication becomes invaluable.  

Grace Health customizes workflows in the dental department to communicate with the medical department instantly. Safety specific icons on the tablets, such as the code blue icon, are used to facilitate efficient and clear responses.  

Grace Health’s Medical Emergency Icons and the Automated Workflow:

• RN Triage: The medical staff receive a notification and an overhead page alerting them to the need for a medical provider, including the operatory number. This reduces human error in emergencies. ‍
• Code Blue: Notifies all tablets on the Grace Health site of a code blue medical emergency in a specific operatory. ‍
• Provider Triage: Dental providers are alerted to an emergency and notified of the specific operatory number

Grace Health's ROI

As a high performing FQHC, Grace Health is committed to providing excellent patient care and better care outcomes. Simplification of workflows through automation has significantly decreased patient cycle times and patient alone times while simultaneously maintaining the amount of meaningful time a provider spends with the patient. In the graph below, Dr. Keil's cycle times show a decrease of patient wait and alone times by more than 50%.

See the SyncTimes System in Action

Schedule a demo with a SyncTimes sales representative to explore customizable, affordable solutions for your healthcare facility and consider visiting a partnered clinic to see how the system works in person.

‍