WELCOME
To Hanford Bay Associates, Ltd.
… the designers, developers, and implementers of iSNAP, the most feature rich, yet affordable, automated staff planning, staff scheduling, and staff management software tool available today. The comprehensive features, functionalities and flexibility of iSNAP make it suitable for all human resource intensive environments, large or small, regardless of industry. We encourage you to make a comparison of iSNAP’s rich features with other potential solutions, see a demonstration, and assess iSNAP’s costs: you will be very pleasantly surprise! |
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| What Do Our Users Say? |
| “iSNAP is appropriately named. Completing payroll and scheduling have been a SNAP compared to the other program we used. It has increased my productivity and allowed me to accomplish other needed tasks” |
| (Operations Support Tech - Dialysis, Nephrology, Oncology, Med-Surg – Saint Vincent Health System) |
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| “As a smaller hospital, it was encouraging to learn that we could acquire a full-blown staff planning and scheduling product at an affordable cost. We are continuing to discover many benefits and advantages from iSNAP.” |
| (Kristina A. Krail, RN, MPH, CNAA, CHE, Chief Nursing Officer – Long Beach Medical Center) |
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| “On a scale of 1 to 10, Hanford Bay’s customer support definitely rates a ‘10’ and is consistently over the top” |
| (Martha Kemp-Albert, iSNAP Coordinator – Hartford Hospital) |
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| Our Mission |
| To provide our clients with tangible benefits and substantial return from new, better, and real-time staff planning and scheduling information. We strive to fulfill our mission every day through innovation, excellence, high integrity, and by always giving our customers' goals the highest priority. |
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| Our Slogan |
| Our slogan - "Transitioning Information into Gain" - is the measurement tool utilized for all implementations. Information needs to cause users and the client’s environment to benefit and “gain” as a result of utilizing our solutions. Our solutions provide information to better manage and optimize critical human resources areas of our client's enterprise that most impact the client's timely delivery of quality services. |
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| Company Overview |
Founded in 1987, Hanford Bay Associates, Ltd. is a software developer and consulting firm specializing in resource management and scheduling solutions for complex multi-dimensional operating, particularly human resource intensive, environments. Hanford Bay's solutions extend beyond traditional methods by dynamically modeling the user's enterprise and operating environment with user supplied data. Our advanced and unique architecture provides significant benefits and 'real-world, real-time' knowledge immediately. The solutions improve teamwork, efficiency, and effectiveness by optimizing resource scheduling and coverage. A greater and enhanced "vision" of resource utilization and availability is provided.
Hanford Bay Associates, Ltd. has created alliances with other software companies whose solutions complement and benefit from Hanford Bay's solutions. However, Hanford Bay provides "one point" of responsibility and accountability to its clients. Hanford Bay's solutions are primarily delivered using an Applications Service Provider (ASP) via the internet, offering affordable, easily justified pricing. Traditional on-site, "per user," software pricing is also available. Solutions, flexible and adaptable for each user, are intuitive and easy-to-use via the MS Internet Browser as the User Interface. Complete "turn-key" implementation services are offered, tailored to the organization's uniqueness and insuring its success. On-going software subscription and comprehensive support services are also provided and constructed to the client's needs. |
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| 001 |
Features and Functionality Check List |
iSNAP |
| 1 |
Runs using MS/Windows, truly & fully Web-based: e.g., IE user interface |
Yes |
| 2 |
Industry standard/compliant Database (Specify) |
Oracle |
| 3 |
Optionally, secured Internet management access from home or worldwide. |
Yes |
| 4 |
Optionally, secured Internet employee access to selectively “view” info and/or enter requests to work/not work and “self-scheduling,” time reporting |
Yes |
| 5 |
User-specific Security - “who can view/do what where” |
Yes |
| 6 |
Typical hours required for end-user training (very intuitive, easy to use) |
2 |
| 7 |
Typical hours required for in-house systems administrator training |
16 |
| 8 |
Supports centralized and/or decentralized scheduling and/or staffing |
Yes |
| 9 |
Maintains/tracks certifications/education |
Yes |
| 10 |
Maintains employee primary, secondary, and special skills |
Yes |
| 11 |
Maintains employee demographic information as desired |
Yes |
| 12 |
Provides multiple contact information: e.g., telephone, cell, email, temp # |
Yes |
| 13 |
Tracks and schedules around LOA information |
Yes |
| 14 |
Flexible/adaptable to handle all unit types: nursing and otherwise |
Yes |
| 15 |
Supports unit specified schedule period lengths from 1 to 52 weeks |
Yes |
| 16 |
Ability to view and work with timeframes other than schedule period length |
Yes |
| 17 |
Supports unit specified schedule begin “day of week” |
Yes |
| 18 |
Maximum number of defined shifts per Unit |
96 |
| 19 |
Maximum number of skills per Unit |
Unlimited |
| 20 |
Enter requests into future scheduling periods |
Yes |
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| 002 |
Features and Functionality Check List |
