Looking like something out of NASA’s mission control, Upstate University Hospital has opened a state-of-the-art Throughput Operations Center (TOC) designed to optimize patient flow across its two hospital campuses (downtown and community) and throughout the region with the goal of revolutionizing the way patient care is managed, ensuring more efficient use of resources and ultimately improving patient outcomes.
The $2.38 million center, located on the first floor of Telergy Building off Carrier Circle, is chock full of technology with 22 live feed monitors and 28 computer stations offering hospital officials a real-time view of operations, including capacity demands, bed census, open beds, COVID-19 information and patient transport status, among other data feeds.
The center also features live feeds of Upstate’s helipad and EMS ambulance offload bays outside the region’s only trauma center.
“This facility is like our mission control,” said Upstate University Hospital CEO Robert Corona. “It’s like the heartbeat of the hospital. By streamlining patient flow, enhancing communication and minimizing bottlenecks, it enables the hospital to deliver timely, efficient care while improving patient outcomes and operational efficiency across the board. Bringing real-time data and resources under one roof, we will ensure patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right setting.”
Upstate Chief Nursing Officer Scott Jessie said this expanded Throughput Operations Center will have a great benefit on nurses. “This Throughput Operations Center plays a critical role in enhancing the care and efficiency that our nursing teams can provide to patients,” he said. “By streamlining patient flow and minimizing delays in admissions, discharges, and transfers, we enable our nurses to focus on what they do best—delivering compassionate, high-quality care.”
The Throughput Operations Center will integrate a variety of critical data streams from all areas of the hospital system, allowing for real-time monitoring and management of patient progress. This will allow healthcare professionals to optimize care delivery, anticipate bottlenecks, and reduce delays in patient care, resulting in a smoother, faster experience for patients and clinicians alike.
Using integrated technologies from software provider TeleTracking Technologies Inc., the center will track patient movement, assign appropriate resources, and monitor bed availability in real time, ensuring the most efficient use of space and staff.
In addition to streamlining patient flow, the new command center will provide executives, clinicians, and administrators with comprehensive analytics and dashboards, enabling real-time reporting and strategic decision-making.
The center will be operational 24/7 and employ more than a dozen people. Among the professionals based at the center will be nurses specializing in bed management, transfer center protocols, dispatchers for patient transport services and environmental services. In the near future, the center is expected to house a dispatcher for AMR, telehealth nurses and case managers.
In developing the center, Upstate officials visited other sites to see similar throughput centers in operation, including Kettering Health Clinic in Ohio, Carilion Clinic in Virginia and Yale New Haven Hospital.
“It was important for us to see these centers in operation and to speak with officials about what works best,” said Kyle Choquette, associate director of nursing for throughput operations. “Understanding the successes and challenges faced by established centers will provide invaluable insights, allowing us to build a foundation of excellence and innovation tailored to the needs of our community.”
Prior to the opening of the new Throughput Operations Center in the Telergy Building, Upstate dedicated a small room in its basement with four monitors to track information. Choquette said that operation was key in helping Upstate manage patient flow during the pandemic, but it no longer fulfills Upstate needs to maximize operations.