From the November 2014 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine

The process included two vital elements. First, was an effective communication system to reach more than 900 personnel scattered at locations across Western Michigan. We developed a scrolling message that appeared at the top of the screen at each workstation. The message stays bright red until the technologist reads and acknowledges it. Then it becomes blue. The change in color was an important lesson learned when we experimented with this process.

When it stayed red, the user was less likely to notice an update or new message once he had acknowledged the first one. The change in color proved much more attention grabbing and ensured the message got through. Next, was an easy and available method to address the issues they faced during an outage.


As an airplane pilot, I was already familiar with the hardcopy placards used in the cockpit to outline procedures for dealing with the various problems that can crop up during flight. We developed a set of cards for each workstation and for personnel that outlined what they needed to do when a system failure occurred.

The key for us was if a system goes down, we want to make sure staff has the guidance needed to know what steps should be taken given the configuration of failure that we have had. Our solution also had to be role specific. A radiologist responds to a PACS outage differently than a technologist, support services staffer, or IT professional. Each has a different role and responsibility that must be pursued with precision and in synchronization with the timing of the event. The result was a step forward for value-based care and for higher quality at Spectrum Health.

George Vallillee is the Manager of Radiology Information Solutions at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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