iSNAP |
| 21 |
Schedule print formatted by user |
Yes |
| 22 |
Schedule print indicating shift/start&end time/skill/unit/etc. is user-defined |
Yes |
| 23 |
Employee schedules printed in easy-to-use calendar format |
Yes |
| 24 |
Selective and user-defined employee order on schedule |
Yes |
| 25 |
Staffing goals maintained by unit/skill/shift in headcount or hours |
Yes |
| 26 |
Maintains and assigns predefined full or partial “cyclical” schedules/patterns |
Yes |
| 27 |
“Auto-scheduling” based upon employee and unit preferences |
Yes |
| 28 |
Supports and facilitates “self-scheduling” |
Yes |
| 29 |
Dynamic “on demand” picture of staffing goals vs. scheduled resources in hours and/or headcount, presented graphically down to 15 minute segments |
Yes |
| 30 |
Dynamic “on demand” picture of FTE fulfillment and over-time |
Yes |
| 31 |
Dynamic “on demand” picture of benefit time accumulated, call offs, etc. |
Yes |
| 32 |
Ability to dynamically “filter” on user specified employee data: e.g.,
“Show me only RNs who have not worked either of the last two weekends.” |
Yes |
| 33 |
Ability to dynamically “filter” on user specified production or non-production time: e.g., “How many RN production hours have been lost to meetings, orientation, education, etc. this quarter/month/YTD?” |
Yes |
| 34 |
Ability to “float” and track resources to/from multiple Units during schedule planning, as well as daily staffing |
Yes |
| 35 |
Ability to track, report, and automatically input time/attendance |
Yes |
| 36 |
Interface with Payroll Systems |
Yes |
| 37 |
Interface with Human Resources Systems |
Yes |
| 38 |
Interface with Acuity/Census Systems |
Yes |
| 39 |
User-friendly Ad Hoc Query & Report Writer |
Yes |
| 40 |
Incorporates Industry Standard/Compliant Report Generator including Excel |
Yes |
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| 003 |
Features and Functionality Check List |
iSNAP |
| 41 |
Reports “tailored” to Facility if desired |
Yes |
| 42 |
Comprehensive staffing picture (over/under) in hours and/or headcount by Unit/Cluster/Facility |
Yes |
| 43 |
Shift/skill coverage picture in user-specified 1 to 24 hour increments |
Yes |
| 44 |
Ability to “cost” schedules |
Yes |
| 45 |
History of changes/coverage/floating & schedules archived |
Yes |
| 46 |
User-specified detailed/summary picture of employee(s) time |
Yes |
| 47 |
Provides ‘click’ direct connection to email employees |
Yes |
| 48 |
Ability to specify any two “alternating shifts” or combined shifts for an employee: e.g., 8 & 12 hour, 12 & 4 hour, etc. |
Yes |
| 49 |
User-friendly, easy-to-use “single screen” & minimal navigation design |
Yes |
| 50 |
User-maintained terminology/field names & labels unique to your environment |
Yes |
| 51 |
Employees and/or managers can attach/document a “comment(s)” to a request |
Yes |
| 52 |
Managers/schedulers can “log” comments relating to the schedule period, day, shift, or employee |
Yes |
| 53 |
Option for employee to report hours worked via employee access |
Yes |
| 54 |
Option for employee to “view” a full schedule and to see where/if understaffing exists |
Yes |
| 55 |
Option for employees to arrange to “swap” shifts with management approval |
Yes |
| 56 |
Selective employee information can be formatted and printed on the schedule |
Yes |
| 57 |
Set-up parameters for printing various reports can be “saved” for each user |
Yes |
| 58 |
“Drag/Drop” is provided to simplify moving shifts |
Yes |
| 59 |
“Copy/Paste” is provided to simplify duplicating shifts |
Yes |
| 60 |
System administrator audit trails are available showing “who did what, when” |
Yes |
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| 004 |
Features and Functionality Check List |
iSNAP |
| 61 |
Overtime shifts are shown with a user specified character (e.g. “+”) by the shift |
Yes |
| 62 |
Multiple staffing goals can be setup providing “over/under” staffing assessment for any circumstances: e.g. budget, Christmas weekend, particular days/times |
Yes |
| 63 |
Employee “requests” are logged date/time of entry (to the second) |
Yes |
| 64 |
Ad hoc query facilitates extracting user-specified data/information as input for Excel, Word, Access, etc. |
Yes |
| 65 |
Easy to use ad hoc query: i.e., non-technical |
Yes |
| 66 |
Ad hoc queries can be named and “saved” to be run on request |
Yes |
| 67 |
Ad hoc queries can include “user prompts” to be supplied when executed |
Yes |
| 68 |
All employee information can be instantly viewed while scheduling |
Yes |
| 69 |
Over/under staffing situations can be “drilled down” and viewed graphically |
Yes |
| 70 |
Staffing vs. goals can be examined by base shift or to as small as 15 minutes |
Yes |
| 71 |
“Who’s on” can be viewed by day, base shift, hour, and 15 minute increments |
Yes |
| 72 |
Employee information can include the address for stored documents/credentials |
Yes |
| 73 |
Multiple units can be worked with simultaneous, in different windows |
Yes |
| 74 |
Tailored Unit Assignment Sheet (Roster) |
Yes |
| 75 |
Tailored Cluster and/or Unit Daily Staffing Report |
Yes |
| 76 |
Tailored Facility Coordinator Staffing Reporting |
Yes |
| 77 |
Facility/Cluster/Unit Productivity Reporting |
Yes |
| 78 |
Facilitates Full HPPD (Hours Per Patient Day) productivity tracking and reporting based upon census for clinical units or patient visits in ER, GI, etc. |
Yes |
| 79 |
Facilitates automatic generation of “mail/merge” Word letters to employees |
Yes |
| 80 |
Facilitates Executive Management Reporting tailored to facility’s specification |
Yes |
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| 005 |
Features and Functionality Check List |
iSNAP |
| 81 |
Automated Time Keeper on Unit Windows/PCs to “swipe” employee badges |
Yes |
| 82 |
Automated “alerts” for discrepancies between schedule(s) and badge swipe |
