TOUCHPOINT CASE STUDY
Streamline Operations
With Scalable System
Wide Service Realignment
Aligning Our Services
When tasked with reducing operational costs at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, TouchPoint’s Patient Services team saw an opportunity to better align its food service operation with other units in the region. As patient meal service hours stretched to 8:30 p.m. daily while neighboring units closed at 7 p.m., the team consistently saw a drastic drop-off in meal orders after 7 p.m. This presented TouchPoint with an opportunity to streamline the operation and reduce costs by curtailing operating hours, unused manpower, and minimizing unused food.
The Situation
On average, weekday meal orders at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital totaled 4,489, with 1,581 of those placed for dinner. Of those orders, only 246 – 15% of dinner and 5% of daily orders – were placed after 7 p.m.
Upon reviewing the data with the hospital’s executive leadership, they agreed that reducing operating hours would be beneficial, providing cost savings and increased efficiency to the patient meal service operation.
Adjusting operating hours presented several hurdles, including its effect on Food and Nutrition Services operations, staff schedules, and condensed food production during peak times. First-shift nurses would handle all meal orders. Communicating changes to all stakeholders was challenging, so a detailed 30-day timeline was created to track progress and ensure smooth implementation.
“Our collaboration with TouchPoint on this project has yielded tremendous results. In addition to cost savings, we’re seeing a more efficient use of associate time and an elevated performance from our food services team, all while maintaining the quality of service our patients and guests expect.”
Solutions & Impact
The new service hours went into effect in mid-November 2022 and have proven a huge success. During the first three months, an estimated $33,000 was saved. The projected annual savings for the unit is $161,035.88.
The benefits are also expected at Ascension St. Vincent – Fishers and Ascension St. Vincent Heart Center, with projected annual savings of $22,000 and $30,000, respectively.
With no major complaints from patients, this operational shift offers units with similar criteria (open more than 10 hours; low dinner volume after 7 p.m.) an opportunity to adjust their hours to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
