Lori Patterson, PACS Manager

Change Management


Preparing users for the new world of PACS

By June 2000, the hospital had selected GE as their PACS vendor and were beginning the Implementation phase.

Two issues were critical: process design and change management.

What was the optimal way to prepare the facility and users - radiologists and other staff physicians, technologists, referring physicians, clerical staff, and administrators - to ensure success?

"The consequences were enormous, given the size and scope of the project," says PACS Administrator Ken Hollis. The PACS Steering Committee enlisted the support of GE IT Consulting Services.

"We needed someone who had 'been there, done that' and knew how to make it all come together," says Hollis.

"It was as if she had worked here before, and knew exactly what we needed and why."

Change Management

Success Indicators

PACS Consultant Dawna Schnur, a veteran of six PACS implementations, came onboard and designed a 12-week implementation process based on GE's Six Sigma methodology.

Site analysis was the first step. Even though an outside consultant has been used in the RFP stage, a full-scale workflow evaluation had not been done. Schnur reviewed existing processes, asked questions, modified projections, and helped the group define three success indicators:

  • Reduced time to treatment
  • Reduced cost per procedure
  • High levels of staff satisfaction

"It was as if she had worked here before, and knew exactly what we needed and why," says Lori Patterson, PACS Manager. "She took a completely different approach from other consultants. She kept everyone informed and prepared. She was one of us - part of our team."