Mobile Heartbeat expands to more YNHH departments
X-ray technologists (l-r): Eva Bialecki, Stephanie St. Pierre and Sara Ely are among the nearly 500 Radiology and Biomedical Imaging staff members now on Mobile Heartbeat.
Staff with inpatient Acute Care Rehabilitation, Spiritual Care and Radiology and Biomedical Imaging recently began using the Mobile Heartbeat smartphone app for secure texting, phone calls, patient-specific alerts and other communications within the hospital.
Nearly 500 Radiology and Biomedical Imaging technologists, technologist aides, nurses and leaders in CT, MRI, Nuclear Medicine/PET, Ultrasound and X-ray began using Mobile Heartbeat in January. Thousands of staff members and physicians in departments throughout Yale New Haven Hospital are using the app, introduced in 2012.
Since it is integrated with Epic, Mobile Heartbeat makes it faster and easier to access patient information, said David Facchini, Radiology quality and safety manager. For example, if a patient experiences a medical issue during a scan, the technologist can use the patient’s medical record number to identify members of the care team, then contact a team member directly to report the problem. Conversely, nurses and other clinicians throughout the hospital can use Mobile Heartbeat to call or text different areas within Radiology and Biomedical Imaging to learn the status of patients being imaged. Radiology and Biomedical Imaging leadership use Mobile Heartbeat to dispatch technologists and other department staff where they’re needed.
“Overall, it’s a great communication platform,” Facchini said. “By improving communication, we’re enhancing the quality and safety of care.”
All therapists with inpatient Acute Care Rehabilitation at the York Street and Saint Raphael campuses are now accessible via Mobile Heartbeat and can be located in the app directory.
Spiritual Care chaplains also began using the app recently; staff can contact them for any service by searching the directory for “On Call,” then scrolling down to find the chaplain on call for each campus.
“Mobile Heartbeat allows us to be exactly where we are needed, when we are needed,” said Sue Asher, Spiritual Care director. “Unit staff can contact us directly with real-time referrals, and we can immediately respond to whatever our patients and families need. Mobile Heartbeat will help us enhance the patient and family experience and reduce staff stress – a win-win for everyone.”
