Why Command Centers Have Proven Savvy Investments for Hospitals During the Coronavirus Pandemic

2020 has been the year of the dashboard, of ICU counts and of bed counts. For many around the world, hospital statistics went from an afterthought to a daily part of life, as they logged on to see how their local emergency rooms were coping with the coronavirus pandemic in their communities.

Hospitals that had built-in command centers had a leg up, said Gip Sisson, Senior Project Manager for Constant Technologies. With data already at administrators’ fingertips, they were able to plot the best course of action and quickly react as things changed.

“The front of these work groups allows the staff to see the entire overview of the hospital in real time. The central location allows for better communication, faster decision-making and, using predictive-type software and the information getting fed into the hospital system, they can see the hospital data and project it out one day, one week or one month in advance,” he said.

“This is something that improves the hospital efficiency. The key is to spot the potential bottlenecks before the happen. Providing them the tools to do that is something that Constant has taken some pride in and enjoyed working on.”

With command centers proving a savvy investment for so many hospitals as they cope with the pandemic, Sisson said more around the world might follow suit.

“I think any time you can prove that the efficiency gained through a command center results in a bottom line, a hospital is going to take a strong look at that. So, in that sense, I think these command centers are going to continue to catch on,” Sisson said.