September 12, 2018
Communication is vital in the field of healthcare. Not only is it important to connect reliably with fellow practitioners when treating patients, it is also crucial to have an open line of communication with patients. An outdated phone system creates unneeded hurdles in operating a clinic or hospital. Below are 
common frustrations for healthcare facilities operating with an inefficient phone system.
Poor Coordination
Inadequate phone systems in a healthcare setting are a detriment to care coordination. While a simple checkup may only require one call to make an appointment, you have patients with greater care needs that require coordination between nurses, doctors and outside specialists to ensure the patient gets the appropriate level of care required to address their wellness needs.
Lackluster Patient Services
With the wrong phone system in place, it is difficult to optimize patient support services. This includes both simple service such as appointment lines and reminder calls and more complex and emerging services such as telemedicine. This service allows patients to speak over the phone or via video conferencing with a doctor for simple illnesses and conditions.
Lack of Scalability
Your medical practice and the volume of patients it serves are bound to ebb and flow throughout the year. As a result, it is not uncommon for clinics and hospitals to have part-time or seasonal staffing adjustments to cope with changes. An outdated phone system may not be able to easily add additional users to keep up with an increased volume of phone calls.
Old-School Approach
The greatest frustration for healthcare systems is a phone system that doesn't offer the latest technology. Clinics using simple handsets with no unified communication technology or mobile features suffer not only from poor service, but also fail to meet productivity levels that improve the workflow of the office and the overall healthcare received by patients.
Sourcewell Cooperative Contracts: The Solution to Your Problems
Although outdated phone systems are a source of frustration for any non-profit healthcare facility, perhaps a greater source is the lack of financial ability to change the environment. Sourcewell offers cooperative contracts to non-profit organizations, including healthcare facilities, that help level the playing field.
What are Cooperative Contracts?
Cooperative contracts from Sourcewell leverage the purchasing power of thousands of members to simplify the upgrade purchasing process for your healthcare facility. This affordably provides a phone system solution your clinic or hospital deserves. All Sourcewell cooperative contracts are built to meet the needs of non-profit entities.
How does the Cooperative Contract Process Work?
You'll be glad to know that Sourcewell does the bulk of the legwork. This allows you to focus on the quality of care for your patients and not spend countless hours preparing requests for proposals for a new phone system.
Sourcewell's comprehensive, multi-step process identifies your needs, researches available marketplace solutions and builds contracts that work for non-profit healthcare facilities. By becoming a Sourcewell member (it's easy), you'll be presented with a cooperative contract for a phone system pre-negotiated for your organization. Getting an upgraded phone system is as easy as selecting the dealer of your choice for implementation.
Completing the Process and Removing the Frustration
The Sourcewell cooperative contract allows you to connect with the dealer of your choice to fulfill your technology requirements. That dealer will work closely with your group to analyze the specific needs of your clinic, transition your facility to the new phone system you've chosen, and provide training for your staff so your team doesn't miss a step and your patients don't notice the changeover.
Cooperative contracts from the Sourcewell allow your non-profit healthcare facility to upgrade to the phone systems required to meet your communication needs. Eliminate the frustrations caused by your old phone system and learn more about Sourcewell cooperative contracts. You’ll have the power to upgrade your phone systems affordably, without sacrificing the excellence you demand.
