Case Study: Hardin Memorial Health achieves faster, safer ED care and 69.5% drop in LWBS with Stryker Vocera hands-free communication

Increasing Staff Efficiencies During Covid-19 Through Communications Technology

Hardin Memorial Health (HMH), a 300‑bed integrated health system with one of Kentucky’s busiest emergency departments, confronted major communication and workflow challenges during COVID‑19. A prior ED expansion had dispersed clinicians across a much larger floorplan, and pandemic triage, isolation protocols, and PPE requirements further separated teams and limited the use of smartphones for rapid bedside communication.

HMH implemented the hands‑free, voice‑controlled Vocera Badge so staff could place role‑based and emergency calls and speak while wearing PPE, maintaining team coordination and enabling family communication with isolated patients. The change streamlined workflows, sped response times, preserved PPE and safety, and delivered measurable gains: a 69.5% drop in LWBS, a 44.7% increase in HCAHPS scores for “doctors informing patients,” a 12% improvement in “staff caring for patients as a person,” and a 3‑point rise in overall ED patient satisfaction.

Hardin Memorial Health

Deanna Parker

Assistant Vice President of Emergency Services