Yes |
| 83 |
Immediate view/knowledge of resource(s) in the facility and location |
Yes |
| 84 |
Immediate view/knowledge of resource(s) present in facility/unit for day/time |
Yes |
| 85 |
Real-time unit/facility employee/resources available status 24/7 |
Yes |
| 86 |
Early/late departures and arrivals are tracked and reported |
Yes |
| 87 |
Provides for facility-wide or unit-specific swipe in/out “grace time” |
Yes |
| 88 |
Provides for facility-wide or unit-specific swipe in/out time “rounding” |
Yes |
| 89 |
Various sorting and user defined sort order to view/schedule employees |
Yes |
| 90 |
Provision for “user defined fields” for employees and/or units |
Yes |
| 91 |
Flexible user specified/established graphic/chart reporting via Excel |
Yes |
| 92 |
“Requests” easily approved/denied by shift, employee or total unit schedule |
Yes |
| 93 |
User tailored/specified menus |
Yes |
| 94 |
On-line “help” throughout |
Yes |
| 95 |
Easy to read schedules with “color guide” representing employee/shift status |
Yes |
| 96 |
Optional “shift bidding” functionality tailored to facility rules/policies |
Yes |
| 97 |
Available by standard licensing options and/or a monthly use fee per employee |
Yes |
| 98 |
Available on-site via Intranet or via HBA hosted Internet |
Yes |
| 99 |
Complete, comprehensive implementation “tailored” for each facility’s needs |
Yes |
| 100 |
Comprehensive on-going subscription/support options including 24/7 coverage |
Yes |
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| iSNAP Time Keeper (A Preview) |
Introduction – Hanford Bay Associates, Ltd. has designed and is presently developing an optional enhancement to
iSNAP called iSNAP Time Keeper. Time Keeper will provide functionality to permit employees to utilize their employee badge to “swipe” in/out of unit work assignments. It will be tightly and seamlessly integrated with iSNAP. While the software is specifically designed to meet the needs of nursing departments, it is well suited, adaptable, and will provide substantial benefits for all cost centers. Time Keeper will be released during the 1st quarter of 2006. |
| Summary Description – Time Keeper will reside and continuously function in the background on existing Cost Center PC/Workstations connected to the facility’s Intranet. A Magnetic Card Reader, attached to the Cost Center PC/Workstation via cable, will be secured centrally and conveniently for employees to rapidly “swipe” their employee badge upon arrival/departure from the Cost Center/Unit. Time Keeper will electronically record the arrival/departure time(s) and provide them to iSNAP for processing and correlation with the planned/scheduled arrival/departure time(s) for the employee. Management personnel can be automatically emailed and “alerted” that discrepancies exists between the “planned” schedule and the “actual” arrival or departure time(s), considering unit specified arrival/departure time tolerances, for an employee(s). When a discrepancy exists, it will be highlighted by iSNAP Time Keeper including a provision to alter and correct either the planned or actual time to eliminate the discrepancy. Complete audit trails will be maintained including a provision to a “comment” and document the reason the original time was altered. Optionally, time/attendance data can then be automated “submitted” as input for payroll from iSNAP provided that no discrepancies exist: i.e., the planned/scheduled arrival/departure time(s) match the actual arrival/departure time(s). |
Resulting Benefits – Many benefits and returns will result from implementing iSNAP Time Keeper including:
- Accurate, automated recording of employee/resource arrival/departure time will be maintained to facilitate better, least-costly, timely and effective staffing decisions.
- Unit Management, as well as hospital-wide staffing coordinators, will have “real-time/accurate” resource staffing information to quickly and accurately determine where over/under staffing exists and the available staffing options to correct them.
- Management/staffing coordinators will be notified promptly when actual staffing conflicts with the planned/scheduled staffing.
- Discrepancies can be detected and corrected timely, improving accuracy and fairness for employees as well as the facility.
- Time/attendance reporting and the “payroll approval/submission” process will be less stressful, greatly streamlined and simplified.
- Opportunities for time/attendance errors, intentional or unintentional, will be substantially reduced if not completely eliminated. Late arrivals/early departures can be discreetly tracked and monitored.
- “Real-time” employee/resource status and employee location information, planned and actual, will be immediately available and accurate 24x7.
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| iSNAP News |
Saint Vincent Meets Health Care
Administrative Challenges Head On
Hanford Bay Associates helps to propel Saint Vincent into the 21st century with upgrade from SNAP to iSNAP
It’s not very often an organization remains loyal for 10-plus years to a technology product, service or company. With technology evolving by leaps and bounds—sometimes over mere months—staying put can mean getting stagnant. But Saint Vincent Health System saw things differently.
“The people at Hanford Bay remain extremely responsive to our needs,” says Mary Manross, an RN with Saint Vincent Patient Care Services Administration, who serves as Saint Vincent’s iSNAP application specialist. “We have enjoyed a wonderful working relationship since 1992. Hanford Bay listens carefully and allows us considerable input and voice into software design. If we hadn’t received the expert care and attention we have over the years, we wouldn’t still be working with them. I can’t speak highly enough of the people at Hanford Bay.”
