We sat down with Paula Solipaca, RN, administrator, and group vice president at Jefferson Surgical Center at the Navy Yard and three other facilities, to talk about how Medely has helped her fill gaps in her busy operating rooms and avoid cancellations at her multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Operating room shortages
Increased patient demands and a shortage of staff, specifically in the operating room, drove Paula to search for an inexpensive, easy-to-use solution. As a surgery center, having a fully staffed OR was crucial to preventing cancelled cases, which can lead to lower quality patient care and decreased revenue.
She contacted one of the other facilities that she manages, and they shared that they had been utilizing Medely to fill shifts. Immediately intrigued, she signed up for Medely right away. With the flexibility to post shifts on her terms for any length of time, Paula knew that Medely was going to be a good fit for fluctuating OR caseloads. “I have used Medely when we were crazy busy and not able to really staff. The operating room is probably one of my biggest challenges. Medely helps me with long-term assignments, as well as short-term and a combination of both.”
Finding consistent coverage
Because she runs four facilities, Paula needed to ensure she could rely on Medely nurses and health professionals to provide the same level of care her full-time staff were providing. She needed pros who could jump in with little orientation and operate independently. As she continued to use Medely, she was consistently impressed with the quality of nurses and health professionals that Medely was providing. They filled gaps seamlessly in the operating rooms and needed little direction.
“The feedback that I received from my director of nursing and the physicians was really strong.”
With Medely, facility managers can rest assured that the nurses and health professionals picking up shifts are credentialed and qualified to provide the best patient care. In order to get approved to pick up shifts for Medely, all nurses and health professionals interview with one of our on-staff former nurses and health professionals, answer questions on a rigorous skills assessment, and go through a credentials check that ensures all licenses and certifications are up-to-date.
Our thorough onboarding process saves facilities valuable time, money, and resources by reducing manual verification checks. Medely nurses and health professionals are ready to pick up shifts and assignments without skipping a beat, providing busy administrators like Paula with the peace of mind that their facility is being run with the same care and quality that their full-time staff provide. “What I found so strong about Medely was nurses that really were able to work independently at facilities like this,” Paula shares. “You really need to be independent, and I had that with Medely.”
More effective scheduling and planning
Medely’s flexible scheduling tool allows Paula to staff when she needs, working with, not against, the varying demands of the operating room. “My director of nursing and my OR manager will come to me and tell me when we have our high volume day and that we don’t have this [position]. We don’t have that [position]. So I normally get their feedback of what our staffing needs are to run very efficiently,” Paula shares.
In the months where Paula was experiencing a larger shortage of OR nurses, she knew that she needed consistent coverage for a longer period of time than just a few shifts. So, she turned to Medely’s assignments to find that coverage.
“In December, I always take a look at the months that I really was lacking the support in the operating room. There was a major gap of not having OR nurses, and I think it was just a shortage of nurses in general. But, those long-term assignments were really useful. I had probably six weeks of Medely nurses in the operating room, and I think I did that multiple times for a little bit.”
Assignments allow for consistent long-term coverage when facilities have extended gaps. Not only does this allow for consistent patient care, it also establishes a relationship with the same nurses or health professionals, who can then be added to a facility’s favorites list later to be easily called back. This helps create a stronger bond between full-time staff and contingent workers, cutting down on some of the challenges that can come with a mixed workforce.
2024 outcomes with Medely
Whether she needs a long-term assignment or a four-hour shift covered, Paula knows that with Medely, she’ll have the coverage she needs–and quickly. In 2024, Paula filled 91 shifts with Medely and saw an average fill rate of 85%. On average, shifts and assignments were filled within 34 minutes of posting, ensuring Paula didn’t have to wait to find coverage or worry about establishing a plan B. Medely’s quick turnaround provided certainty that her operating rooms would be fully staffed, cutting out the time-intensive, dated manual processes of finding replacements, like calling, emailing, or texting agencies or internal float pools.
“I never, ever, ever posted a shift that did not have Medely come through.”
Thanks to Medely’s simplicity, when needs arise, Paula can quickly post a shift wherever she is, even if she’s not in the office. “I can do it on my cell phone. When I get a phone call that we have a call out, I’m on my cell phone trying to request for a nurse.” By using Medely, Paula has kept her physicians and full-time staff happy while addressing shortages quickly, both important factors in combatting burnout and reducing churn. With a better plan for contingent labor and the ability to only post when needs arise, Paula has seen a decrease in labor spend. Based on current agency rates for the number of shifts Paula has posted, we estimate that she has saved 47% by using Medely compared to traditional agencies.
Find a better solution with Medely
Establishing a better, more efficient staffing solution can help increase patient satisfaction, reduce burnout rates, and help drive revenue. With quality nurses and health professionals for any long- or short-term need, Medely can help facilities bridge gaps and maintain consistent patient care. Sign up today!
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
