The Ultimate Guide to Creating an Effective Patient Relocation Plan

Regardless of the size of your medical facility or the type of practice you run, a patient relocation can be a stressful endeavor. However, the move can be less chaotic with careful planning and clear communication from internal and external parties more manageable.

Identifying Your Needs

When it comes to patient relocation plans in medical relocations, many stakeholders must be considered. This includes patients, staff, and departments within a healthcare facility. Identifying all of these individuals and planning how you will communicate with them throughout the relocation process is essential. For example, it is a good idea to notify current patients about the move well in advance. This will allow them to find a new physician before their relationship ends. It is also essential to provide them with information about where they can obtain a list of physicians from their health insurance company, referral service, or local hospital. Other important details to consider include legal requirements. These may include building leases, site surveys (licensing), provider contracts and credentialing changes, OSHPD guidelines, etc. It is a good idea to consult with legal counsel before closing or relocating your healthcare practice.

Identifying Your Stakeholders

When planning a project, it’s essential to identify the people who may have a vested interest in its success or failure. This includes individuals, organizations, and groups. Stakeholders can include customers, investors, employees, communities, and local governments. Identifying stakeholders allows the organization to invite their participation and address any concerns. Involving stakeholders also helps the organization build credibility and establish it as a trustworthy partner.

This can be done through a stakeholder list, which is a comprehensive list of all the people and organizations that have an influence on or interest in an effort. It’s a good idea to map the stakeholders with their level of influence and interest, which can be done using a grid. This can help determine which stakeholders should be engaged with first and who should be kept in the loop. It can also be used to monitor the impact of an effort and evaluate what worked and didn’t work for each group.

Developing a Communication Plan

Developing a communication plan can help ensure everyone involved in a patient relocation project is on the same page. That way, when things don’t go exactly as planned, getting people back on track won’t be difficult.

To begin with, identify your audiences and their information-consuming preferences. That will help you determine what kind of communications to use and how often to communicate them.

For example, patients may want a quick email or phone call when something changes, while your staff might need more in-depth communication about a new practice format or other significant changes. Once you have a clear idea of who to communicate with, you can set SMART goals to help you achieve the desired outcomes. These objectives will also serve as a check to ensure that your communications address the right topics and provide helpful, timely updates. Moreover, it helps to develop a measurement and evaluation system so you can see the effects of your efforts on your stakeholders.

Choosing a Professional Mover

Healthcare organisations need to be aware that it can often be more complex than a standard office relocation when it comes to patient move planning. Not only are patients, staff, and equipment involved, but hospitals must be able to schedule moves around the clock to ensure that services remain available. Because of this, it is often best to work with a professional moving company that has experience in managing medical and healthcare relocations. Look for a partner with knowledge of the medical industry and expertise in handling sensitive data and upholding the industry’s compliance guidelines. It is also essential to have open communication with your commercial moving partners and to take time to notify patients of a move. Place plenty of signage, send emails, and even change your phone greetings to let patients know the location is changing. Doing so will help to minimize confusion and frustration on everyone’s end. Moreover, it will make the transition process more accessible and more stress-free for patients and healthcare employees.