Green Initiatives Reflect Company’s Collaborative Approach To Helping Customers Operate More Efficiently And Cost Effectively
LodgeNet Healthcare, a division of LodgeNet Interactive Corporation (NASDAQ: LNET), commented today on ways they are working closely with their customers to help them conserve energy and resources. The LodgeNetRX® Interactive Patient Television System, now contracted in more than 45 hospitals and health systems, has become popular for improving patient satisfaction and delivering patient education and clinical content directly to the patient room. Hospitals are now finding it can help them save money as well.
“Our solution has incredible flexibility and we are using it to help hospitals and patients in a variety of ways,” said Gary Kolbeck, General Manager of LodgeNet Healthcare. “We are excited about the cost savings our solution can facilitate, as well as the integration we can provide with other systems to drive efficiencies.” Kolbeck identified the following as examples of ways LodgeNetRX can help healthcare facilities save on energy and other operational expenses:
- Printing Costs – Hospital admission packets and other printed material can be placed on the interactive system and edited instantly, reducing paper needs and allowing content to be updated without costly re-printing. Some hospitals are migrating certain printed information to video, which can drive better outcomes and reduce risks especially with safety related content and other important information.
- Dietary Integration – LodgeNetRX supports the ordering of patient meals through the TV, with delivery scheduled around the patient’s schedule and dietary restrictions. This improves food quality, reduces waste, and provides a more efficient and timely processes to ensure patients receive proper nutrition – without manual processes or printed meal cards.
- Environmental Controls – With new advanced control systems, patients can control lighting, adjust temperature, and even close blinds from the comfort of their bed. LodgeNet provides easy-to-use patient facing menu screens for these controls and integrates with the control systems for visual feedback. This functionality can also be extended to automatically adjust the room temperature and lighting as patients are discharged – reducing energy waste and operating costs.
- TV Sleep Timers – LodgeNetRX allows patients to set a time for the TV to turn off if they plan to go to sleep. This reduces energy consumption and can also reduce the overall noise level on the floor to encourage patient rest and recovery.
According to the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) the percentage of hospitals specifying green or environmentally friendly construction materials increased from 55% in 2006 to 81% in 2008. Additionally, Energy Star (energystar.gov), a joint program between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and The Department of Energy, estimates that every dollar a not-for-profit hospital saves on energy is the equivalent of $20 in new revenue. “The consultants and architects that are hired to design and refurbish state of the art hospitals are doing so under the Leadership of Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system,” Kolbeck went on to say. “This initiative supports that strategy and is easily manageable and sustainable for any hospital.”
LodgeNet Healthcare will be exhibiting at the ASHE 46th Annual Conference and Technical Exhibition, August 2-5 in Anaheim, CA. In addition to discussing their Green savings opportunities, they will be demonstrating the healthcare industry’s only HD (high-definition) interactive solution.