Saint Vincent Health System, located in Erie, Pa., is a multi-faceted network of 26 health care facilities, including a 489-bed teaching hospital, a 32-bed rural hospital in western New York, 16 physician practice sites, six rehabilitation outpatient rehabilitation sites, home care and a free-standing outpatient surgery center. Saint Vincent provides a variety of health care services including:
- rehabilitation
- mental health treatment
- global health care
- critical care
- maternal/child health
- surgical care
- cardiac care
- orthopedics
- oncology
- neurology
- nephrology
- urology
- women’s health care
In the Beginning
In 1992, Saint Vincent set out to implement a software system that would primarily assist with scheduling as well as time and attendance processing. The hospital elected to work with Hanford Bay Associates, Ltd. of Amherst, NY. The hospital and the software company worked as a team to implement Hanford Bay’s SNAP solution. SNAP was Hanford Bay’s original Oracle-based product providing hospitals with the technology to generate staff schedules, manage time and attendance information, track benefits and maintain decision support information to meet daily staffing requirements. SNAP fulfilled the hospital’s unique need for decentralized scheduling while allowing for centralized staffing.
When Saint Vincent replaced an existing scheduling package with SNAP 10 years ago, the goal was to streamline administrative activity, reducing leadership’s level of involvement in scheduling and payroll tasks. SNAP was especially beneficial during a re-organization at Saint Vincent when many leaders were asked to assume responsibility for additional departments. In 1996, Saint Vincent looked to benefit further from SNAP by implementing time and attendance data collection and automated payroll features.
With 51 Patient Care Services cost centers, it was crucial for Saint Vincent to address the amount of time spent on scheduling, logging and reporting data and other administrative tasks. SNAP’s ability to address each unit’s uniqueness proved to be critical to a successful implementation. When minor modifications were required, Hanford Bay was able to respond quickly to meet Saint Vincent’s specific needs.
“Our initial implementation of SNAP allowed us to save substantial time developing schedules and producing payroll, as well as many other benefits,” comments Bonnie Prokocki, manager of Patient Care Services Administration. “We went from spending five to eight hours every other week on payroll to only a few minutes each day. This saved us time, but more importantly, we became much more efficient using SNAP. We have more time for our primary tasks directed toward high-quality patient care.”
A Decade Later … From SNAP to iSNAP
Saint Vincent implemented the iSNAP (intuitive Staffing Needs and Planning) solution in July 2002 in their 489-bed health center and is now rolling out iSNAP into additional facilities. iSNAP is Hanford Bay’s substantially enhanced Web-based solution, providing comprehensive staff scheduling, planning and management for hospitals, extended care facilities, airports and other human resources intensive and critical delivery environments.
Saint Vincent Health Center and the hospital’s free-standing surgery center are both running live on iSNAP. Today, more than 1,900 associates are using iSNAP. Four additional Saint Vincent affiliates will come up by the end of 2003, bringing their total number of users to 2,500. Two affiliate facilities will be added to iSNAP early next year.
Saint Vincent has also elected to integrate iSNAP with Lawson human resources and payroll systems. Basically, iSNAP works between Lawson’s HR and payroll systems. Saint Vincent updates iSNAP with associate schedule information, which is adjusted daily and by shift, to reflect when the associates actually worked. This ensures that appropriate staffing is maintained, and thereafter used as input for payroll. With the interface, Saint Vincent can import into iSNAP daily demographic information and export bi-weekly schedule information that is then utilized as input to payroll. With this automated, flexible process, manual time cards are only a bad memory. The updated iSNAP data is then validated and passed off to the Lawson system for payroll processing.
“Our HR/Payroll interface has been a real time saver as well as an efficient time manager,” notes Manross. “We perform daily adjustments for Payroll and, on ‘Payroll Monday,’ each department just makes adjustments for the weekend and then validates the changes. What used to be a six to eight hour job for our 24/7 clinical departments is now only an hour process each Monday, after each department, depending on size, spends a few minutes each day for updates. With this powerful combination, we have accurate, up-to-date information readily available throughout our organization.”
A Jump in Speed and Ease of Use
“While we were happy with SNAP, demands from the hospital required us to look at even faster processing,” notes Manross. “We found iSNAP to be significantly faster in processing payroll, schedules and other administrative functions. We are also very pleased with the reduction in iSNAP training time. We went from 16 to 20 hours of training users on SNAP to only one to two hours with iSNAP. iSNAP is extremely easy to learn and very user friendly.”
In their feedback to administrative managers, iSNAP users continue to relay positive comments about the significant decrease in payroll processing time. Users can make daily changes for multiple cost centers in minutes. Wrapping up payroll validation is accomplished in less than one hour.
Staff Involvement, Custom Reporting Remain High Priority
Saint Vincent relies heavily on iSNAP to track time and attendance after the scheduling process. Staff can pull several different types of reports using iSNAP’s very powerful, user friendly and unique “filters.” Additional detailed reports can be generated using “ad hoc” reports or Crystal Reports, a report writer integrated with iSNAP. Soon Saint Vincent will make custom reports available on the iSNAP menu for access by all users. As Saint Vincent becomes more proficient with Crystal Enterprise, they expect to be able to provide virtually any report that is requested, tailored specifically to the users’ request.
