When a head-on collision between two semi-trailer trucks snarled traffic on Interstate 70 in Colorado during the summer of 2023, front-desk staff members at Vail Health Hospital knew exactly what they needed to do.
Because the interstate is the only route for most patients to get to the hospital, Vail Health staff decided they had to let people know that travel to the facility was temporarily blocked. Using a new, integrated patient-intake platform, staff members started texting people who had appointments that day to tell them that they would have to reschedule.
The tool, which is a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform, is just one of many patient engagement solutions Vail Health has deployed that connect to its electronic health records systems, according to Chad Milam, the health system’s director of digital strategy and experience. With a predominantly rural patient population spread across two mountainous counties, Vail Health has implemented effective technologies for outreach and communication.
“Every patient’s needs are different – we have to be mindful of that,” Milam says, adding that the health system strives to maximize convenience while improving the overall care experience. One platform, for example, helps Vail Health understand more about a patient’s demographics and health history, and allows them to be more targeted and relevant in their communications.