Just two months after launching an automated employee records system for its human resources and payroll departments, Methodist Hospital of Southern California is already gauging positive results.
Human Resources Director Jonathan Wu said he has seen “instant benefits” since going live with Hartford, Wis.-based API Healthcare’s new program in mid-August.
“There is usually a learning curve with new technology, but even though we’re not yet proficient we’ve still been able to save time,” he said. “Payroll reports they have cut their processing time by 20 percent already.”
While not fully manual, the old system used a lot of paper and could be very time-consuming to use, Wu said.
“It did not have the capability to build in rules, so changes had to be made manually and paperwork went along with it,” he said. “API’s built-in logic makes it much easier for us because it can make changes without anyone having to touch it. For example, if an employee switches from full time to part-time, there is a commensurate change in benefits. With the old system someone would have to go in and manually change their work status and all the different benefits. Now it is done automatically.”
Through the creation of a singular employee record, API officials said, hospital administration can more efficiently manage and track changes throughout the entire term of an employee’s relationship with the organization.
The hospital’s HR and payroll employees are currently on the system, but the plan is to get all of 2,200 hospital staff members logged on by the end of the year, Wu said.
API CEO J.P. Fingado said the company now has more than 1,000 healthcare clients, including some 700 hospitals. The API system is managing workforces that range in size from 100 employees to more than 35,000.
By automating manual processes and integrating departments together, “we are bringing the islands of the hospital together to foster a better working relationship,” he said.