Identification and mitigation of potential logistical issues in the relocation of the UVA Health System´s Outpatient Surgery Center

The University of Virginia Health System´s Outpatient Surgery Center (OPSC) will move from its current freestanding facility into the newly constructed Battle Building in the summer of 2014. The Battle Building will consolidate pediatric outpatient services and the OPSC. The OPSC´s current facility is a one-floor building with eight operating rooms, while the new location will operate across two floors, with twelve operating rooms. Differences in the physical layout pose potential challenges in the flow of people, materials, and information. The goal of this project is to identify and mitigate potential critical issues in patient and family movements, staff activities and interactions, communications and information flows, and materials movement, and to identify alternatives for addressing these issues to ensure safe, efficient, and efficacious delivery of outpatient surgery services. We assessed current operations of the OPSC through observation and interaction with multiple stakeholders. We defined goals, objectives, and requirements of the OPSC, including maximizing quality, safety, and efficiency of care, through a patient-centered analysis. Next, we documented current and future process flows of a patient´s visit to the OPSC, including family, staff, and information flows. We identified processes that will significantly differ in the Battle Building, where the planning committees should focus to ensure successful operation following the transition. These include communication methods between staff, patients and guests, and guided patient and guest transport. We present and evaluate alternatives for these decision points, paying attention to critical processes, which affect patient care and experience. The documentation of current and future process flows, identification of major logistical changes, and guidance in decision-making assists our clients in determining how to best transition their operations into the Battle Building.