GHP September 2016

14 | ghp September 2016 for 6 meals every day) and allowing them more time to care for patients. Compared to manual meal ordering, the new electron- ic system reduces the meal order errors from average 8 per month to zero. The EMOS system also provides a cost saving of around SGD $88,000 per year and looks to break even in 4 years. Another innovation is the usage of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for linen management. FPH is the first hospital to adopt RFID for outsourced linen man- agement, which empowers users the ability for real time tracking based on quantity, category and location where linen is required. This information allows users to plan and manage linen in a just-in-time manner which eliminates the need for a large laundry facility, making way for more landscapes. The system also tracks wash count and this helps to maintain the linen quality for patients. The RFID technology has helped the hospital to save more than SGD $590,000 in 2015 and a potential savings of SGD $740,000 in 2016. The official opening of Farrer Park provided an op- portunity to design a media campaign with impactful branding as well as sustainable business growth. As a new hospital, with limited resource, we had to be very effective in our communications plan. Our strategy was to highlight the key points of our organisation, differentiating them against our competitors and then consistently communicate them across all channels. The official opening was an opportunity to design a media campaign with impactful branding as well as sustainable business growth. Prior to the opening, se- lected media, business and community leaders were invited to experience first-hand the unique features of the hospital that helped generate opinions. At the official opening we expanded the group of influencer and created a sensory journey through an experiential event right at the ballroom of the official opening. Guests were able to see and touch the mock-up inpatient suite exhibits and at the brunch re- ception, taste inpatient meals prepared by our award winning hotel chefs. Through vigorous staff training and engagement, pre-official opening, we shaped our very own brand ambassadors for the day to guide our guests through this unique sensory journey. Our core values of comfort, fairness and value formed the backbone of our campaign and our brand ambassa- dors were well versed in the consistency of messaging and experience impacting our guests. The successful media campaign brought a consistent increase in bed occupancy since the official opening. The hospital currently sees a mixture of about 50% local and 50% foreign patients. Singapore’s medi- cal tourism is still strong despite its high currency exchange against neighbouring countries and we are seeing an increasing number from the western coun- tries as well. Foreign patients come from Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, China and as far as USA. FPH is built to serve the local population with hopes of improving the services and providing value for patients. We have seen more than nearly 5,000 surgeries to date with less than 1% mortality rate. Challenges for the future of Farrer Park Hospital Our care philosophy extends beyond healing and the management of disease to engaging with our patients as partners in pursuit of good health and providing an oasis for healing and relaxation. Healing does not end after a successful operation. It is not just about com- ing to hospital for a procedure and then recuperating at home. It is about having the best and most comfort- able services to get the patient on their feet. In addition, having a family support structure close by, where relatives can stay close to the hospital is essen- tial in the rehabilitation process. That is why, as part of Connexion, the hospital is Asia’s first, integrated lifestyle hub for healthcare and wellness that is linked to a five-star hotel and spa. Patients are treated by an experienced team of medical and health specialists in an environment meticulously designed to maximise comfort and effi- ciency while promoting well-being, rest and recovery. Throughout our facility, patients will find that attention has been given to every aspect and detail of our facil- ity – from the comfort of our patients, to its impact on the environment, to the speed and ease of obtaining medical attention and to the maintenance of hygiene. Though small in size our culture of innovation, allows us to grasp opportunities quickly. The seamlessness of information flow was the focus at inception and the hospital was planned to be technologically relevant for the next 20 years. Being an institution built by healthcare practitioners has its advantages. We achieve painstaking perfection in our attention to detail. The hospital has many prac- tical features that serve the needs of practitioners and patients while the hoteliers add details for comfort, luxury and aesthetics. The architecture of Farrer Park Hospital and Connex- ion reflects the deep commitment to creating a true learning environment. Synergies between our hospital along with a closely linked hotel stimulate many innovations for improving the healthcare experience. The concept of a hospital near a hotel is not new, however, to integrate it to the level that we have is something novel. We followed a biophilic architecture approach throughout the facility, incorporating nature and art to enhance healing. Hospitals are traditionally not the best place for recuperation. We strive to have the restful ambience of a hotel, in addition to proximity of doctors and family under the same roof, as well as using technology to enable seamless and speedy decision making; all this in support of better patient outcome and shorter stays. You could say we are different in how we view private healthcare. A traditional hospital would not carve out 15 gardens at multiple levels throughout the facility so that patients and families can have places to feel the warmth of the sun and breathe fresh air whenever they like. The facility also hosts a private collection of over 700 commissioned Asian paintings meant to enhance the healing environment. In land-scarce Singapore, a typical businessperson would not have fewer paid parking lots, making them one and a half times the size of a standard lot, to allow a patient on crutches to comfortably extend the car door fully to disembark. A standard project manager would not insist that contractors construct a curved sink so that surgeons will not have water dripping down his elbows after scrubbing his or her hands, or a bath bench with a cut out that allows patients to sit while washing themselves. This may seem unnec- essary but these innovative approaches translate to actual benefits to people who ‘value’ them. Everyone has the same end goal, a good experience and better patient outcome. Our strategy is simple. We take our responsibilities to patients, their families and the clinicians seriously. We attend to their needs, an- ticipate their wants, and find the best way to address these concerns through innovation and technology. This ultimately brings value to patients. Our hospital is also supported by the medical centre which provides a range of specialty services, such as cardiology, oncology, orthopaedic surgery, gastroen- terology and ophthalmology, along with a 24-hour emergency clinic, providing immediate care for acute illnesses. The hospital also has the most modern facilities for diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and clinical laboratories. There is even a holistic service which focuses on screening, preven- tive medicine and lifestyle enhancement. As we are still relatively new in the market, the focus would be to build up the brand of Farrer Park. The key is to build a culture of excellence and ensure that we have an able team to assist with pushing out qual- ity healthcare services in tandem with our core values of comfort, fairness and value to our stakeholders. Health & Social Care