Since implementing iSNAP, Saint Vincent has moved all data entry to the clerical level. The only involvement by department leaders is to approve the schedule, validate payroll and eventually sign off for the submission of input to Payroll. Saint Vincent does not involve staff-level users for data entry. Staff members are responsible for indicating schedule changes such as sick calls, overtime or arriving late on preprinted “exception logs” that are generated from the iSNAP schedule. The clerical data entry employee enters those changes into iSNAP for input to Payroll and tracking purposes. This simplified and straightforward routine allows for more accurate time tracking, utilizing clerical level employees for data entry, while insuring that staffing needs are also being appropriately met.
For the iSNAP implementation, Saint Vincent migrated from an HP-UX and Oracle 7 platform to a Windows NT Oracle 8i platform. They also replaced the report writer with Crystal Enterprise Reports.
”From our initial SNAP implementation in 1992 to the additional iSNAP affiliates we’ll be adding later this year, Hanford Bay has allowed us to maintain our high standard of efficiency as well as our high standard of patient care,” concludes Manross. “Hanford Bay’s exceptional support and technical expertise is highly valued by our entire organization. The system has paid for itself many times over.” (Document Authored Sept 2002) |
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Snap Happy
Streamlined schedules and payroll keep the beat at Saint Vincent |
By Heidi Boettcher
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As hospitals, clinics and patient care facilities stretch both budgets and staffs, doing more with less has become the norm. Saint Vincent Health System is no exception. Managing staff schedules, payroll information, and patient details is only a portion of Saint Vincents daily activity. By streamlining administrative tasks, nurses and other Saint Vincent healthcare professionals can concentrate on delivering quality patient care.
Saint Vincent is a 489-bed Catholic teaching hospital located in Erie, PA. The facility provides a variety of healthcare services, from rehabilitation, mental health and global healthcare to fully equipped trauma and critical care departments. In an effort to continually provide optimum care in the current healthcare environment, a Continuous Improvement (CI) Team evaluated and implemented SNAP (Schedule Nurses & Ancillary Personnel).
Developed by Hanford Bay Associates, Ltd. of Amherst, NY, SNAP is an Oracle-based product, assisting hospitals in producing staff schedules, time and attendance information, benefits tracking and decision support information to meet daily staffing requirements. |
| Flexibility with SNAP |
Initially, Saint Vincent implemented SNAP for its scheduling features, with future plans to utilize its time and attendance capabilities. Hanford Bays product fulfilled the facilitys unique need for decentralized scheduling while allowing for centralized staffing. With 51 Patient Service cost centers, it was crucial for Saint Vincent to address the amount of time they were spending on scheduling, logging and reporting data and other administrative tasks. SNAPs ability to address each units uniqueness proved to be critical to a successful implementation. When minor modifications were required, Hanford Bay was able to respond quickly to meet Saint Vincents specific need.
Bonnie Prokocki, a business associate from Patient Services at Saint Vincent, says: "We wanted to reduce the number of leaders involved in the time and attendance process. SNAP allowed clerical and operational associates to become actively involved. We realized we were missing out on a valuable resource by not involving our staff. Additionally, we hoped to give our leaders more time on other projects directed toward enhancing patient care. With SNAP, less leadership involvement is needed and our process is much more automated."
Saint Vincent leaders still provide validation and approval in specific scheduling and payroll issues. The health system has encouraged its staff to be proactive with the scheduling process. "With SNAP, theres much less room for error," says Kathy Vitale, RN, from Patient Services. "There are so many variants in scheduling vacation, overtime, weekend and holiday schedules SNAP makes decisions on each variant and helps us to meet the needs of our staff, while supporting high quality patient care."
In 1993, Saint Vincent replaced an existing scheduling package with SNAP to help streamline administrative activity while reducing leaderships level of involvement in scheduling and payroll tasks. SNAP was beneficial during necessary reorganization at Saint Vincent because many leaders were asked to assume responsibility for additional departments. In 1996, Saint Vincent looked to benefit further from SNAP by implementing time and attendance data collection and automated payroll features. Currently, more than 1,400 associates are scheduled and paid using the SNAP system. The total will soon be over 2,500 as the non-patient service areas of the health system are added.. |
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Streamlined administrative tasks allow nurses and other Saint Vincent healthcare professionals to concentrate on delivering quality patient care.
__________________________ |
Upgrading to HP performance |
With the decision to automate time and attendance using SNAP, Saint Vincent officials chose to upgrade to an HP9000 Model D350 as the SNAP/Oracle Server, assuring faster response time for enterprisewide applications. SNAP, running on the Hewlett-Packard hardware, allows any number of staff members to quickly produce schedules, time-and-attendance records, benefits information and other activity reports, benefits information and other activity reports to meet daily staffing requirements.
Hanford Bay Associates note that most of the sites using SNAP report that the system provides a return-on-investment in only 12 to 18 months. This accomplished by reduction in the time it takes to develop and maintain schedules and collect and submit time-and-attendance data to payroll. |
| Increased Productivity |
"SNAP has reduced the time spent doing schedules by approximately 50%", explains Mary Manross, RN, from Patient Services. "Were also much more efficient in processing payroll. Before SNAP, our staff dreaded time card Monday. Now we refer to it as time cardless Monday. SNAP allows us to quickly and efficiently manage the time and attendance process. We no longer have the rush and chaos on Monday mornings. Our payroll staff can concentrate on other projects and our nursing staff leadership can concentrate on patient care issues. Productivity has definitely increased."
