Physician Scheduler® Customer Success Stories

Anesthesiologists and general surgeons at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo, California, use Physician Scheduler® for equitable schedules, supportive reporting, and improved lifestyle planning

What's the best indication that Physician Scheduler® software is meeting the demanding scheduling needs and expectations among anesthesiologists and general surgeons at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo, California?

"It's clear that the program has been successful here because I don't hear anything negative anymore about the scheduling process," states Blaise Seraile, the Service Director responsible for surgical services and anesthesia at this full-service medical center, which is located near San Francisco.

"If something is broken here, you'll hear about it," he says. "I simply don't hear complaints anymore from physicians about their schedules. And that's great since everyone has a lot better things to do than deal with scheduling issues."

Physician Scheduler has been utilized at the medical center since 1997, beginning within the Department of Anesthesia and later expanding to General Surgery. The software currently automates scheduling for more than 30 anesthesiologists and general surgeons at the center, with approximately 10 orthopedic surgeons expected to be included soon.

Fair and Equitable Schedules and Workload

Seraile says before the installation of the system, the center's anesthesiologists and general surgeons did not possess a way of developing schedules that were fair to all members, particularly when it came to distributing difficult assignments.

"Before we went to an automated system, there was some perception that the schedules reflected certain biases, and that triggered some level of dissatisfaction and animosity," Seraile recalls. "There was a definite need for a better system, one that would deliver equity, control and balance over the entire scheduling process, and take scheduling administration out of the physicians' hands.

"This was an issue, too, since you want physician time utilized in the best manner possible. Why have physicians dealing with schedule issues, when they could be spending their time in much better ways, such as in the OR, for instance."

Access to Supportive Data and Reports

In addition to obtaining a consistent way of distributing the workload fairly and equitably, the medical center needed immediate access to scheduling data.

"The first need was assuring schedule equitability. The second need was gaining access to the data and reports that could prove to physicians that the system was, indeed, equitable," says Seraile.

"Whether it's responding to an individual inquiry about a past assignment or providing comprehensive reports that update the entire staff on the scheduling process over a long period of time, Physician Scheduler's reporting capabilities are essential in helping to accomplish this.

"If there are ever any questions, the data and the reports are always available."

Improved Time Management and Lifestyle Planning

Another benefit physicians gain through the use of Physician Scheduler is greater control over their work and free time.

"Before we had the software, surgeons here were generating their schedules on a short-term, month-to-month basis," says Seraile. "This wasn't working well for them, especially those with families, because they wanted to look further ahead to see what their schedules would be.

"With Physician Scheduler, they are scheduling up to three months in advance, which really helps them better plan and project their work and free time. It's another way that the program has helped to improve physician satisfaction here."

Physician Scheduler®

Introduced in 1993, Physician Scheduler is the healthcare industry's leading physician scheduling software. Specialty physicians across the U.S. rely on the system to automate the demanding, time-intensive process of scheduling based on their complex rules and requirements, and to ensure equitable physician call and workload.

The software automates all critical aspects of physician scheduling, from ensuring the right skill coverage at multiple locations while balancing assignments and call schedules, to consolidating, blocking and limiting specified assignments, and integrated late-breaking requests and changes.

Key features include:

• Flexible scheduling technology that adapts to all scheduling methodologies
• Robust rule integration to address the most complex scheduling requirements
• Enterprise scalability
• Continuous, real-time decision support tools
• Interactive scheduling and physician self-service over the Web
• Comprehensive reporting

About Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo, Ca.

Since 1947, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo, Ca., has grown from a staff of two doctors and five health care professionals to a full-service medical center providing high-quality care in the community.

Located on the San Pablo Bay at the mouth of the Carquinez Strait and the Napa River, the Vallejo Medical Center utilizes the latest medical technology and equipment for comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care, ranging from allergy treatment to cardiology and optometry.

The hospital includes 287-licensed beds, a 19-bed Intensive Care Unit and 10 operating rooms where more than 700 surgeries are performed monthly. Around-the-clock emergency care also is available, as are a number of health education and prevention programs. For the past six years, the local community has selected the Vallejo Medical Center as a Consumer Choice Award winner.

Founded in 1945 and with headquarters in Oakland, Ca., Kaiser Permanente is the nation's largest non-profit health plan, serving 8.2 million members.

About AtStaff, Inc.

AtStaff, Inc., based in Durham, N.C., enables healthcare organizations to reduce costs, increase profitability, enhance staff recruitment and retention, and improve patient safety.

The company combines Web-based staff scheduling and staffing automation with business process improvement services to deliver proactive staff management, and establish and support best-practice methodology.

Its enterprise-wide staff scheduling, nurse scheduling and physician scheduling software systems serve more than 1,200 healthcare organizations, medical facilities, nursing departments and group practices.

For more information about AtStaff, Inc., and its healthcare scheduling products, access www.atstaff.com, or call us toll free at 866-80STAFF (866-807-8233).

Return to Physician Scheduler Customer Success Stories