News Release
Spok Contact Center Solutions Enhance Operational Efficiency at North York General Hospital
Toronto-based hospital partners with Spok to implement Spok Care Connect®, a communication platform that helps improve patient care and satisfaction
SPRINGFIELD, Va. (May 1, 2019) – Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK) and a global leader in healthcare communications, announced that North York General Hospital (NYGH) has successfully implemented Spok Care Connect® contact center solutions to increase operator efficiency and help improve the delivery of care for their patients. NYGH, one of Canada’s leading academic hospitals and globally ranked among the top 100 in the world and number two in Canada, reported a successful go-live after receiving its first call on the new Spok system on March 12.
“Our partnership with Spok marks a new era for our contact center and a positive impact on communication across the hospital,” said Sumon Acharjee, chief information officer at NYGH. “We are able to mitigate patient safety risks by connecting physicians, nurses, and others with accurate information in a fast and reliable manner. We strongly believe the Spok communication platform will provide long-term value for our organization. This step represents a major automation milestone by eliminating what was previously all-manual operator procedures.”
This implementation was part of NYGH’s larger initiative to modernize call center operations and replace outdated methods of call handling. After upgrading existing telephony systems and extending to Voice over IP (VoIP), NYGH began evaluating several communication vendors. They found Spok was the only company to offer a turnkey solution that came equipped with every element needed to streamline their operational processes and deliver consistently exceptional customer service.
“We needed a new system that would allow us to build capacity and integrate with modern technology,” says Chi-Cheng Chu, information services manager at NYGH. “Spok presented the most advanced solution with all the tools our operators need in one single platform. Our go-live went flawlessly and our Spok system is working seamlessly for our operators.”
Implementing Spok operator console is increasing productivity at NYGH with easy-to-use operator software that puts all the necessary information to process communications within a few keystrokes. NYGH is also implementing Spok solutions for call recording, web directory, and on-call scheduling, allowing them to evaluate how calls are handled and ensure staff contact information and schedule information is accurate and readily accessible. NYGH can now handle higher call volumes, while providing the highest quality caller service.
“Contact centers are the heart of communications for nearly every area of the modern hospital,” said Vincent D. Kelly, president and chief executive officer of Spok Holdings, Inc. “We are proud to offer advanced technology that brings together critical functions and helps hospitals like NYGH reduce costs, improve patient care, and achieve operational value.”
About North York General Hospital
North York General Hospital, affiliated with the University of Toronto, is one of Canada’s leading community academic hospitals. We offer our culturally diverse community a wide range of acute care, ambulatory and long-term care services across multiple sites. Through partnerships, collaboration and academic endeavours, we seek to set new standards for patient- and family-centred care. Working together with our patients and their families, we are making a world of difference.