Between purchasing and using a mounting solution comes a less exciting step: installation. That phase can be daunting once people realize the resources that must be deployed, and maybe during odd hours.

Hospitals, in particular, need the time, training and tools to correctly assemble and install EMR hardware and the mounting solutions that accompany them throughout a facility. To minimize service disruptions and clinical workflows, in-house staff often must work evenings or weekends, especially when outfitting high-traffic areas such as operating rooms that are less busy during off hours. The overtime can add up. So too can the extra boxes and packaging materials once the project’s done.

These activities typically aren’t among a hospital’s core competencies. But they are for the manufacturer whose employees know exactly how to assemble and install their products. These teams also know how to work carefully, quickly and unobtrusively in a hospital setting. They meet strict guidelines for sanitation and infection control. And, they leave no mess behind; instead, they recycle packaging once the job’s done.

GCX for several years now has provided such white-glove service to its customers on a per unit basis, so costs are known and fixed, thereby removing variables that lead to extra-hour charges. Some hospitals contact us after costly lessons from self-installations or hiring commercial contractors.

GCX service and support team members are employees who assemble our products every day in the GCX factory, so they know our products because they work with them daily. The opportunity to go into the field to assist customers also assists future product development since that real-life knowledge is brought back to our production and engineering teams.

Additionally, GCX on-site support team members are fully credentialed and will comply with any additional hospital-specific requirements. They arrive on time and well equipped with required parts and tools, working around the organization’s schedules and room availability to reduce patient and provider inconveniences.

When deciding whether to go it alone or hire a trusted provider, consider the following:

• How long will it take for the entire process, from opening delivered boxes to hauling empty ones away? What will it cost to provide the time, training and tools (not to mention possibly pull people off other jobs) required for the full installment? For a reference point, our GCX team typically does 20 to 100 installations within two to four days, depending on deployment scope.
• How much upfront work is involved to ensure minimal disruptions for patients and providers? Does the contractor collaborate with managers on a master schedule – and follow it?
• Can part of the product be preassembled at the factory to also cut down on installation time? Is everyone on site abiding by the hospital’s safety rules and following best practices for fastening mounts and cable management?
• Can people work evenings and weekends, and will you pay a premium for those work hours?
• Is there a point person to orchestrate the installation while keeping the hospital operational?

Between buying a mounting solution and the computer systems they support, hospitals make a significant investment. To ensure maximum value from those dollars spent, it’s important to have a dedicated crew that arrives with the right parts at the right place and at the right time.