Prior to implementing the SNAP system for payroll, the Saint Vincent CI Team recognized the opportunity to clarify and revise existing pay policies. With this accomplished, the policies were programmed to interface with the SNAP time and attendance records. Consistent application of payroll policies is now assured.
Gretchen Stearns, Saint Vincent payroll associate, notes SNAPs ability to automate procedures while significantly reducing errors. "An early indication of the benefits of automating time and attendance with SNAP was the dramatic reduction in the number of adjustments and exception checks we had to issue for a typical pay period. Removing the manual side of the system has reduced the amount of time we have to spend on rework." |
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| Automation and Much More |
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In addition to automating much of its administrative tasks, SNAP can provide necessary information about staffing trends and vacancies. Leaders at Saint Vincent are able to use this data to support hiring decisions. SNAP is integrated with the Saint Vincent payroll and human resources system and assists in tracking details about associates. It can also provide daily budgetary information.
Prokocki notes that another key attribute to SNAP is the systems ability to determine if an administrative procedure is working or is not working. While planning a mock disaster, an actual disaster occurred in the community. Prokocki was able to extract data for comparison and concluded that the type of skilled staff needed during an actual disaster differed from those originally planned.
Saint Vincent Health Center has worked hard to utilize its administrative computer system to benefit staff and patients alike. SNAP contributed to that objective.
Heidi Boettcher is a technology writer in Littleton, Colo. |
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As published in Health Informatics, August 1998.
Copyright © August 1998 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. |
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| What Do Our Users Say? |
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“iSNAP is appropriately named. Completing payroll and scheduling have been a SNAP compared to the other program we used. It has increased my productivity and allowed me to accomplish other needed tasks” |
| (Operations Support Tech - Dialysis, Nephrology, Oncology, Med-Surg – Saint Vincent Health System) |
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| “As a smaller hospital, it was encouraging to learn that we could acquire a full-blown staff planning and scheduling product at an affordable cost. We are continuing to discover many benefits and advantages from iSNAP.” |
| (Kristina A. Krail, RN, MPH, CNAA, CHE, Chief Nursing Officer - Long Beach Medical Center) |
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| “On a scale of 1 to 10, Hanford Bay’s customer support definitely rates a ‘10’ and is consistently over the top” |
| (Martha Kemp-Albert, iSNAP Coordinator – Hartford Hospital) |
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“iSNAP is very user friendly and even the most novice of users can make adjustments to schedules with very little effort or training.”
“The auto-scheduling capability is a blessing.”
“The reports that can be generated are extremely advantageous to department leaders.” |
| (Business Operations Analyst – Patient Care Services - Saint Vincent Health System) |
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| “The ability to immediately examine staffing goals versus actual coverage in head count and/or hours makes ‘tallying’ that used to be manual and error prone a breeze.” |
| (Nursing Business Systems Analyst – Hartford Hospital) |
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| “It has been our privilege to work with Hanford Bay since 1992. During our long relationship, they have been extremely responsive to our requests for potential enhancements and system upgrades. We feel as though Hanford Bay gives our needs their personal attention and highest priority.” |
| (Mary Manross, RN – Business Operations Analyst, Patient Care Services – Saint Vincent Health System) |
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| “We have found that a combination of being able to setup ‘cycles’ and employee self-scheduling via Internet employee access is an employee satisfier. The employee calendar is especially liked and widely used.” |
| (iSNAP Coordinator – Hartford Hospital) |
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| “Using iSNAP has greatly reduced the time involved in entering payroll, as well as being user friendly and has eliminated many payroll errors.” |
| (Administrative Secretary, Emergency Department – Saint Vincent Health System) |
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| “The ability to ‘filter’ and pull reports for sick and absent time, LOA or excused time for a specific period of time is used by nurse managers and is a valuable tool for the Nursing Business Systems Analyst who provides monthly information and reports to Finance.” |
| (Nursing Business Systems Analyst – Hartford Hospital) |
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| For Larger Healthcare Enterprises |
| In addition to iSNAP’s rich features and functionalities, larger healthcare complexes will specifically benefit from: |
- iSNAP’s ease-of-use, capabilities and suitability for all unit sizes, unit types, and facilities making it a universal, highly successful and cost-effective solutions throughout the enterprise.
- iSNAP’s flexibility and adaptability for each unit type in either a centralized, decentralized or hybrid scheduling environments.
- iSNAP’s affordable and flexible pricing, including unlimited users licensing, tailored to the enterprise’s needs and funding constraints.
- iSNAP’s truly Web-based Internet Explorer user interface providing worldwide accessibility for managers and, optionally, employees.
- iSNAP’s flexibility and ability to easily, quickly and seamlessly interface with other system.
- iSNAP’s flexibility permitting easy “tailoring” to a facility’s and/or unit’s specific present or future needs.
- iSNAP’s ability to easily interface with Microsoft products such as Excel and Access and other common reporting tools with which various users have become accustom to using.
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| For Smaller/Rural Hospitals |
| In addition to iSNAP’s rich features and functionalities typically only affordable and obtained by larger healthcare facilities, smaller/rural hospitals will specifically benefit from: |
- iSNAP’s ease-of-use and rapid acceptance by even the most inexperienced computer user.
