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\n\n\n\nBy Nicole Limpert<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFor some hospitals, having enough space to operate efficiently is an issue. One of the most significant advantages of a cloud-enabled contact center platform is that it allows operators to work from home, making the space otherwise taken up by an on-site call center available for other uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Midwestern hospital was faced with the issue of wanting to expand but not wishing to reconstruct its facilities. The hospital call center manager commented, “One of the biggest issues for us is that they built this hospital not knowing it would expand as fast as it did. We have a huge space issue here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hospital’s transcriptionists already worked from home. Their ability to work remotely made the call center manager wonder if her department could have the same capabilities. She continued, “When we were looking at software for our call center, one of the things we wanted was to be able to have our agents work from home. Our space is just so tight in all of our facilities.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ensuring Staff Safety<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBefore deciding on the operators’ new location, the hospital looked into other possibilities. “We had the option of moving to other locations, but because there was only someone there during the day, the staff felt unsafe. We also looked at another one of our facilities, but that location couldn’t handle the call volume,” said the manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was determined that working from home would be the best and safest option for the operators, especially during the night hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Selecting the Right Staff<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nEach operator’s annual performance reviews were analyzed before deciding who would be offered the remote operator positions. These evaluations included technical components that looked at the operator’s job competencies, such as how well they could handle emergency calls, perform paging and overhead paging functions, handle calls from physicians and patients, and differentiate between routine calls and emergency calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hospital also reviewed behavioral competencies, which included the operator’s commitment to service, quality of service, productivity, and teamwork skills. Each operator’s call volume, length of time spent on calls, and how often they logged in and out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Preliminary Testing<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGreat care was taken when implementing remote staff. After selecting which operators would work from home, the manager and another staff member tested the remote operator stations for about a month. This helped to determine exactly what the operators would be experiencing from home. The manager commented, “Once we knew our new remote arrangement would work, we gave the operators home computers to use, and we were able to get them up and running. I gradually added more remote agents.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Home Setup<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFor this particular Midwestern hospital, 16 operators are working from home. Each agent was given a computer, a phone, and Internet access to handle calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before working remotely, each operator was required to sign an agreement that included things such as eliminating background noise, requirements to report to the hospital in case of a cable or power outage, attending staff meetings, returning equipment immediately upon leaving, providing an appropriate work area for themselves, and bringing equipment in for upgrades or repairs. Many operators designated a room in their home for handling calls to help eliminate background noise and to help them stay focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though the operators are 20 or 30 miles away, it’s like they are sitting in the building. Remote agents can handle all types of calls, including code calls and overhead pages\u2014all as if they were on-site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n