The Importance of Communication During Healthcare Moves

Transporting or relocating a hospital, laboratory, clinic, medical practice, or college medical department is not a job for just any mover. Precision medical equipment is highly specialized. What might seem like minor errors to the average mover could result in catastrophic financial loss and setbacks for the medical facility during healthcare moves.

When planning a healthcare move, choosing the right mover is essential. Experienced healthcare movers offer peace of mind, with excellent communication and transparency at the top of their attributes.

Communication might be one of the most critical qualities of a medical mover. Today, we’ll explore the importance of communication in ensuring an efficient, stress-free healthcare move and why Interstate Logistics is the number one choice for quality, accountability, and peace of mind.

Top 10 Healthcare Move Challenges: How Communication Solves Them

Hospital, lab, and clinic moves must be planned carefully to reduce downtime, ensure equipment safety, and minimize loss in transit. The healthcare industry is highly regulated and precise, and your moving company should align with those tenets.

Here are a few examples of how good communication can solve common issues in healthcare facility moves.

1. Stakeholders Have Unanswered Questions

If communication is sub-par, questions and concerns might go unaddressed. Leaders need assurance that equipment will be packed and moved safely and have clear timelines to plan accordingly. Continuity of care hangs in the balance. Any delays could be more than costly to the organization; they could impact patient well-being and quality of life.

Solution: Interstate Logistics prioritizes communication before the move commences so that all questions and concerns are addressed and resolved upfront. Understanding your concerns helps us manage the process to align with your expectations.

2. Inadequate Stakeholder Communication

Large organizations have many stakeholders, which can create confusion if individual and departmental goals are not aligned. While every healthcare organization is unique, keeping everyone on the same page is critical to a seamless result.

Solution: At Interstate Logistics, we provide clear timelines and maintain open communication with all stakeholders. Each project is assigned a dedicated Move Coordinator, who will be the point of contact for everything related to the move. This key individual oversees every aspect of the move from end to end, ensuring your questions are answered and concerns addressed immediately.

3. Lack of Equipment-Specific Planning

Medical and lab equipment can be highly sensitive and fragile. Failing to consider the unique requirements can lead to costly delays and damage that resonates throughout the organization.

Solution: Interstate Logistics offers decades of specialized experience in moving medical equipment. Though we understand the requirements, we approach each move with an open mind to ensure no concern goes unaddressed and no detail is overlooked.

4. Unclear Roles and Responsibilities

When the chain of responsibility is unclear, errors inevitably ensue. Communicating these details is critical. If a stakeholder has a concern, they need to know who to contact to clarify or rectify the issue. For example, perhaps the MRI room at the new location is incomplete, and the move must be delayed. This time-sensitive scenario could be disruptive and dangerous if not communicated immediately. Stakeholders need to know how to reach the right person to avoid a disaster.

Solution: Interstate Logistics clarifies all roles and responsibilities before the move begins, ensuring stakeholders have a direct point of contact should they need it.

5. Disruption to Patient Services During Healthcare Moves

Healthcare moves that are not well-planned and communicated can disrupt patient care and clinical operations. Moves must be carefully coordinated to minimize disruption and ensure patient care can proceed as planned. Scheduling bottlenecks, loss of revenue, and patient frustration will occur if facilities are not up and running according to plan.

Solution: Clear timelines minimize disruption and provide administrators and leaders with a solid roadmap to quantify the plan. Interstate Logistics provides detailed timelines before the move begins so stakeholders understand every stage of the move and how it impacts their business.

6. Last-Minute Changes

Unexpected adjustments can quickly derail a healthcare facility move. Without proper contingency plans, delays and frustration will ensue. We don’t often live in a perfect world, and things like extreme weather, natural disasters, or infrastructure issues are beyond anyone’s control.

Solution: Interstate Logistics has performed hundreds of healthcare moves through the years and confidently navigated almost every possible challenge. We are always prepared for whatever may happen and will address contingency plans and potential changes early in the process to pivot if needed.

7. Unrealistic Expectations

The complexity of a hospital move can’t be understated. If key stakeholders believe the process is no different than moving a house, it will undoubtedly lead to frustration when the truth is revealed. Clear move-in timelines are essential to scheduling engineers and technicians to get equipment up and running and to let patients and employees know when the facilities will be operational.

Solution: Interstate Logistics helps healthcare organizations avoid unrealistic expectations by addressing questions in our initial conversations. Knowing what to expect informs accurate planning and ensures all stakeholders have a realistic view of the timelines and expected outcomes.

8. Failure to Coordinate with External Vendors

Medical moves can be complex and often involve several third-party vendors. The more people and vendors involved, the more complicated and error-prone the process. In best practice, every entity and person involved with the move must be aligned.

Solution: Interstate Logistics understands the importance of this crucial point and emphasizes coordination from the start. In our initial consultation, we work with clients to identify third-party stakeholders and will loop them into the move planning. We prioritize a single source of truth during the entire process, which includes a dedicated Move Coordinator and cloud-based software to streamline communication.

9. Storage Challenges for Equipment During Healthcare Moves

Storage is often a concern during a healthcare facility move. Some medical equipment could face environmental or security risks if not handled and stored appropriately. Computer systems or equipment that stores sensitive healthcare data must be protected to avoid compromise. The mover must prioritize compliance and continuity, meaning they need to understand what’s at stake.

Solution: Experienced healthcare movers like Interstate Logistics understand the unique storage challenges of precision medical equipment. We ask the right questions and address your concerns with authority, communicating throughout the process for our clients’ peace of mind. If intermediate storage is required, we solidify plans in advance to ensure physical security and climate control and enforce clean room protocols when needed.

10. Overlooked Regulatory Requirements

Healthcare is a high-compliance industry that requires precise attention to detail in every undertaking. Moves are no exception. Working with traditional movers is not recommended as they may not have the insight or experience to navigate such complexities. Medical file handling is covered by stringent HIPAA and/or OSHA regulations. As such, they must be handled in a way that maintains confidentiality and compliance every step of the way.

Solution: Interstate Logistics works directly with key stakeholders to meet all regulatory requirements. We have strict protocols in place to ensure security and that all personnel are trained and up to date with relevant laws pertaining to our services.

Final Thoughts: How Important is Communication to the Success of Healthcare Moves?

Whether moving healthcare facilities to a new location or temporarily relocating equipment during renovations, the process requires attention to detail and a clear understanding of the medical community’s needs. Working with an experienced healthcare mover provides the expertise and insight needed to ensure success.

While healthcare movers have many unique attributes, clear communication and transparency are critical. Interstate Logistics prioritizes communication from our first interaction, giving your leadership and stakeholders the confidence they need to move forward.

Call us at 800-745-6683 to discuss your healthcare logistics needs.