- iSNAP’s affordable and flexible pricing options, including “fixed/known pricing” and attractive per employee Web-based hosting requiring no in-house information systems support or involvement.
- iSNAP’s rapid and ease of implementation resulting in early benefits, increased productivity and effectiveness, and employee satisfaction throughout the hospital.
- iSNAP’s flexibility and adaptability for each unit type in either a centralized, decentralized or hybrid scheduling environments.
- iSNAP’s flexibility permitting easy “tailoring” to the hospital’s and/or unit’s specific needs.
- Hanford Bay’s client-specific, “one-on-one” support and hand-holding, directed to cause iSNAP’s use to be “highly successful” for your facility.
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| For Emergency Departments
and Critical Care Facilities |
| In addition to iSNAP’s rich features and functionalities typically only affordable and obtained by larger healthcare facilities, many features of iSNAP have been designed uniquely and specifically for emergency room and critical care unit environments. Benefits will result from: |
- iSNAP’s ease-of-use and rapid acceptance by even the most inexperienced computer user.
- iSNAP’s affordable and flexible pricing options, including “fixed/known pricing” and attractive per employee Web-based hosting requiring no in-house information systems support or involvement.
- iSNAP’s rapid and ease of implementation resulting in early benefits, increased productivity and effectiveness, and enhanced employee satisfaction.
- iSNAP’s ability to provide scheduling and “coverage” information with fifteen-minute granularity applicable to environments where maintaining consistent and minimum skill coverage is paramount.
- iSNAP’s ability to define and pre-establish multiple staffing goals for specific days, time of day, time of year, etc. to be utilized for interactive “over/under” staffing and coverage assessments.
- iSNAP’s ability to track, maintain and report on workload in census or number of visits, by day and/or shift versus hours of care by skill.
- Optionally, iSNAP’s Time Keeper to automatically capture arrival/departure times via badge reader and monitor “real-time” resource availability and coverage.
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| For GI Units, Pharmacy
and other Ancillary Units |
| In addition to iSNAP’s rich features and functionalities typically only affordable and obtained by larger healthcare facilities, many features of iSNAP have been designed uniquely for specialty support units. Benefits will result from: |
- iSNAP’s ease-of-use and rapid acceptance by even the most inexperienced computer user.
- iSNAP’s affordable and flexible pricing options, including “fixed/known pricing” and attractive per employee Web-based hosting requiring no in-house information systems support or involvement.
- iSNAP’s rapid and ease of implementation resulting in early benefits, increased productivity and effectiveness, and enhanced employee satisfaction.
- iSNAP’s ability to provide scheduling and “coverage” information with fifteen-minute granularity applicable to environments where maintaining consistent and minimum skill coverage is paramount.
- iSNAP’s ability to define and pre-establish multiple staffing goals for specific days, time of day, time of year, etc. to be utilized for interactive “over/under” staffing and coverage assessments.
- iSNAP’s ability to track, maintain and report on specific unit workload such as number of procedures, prescriptions filled, etc. versus hours of care by skill.
- iSNAP’s ability to model the subtlety of each unit including its particular skills, education and training requirements, schedule lengths, schedule start day, report layouts and jargon unique to the unit.
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| For Nursing Homes
and Rehabilitation Environments |
| In addition to iSNAP’s rich features and functionalities typically only affordable and obtained by larger healthcare facilities, many features of iSNAP have been designed uniquely for nursing home and rehabilitation facilities. Benefits will result from: |
- iSNAP’s ease-of-use and rapid acceptance by even the most inexperienced computer user.
- iSNAP’s affordable and flexible pricing options, including “fixed/known pricing” and attractive per employee Web-based hosting requiring no in-house information systems support or involvement.
- iSNAP’s rapid and ease of implementation resulting in early benefits, increased productivity and effectiveness, and enhanced employee satisfaction.
- iSNAP’s ability to provide user-friendly, Web-based employee access for “self-scheduling” and entering employee/resource availability, requests to work/not-work, viewing/printing schedules, etc.
- iSNAP’s ability to define and pre-establish multiple staffing goals for specific days, time of day, time of year, etc. to be utilized for interactive “over/under” staffing and coverage assessments.
- iSNAP’s ability to track, maintain and report on specific unit workload such as census or number of visits versus hours of care by skill.
- iSNAP’s ability to model the subtlety of each unit including its particular skills, education and training requirements, schedule lengths, schedule start day, and jargon unique to the unit’s industry.
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| For Staffing
and Home Care Agencies |
| In addition to iSNAP’s rich features and functionalities typically only affordable and obtained by larger healthcare facilities, many features of iSNAP have been designed uniquely for staffing agencies and home care. Benefits will result from: |
- iSNAP’s ease-of-use and rapid acceptance by even the most inexperienced computer user.
- iSNAP’s affordable and flexible pricing options, including “fixed/known pricing” and attractive per employee Web-based hosting requiring no in-house information systems support or involvement.
- iSNAP’s rapid and ease of implementation resulting in early benefits, increased productivity and “streamlining” the healthcare services process.
- iSNAP’s ability to provide user-friendly, Web-based employee access for “self-scheduling” and entering employee/resource availability, requests to work/not-work, viewing/printing schedules, etc.
- iSNAP’s ability to define and pre-establish multiple staffing goals for specific days, time of day, time of year, etc. to be utilized for interactive “over/under” staffing and coverage assessments.
