Florida blood bank speeds document retrieval with cloud solution
To gain faster and better access to information, a non-profit blood bank in Florida has adopted cloud document control software for donor records and standard operating procedures manuals.
SunCoast Blood Bank, which supplies blood products to nine different hospitals in a four-county region, has implemented DocuWare Cloud. Digitizing the records will speed the intake screening process for donors, result in “lightning quick” document retrieval and facilitate compliance with FDA guidelines and reports, according to DocuWare.
SunCoast Blood Bank was using an offsite facility to store its paper records. Turnaround time to pull a record was slow, the information was not searchable and the long-term cost for the storage was unsustainable. After researching alternatives to paper files, SunCoast chose a cloud solution to free its own small IT staff from implementing and maintaining a document management system.
SunCoast uses volunteers to help digitize its records. Joan Leonard, volunteer coordinator, says that DocuWare is so easy to use that she can train volunteers to use the solution and manage the scanning program. She explains, “Not only is DocuWare helping us digitize our records, it is helping us connect to our community. I have high school students teaching retirees, who have never used a computer, to scan and index documents. This has been a tremendous, multifaceted program that not only helps us better manage our information but is helping our seniors gain new skills that will allow them to get back into the workforce.”
Robert Harper, director of quality assurance for SunCoast Blood Bank, says, “With DocuWare Cloud, our turnaround time to pull up a donor’s record to verify or edit information or post test results happens in seconds when before it was a 24-hour wait. The difference in our productivity and response time is quite significant.”
Harper continues, “With the SOP manuals in DocuWare, we no longer need to worry about missing pages or the need to call the main office with questions. Because staff at each mobile location refer to the manual multiple times a day, having a digital, searchable version speeds our intake screening process and aids us with improving accuracy, eliminating errors and calls back to the main office.”
SunCoast’s CEO Scott M. Bush says, “DocuWare Cloud is proving to be a tremendous asset to our organization. Because blood banks are so highly regulated, our blood products, as well as our record keeping, must be meticulous. The system not only reduces costs, it also improves efficiency for our donors and staff. We look forward to customizing the solution to other parts of our operation, further enhancing our ability to serve the community.”