Opening a new hospital is a big undertaking. From the day the construction crew arrives to the day the hospital opens its doors, everyone must work hard for the new facility’s success. The closer opening day comes, the more that hospital staff must do to prepare. The following tips for preparing to open a new hospital can help any member of the hospital staff during this important but hectic time.
Partner With Local Leaders
If you’re rebuilding an old hospital within the same municipality, then you may already have established partnerships with local leaders. However, hospitals opening in a new area will need to prioritize these relationships. Municipal leaders and other community leaders, such as religious institutions and charities, can help you better understand and serve the community. Schedule meetings with these leaders during construction so that you have an established relationship before opening day.
Install IT Systems Before Training
In between the conclusion of construction and the day you welcome patients, you or another staff member will need to train staff. They need to learn the new building and any updated rules for a new municipality or new year. Part of this training process will include the IT systems around the hospital, so wait to start training until IT has installed all these systems. While you can try to train without these systems in place and explain the equipment that will eventually come, it’s better for trainees to get hands-on experience.
Hire Trusted Waste Management Professionals
Training your hospital staff is good, but you don’t want to have to train the waste management professionals you hire to remove and dispose of hospital waste. Hiring these professionals is one way that hospitals dispose of medical waste safely, but they should already know what they’re doing. Contact waste management companies that work in your area and ask them about their experience with medical waste. They should have experience and intimate knowledge of local, state, and federal laws. When you find someone with this experience and knowledge within your budget, you can feel good hiring them.
Offer Behind-the-Scenes and Sneak-Peek Events
With trained hospital staff and trustworthy waste management professionals ready to go, you can feel confident letting potential patients into the hospital before it opens. These behind-the-scenes and sneak-peek opportunities will generate anticipation and excitement throughout your community. You can invite the community leaders you previously liaison-ed with and average citizens who will eventually need your services. They’ll take the news about impressive architecture, caring staff, and clean spaces back to family and friends so that everyone is excited for opening day.
Preparing to open a new hospital can feel overwhelming, especially as you get closer to opening day. These tips will help you remember the details of relationships, training, hiring, and public relations so that opening day goes as smoothly as possible.