- iSNAP’s ability to capture time/attendance data and interface with payroll and billing systems, automating the entire business processes.
- iSNAP’s ability to model the subtlety of each unit including its particular skills, education and training requirements, schedule lengths, schedule start day, and jargon unique to the unit’s industry.
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| For Casino/Gaming, Hospitality
and Entertainment Facilities |
| In addition to iSNAP’s rich features and functionalities typically only affordable and obtained by larger healthcare facilities, many features of iSNAP have are suitable and adaptable for the entertainment and hospitality industries. Benefits will result from: |
- iSNAP’s ease-of-use and rapid acceptance by even the most inexperienced computer user.
- iSNAP’s affordable and flexible pricing options, including “fixed/known pricing” and attractive per employee Web-based hosting requiring no in-house information systems support or involvement.
- iSNAP’s rapid and ease of implementation resulting an early ROI, immediate benefits, increased productivity and effectiveness throughout the enterprise.
- iSNAP’s ability to provide scheduling and “coverage” information with fifteen-minute granularity applicable to environments where maintaining consistent and minimum skill coverage is paramount.
- iSNAP’s ability to define and pre-establish multiple staffing goals for specific days, time of day, time of year, weather conditions, etc. to be utilized for interactive “over/under” staffing and coverage assessments.
- iSNAP’s ability to provide user-friendly, Web-based employee access for “self-scheduling” and entering employee/resource availability, requests to work/not-work, viewing/printing schedules, etc.
- iSNAP’s ability to model the subtlety of each industry including its particular skills, education and training requirements, schedule lengths, schedule start day, and unique jargon.
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| For Security, Law Enforcement,
Homeland Security and Public Safety |
| In addition to iSNAP’s rich features and functionalities typically only affordable and obtained by larger healthcare facilities, many features of iSNAP are particularly suitable and adaptable for the security, law enforcement, homeland security and public safety. Benefits will result from: |
- iSNAP’s ease-of-use and rapid acceptance by even the most inexperienced computer user.
- iSNAP’s affordable and flexible pricing options, including “fixed/known pricing” and attractive per employee Web-based hosting requiring no in-house information systems support or involvement.
- iSNAP’s rapid and ease of implementation resulting in early benefits, increased productivity and “streamlining” the services and delivery process.
- iSNAP’s ability to provide user-friendly, Web-based employee access for “self-scheduling” and entering employee/resource availability, requests to work/not-work, viewing/printing schedules, etc.
- iSNAP’s ability to define and pre-establish multiple staffing goals for , potential and specific situations, specific days, time of day, time of year, etc. to be utilized for interactive, dynamic “over/under” staffing and coverage assessments.
- iSNAP’s ability to model the subtlety of each unit including its particular skills, education and training requirements, schedule lengths, schedule start day, and jargon unique to the unit’s industry.
- Optionally, iSNAP’s Time Keeper to automatically capture arrival/departure times via badge reader and monitor “real-time” resource availability and coverage.
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| For Call Centers, Airports,
and other Human Resource Intensive Environments |
| In addition to iSNAP’s rich features and functionalities typically only affordable and obtained by larger healthcare facilities, many features of iSNAP are particularly suitable and adaptable for other human resource intensive environments. Benefits will result from: |
- iSNAP’s ease-of-use and rapid acceptance by even the most inexperienced computer user.
- iSNAP’s affordable and flexible pricing options, including “fixed/known pricing” and attractive per employee Web-based hosting requiring no in-house information systems support or involvement.
- iSNAP’s rapid and ease of implementation resulting in early benefits, increased productivity and “streamlining” the services and delivery process.
- iSNAP’s ability to provide user-friendly, Web-based employee access for “self-scheduling” and entering employee/resource availability, requests to work/not-work, viewing/printing schedules, etc.
- iSNAP’s ability to define and pre-establish multiple staffing goals for , potential and specific situations, specific days, time of day, time of year, etc. to be utilized for interactive, dynamic “over/under” staffing and coverage assessments.
- iSNAP’s ability to model the subtlety of each unit including its particular skills, education and training requirements, schedule lengths, schedule start day, and jargon unique to the unit’s industry.
- Optionally, iSNAP’s Time Keeper to automatically capture arrival/departure times via badge reader and monitor “real-time” resource availability and coverage.
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When you need effective, seasoned and affordable partners in recruiting your construction, engineering and Information Technology talent then you need Pragmatic Systems, LLC. We have serviced professional search needs in AZ since 1996 and the New England states since 1980. Communication is our maxim. You constantly know the status of your search. Our rates are generally lower than all of our competition while you get the service that fills your vacancies. |
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| Services |
Hanford Bay Associates, Ltd. has an unblemished record of successfully implementing all types and size customers. We recognize the uniqueness of each client’s level of expertise, goals and priorities, and the necessity to “tailor” the implementation plan specifically for the client’s environment. Our implementation and on-going support services include:
- On-site and/or off-site training and handholding.
- Conversion and start-up data input.
- “Turn Key” implementations, utilizing and involving client personnel as appropriate.
- Clearly defined “deliverables” as conditions for payment.
- Full 24/7 on-going email and telephone support as required and applicable.
- Error correction and bi-annual subscription and software enhancements.
- Single source of responsibility and accountability for all aspects of the software initially and on-going.
- Tailored interfaces to/from other client systems.
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