The Client

Truxtun Radiology Medical Group (TRMG) offers the very latest in diagnostic radiology services. Founded in 1988 in Bakersfield, California, Truxtun opened its doors with only one radiologist and a total of five employees, yet today it stands as the largest radiology center in the area. Presently, with over 150 employees, four buildings on the main campus, and two remote sites, TRMG serves over 600 patients each day.

The key to their success is the state of the art equipment, which allows for speedy and accurate diagnoses, as well as rapid reporting of diagnostic information, making it possible to initiate treatments sooner. In fact, adding to the long list of high quality diagnostic equipment, TRMG recently installed a new 64-slice multi-detector CT system that is unsurpassed in image quality and speed. TRMG is committed to providing not only the best diagnostic radiology services but also the best in patient care.

The Challenge

While the expansion and growth at TRMG enables the company to provide the very latest in diagnostic services, the increase in valuable diagnostic tools and equipment creates added asset tracking demands. Chris Freels, the IT manager, found the traditional spreadsheet method to be not only time consuming but inaccurate. “When dealing with equipment of this nature it is important to have precise data when it comes to location, but even more importantly accurate data on maintenance and repair,” says Freels. The present manual tracking system allows for a huge margin of error resulting in misplaced equipment as well as the possibility of deliberate theft. Moreover, each modality, from the ultrasound units to the x-ray machines, is on a strict schedule for maintenance and repair and keeping a clipboard history on each unit is time-consuming.

The objective was two-fold: find an automatic asset management system to track basic computer equipment as well as a method to inventory and monitor the high value diagnostic equipment used to deliver care. With time being a critical element in the health care industry, the asset tracking system must offer speed without sacrificing accuracy when it comes to providing complete reports on location and maintenance history for each diagnostic unit. Freels began his search for a solution only to find many products were just too difficult to install and customize to meet the special needs of TRMG.

“Implementation was not easy and the data collection process did not allow portability nor compatibility with barcoding that already was on the equipment," says Freels. It was not until he discovered Wasp's asset management software that Freels realized there is an easy, cost-effective solution to asset management.

The Solution

TRMG needs a ready-to use asset tracking solution to streamline IT management processes while adapting to the special needs of the healthcare provider. TRMG requires the system to be barcode-friendly, portable and provide real-time information about diagnostic equipment that can potentially affect patient care.

Wasp's asset management software allows for easy implementation and customization with the ability to track assets by location, item ID, or serial number, while also accurately recording the maintenance of units to ensure proper service. “I was able to use my existing barcodes and this was an immediate time saver. The entire system was very intuitive and the handheld PDA device allows data entry at the site,” explains Freels.

The Result

As a direct result of using Wasp's asset management solution, Freels reports that the company is now in a position, “where we can reduce our inventory audit time from a process that took two or three full business days to a half day procedure.” Results like this offer immediate returns on the asset management software investment.

As far as attacking the problem of missing, lost or inoperable equipment, the accurate data that is immediately available on each unit has addressed this issue with outstanding results said Freels. This is another ROI because employees no longer waste time trying to locate needed equipment and more time focusing on quality patient care. Finally, the integration of the asset management system could not have been easier especially since all the components came from the same provider. With asset management software, TRMG found a single, economical source for a complete solution to healthcare asset management.

The asset management solution proves that better information leads to better healthcare.