As part of Ballad Health’s digital transformation, we’ve established a Clinical Command Center that combines the responsibilities of what we previously called the transfer center (MD Link/Connect), enterprise call center and the Regional Communications Center (RCC).
The Clinical Command Center operates 24/7 with a goal of improving patient outcomes through centralized coordination of care. The team at the command center takes into consideration the acuity of the patient, where they are and what care services are needed, and then coordinates resources as appropriate.
It’s a critical service for our health system. Getting a patient access to the appropriate care services as quickly as possible can save lives and improve patient outcomes, as well as increase efficiency at our hospitals. The Clinical Command Center serves almost like an air traffic control tower does for airplanes – coordinating patient care in the most efficient manner.
The center handles several crucial responsibilities, including:
- Communication with emergency medical air transportation in the region, including Ballad Health’s Highlands Emergency Air Rescue & Transport (HEART service, a partnership with MedTrans)
- Patient transfers and consults
- Managing communication and coordination of STEMI, stroke, trauma, NICU, and other life-threatening emergencies
- EMS encoding and communication
- System on-call scheduling management
- Digital care services (i.e. inpatient/outpatient telemedicine, tele-admissions, tele-discharges, tele-consults, virtual MedSitters and other virtual health services)
Improvements to the Clinical Command Center are being made through the use of Epic to align services, streamline processes and create transparency, which increases efficiency across the system. More enhancements are in the works, with details to be announced as they are set.
“As we continue to make improvements, I hope everyone will have patience with our team,” said Penni Kyte, Ballad Health’s digital care strategy officer. “We appreciate everybody working together and supporting these changes. It’s all about the patients; if we always think of the patient as one of our family members, and these changes help the patient, then it’s worth it!”
The leadership and organizational structure has also been revised for the Clinical Command Center, which now includes a director of business operations, Rachel Kuhn; a director of clinical operations, Stephanie Tester; and a director of the Regional Communications Center, Rick McMurray.
The center is located in Johnson City at 509 Med Tech Parkway, not far from Franklin Woods Community Hospital and Ballad Health’s corporate headquarters, with staff members who are specially trained to handle these often high-stress situations.
