Hospital Health Check... Johns Hopkins Singapore
By Medha Basu
Chan Choo Lin, Director of Operations, Johns Hopkins Singapore talks about her key priorities for 2016 and plans to use digital patient records.
GI caught up with Chan Choo Lin (pictured below), Director of Operations at Johns Hopkins Singapore, to find out about her achievements in 2015, and plans for the future.
What are your biggest achievements in hospital management and healthcare delivery in 2015?
I think my biggest achievement in hospital management in 2015 would be with regards to the professional development of my staff. I had the opportunity this year to promote a number of individuals who have consistently shown a strong work ethic and delivered exceptional results. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is to help my staff accomplish their personal and professional goals.
What are your key priorities for next year?
One of my key priorities for the upcoming year is to provide the necessary tools for my staff to maintain a strong culture of safety. Johns Hopkins Singapore’s track record in safety has certainly been successful, but it is important to us and our patients that this area continues to be an area of distinction.
To what extent has your clinic adopted digital patient records?
Johns Hopkins Singapore recognizes the advantages of digital records over paper records. As such, implementing a full Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system is in our pipeline. We however will adopt a phased approach to implementation to make the process easier for the team and users, to minimize disruptions in care and to manage the budget.
What impact have digital patient records had on the clinic?
Once again, JHS certainly recognizes the advantages of using an EMR. Although they do not directly impact healthcare delivery, they allow a more fluid exchange of patient information and supports clinical care, which is especially important when treating patients from overseas.
How have cloud technologies helped better manage the clinic?
We have yet to explore cloud technologies. This technology has its advantages and disadvantages. However, cloud computing allows universal access to online systems which would be especially beneficial to a multinational organization like Johns Hopkins. Nevertheless, we have few concerns about the implementation of cloud technologies mainly in the basis of security and data protection (confidentiality).
In which area of hospital management or healthcare deliver do sensors and robotics technologies have the most potential?
This is certainly a difficult question; however, I do believe that we will soon see diagnostics technology advancing as a result of increased investments in nanotechnology. Better diagnostics technology will lead to faster diagnosis of diseases and other health ailments. As a result, advanced diagnostics technology promises to have a profound effect on healthcare delivery in that healthcare providers will be able to treat patients sooner and more effectively.
What technologies, tools or techniques are you most interested for the next 6 months?
Johns Hopkins Singapore is currently implementing a new barcoding system to help us streamline our supply chain processes. For this reason, tools, processes and techniques with regards to supply chain automation will be a large focus of the next 6 months.