It is often the case that improvements made in one area will spread and improve an entire system. Why not then first seek to improve an entire system? The results become amplified and more timely. When Comanche County Memorial Hospital (CCMH) partnered with McKesson, the hospital was determined to create the safest, most productive, and cost-efficient pharmacy possible. And rather than slowly rolling out new systems on an application-by-application basis over time, CCMH chose an aggressive “stacked” implementation to achieve its goals as quickly as possible.

In less than half a year, CCMH redefined its processes and went from a mostly manual system to one that scans bar-coded medications upon administration—a capability less than 10%of U.S. hospitals possess. Not only is CCMH saving money—the projected value over eight years exceeds $1.7 million—but the hospital staff also enjoy personal benefits. The risk of major medical errors resulting in potential litigation is reduced, the nursing role is elevated with the ability to spend more time with patients and pharmacists report improved job enrichment, contributing to employee retention success.

“We have already redeployed one pharmacist for clinical intervention work, and anticipate redeploying two more pharmacists in the near future,” said pharmacy director, Dana Strawn. “This improves patient outcomes, provides more cost-effective care and allows pharmacists to use their knowledge as a direct member of the patient’s medical team. The challenging and fulfilling nature of this work will also help us in recruiting new pharmacists.” A pharmacy is only as good as the staff representing it. One of the best strategies for bringing out the best in your employees is to enable them to make the most of their time.

_{The results of the businesses above depend on a variety of factors that are unique to each business. There is no guarantee that your results will be similar to their result. Each party’s results will depend on the factors of its business. The success of these businesses cannot be used as an indication of future success with these programs.}