Palmetto Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Business Intelligence Analyst of Community Hospital McCook

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A 25-bed Critical Access Hospital with a Medical Specialist Outpatient Clinic and a Family Practice Clinic.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Palmetto Solutions to accomplish?

• Ortho Post-Op Follow-up and Readmission Rate visualization

SOLUTION

How did you find Palmetto Solutions?

Online Search

Why did you select Palmetto Solutions over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Objectives:

• Delivered a user-friendly and visually engaging Tableau dashboard tailored to the specific needs of our orthopedic providers.
• Dashboard provides detailed insights into readmission rates, segmented by surgery type, individual providers, and specific time periods.
• Compare post-operative follow-up data with readmission rates, enabling data-driven decisions to improve patient outcomes

Key Deliverables:

Data Integration and Preparation:

Integrated our patient data, including post-operative follow-up records, readmission details, surgery types, and provider-specific metrics.

Ensured the data was thoroughly cleaned, organized, and validated for accuracy and consistency.

Dashboard Development:The team designed and built a Tableau dashboard with key features, including:

Readmission Rates Overview;A high-level summary of overall readmission rates across all surgeries.

Provider-Specific Metrics;Drill-down views to analyze the performance of individual providers.

Surgery Type Analysis;Insights into trends in readmissions based on specific types of orthopedic surgeries.

Time Trend Analysis;Displayed time-based trends to track progress and improvement over time.

Interactive Features:

• Incorporate filters for segmenting data by:
• Provider
• Surgery type
• Date range
• Patient demographics
• Dynamic labels, tooltips, and annotations were also added, making the dashboard intuitive and easy to interpret.

Testing and Validation:
The dashboard underwent rigorous testing to ensure accuracy and seamless performance

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Time Savings in Reporting:

The interactive dashboard replaced manual data analysis, reducing the time required for reporting and analysis by 50%. Providers could access actionable insights in real time.

Increased Provider Engagement:

Providers engaged more frequently with the data, as demonstrated by consistent usage metrics for the dashboard

Patient Outcome Improvements:

Better tracking and analysis of readmission trends led to specific changes in clinical practices, resulting in measurable improvements in patient outcomes, such as reduced complications or faster recovery times.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project Management and Responsiveness:
Palmetto Solutions demonstrated excellent project management throughout the duration of the project. They maintained clear communication, adhered to deadlines, and showed a proactive approach to addressing our needs.

Timely Delivery:
All deliverables were completed on time and within the agreed-upon schedule.
Milestones were clearly defined, and they consistently kept us informed of their progress, ensuring we were never left wondering about the status of the project.

Responsiveness to Needs:
Palmetto Solutions was highly responsive to our requirements and feedback. They took the time to understand our unique challenges, particularly the need for an intuitive dashboard tailored to orthopedic providers.
Any adjustments or additional requests were handled quickly and efficiently, demonstrating their flexibility and customer-focused approach.

Collaboration:
They worked closely with our team to validate data, test the dashboard, and ensure that the final product met our expectations.
Their ability to collaborate effectively with our staff—both on the technical and clinical sides—helped bridge the gap between data science and provider needs.

Problem-Solving:
When challenges arose, such as handling complex data sets or accommodating last-minute feature requests, they tackled them with a solutions-oriented mindset.
They provided clear explanations of their process and worked transparently to resolve issues.

What was your primary form of communication with Palmetto Solutions?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their mastery of SQL databases, combined with their in-depth knowledge of EHR systems, set Palmetto Solutions apart from other vendors. They not only delivered what was expected but also showcased a unique ability to bridge the gap between technical expertise and the operational needs of a healthcare organization. This skill was invaluable in achieving a solution that was both robust and highly effective for our orthopedic providers.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Palmetto Solutions could have done differently?

While Palmetto Solutions delivered an excellent final product and demonstrated strong expertise throughout the project, one area where there was room for improvement was their ability to stay fully focused on our specific task without being pulled away to other projects. While this didn’t significantly impact the overall timeline or deliverables, there were moments when their availability felt stretched due to their commitments to other clients or projects.

Balancing Priorities
At times, it seemed that their resources were spread thin, which occasionally slowed responses to questions or adjustments we needed during phases of the project.