Case Study: University of Louisville Hospital

Saving money through managed document services.

About University of Louisville Hospital

University of Louisville Hospital, located in Louisville, Kentucky, is a modern 400-bed acute and trauma care hospital that is part of University of Louisville Health Care, the region’s leading academic medical center — a comprehensive medical treatment, research and services organization. The hospital employs over 3,400 clinicians and staff, and provides non-reimbursed services to the community in excess of $60 million.

"Out-of-the-box thinkers."
Hospital staff describing Ricoh

Challenge

University of Louisville Hospital was undergoing an enterprise-wide implementation of electronic healthcare records (EHR) and a transition to a health information management (HIM) system. At the same time, it was looking to better utilize its printing and faxing capabilities in a way that complemented their EHR strategy.

The hospital administrative staff recognized the need for a more efficient solution for not only the faxed medication orders, but also for the multifunction printer (MFP) downtime that was significantly impacting the information technology department’s workload — and adversely affecting staff satisfaction.

Solution

Based on our years of years of experience specializing in optimizing healthcare organizations and document management, we knew we had the solutions and tools necessary to upgrade the University of Louisville Hospital's systems.

We worked with the hospital's IT department and administration to:

Determine the best way to optimize their print and fax devices, while supporting their IT and EHR initiatives.
Analyze workflows and staff time, as well as opportunities to improve both the efficiency and ROI of their printer and fax fleets.

Through the analysis, we upgraded select printer and fax devices and equipped them with Ricoh software solutions to improve multifunction capabilities and complement the needs of the hospital's information system. By partnering with us, the hospital was able to make significant improvements in the HIM department, the pharmacy department, mail services and the hospital service center.

Results

Our new hardware and processes increased staff satisfaction and efficiency, allowing them to focus more time on what really matters — patient care.

The financial savings accrued by the hospital over the contract term was in excess of $1.6 million, increasing substantially over five years. We continue to work with the hospital to track progress and identify and improve inefficiencies when applicable.

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