Expert Advice

Medxcel Associate Recognized for Living Our Values Every Day

8/3/2020

Medxcel associate, property manager Josh Ruth, was recently recognized through one of Medxcel’s customers by the Living Our Values Every Day (LOVED) committee for his work and actions in our company and our community. The LOVED committee is a program through the hospital system Josh supports, which reflects our core values – service of the poor, integrity, wisdom, dedication, reverence and creativity – and highlights associates who live out these words. We are proud to honor Josh and his virtuous servant leadership, as well as his commitment towards the environment of care and facilities management.
 

Implementing Technology to Lend Support During COVID-19

7/13/2020

A look at the role that technology played during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Integrating Real Estate with Healthcare Facilities Management

6/29/2020

Real estate may not be a typical service in integrate facilities management, but it is an important aspect of maintaining and growing physical healthcare spaces. There should be a level of collaboration between real estate, construction and emergency management departments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, real estate has been an essential part of facilities management as space needed to be identified and secured for the influx of patients quickly and efficiently. Our Real Estate team at Medxcel is a recent addition that has streamlined this process and allowed for our facilities to successfully care for surges of patients during the crisis.
 

Managing Construction Projects Amidst a Pandemic

6/15/2020

COVID-19 presented unprecedented containment issues to the physical spaces of our facilities. In order to create solutions, our unified planning, design and construction (PDC) team and digital platform provided the tools, strategies and support needed to maintain a functional healing environment for patients.
 

Balancing Full-Time Employees and Contractors During a Crisis

6/1/2020

Finding the right balance of full-time employees (FTEs) and contractors can be a challenge for any healthcare facility, especially since each healthcare facility has different needs.  Read more to see how our experts strike that perfect balance.  

Medxcel Celebrates Healthcare Heroes Working on the Front Lines to Battle COVID-19

5/18/2020

Here at Medxcel, we want to showcase our gratitude for all of the front line workers that have been putting their lives at risk to combat COVID-19. Not only do we want to recognize all of the doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals treating patients daily, but also all of the emergency management, facilities and construction teams that keep hospitals up and running 24/7. We have teams across the country doing their part to provide resources in their local communities and prevent the spread of the virus. During this time, we are continuing to celebrate our successes as we create solutions to face this unprecedented disruption to daily life.   

CMS Relaxes Safety Regulations

5/4/2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has recently relaxed safety rules to reduce regulatory burdens on healthcare providers during this crisis. These changes involve more flexibility, such as what is considered a hospital bed, how closely some medical professionals are monitored and the types of health care that can be delivered at home. These relaxed regulations also allow for non-medical facilities, such as gymnasiums or hotels, to be used by hospitals if needed without the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) being involved. CMS notes in a press release that these are “historic and unprecedented steps to equip the American healthcare system with maximum flexibility to respond to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.”

Ensuring Patient Safety Year-Round

4/6/2020

Here at Medxcel, we pride ourselves in maintaining a safe environment for all of our patients, visitors and staff. We work to continuously prioritize patient safety each and every day of the year. While safety is always top of mind, the World Health Organization states that an estimated 134 million adverse events occur every year due to unsafe care in low- and mid-income countries. In high-income countries, such as the United States, it is estimated that 1 in 10 patients are harmed while receiving hospital care. Of these, nearly 50% are considered preventable.
 

How to Prepare for a Pandemic and Other Infectious Disease Threats

3/23/2020

With coronavirus dominating the headlines, it’s easy to forget that there are still many other infectious diseases affecting the lives of people today. Whether it’s a disease as new as the coronavirus or as common as the flu, it’s more crucial than ever that facility managers are prepared for anything. It’s not a question of whether an epidemic will occur or not, but when it will strike. Hospitals around the world must plan for every kind of possible outbreak, before it’s too late.
 

4 Ways Contract Work is Hurting your ROI

3/9/2020

The new calendar year brings about exciting advancements and changes within the healthcare industry. With these changes come new regulations and other cost-consuming factors, and a new challenge arises: How do you reduce costs while improving patient satisfaction, increasing rate of efficiency, and continuing to boost revenue year after year?
 

CMS Updates Their Star Ratings

2/24/2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently refreshed their Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings. These ratings are on a five-star scale through Hospital Compare, a website that informs patients on how well hospitals are providing care in compliance with CMS. This allows patients to be informed when they are making decisions related to their healthcare.
 

The Importance of a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)

12/2/2019

When you step into a hospital, whether to start a workday, undergo a procedure, or visit a friend who is recovering, you may not think about all of the moving parts that keep a facility up and running. (Unless of course you’re the facilities manager!) Hospitals serve thousands of patients and visitors, control hundreds of different machines and continually support employees all day, every day. This means a facility’s infrastructure, maintenance machines and computer systems work overtime to accommodate necessary functionality.

Planning, Design & Construction: Three Services to Standardize Your Healthcare Facility

11/18/2019

As of March 2019, there was approximately $400 million invested in simultaneous, ongoing healthcare remodeling projects. How do these healthcare facilities ensure their money is being put to good use? It comes down to three services – planning, design and construction – that lead the transformation of healthcare facilities from good to great.

Eight Practices For Faster Crisis Resolution in Healthcare Environments

11/4/2019

Disasters can happen at any time. Severe storms, active shooters, disease outbreaks and other events are not as rare as they once may have seemed. When one of these incidents occurs at or near your healthcare facility, how do you respond? Being prepared for an emergency is vital for the functionality of healthcare facilities and their ability to serve patients when disaster strikes.

Telehealth and Facilities Management

10/7/2019

The practice of doctors making house calls to see patients in their own homes was popular back in the 1930s and 40s. In fact, house calls accounted for 40% of U.S. doctors’ visits at the time. Medical professionals would arrive at a patient’s home at a moment’s notice, bringing with them all the tools they needed to provide the best care (the “best care” for the 40s, that is). As house calls have become virtually nonexistent today, who would have thought they’d make a virtual comeback?

What a 5-star rating from CMS means for your patients and your facilities teams

9/23/2019

Each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) update Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings on a five-star scale through Hospital Compare. Hospital Compare is a website for healthcare consumers that provides information on how well hospitals provide recommended care to their patients, allowing consumers to make more informed decisions about where to go for their healthcare needs.

Building automation systems do more to help hospitals work smarter, not harder

9/9/2019

Hospitals are complex environments with many active systems. One of the least understood - and one of the most expensive - is the building automation system (BAS). As technology continues to advance, we are seeing more systems become integrated into the building automation system, such as fire alarms, power monitoring, lighting control and security. The benefits from a well-programmed BAS ensure operational performance, which can reduce energy costs and keep patients, visitors and staff comfortable.

Want to improve the patient experience? Start with employee engagement.

8/26/2019

Defined as employees who are “involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace,” employee engagement is an integral part of everything that happens in and around a healthcare facility. If that description doesn’t sound like the employees in your facility, you might have some employees who are disengaged.

Be prepared: Healthcare facility readiness for public surveys

8/12/2019

In May 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it would be making all survey results from accrediting organizations, such as The Joint Commission (TJC), public. This unprecedented decision redefined the healthcare landscape – empowering healthcare consumers to make a more informed decision on where to receive care.

Top Executive Concerns in 2019: Mergers and Regulations

7/29/2019