Behind the scenes of hospitals, a quiet revolution is underway. From operating rooms and cafeterias to pharmacies and scheduling desks, automation is reshaping workflows, helping patients receive care faster and hospitals run more efficiently.
KC hospitals are embracing automated tasks in multiple ways: At the University of Kansas Health System, technology has become woven into nearly every aspect of patient care, addressing workflow bottlenecks that once slowed operations.
Jeff Novorr, vice president of hospitality at KU Health System, oversees a system that serves more than 10,000 made-to-order patient meals each week. “During peak mealtimes, the call center can get backed up with more patients placing orders than we have open phone lines, resulting in patients being placed on hold and resulting in delays in ordering meals,” he says.
To solve this, the hospital system launched an app. “A QR code on the back of each patient menu allows a patient or their family member or caregiver to download an app on their smartphone, which connects them with our kitchen,” Novorr says. “Patients are given access to the menu their physician has ordered for them, and they can place their orders 24 hours a day without being on hold or waiting to speak to a live person.”
The results speak for themselves: According to Novorr, of more than 534,000 patient meal orders placed in the first full year, nearly 38,000 came through the app, reducing call center volume by 7 percent and slashing wait times by more than 30 percent.
Dr. Keith Sale, physician vice president of ambulatory services at KU Health System, points to other innovations, including lab processing automation that speeds up test results, human-guided surgical robots that enhance precision and AI embedded in imaging machines that improves both accuracy and speed.
The Health System has also implemented AI-powered scheduling for operating rooms and infusion chairs, says Dr. Sean Kumer, Kansas City division chief medical officer and senior vice president of perioperative and procedural services. The pharmacy has embraced robotics as well, using automated prescription-filling machines to streamline medication dispensing, according to Rick Couldry, vice president of health professions at the Health System. Online charting and appointment scheduling further reduce administrative time sucks, allowing staff to spend more time on direct patient care.
The KU Health System is part of a broader trend. Hospitals nationwide are deploying cutting-edge automation that feel straight out of a science fiction movie. At the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, 81 self-driving transport robots travel over 1,000 miles daily, moving linens, meals, medications and medical equipment across the campus and freeing nursery staff from delivery duties so they can focus on patient care. Others are using AI for predictive staffing and optimizing operating room schedules. In ways both big and small, automation is steadily reshaping hospital care, making the patient experience smoother long before anyone ever steps into a room.
